饮食文化
TEXT
PASSAGE ONE
汉译英：
1．中国悠久的历史、广褒的国土、与世界各国和海外文化的广泛接触，孕育了中餐烹饪的独特艺术。
China’s long history, vast territory and extensive contact with other nations and cultures have given birth to the distinctive Chinese culinary art.
2．无容置疑，中餐烹饪已经名列世界顶尖菜系之林。
Indisputably it is one of the world’s finest culinary traditions.
3．中餐烹调所用的天然配料，品种繁多，几无穷尽；烹调方法，亦层出不 穷，不可悉数。足以说明了中餐馆以及中餐烹调之所以名扬海外的缘由。
The nearly endless variety of natural ingredients and methods of preparation employed in Chinese cuisine stand out unequaled in the world, which may very well account for the universal popularity of Chinese restaurants and Chinese cooking oversea.
4．评判中餐烹调的优劣可依据中餐的三大要素，即“色、香、味”。
The three essential factors, or key elements, by which Chinese cooking is judged are known as “color, aroma and taste”.
5．“色”作为“色、香、味”三要素中的首要标准，充分体现在宴会菜肴 的装盘、摆放和图案上。最能显示色彩的是首先上桌的那道煞费苦心而精心 制作的冷盘。
The “color” of Chinese food, the first of these elements which is so evident in a Chinese banquet, includes the layout and design of dishes, best exemplified in particular by the large elaborately-prepared cold dish served at the beginning of the dinner.
6． “香”不仅是指鼻子对食物的直接感受，它还包括所选香料的新鲜程度 以及佐料的合理调配。
“Aroma”implies more than what one’s nose can detect directly; it also includes the freshness of the raw materials used and the blending of seasonings.
7．“味”则体现了恰到好处的调味艺术，当然它也包括实物的质地，以及 切菜的刀工。
“Taste”is the art of proper seasoning, though it also involves the texture of food and fine slicing techniques.
8．色、香、味这三要素的高品质，只有通过选料、调料、适时烹调、把握 火候、装盘上桌这些微妙步骤的细心协调，才能取得。
These three essential elements, “color”, “aroma”, “taste”, are achieved by the careful coordination of a series of delicate activities: selecting ingredients, mixing flavor, timing the cooking, controlling the heat and finally, laying out the food on the plate for the table.
9．10 人一桌的标准晚餐含四道冷盘、四道热炒，外加汤和米饭。外国宾客 见之，常常惊叹不已，将其视为一次丰盛的晚宴。
Visitors to China are often surprised when a typical dinner for a table of ten people consists of four courses of cold dishes, four courses of hot dishes, coupled with soup and steamed rice; they consider this a lavish spread.
10．但在中国人眼里，以这种规格的晚餐招待宾客，只是一种起码的标准。
But in Chinese mind, a dinner prepared as above for guests is the minimum requirement.
12．准备 10 道份量适中的菜肴并不为过，即使献上 16 道菜，亦不足为奇。
Ten courses of dishes, not necessarily prepared in huge quantities, would not be considered excessive, and few people would blink at sixteen.
13．在中国，一桌标准宴席包括四至八个事先制作好的冷盘，八道现做的热 炒、两道观赏性大菜（如全鱼、乳猪、全鸡等），此外还有汤、米饭和点 心。
In china, a standard banquet will consist of four to eight prepared cold dishes, eight hot dishes served one at a time, two to four whole-size showpiece dishes (such as a whole fish, a whole suckling pig or a whole chicken), in addition to soups, steamed rice and pastries.
14．晚宴结束前还有一道水果，来华访问的海外宾客应记住，赴宴不可贪 吃，每道菜浅尝即止。
Overseas visitors should remember that it is often unnecessary to eat more than a single mouthful of a dish at a Chinese banquet.
15．从这个角度上来讲，中国宴席犹如西方国家的冷餐招待会。
In this way, a Chinese banquet takes on the character of a buffet reception in the West.
16．中国宴席餐桌上的酒通常为啤酒、黄酒喝烈性白酒三种。
Often beer, yellow rice wine and strong white liquor are served at a Chinese banquet.
17．人们往往以“干杯”的方式互相敬酒。
People at a stable will usually “Gan Bei” when toasting each other.
18．干杯的意思是一口喝干杯中酒。
“Gan Bei” means to raise up one’s wine glass or liquor cup and drink it all the way down so that the glass or cup is “dried up to the last drop”.
19．“干”了“杯”中的酒，可以表示心诚和欢乐。
People dry up their glasses to communicate the message to others that they are sincere and joyful.
20．当然，外国宾客与中国东道主敬酒时，小啜一口也未尝不可。
It is quite acceptable for a foreign guest to take a sip instead of emptying the glass when toasting with his or her Chinese host.
21．但是，中国的普通家餐却完全不同与宴席。
However, an average Chinese meal at home is quite different in composition from a Chinese banquet.
22．一个成年人平时在家就餐时，通常只吃两小碗米饭，或一大碗面条，或 几只馒头，外加几个荤素炒菜，而非以菜为主，以米饭或面食为辅。
At an everyday home meal, an adult may consume two small bowls of steamed rice, or a large bowel of noodles, or several pieces of steamed bread, accompanied
by several meat or vegetable dishes, but not the other way round.
23．对大多数中国人来说，从一餐饭中所摄取的热量有 75%来自谷粮。
For most Chinese, about 75 percent of an average meal’s calories comes from grain sources instead of meat or vegetable dishes.
24．作为一种世代相袭的传统，中国人就餐时围桌而坐，人人手里都有一碗 主食，炒菜放在桌子中央，大家一起食用。
Traditionally, everyone at the Chinese dining table has his or her own bowl of staple food, that is, steamed rice, noodles or steamed bread, while the dishes are placed in the middle of the dinner table to be shared by all.
25．这一古老的风俗习惯反映了食物在中华文明史上的重要地位： 占据餐 桌中心位置的是炒菜，而不是鲜花，晚餐的主要话题常常是食物。
This age-old custom is one manifestation of the importance of food in Chinese civilization: It is the cooked dishes, rather than flowers, that serve as centerpieces
on a Chinese table; food is frequently the main topic of dinner-time conversation.
26．菜肴的各种色彩和材料搭配，给人以美的享受，共食一碗菜的习俗有助 于家庭成员之间的团结和友谊。
Variety in the color and texture of the dishes serves aesthetic ends, while the ritual of sharing the food from the same dish plates is conducive to family togetherness and friendship.
27．当然，在一些卫生意识比较强的地方，人们在共食放在餐桌中央的菜肴 时，必须使用“公筷”或“公用”汤匙，以防疾病传染。
In more health conscious environments, however, only “public” chopsticks and spoons are used to remove food from the plates in the middle of the dining-table, so as to prevent any possible spread of diseases.
28．以上所介绍的情况对外国客人来说，虽不应是一种离奇的“天方夜 谭”，却也说明中国人在饮食方面所持的价值观与西方人有很大的不同。
While none of the above observations should not strike a foreign visitor as particularly strange or exotic, they demonstrate that the Chinese approach some aspects of catering service with a set of values very different from those in the West.
29．不过，中国人民与世界各族人民都有一个相同的基本概念，那就是，亲 朋好友相聚，美味佳肴、琼浆玉液相敬，实属人生之最大快乐也。
There is one key concept, however, which the Chinese share with the rest of the world. That is, fine food and drink, taken in the company of good friends, is one of life’s supreme pleasures.
PASSAGE TWO
英译汉：
1．Many changes are taking place in Americans’ food styles.
美国人的饮食习惯正在发生诸多的变化。
2．The United States is traditionally famous for its very sold and unchanging diet of meat and potatoes.
美国多年来的那种丰盛的、一成不变的肉制品家土豆的传统餐，早已为世人 所知。
3．Now we have many different alternatives to choose from: various ethnic foods, nutrition-balanced health food, and convenient and delicious fast food, in addition to the traditional home-cooked meal.
而今，我们美国人可以有多种不同的选择，除了传统的家常菜以外，我们可 以外，我们可享受到各种帮派的民族风味餐，营养合理的保健餐，以及方便 可口的快餐。
4．Ethnic restaurants are commonplace in the United States.
民族餐馆在美国比比皆是。
5．Because the United States is a country of immigrants, there is an immense variety in its catering cultures.
因为美国是一个移民国家，以有着丰富多彩、纷然杂陈的饮食文化。
6．Any large American city is filled with restaurants serving international cooking.
美国任何一座城市，外国风味餐馆都随处可见。
7．Many cities even have ethic sections: Chinatown, Little Italy, or Germantown.
许多城市甚至拥有少数民族聚集区，如中国城（即唐人街）、小意大利城、 德国城等。
8．With this vast ethnic choice, we can enjoy food from all over the world.
有如此之多的民族餐馆可供选择，我们可以吃遍天下菜了。
9．This is a pleasant thought for those who come here to travel or to work; they can usually find their native specialties.
对于那些来美国旅游或工作的人来说，一想到这点便会深感愉快，他们可以 在美国找到自己家乡的特色菜。
10．Besides sections of the cities, there are regions which are well known for certain food because of the people who settle there.
除了少数民族聚集区外，还有一些地区也因其在当地定居的外族人开设了民 族风味馆而闻名。
11．For example, southern California has many Mexican restaurants, and Louisiana has a strong Creole accent to its food.
比如，南部加利福尼亚拥有墨西哥餐馆，而路易斯安娜的食物具有强烈的克 利尔风味。
13．Creole is mixture of French, African, and Caribbean Island food.
克利尔风味是混合了法国、非洲和加勒比海岛菜风味的混合菜系。
14．Health food gained popularity when people began to think more seriously about their physical well-being.
保健餐因人们开始重视自身健康受到欢迎。
15．The very term “health food” is ironic because it implies that there is also “unhealthy” food.
“保健餐”这种说法本身就是具有一种讽刺意味，因为其言下之意还有一种 “非健康餐”。
16．Health food includes natural food with minimal processing, i.e., there are no preservatives to help it last longer or other chemicals to make it taste or look better.
保健餐包括那些尽可能不予以加工的天然食品，就是说，这些食品里不含盐 厂食物保鲜期的防腐剂。
17．Most health food enthusiasts are vegetarians: They eat no meat; they prefer to get their essential proteins from other sources, such as beams, cheese, and eggs.
热衷食用保健餐的大多数都是素食者。他们不吃肉类食物，喜从豆类、 奶酪和鸡蛋等事务中获取人体所需的蛋白质。
18．Fast-food restaurants can be seen all over the country.
快餐店在全国到处可以看到。
19．Speed is a very important factor in the life of an American.
美国人的生活中，速度是最重要的部分。
20．People usually have a short lunch break or they just do not want to waste their time eating.
通常人们的午餐休息时间很短，即使午餐时间充裕，美国人也不愿在用餐上花费过多的时间。
21．Because fast-food restaurants are places which take care of hundreds of people in a short time, there is usually very little waiting.
由于快餐饮食店可以在很短时间里向数以百计的客人共餐，所以人们通常无 需排队。
22．And the food is always cheap.
快餐食品的价格总是低廉的。
23．Some examples are burger, pizza and fried chicken places.
烹制汉堡包、批萨馅饼和炸鸡的餐馆均属这一类快餐饮食店。
24．Americans’ attitude toward food is changing, too.
美国人对饮食的看法也在发生变化。
25．The traditional big breakfast is losing popularity.
早餐须风盛的传统饮食习惯已为越来越多的人所抛弃。
26．People are rediscovering the social importance of food.
人们正在重新认识饮食的社会意义。
27．Dinner with family or friends is again becoming a very special way of enjoying and sharing.
与家人或朋友共同进餐又成了即可享受人生乐趣，又可互相交流信息的一种 非常特殊的方式。
28．Like so many people in other cultures, many Americans are taking time to relax and enjoy the finer tastes at dinner, even if they still rush through lunch at a hamburger stand.
虽然许多美国人仍然会站在汉堡包摊前匆匆打发自己的午餐，但是在晚餐 时，美国人同其他国家的许多人一样，会静下心来从容不迫地品尝菜肴美味。
TEXT FOR PRACTICE
PASSAGE ONE
汉译英：
1．如果某人说“我喜欢中国菜”，这种说法似乎过于简单了。
If you hear someone say “I like Chinese food”, he is taking too much for granted.
2．其实并不存在所谓的“中国菜”这一简单的概念。
As a matter of fact, there is no such simple thing as the so-called “Chinese food”.
3．确切的说法应该是喜欢某一种菜系，或者喜欢某一地区的中国菜。
A more accurate statement in this instance should be such that expresses one’s preference for a particular Chinese cuisine or a particular regional way of cooking.
4．像中国这样幅员辽阔、历史悠久而又复杂的国家，千百年来必然会形成具有鲜明地方烹饪特色的区域性菜系或帮菜。
With a territory as large and a history as long and complex as China’s, it is inevitable that distinct regional differences in cuisine have evolved over the course of centuries.
5．这种不可避免的差异是由地理位置、气候条件、交通状况、人口迁移、 海外文化影响等因素所决定的。
Numerous factors are involved in this inevitable distinction: geography, climate, transportation, migration, influence from overseas cultures, etc.
6．虽然中国究竟有多少种地方菜系并无定论，但是有关人士认为，中国有 山东菜、四川菜、粤（广东）菜和扬州菜等四大地方菜系。福建-台湾菜通 常被列为第五种地方菜系。
Although there is no agreement on the precise number of Chinese regional cuisine, those concerned with such matters agree that the four principal culinary regions are Shandong, Sichuan, Canton(Guangdong) and Yangzhou, with Fujian-Taiwan most commonly listed as a fifth.
7．必须指出，这种区域划分并无严格的地理界线。
It should be pointed out that these designations are not hard and fast geographical boundaries.
8．北京菜虽属山东菜系，却也融入了一些四川菜的特色，并受到蒙古菜的 影响。
Beijing food, for instance, falls within the realm of Shandong cooking, but includes some Sichuan dishes and Mongolian-influenced specialties.
9．又如，扬州菜系的范围，覆盖了汇集无锡、苏州、上海和杭州等菜式、 人口居住稠密的整个长江三角洲地区。
while the cuisine of the entire densely populated Yangtze River delta area, including Wuxi, Suzhou, Shanghai and Hangzhou dishes, falls under the category of Yangzhou cuisine.
10．由于地方菜系之间存在着频频交覆现象，以及相互借鉴的情况，人们因 而认为，区分地方菜系最为简便的方法是按菜的知名度，而不是按菜的烹调 风格或口味进行辨别。
The frequent overlapping and borrowing that take place among the regional cuisine leads one to the conclusion that they are most conveniently distinguished by their famous dishes, rather than by any prevailing style or taste.
11．中国四大菜系大致可按一下这些特点区分：
The four major cuisine traditions in China can be roughly distinguished by these generalities:
12．山东菜系通常较咸，汁色普遍较浅。
Shandong cuisine is generally salty, with the prevalence of light-colored sauces.
13．四川菜系口味重，以麻辣著称。
With a rich variety of strong flavors, Sichuan cuisine is best known for being spicy-hot.
14．最难归类的粤菜强调轻炒浅煮，选料似乎不受限制。
Canton cuisine, the hardest to categorize, emphasizes light cooking and seemingly limitless range of ingredients.
15．扬州菜系注重选料的原味，它实际上揉合了南北菜系之精华。
While emphasizing the original flavors of carefully selected ingredients, Yangzhou cuisine is essentially a combination of the best elements of northern and southern cooking.
16．也有人以八个字来归纳四大菜系的口味特点，即“南淡北咸，东甜西 辣”。
According to some others, the characteristic flavors of China’s four major cuisines can be summed up in the following expression:” The light southern (Canton) cuisine, and the salty northern (Shandong) cuisine; the sweet eastern (Yangzhou) cuisine, and the spicy western (Sichuan) cuisine.”
PASSAGE TWO
英译汉：
1．You will find restaurants for every situation in the U.S..
在美国你可以找到任何一种餐馆。
2．If you’re in a hurry, you may just want to grab some “junk food” at a grocery store, or you can get a bite to eat at one of the many fast food chains, like McDonald’s, Burger King, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pizza Hut, or Taco Bell.
你若来去匆匆，可以去食品店随手买些“方便食品”，也可以从麦当劳、汉 堡王、肯德基炸鸡店、“必胜客”比萨馅饼屋，或玉米卷钟这些快餐连锁店 中跳上一家，买些食物权宜充饥。
3．Or you can get a hero or submarine sandwich “to stay” or “to go” from a sandwich shop or deli.
你可以上三明治店或者熟食店买一块“英雄”型或者“潜水艇”型大三明 治，你可以“堂吃”，也可以“外卖”。
4．Some of these places have tables, but many don’t.
这类快餐店有的甚至连餐桌都没有。
5．People eat in their cars or take their food home, to their offices or to parks.
人们买了一份快餐后，有的拿到自己的车里去吃，有的拿回自己的家里去 吃，也有的拿到办公室或公园里去吃。
6．If you prefer sitting down but still don’t want to spend much, you can try a cafeteria.
如果您既想坐在餐桌边上吃，同时又不愿多破费，那么你不妨可以去自助餐 厅。
7．At all of these places, you pick and choose your own food and then pay at a cash register.
在那里，你可以先挑选自己喜欢的食物，然后到帐台付钱。
8．But you usually have to clear the table when you finish!
不过通常用完餐后，你得把自己餐盘从餐桌上端走。
9．Coffee shops are usually less expensive and less dressy than fine restaurants.
咖啡馆通常比高级餐馆便宜，装潢也没有高级餐馆那么讲究。
10．So are pizza places, pancake house, sandwich shops and family restaurants.
比萨馅饼店、薄煎饼店、三明治店和家庭餐馆等，都属于价格较为便宜、装 潢较为朴素的餐饮场所。
11．But the name of a restaurant won’t necessarily tell you much about the kind of place it is or the food it serves.
当然一家餐馆的名称不一定能告诉你这家餐馆的情况，也说明不了那里食物 的品质。
12．Like most fast food restaurants and cafeterias, many restaurants don’t serve alcoholic beverages.
同大多数快餐饮食店和自助餐厅一样，许多餐馆不供应酒。
13．This is often because they want people to feel comfortable bringing their children.
这样做常常是为了使带孩子上餐馆的客人可以无所顾忌。
14．Minors can eat at restaurants that serve beer and wine, but they are not allowed to enter pubs, taverns, cocktail lounges or bars.
未成年人可以进供应啤酒和果子酒的餐馆就餐，但是他们不可以进小酒店、 酒菜馆、鸡尾酒室或酒吧这些场所。
15．你可能会被要求出示某张可以证明自己年龄的身份证，然后方可进入这 些场所。
You may be asked to show some ID that proves your age before you go into a bar.
16．在美国，法律规定 21 岁以下者不得饮酒。
In the United States, the law forbids people under the age of 21 from drinking alcoholic beverages.
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