Title: Can baiju, China's sorghum firewater, go global?
sorghum n. 高粱
firewater n. 烈酒
Baijiu——a broad family(一类东西) of grain-based(以谷物为原料) spirits selling for anything between a few dollars and a few thousand a few dollars and a few thousand dollars per bottle——is the most-drunk spirit on earth. But this is only by dint of its popularity in China.
based 与形容词连用，表示以什么东西为主要成分
spirit n. 精神， 心灵； 烈酒(同义词firewater)
sell for （固定搭配） => cost
anything 与 between 连用，表示在一定的范围内
by dint of + 名词 / 动词的 ing 形式 凭借，通过 (同义词) = > by means of
eg. He succeeded by dint of hard work. 他的成功靠的是艰辛的努力
He succeeded by dint of working hard.
Over the years Europeans and Americans hava grown to love vodka, a once-obscure(曾经名不见经传，一度不起眼的) Russian gut-rot, and tequila(龙舌兰酒), a Mexican(墨西哥) drink made from spiky plants. But Chinese liquor firms have made few inroads globally.
grown to do sth 逐渐开始做某事
obscure adj. 默默无闻的，鲜为人知的，难以理解的，晦涩的
gut-rot n.廉价劣质酒；伤胃酒 => rotgut gut n.肠道，消化道 rot v.腐烂
spiky adj.有尖刺的 spike n.尖刺
plant n.工厂; 设备; 植物，草木; 庄稼;
make inroads (固定搭配) 取得进展；产生效果；开拓市场
For a long time China's big baijiu-makers were not that interested in foreign sales. Since China began opening its economy to the outside world in the late 1970s, the distillers(烈酒生产商) have mostly been preoccupied with meeting domestic demand. Only recently have China's thousands of baijiu-makers begun stepping up efforts to develop foreign markets.
distiller n.烈酒生产者，烈酒生产商 distill v.蒸馏 -er …的人
be preoccupied with sth. => be busy with sth 忙于做某事
step up 增加强度 近义词=> increase
step up one's pace 加快步伐
step up the pressure on sth. 对某事增加压力
step up efforts to do sth 加大努力去做某事
In addition to exporting their best-known(最有名的) brands, baijiu-makers have been creating new drinks specifically(特意的，专门的) to be sold abroad. In 2016 Red Star, the maker of Erguotou(二锅头的制造商), a cheap baijiu ubiquitous in Beijing, launched a spirit in Europe called Nuwa(女娲). Last year Luzhou Laojiao, a storied distiller in Sichuan, a south-western province, released(推出，发行) a baijiu in America named Ming River(明江酒).
in addition to 除了…之外
ubiquitous adj.普遍存在的，似乎无处不在的
storied adj.经常提及的；有名的 近义词 => famous
storied 通过一定时间的沉淀之后，积累起来的名声
Baijiu companies are aware that they increasingly have to compete in their home market(本土市场) with Western drinks(洋酒) such as gin(杜松子酒), whisky(威士忌酒) and wine(葡萄酒). Many have concluded, perhaps correctly, that making their brands look and feel international to Chinese drinkers will help them hold their own against these fashionable foreign tipples.
be aware that(从句) 知道/意识到/了解某件事情
have to do sht 不得不做某事（文中有迫于形势的意味）
concluded v.得出结论; 断定; 结束( conclude的过去式和过去分词 ); 推断出;
hold one's own (与…)同样成功，(与…)相匹敌
hold one's own against + 对手
tipple n.常喝的酒，非常喜欢喝的酒