Unit-9-Chinese-Food课文翻译综合教程三

Unit9ChineseFood"Fewthingsinlifeareaspositiveasfood,oraretakenasintimatelyandcompletelybytheindividual.Onecanlistentomusic,butthesoundmayenterinoneearandgooutthroughtheother;onemaylistentoalectureor.conversation,andday-dreamaboutmanyotherthings;onemayattendtomattersofbusiness,andone'sheartorinterestmaybealtogetherelsewhere...Inthematteroffoodandeatinghoweveronecanhardlyremaincompletelyindifferenttowhatoneisdoingforlong.Howcanoneremainentirelyindifferenttosomethingwhichisgoingtoenterone'sbodyandbecomepartofoneself?Howcanoneremainindifferenttosomethingwhichwilldetermineone'sphysicalstrengthandultimatelyone'sspiritualandmoralfibreandwell-being?"--KennethLoThisisaneasyquestionforaChinesetoask,butaWesternermightfinditdifficulttoanswer.ManypeopleintheWestaregourmetsandothersaregluttons,butscatteredamongthemalsoisalargenumberofpeoplewhoareapparentlyprettyindifferenttowhatgoesintotheirstomachs,anddonotregardfoodashavinganyultimatemoraleffectonthem.How,theymightask,couldeatingahamburgerordrinkingCocaColacontributeanythingtomakingyouasaintorasinner?Forthem,foodisquitesimplyafuel.KennethLo,however,expressesapointofviewthatisprofoundlydifferentandtypicallyChinese,derivingfromthousandsofyearsoftradition.TheLondonrestaurateurFuTong,forexample,quotesnolessanauthoritythanConfucius(theancientSageknowninChineseasK'ung-Fu-Tzu)withregardtotheprimalimportanceoffood.Food,saidthesage,isthefirsthappiness.FuTongadds:"Foodtomycountrymenisoneoftheecstasiesoflife,tobethoughtaboutinadvance;tobesmotheredwithlovingcarethroughoutitspreparation;andtohavetimelavishedonitinthefinalpleasureofeating."LoobservesthatwhenWesternersgotoarestauranttheyaskforagoodtable,whichmeansagoodpositionfromwhichtoseeandbeseen.Theyareusuallytheretobeentertainedsocially--andalso,incidentally,toeat.WhentheChinesegotoarestaurant,however,theyaskforasmallroomwithplainwallswheretheycannotbeseenexceptbythemembersoftheirownparty,wherejacketscancomeoffandtheycanproceedwiththeseriousbusinesswhichbroughtthemthere.TheChineseintentions"arebothhonourableandwhole-hearted:toeatwithacapitalE."Despitesuchamarkeddifferenceinattitudestowardswhatoneconsumes,thereisnodoubtthatpeopleintheWesthavecometoregardthecuisineofChinaassomethingspecial.Infact,onecanassertwithsomejusticethatChinesefoodis,nowadays,theonlytrulyinternationalfood.Itisubiquitous.Restaurantsbedeckedwithdragonsanddelicatelandscapes--servingSuchexoticasDimSinGai(sweetandsourchicken),andShaoShingsoup,Chiao-TzuandKuo-Tioh(northernstyle),andGingAiKwar(steamedaubergines)--havesprungupeverywherefromHongKongtoHonolulutoHobokentoHuddersfield.Howdidthiscomeabout?Certainly,akindofChinesefoodwasexportedtoNorthAmericawhenmanythousandsofChinesewentthereinthe19thcenturytoworkonsuchthingsastheU.S.railways.Theysettledonornearthewestcoast,wherethefamousorinfamous"chopsueyjoints"grewup,withtheirratherinferiorbrandofChinesecooking.ThestandardoftherestaurantsimprovedsteadilyintheUnitedStates,butLoconsidersthatthecrucialfactorinspreadingthiskindoffoodthroughouttheWesternworldwaspopulationpressureintheBritishcolonyofHongKong,especiallyafter1950,whichsentfamiliesoutallovertheworldtoseektheirfortunesintheopeningofrestaurants.Headds,,however,thatthiscouldnothavehappenediftheworldhadnotbeeninterestedinwhattheHongKongChinesehadtocookandsell.HedetectsanincreasedinterestinsensualityintheWesternworld:"Colour,texture,movement,food,drink,androckmusicallthesehavebecomemuchmorepartandparceloftheaverageperson'slifethantheyhaveeverbeen.Itisthisincreasedsensualityandthedesireforgreaterfreedomfromage-boundhabitsintheWest,combinedwiththeinherentsensualconceptofChinesefood,alwaysquicktosatisfythetastebuds,thatisattherootofthesuddenandphenomenalspreadofChinesefoodthroughoutthelengthandbreadthoftheWesternWorld."Thereisnodoubtthatthetraditionalhigh-qualityChinesemealisaseriousmatter,fastidiouslypreparedandfastidiouslyenjoyed.Indeed,thebringingtogetherandinitialcuttingupandorganisingofthematerialsisabout90%oftheactualpreparation,thecookingitselfbeingonlyabout10%.This10%isnot,howeverasimplematter.Therearemanypossibilitiestochoosefrom;KennethLo,forexample,listsfortymethodsavailablefortheheatingoffood,fromchuortheartofboilingtosuchothersasts'ang,akindofstir-fryingandbraising,t'a,deep-fryinginbatter,andwei,buryingfoodinhotsolidssuchascharcoal,heatedstones,sand,saltandlime.Thepreparationisdetailed,andtheenjoymentmustthereforematchit.Thusa们可吃点这个，吃点那个。担任份饭是不会提供的。搭配合理的一餐至少应该包括一道鸡，一道鱼，和一道肉，而他们与适当的蔬菜搭配摆出也并非仅是味道的问题