Unit9ChineseFood课文翻译综合教程三.docx

Unit9ChineseFood“FewthingsinlifeareasPOSitiVeasfood,oraretakenasintimatelyandcompletelybytheIndividual.Onecanlistentomusic,butthesoundmayenterinoneearandgooutthroughtheother:onemaylistentoalectureor.conversation,andday-dreamaboutmanyotherthings;onemayattendtomattersofbusiness,andone,sheartorinterestmaybealtogetherelsewhere.Inthematteroffoodandeatinghoweveronecanhardlyremaincompletelyindifferenttowhatoneisdoingforlong.Howcanoneremainentirelyindifferenttosomethingwhichisgoingtoenterone'sbodyandbecomepartofoneself?Howcanoneremainindifferenttosomethingwhichwilldetermineone'sphysicalStrengthandultimatelyone,sspiritualandmoralfibreandwell-being?-Kenneth1.oThisisaneasyquestionforaChinesetoask,butaWesternermightfinditdifficulttoanswer.ManypeopleintheWcstaregourmetsandothersaregluttons,butscatteredamongthemalsoisalargenumberofpeoplewhoareapparentlyprettyindifferenttowhatgoesintotheirstomachs,anddonotregardfoodashavinganyultimatemoraleffectonthem.How,theymightask,couldeatingahamburgerordrinkingCocaColacontributeanythingtomakingyouasaintorasinner?Forthem,foodisquitesimplyafuel.Kenneth1.o,however,expressesapointofVieWthatisprofoundlydifferentandtypicallyChinese,derivingfromthousandsofyearsoftradition.Thel,ondonrestaurateurFuTong,forexample,quotesnolessanauthoritythanConfucius(theancientSageknowninChineseasK,ung-Fu-Tzu)withregardtotheprimalimportanceoffood.Food,saidthesage,isthefirsthappiness.FuTongadds:"Foodtomycountrymenisoneoftheecstasiesoflife,tobethoughtaboutinadvance;tobesmotheredwithlovingcarethroughoutitspreparation;andtohavetimelavishedonitinthefinalpleasureofeating.”1.oobservesthatwhenWesternersgotoarestauranttheyaskforagoodtable,whichmeansagoodpositionfromwhichtoseeandbeseen.Theyareusuallytheretobeentertainedsocia11yandalso,incidentally,toeat.WhentheChinesegotoarestaurant,however,theyaskforasmallroomwithplainwallswheretheycannotbeseenexceptbythemembersoftheirownparty,wherejacketscancomeoffandtheycanproceedwiththeseriousbusinesswhichbroughtthemthere.TheChineseintentions"arebothhonourableandwhole-hearted:toeatwithacapitalE."Despitesuchamarkeddifferenceinattitudestowardswhatoneconsumes,thereisnodoubtthatpeopleintheWesthavecometoregardthecuisineofChinaassomethingspecial.Infact,onecanassertwithsomejusticethatChinesefoodis,nowadays,theonlytrulyinternationalfood.11isubiquitous.Restaurantsbedeckedwithdragonsanddelicatelandscapes-servingSuchexoticasDimSinGai(sweetandsourchicken),andShaoShingsoup,Chiao-TzuandKuo-Tioh(northernstyle),andGingAiKwar(steamedaubergines)-havesprungupeverywherefromHongKongtoHonolulutoHobokentoHuddersfield.Howdidthiscomeabout?Certainly,akindofChinesefoodwasexportedtoNorthAmericawhenmanythousandsofChinesewentthereinthe19thcenturytoworkonsuchthingsastheU.S.railways.Theysettledonornearthewestcoast,wherethefamousorinfamous*chopsueyjoints*grewup,withtheirratherinferiorbrandofChinesecooking.ThestandardoftherestaurantsimprovedsteadiIyintheUnitedStates,but1.oconsidersthatthecrucialfactorinspreadingthiskindoffoodthroughouttheWesternworldwaspopulationpressureintheBritishcolonyofHongKong,especiallyafter1950,whichsentfamiliesoutallovertheworldtoseektheirfortunesintheopeningofrestaurants.Headds,however,thatthiscouldnothavehappenediftheworldhadnotbeeninterestedinwhattheHongKongChinesehadtocookandsell.HedetectsanincreasedinterestinsensualityintheWesternworld:"Colour,texture,movement,food,drink,androckmusicallthesehavebecomemuchmorepartandparceloftheaverageperson'slifethantheyhaveeverbeen.11isthisincreasedsensualityandthedesireforgreaterfreedomfromage-boundhabitsintheWest,combincdwiththeinherentsensualconceptofChinesefood,alwaysquicktosatisfythetastebuds,thatisattherootofthesuddenandphenomenalspreadofChinesefoodthroughoutthelengthandbreadthoftheWesternWorld.*Thereisnodoubtthatthetraditionalhigh-qualityChinesemealisaseriousmatter,fastidiouslypreparedandfastidiouslyenjoyed.Indeed,thebringingtogetherandinitialcuttingupandorganisingofthematerialsisabout90%oftheactualpreparation,thecookingitselfbeingonlyabout10%.This10%isnot,howeverasimplematter.TherearemanypossibiIitiestochoosefrom;Kenneth1.o,forexample,1istsfortymethodsavaiIablefortheheatingoffood,fromchuortheartofboi1ingtosuchothersasts，ang,akindofstir-fryingandbraising,t'a,deep-fryinginbatter,andweiyburyingfoodinhotsolidssuchascharcoal,heatedstones,sand,saltandlime.Thepreparationisdctailed,andtheenjoymentmustthereforematchit.ThusaproperChinesemealcanlastforhoursandproceedalmostlikeareligiousceremony.Itisasharedexperiencefortheparticipants,notalonelychore,withitsprocessionofplannedandcarefullycontriveddishes,someelementsdesignedtoblend,otherstocontrast.Meatandfish,solidsandsoups,sweetandsoursauces,crispandsmoothtextures,freshanddriedvegetables-alltheseandmorechaiIengethepalatewiththeirappropriatecharms.InaChinesemealthathasnotbeenalteredtoconformtoWesternideasofeating,everythingispresentedasakindofbuffet,theguesteatingalittleofthis,alittleofthat.Individualportionsassucharenotprovidcd.Aproperlyplanneddinnerwillincludeatleastonefowl,onef