书城工具书老外最想和你聊的101个英语话题——流行文化篇
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第45章 Food and Life 饮食男女(17)

Beijing’s most famous purveyor of Peking duck is nothing if not well-endorsed。

如果没有食客的好评,北京烤鸭就可能什么都不是——但是事实却是好评如潮。

The duck, with its crispy red skin and melt-in-the-mouth flesh, is sublime—400 versions of the classic dish are available: opt for the classic kaoya。

爽脆的红色鸭皮和入口即化的鸭肉真是令人赞叹。全聚德一共有400种菜品供君挑选,任君品尝。

In most dishes in Chinese cuisine, food is prepared in bite-sized pieces, ready for direct picking up and eating。

在大部分中国菜里,食物都被切成入口大小,适合即刻夹起或吃。

In traditional Chinese cultures, chopsticks are used at the table。

在传统中国文化中,餐桌上使用的是筷子。

Traditional Chinese cuisine is also based on opposites, whereby hot balances cold, pickled balances fresh and spicy balances mild。

传统中国菜讲究对立,冷热平衡,酸和新鲜平衡,辛辣平衡。

True to their roots, Shanxi noodle chefs will show off their various noodle-making skills, whether pulling, shaving, cutting, tearing, stamping。

面点为山西美食文化之精髓,其面点师傅们将尽展面点制作技艺。抻、削、切、压,传统山西面条出神入化的制作全过程轻松近距离呈现在宾客眼前。

Chinese noodles are usually made from soft wheat flour,and served in broth with sliced meat and vegetables。

中国的面条通常是用低筋面粉做成,放在肉片和蔬菜煮的肉汤中食用。

Nowadays, a large part of China’s population has a diet centered around noodles。

在今天的中国人口中,有很大一部分是以面条制品为主食。

To give extra flavors to dishes, many Chinese cuisine also contain dried Chinese mushrooms, dried baby shrimps, dried tangerine peel, dried Sichuan chilies as well。

为了给食物增加更多美味,中国菜往往加入干蘑菇,干虾米,陈皮以及干辣椒。

Let’s Talk!

开始交流吧!

Daniel: Grandpa, this Chinese restaurant looks really old! How long ago was it built?

丹尼尔: 爷爷,这个中国餐厅看起来好旧啊。它建成多少年了啊?

Grandpa: I’m not sure when it started。 But I know it’s older than me。 As a young boy, I used to eat at here a lot。

爷爷: 我不是很确定它是什么时候开张的,但我知道它比我还老呢。我小的时候,就经常来这里吃东西的。

Daniel: Oh, it’s interesting。 Dad told me you brought him here when he was young, too。 Now, it’s my turn。

丹尼尔: 哦,真有趣。爸爸告诉过我他小的时候您也常常带他来这里。现在,轮到我了。

Grandpa: Yeah。 We are the VIP customers here。 So, what do you want to eat today?

爷爷: 是啊。我们可是这里的贵宾啊。那么,你今天想吃点什么呢?

Daniel: I’d like to eat a hamburger and a bottle of coca-cola。

丹尼尔: 我要吃一个汉堡包和一瓶可乐。

Grandpa: Hey, kid, that’s wrong。 It’s a Chinese restaurant。 Let’s eat something traditional。

爷爷: 嗨,孩子,别弄错了。这是中餐厅,我们得吃点传统的食品。

Daniel: Then there is nothing particular I’d like to eat。 Grandpa, what’s your favorite here?

丹尼尔: 那我就不知道有什么特别想吃的了。爷爷,您最喜欢这里的什么呢?

Grandpa: The Chinese rice pudding。 Your father loves it, too。 You wanna try?

爷爷: 八宝粥。你爸爸也很喜欢的。你想尝尝吗?

Daniel: Sure。 Is it sweet?

丹尼尔: 当然了。它是甜的吗?

Grandpa: Yes, of course。 But I think they can make you a salty one, too。

爷爷: 是啊,当然了。但是我觉得他们也可以给你做一碗咸的。

Daniel: Great, I want it spicy。

丹尼尔: 太好了。我还要辣的。

Grandpa: Come on。 Don’t go too far。

爷爷: 哎呀。别太过了。

Daniel: I want it to be special。 And you know that I always like hot food。

丹尼尔: 我就想要点特别的啊。而且您知道我一直喜欢辣味的食物啊。

Grandpa: OK then。 We shall ask them to put some red chilli on it。

爷爷: 那好吧。我们就叫他们给你往里面加点辣椒。

Daniel: I’m sure I’d like that。

丹尼尔: 我确定我一定会喜欢的。

Grandpa: I hope so。

爷爷: 希望如此。

Special Snacks

特色小吃

小吃是一类在口味上具有特定风格特色的食品的总称,可以作为宴席间的点缀或者早点、夜宵的主要食品。世界各地都有各种各样的风味小吃,特色鲜明,风味独特。小吃就地取材,能够突出反映当地的物质及社会生活风貌,是一个地区不可或缺的重要特色,更是离乡游子们对家乡思念的主要对象。现代人吃小吃通常不是为了吃饱,除了可以解馋以外,品尝异地风味小吃还可以借此了解当地风情。

Realize Special Snacks

认识特色小吃

1中国各种各样的地方小吃

For the Chinese, snack time is more than just filling up one’s growling tummy to drive hunger away。 It is a time to socialize, bond, and enjoy the pleasures of good food and a good time。 Good food, they say, speaks to the heart as well as the stomach。

Little wonder that for many Chinese, snacks are just as important as regular meals。 Cheap and nourishing snacks such as those found at night markets are known collectively as xiaochi, or “little eats”。 Restaurants that specialize in them are called xiaochidian; they sell different types of noodles or dumplings, stuffed bun or pancakes。 Open early for breakfast, they may serve simple stir-fried dishes too, and shut only when the last guest leaves。 The setting is usually basic, but the food is hearty, tasty, and very reasonably priced。 Every city has its own local varieties, but the ultimate “little eats” are the snack of Cantonese cooking。

Shanghai Snacks could be traced back to as early as the Southern Song Dynasty and became more exquisite in cooking when Shanghai grew into an important city in early Ming Dynasty。 After Shanghai was listed as a trading port by the end of the Qing Dynasty, various regional snacks were assimilated, developed and refined, bringing forth the specialty of Shanghai style。 Shanghai snack is famed for being light, fresh and tasty, and has long been diners’ favorite for its characteristics。 There is such a vast range of street food available in Beijing that we couldn’t possibly describe all of it。 In Beijing outside schools and big office buildings are great places to find street food as the sellers set up stall to tempt Beijingers of all ages when they arrive at work, during lunch breaks and when they leave。 Besides these two places, there are so many different snacks in other regions of China, such as Hunan, Zhejiang, and Shandong and so on。

2中国有名小吃的表达方式

(1)lamb kebabs羊肉串

The staple of street food, something found all over China, is simple lamb kebabs, called yángròu chuànr (羊肉串儿) in Chinese。 Skewers of meat cooked over a charcoal fire, sprinkled with cumin and spices and handed over to the salivating customer for just 1Y or 2Y a go。

(2)Tianjin Goubuli steamed stuffed buns天津狗不理包子Baozi, usually translated to “steamed stuffed buns” are a great way to fill up in winter。 You can see them outside any small Chinese eatery, steaming away in bamboo steamers piled high。

(3)The Beijing Sandwich肉夹膜

A “very Beijing” classic of street food is the “Beijing Sandwich”。

(4)stinky tofu臭豆腐

Stinky tofu, also known as chou dofu, is a Chinese snack infamous for its horrible aroma。 It begins as fresh tofu marinating in a fermented brine of vegetables and dried shrimp。

(5)Chicken Feet鸡爪

Because they are mostly skin and tendons, the snack has a chewy, gelatinous texture, with small bones that must be spit out。 In addition to being sold fresh and hot, the feet also can be purchased in individual vacuum-sealed bags。

(6)bean curd jelly豆腐脑