but you can't help but notice that, while a 12-ounce bottle of soda costs a mere $1.49, the same-sized bottle of water costs about 50 cents more.

但卻發現，一瓶 12 盎司的汽水只要 1.49 美元，而相同容量的瓶裝水卻貴上 50 美分。

You would think that soda should cost more because, in addition to water, it contains sugar, flavorings, and a number of mysterious chemicals, whereas water just contains... water!

你可能覺得汽水應該要比較貴，畢竟除了水，它還添加了糖、風味劑和各種神秘化學物質，而水的成分就只有... 水。

So, what's really going on here?

那麼這究竟是怎麼回事？

If we look at production cost, the actual liquid really only accounts for a few cents of the price of each.

若看生產開銷，會發現液體本身其實只佔幾分美金而已。

Bottling and transportation cost a bit more, but the primary expense for both products is marketing.

包裝和運送的成本高了點，但這兩樣商品最主要的支出其實是行銷。

Beverage companies spend millions putting their drinks on signs, TVs, and in the hands of celebrities, all in an attempt to convince us to pay for either a product with serious health consequences or for one that comes out of your tap virtually for free.

飲料公司花大錢把產品放在廣告板、電視，以及名人手上，企圖說服我們花錢買會導致嚴重健康問題的飲料或打開水龍頭就有、近乎免費的水。

But the average person doesn't know or care about any of this.

但一般人並不知道、也不在乎這些事。

They're just looking for something to drink.

他們只是想找點喝的。

And companies simply charge whatever we're willing to pay for it.

而我們願意付多少錢，飲料公司就收多少。

10 dollars for a bottle of water? Yeah, right!

一瓶水 10 美元？想得美！

But 1.99?

那 1.99 美元呢？

Eh, what the heck. It's good for you, right?

隨便啦。多喝水多健康，不是嗎？

Soda, on the other hand, suffers a far less favorable public opinion.

至於汽水嘛，大眾印象就差很多了。

We've caught on to the fact that it's an unhealthy, cheap beverage selection, and as a result, companies can't get away with charging us as much as they do for water.

我們已經知道汽水是種不健康又便宜的飲料，因此飲料公司無法把它們賣得跟水一樣貴。

But lower that price to 1.49, and we'll take it.

但若把價錢降到 1.49 美元，我們就買定了。

Essentially, it boils down to two very inexpensive products being sold at the highest price we are willing to pay for it.

追根究柢，這是兩個非常便宜的產品，以我們願意支付的最高價格出售。

The real question is, when are we going to start buying bottled air?

最重要的問題是，我們什麼時候會開始購買瓶裝空氣？

With the right logo, brand name, and marketing campaign, the sky's the limit!

有了對的商標、品牌名稱，以及行銷手法，什麼都賣得出去！