The Story of Flamin' Hot Cheetos

HSK 6+ · 463 characters · Business Stories

The legend of Flamin' Hot: a janitor at the Cheetos factory takes unseasoned rejects home, adds his family's chili spice, and phones the CEO directly.

很多hěn duō人rén都dōu喜爱xǐ ài辣味là wèi奇多qí duō，这种zhè zhǒng零食líng shí香辣xiāng là可口kě kǒu。Many people love Flamin' Hot Cheetos, this snack is spicy and delicious.但dàn很少hěn shǎo有yǒu人rén知道zhī dào，它tā诞生dàn shēng背后bèi hòu的de故事gù shì充满chōng mǎn传奇chuán qí色彩sè cǎi。But few people know that the story behind its birth is full of legendary color.

故事gù shì的de主角zhǔ jué名叫míng jiào理查德lǐ chá dé·蒙塔涅斯méng tǎ niè sī。The protagonist of the story is named Richard Montañez.他tā出身chū shēn贫寒pín hán，父母fù mǔ是shì从cóng墨西哥mò xī gē到dào美国měi guó的de移民yí mín。He came from a poor background, and his parents were immigrants from Mexico to the United States.由于yóu yú家境jiā jìng困难kùn nan，理查德lǐ chá dé从小cóng xiǎo未能wèi néng接受jiē shòu太多tài duō正规zhèng guī教育jiào yù。Due to family difficulties, Richard did not receive much formal education from a young age.读写dú xiě能力néng lì有限yǒu xiàn。His reading and writing abilities were limited.成年chéng nián后hòu，他tā进入jìn rù“菲多利fēi duō lì”零食líng shí公司gōng sī工作gōng zuò，担任dān rèn一yī名míng清洁工qīng jié gōng。After growing up, he joined the “Frito-Lay” snack company to work as a janitor.

有yǒu一yī天tiān，公司gōng sī生产线shēng chǎn xiàn发生fā shēng故障gù zhàng。One day, the company's production line malfunctioned.导致dǎo zhì一yī批pī奇多qí duō未能wèi néng添加tiān jiā调味料tiáo wèi liào，成了chéng le索然无味suǒ rán wú wèi的de“白板bái bǎn”。This led to a batch of Cheetos not having seasoning added, becoming bland “blanks”.理查德lǐ chá dé觉得jué de丢弃diū qì很hěn可惜kě xī，便biàn带dài回家huí jiā，琢磨zuó mo着zhe如何rú hé赋予fù yǔ它们tā men风味fēng wèi。Richard felt it was a pity to discard them, so he took them home and pondered how to give them flavor.

深受shēn shòu墨西哥mò xī gē辣味là wèi美食měi shí影响yǐng xiǎng的de理查德lǐ chá dé灵机一动líng jī yī dòng。Deeply influenced by Mexican spicy cuisine, Richard had a sudden inspiration.在家zài jiā调制tiáo zhì了le一种yī zhǒng辛辣xīn là的de调味粉tiáo wèi fěn，撒sǎ在zài奇多qí duō上shàng。At home, he prepared a kind of spicy seasoning powder and sprinkled it on the Cheetos.家人jiā rén品尝pǐn cháng后hòu赞不绝口zàn bù jué kǒu。After his family tasted it, they praised it endlessly.他tā心想xīn xiǎng：“这个zhè ge味道wèi dao这么zhè me棒bàng，或许huò xǔ公司gōng sī会huì采纳cǎi nà”？He thought: “This taste is so great, perhaps the company will adopt it?”

尽管jǐn guǎn只zhǐ是shì一yī名míng普通pǔ tōng清洁工qīng jié gōng，理查德lǐ chá dé依然yī rán鼓起gǔ qǐ勇气yǒng qì。Although he was only an ordinary janitor, Richard still gathered his courage.主动zhǔ dòng联系lián xì公司gōng sī高层gāo céng，推介tuī jiè他的tā de辣味là wèi奇多qí duō创意chuàng yì。He proactively contacted the company's executives and promoted his Flamin' Hot Cheetos idea.出人意料chū rén yì liào的de是shì，高层gāo céng对duì这个zhè ge想法xiǎng fǎ很hěn感兴趣gǎn xìng qù，决定jué dìng给gěi他tā一个yī ge展示zhǎn shì的de机会jī huì。Unexpectedly, the executives were very interested in this idea and decided to give him an opportunity to showcase.

理查德lǐ chá dé特意tè yì换huàn上shàng最好zuì hǎo的de衣服yī fu，略显lüè xiǎn紧张jǐn zhāng却què充满chōng mǎn热情rè qíng地de向xiàng公司gōng sī演示yǎn shì了le他tā的de发明fā míng。Richard purposely changed into his best clothes, slightly nervous yet full of enthusiasm, and demonstrated his invention to the company.结果jié guǒ大获dà huò成功chéng gōng！The result was a great success!公司gōng sī当场dāng chǎng拍板pāi bǎn，决定jué dìng投产tóu chǎn这款zhè kuǎn新xīn零食líng shí。The company decided on the spot to produce this new snack.

辣味là wèi奇多qí duō一经yī jīng推出tuī chū便biàn风靡fēng mǐ市场shì chǎng，供不应求gōng bù yìng qiú，为wèi公司gōng sī带来了dài lái le丰厚fēng hòu利润lì rùn。Once launched, Flamin' Hot Cheetos swept the market, was in short supply, and brought abundant profits to the company.理查德lǐ chá dé本人běn rén也yě因此yīn cǐ获得huò dé晋升jìn shēng，逐渐zhú jiàn在zài公司gōng sī崭露头角zhǎn lù tóu jiǎo，最终zuì zhōng成为chéng wéi重要zhòng yào管理者guǎn lǐ zhě。Richard himself also received a promotion as a result, gradually emerged in the company, and ultimately became an important manager.

理查德lǐ chá dé的de故事gù shì生动shēng dòng诠释quán shì了le：一个yī ge源自yuán zì生活shēng huó的de创意chuàng yì，加jiā上shàng一份yī fèn付诸fù zhū行动xíng dòng的de勇气yǒng qì，足以zú yǐ彻底chè dǐ改变gǎi biàn一个yī ge人rén的de命运mìng yùn轨迹guǐ jì。Richard's story vividly illustrates: an idea originating from life, plus the courage to put it into action, is enough to completely change a person's life trajectory.