内容正文:
Unit 1 Food for Thought / 饮食天地
本单元共收录 8 篇(组)英文语篇。
1. A Child of Two Cuisines / 享受两种饮食文化的孩子
Growing up in England with a British father and a Chinese mother, I’ve enjoyed food from both countries ever since I was able to hold a knife and fork - and chopsticks!
Mum has sweet memories of the food from her home town in Sichuan, and often cooks spicy dishes. Thanks to this, Dad has come to love hot pot! But there are still some dishes that Dad dare not try even after many years of marriage to my mother. He once told me he was surprised by what he saw on the table when he first visited my mother’s parents in China. He was even shocked at their wedding when he saw how the Chinese ate almost every part of an animal. Even today, he still does not easily take to eating things like chicken feet.
But I enjoy that sort of food myself. Last week, I went to the butcher’s and asked, “Do you have pigs’ ears?” “No,” the butcher said, pulling at his own ears, “just these ordinary ones.” He must have thought I was joking.
Dad can cook a super “full English breakfast” of bacon, eggs, beans, sausages and toast with butter - Mum and I just have to find a way to get him into the kitchen! He also does a typical Sunday roast. We all love roast beef and vegetables, but Mum says we’d better not eat too much roast food as it may make us suffer from heat inside our bodies, according to traditional Chinese medicine.
I’ll never forget my first visit to China. Mum encouraged me to try different kinds of food, and I did! I loved everything. But just when I thought I could deal with all Chinese food, I came across stinky tofu, a horrible grey thing that looked and smelt like a burnt sports shoe. “You needn’t try it if you don’t want to,” Mum said, but I gathered all my courage to take a bite and was amazed to find it wasn’t so bad. It reminded me of blue cheese, a similarly strong-smelling type of food you either love or hate. Maybe I’ll fall in love with stinky tofu - someday.
People say that one man’s meat is another man’s poison, but I feel at home with food from both my cultures. To me, there’s nothing better than a cross-cultural afternoon tea of English biscuits and a cup of Chinese oolong tea in a fine china cup!
我在英国长大,爸爸是英国人,妈妈是中国人。自从会拿刀叉——还有筷子——起,我就一直享受着两国的美食。
妈妈对四川家乡的食物有着美好的回忆,经常烹制辣味菜肴。正因为如此,爸爸渐渐爱上了火锅!不过,即使和妈妈结婚多年,仍有一些菜是爸爸不敢尝试的。他曾告诉我,第一次到中国拜访外公外婆时,餐桌上的食物令他十分惊讶;在他们的婚礼上,看到中国人几乎会吃动物身上的每一个部位,他甚至大吃一惊。直到今天,他仍不太习惯吃鸡爪之类的食物。
不过,我自己倒很喜欢这一类食物。上周,我去肉店问:“你们有猪耳朵吗?”“没有,”肉店老板一边拽着自己的耳朵一边说,“只有这种普通的耳朵。”他一定以为我在开玩笑。
爸爸会做一顿非常丰盛的“全套英式早餐”,里面有培根、鸡蛋、豆子、香肠和黄油烤面包——妈妈和我只要想办法让他走进厨房就行!他也会做典型的周日烤肉。我们都喜欢烤牛肉和蔬菜,不过妈妈说,按照中医的说法,烤制食物吃得太多可能会让人体内“上火”,所以我们最好不要多吃。
我永远不会忘记第一次到中国的经历。妈妈鼓励我尝试各种食物,我也真的都尝了!我什么都喜欢。然而,正当我以为自己能够应付所有中国食物时,我遇到了臭豆腐——一种样子难看、呈灰色,而且看起来、闻起来都像烧焦运动鞋的东西。“不想吃就不必勉强,”妈妈说。但我还是鼓起全部勇气咬了一口,惊讶地发现味道并没有那么糟。它让我想起蓝纹奶酪,这两种食物都有着浓烈的气味,让人非爱即恨。也许有一天,我会爱上臭豆腐。
人们常说:“甲之蜜糖,乙之砒霜。”但我对两种文化中的食物都感到自在亲切。对我来说,再没有什么比一场跨文化的下午茶更美好了:英式饼干配上一杯盛在精美瓷杯里的中国乌龙茶!
2. Healthy Eating Trainer / 健康饮食训练应用
If you dare not try a “painful” diet to stay healthy, this new app is the perfect solution - and you needn’t pay for it! The app works by quickly showing photos of different food. All you have to do is select the photos of healthy food. Then you’ll be able to train your brain to select healthy food in real situations. So, if you’re a sugar addict and aren’t able to say no to chocolate or cola, you had better download it now! Soon, you’ll be filling your cupboards with real healthy food.
如果你不敢尝试那些“痛苦”的节食方案来保持健康,这款新应用就是理想的解决办法——而且完全免费!它会快速展示不同食物的照片,你只需选出健康食物的图片。这样,你就能训练大脑,在现实生活中主动选择健康食品。因此,假如你嗜糖成瘾,无法拒绝巧克力或可乐,最好现在就把它下载下来!用不了多久,你家的橱柜里就会装满真正健康的食物。
3. Table Manners in the UK / 英国餐桌礼仪
While going on your first trip to the UK is exciting, new and different customs can also be confusing. Table manners are no exception. But don’t worry - here are some tips:
You should wait until everyone else has been served before you start eating.
Sometimes there are so many knives and forks that you may be afraid to pick them up in case you get it wrong. The trick is to start with the ones on the outside.
When you finish your meal, you should place the knife and fork together on your plate with the handles at the four o’clock position.
Table manners, however, can differ in different situations. For example, you needn’t use a knife and fork when eating a hamburger or pizza. Just remember: when in Rome, do as the Romans do, and you will be able to enjoy the local cuisine!
第一次去英国旅行固然令人兴奋,但陌生而不同的习俗也可能让人困惑,餐桌礼仪也不例外。不过别担心,下面这些建议会对你有所帮助:
开始用餐前,应当等到其他人都拿到食物。
有时桌上会摆着许多刀叉,你可能担心拿错而不敢动手。诀窍是先使用最外侧的刀叉。
用餐结束后,应把刀叉并排放在盘子里,刀叉柄朝向四点钟方向。
不过,餐桌礼仪会因具体情境而有所不同。例如,吃汉堡包或比萨饼时不必使用刀叉。只要记住“入乡随俗”,你就能尽情享受当地美食!
4. Food Comments / 美食点评
The most tender steak I’ve ever had! The barbecue gives it that famous smoky flavour, and it comes with a shiny sauce that’s very, very spicy!
A bowl of soup with a large, round meatball! The meatball is cooked through, although it looks slightly pink inside. Incredibly soft and juicy - it melts in the mouth!
Worst pizza ever! I ordered a large vegetarian pizza, but it was tiny! It was served cold and came with some sort of sticky sauce which tasted bitter and smelt really fishy! The waiter even spilled some beer on me!
You’ve got to try the strawberry cheesecake. It’s smooth and creamy with fresh strawberries, which give it a lovely sweet and fruity taste. Highly recommended!
这是我吃过最嫩的牛排!烧烤赋予了它经典的烟熏香味,搭配的油亮酱汁辣得非常过瘾!
一碗汤里放着一颗又大又圆的肉丸!肉丸已经完全熟透,虽然里面看起来略带粉红色。口感无比柔软多汁,入口即化!
这是我吃过最糟糕的比萨!我点了一份大号素食比萨,端上来的却小得可怜!它不但凉透了,还淋着一种黏糊糊的酱汁,吃起来发苦,闻起来又有浓重的鱼腥味!服务员甚至还把啤酒洒在了我身上!
你一定要尝尝草莓芝士蛋糕。它口感柔滑细腻,配上新鲜草莓,带来可爱的甜香和果味。强烈推荐!
5. Giving Advice / 提出建议
When giving advice, it’s usual to give your opinion within your first sentence. This makes the listener more interested in what you are saying. Here are some examples: “Not a good idea.” “Did you know that...?” “Sorry, but there’s a problem with...”
提出建议时,通常应在第一句话中先表明自己的看法,这样更容易引起听者对后续内容的兴趣。例如:“这可不是个好主意。”“你知道……吗?”“抱歉,不过……存在一个问题。”
6. Cold Truths / 冰箱里的真相
Is there any truth behind the saying “You are what you eat”? We put this to the test by asking five people to open their fridge doors and talk about their lifestyles. Can you guess which fridge belongs to which person? Maybe you can recognise your own fridge here!
Ellie, 24, Junior doctor
There’s not enough room to swing a cat in my small apartment, so I don’t cook very often. My fridge is usually half empty and I’m often too tired to eat much anyway. I often end up saving part of my meal for the next day. Some evenings, I’ll just have something quick, like toast, or even just a yoghurt with honey. As a doctor, I know I had better change the way I eat, but I just don’t have the time or the energy right now.
Jenny, 31, Teacher
My husband and I avoid all products that come from animals. This means we don’t eat meat, and any milk or cheese had better be dairy-free. We like cooking at home and make our meals from fresh, seasonal fruit and vegetables. Cooking together gives us a chance to relax and catch up on each other’s days. If we have children, I want to bring them up just like us, but my husband says that everyone should be able to make their own lifestyle choices.
Ted, 35, Construction worker
Each day at the construction site is more or less the same - tiring! When I get back home, there’s nothing more satisfying than a big meat dinner. I guess I’ve always been a big meat eater and in this house, no family meal is complete without some form of meat. I still don’t think that anything can beat my mum’s homemade sausages, though.
Mike, 49, Chef
With five children, we’re one big family! My wife and I both work full-time, so life can get pretty busy! Like a lot of chefs I know, I don’t really do much cooking at home. Sometimes I bring home food from the restaurant where I work. Once a week, we do a big shop and buy a lot of frozen food. I know we should eat more fresh fruit and vegetables, but ready meals are so convenient.
Max, 19, College student
There are five of us living in our shared student house. My mum says I need to have three healthy meals a day, but I’m too busy studying and meeting friends! We don’t really buy fresh food, and I suppose the fridge could be kind of cleaner... I daren’t let my mum see this photo!
“人如其食”这句俗语有没有道理?为了验证这一点,我们请五个人打开冰箱,说说自己的生活方式。你能猜出每台冰箱分别属于谁吗?也许你还能在其中认出自家的冰箱!
埃莉,24岁,住院医生
我的小公寓狭窄得几乎转不开身,所以我不常做饭。冰箱通常只有一半是满的,而且我往往累得吃不下多少东西。饭菜经常会剩下一部分,留到第二天再吃。有些晚上,我只是随便吃点快捷的东西,比如烤面包,甚至只吃一杯加蜂蜜的酸奶。作为医生,我知道自己最好改变饮食方式,可眼下实在没有时间,也没有精力。
珍妮,31岁,教师
我和丈夫不吃任何动物来源的产品。也就是说,我们不吃肉,牛奶或奶酪也必须是不含乳制品的替代品。我们喜欢在家做饭,用新鲜的时令水果和蔬菜准备餐食。一起做饭让我们有机会放松下来,聊聊彼此一天的经历。将来如果有孩子,我想按照我们的方式把他们养大;不过丈夫认为,每个人都应该能够自主选择自己的生活方式。
特德,35岁,建筑工人
建筑工地上的每一天都差不多——累!回到家后,没有什么比吃上一顿丰盛的肉食晚餐更令人满足。我想自己一直都特别爱吃肉;在我们家,家庭聚餐如果没有某种肉类,就算不上完整。不过,我仍然认为没有什么能胜过妈妈亲手做的香肠。
迈克,49岁,厨师
我们有五个孩子,是个不折不扣的大家庭!我和妻子都有全职工作,因此生活常常忙得不可开交。和我认识的许多厨师一样,我在家其实不怎么做饭。有时我会从工作的餐厅带些食物回家。我们每周集中采购一次,买许多冷冻食品。我知道应该多吃新鲜水果和蔬菜,但即食餐实在太方便了。
马克斯,19岁,大学生
我们五个人合住一套学生公寓。妈妈说我每天要吃三顿健康的饭,可我忙着学习和见朋友,哪顾得上这些!我们几乎不买新鲜食物,而且冰箱大概也应该再干净一点……我可不敢让妈妈看到这张照片!
7. Visual Information / 视觉信息辅助阅读
Visual information, such as photos and illustrations, can support reading and help you identify the theme and content of a text. Make the most of these images to look for clues to help you understand the text.
照片、插图等视觉信息能够辅助阅读,帮助你判断文本的主题和内容。应充分利用这些图像,从中寻找线索,以便更好地理解文章。
8. Writing a Recipe: Gong Bao Chicken / 食谱写作:宫保鸡丁
Gong Bao Chicken (also known as Kung Pao Chicken) was originally a family dish of Ding Baozhen, or Ding Gongbao, a high-ranking court official of the Qing Dynasty who helped reconstruct the Dujiangyan Irrigation System in Chengdu, Sichuan. Over the years, it has become one of the most popular dishes in Chinese restaurants throughout the world.
The combination of spicy, salty, sweet and sour flavours makes Gong Bao Chicken hard to resist. What’s more, it is easy to make and can be adapted to individual tastes.
So, don’t forget to pick up some chicken on your way home and try this recipe out!
Ingredients
Chicken breast: 300 g; roasted peanuts: 50 g; small pieces of dried tofu: 50 g; cooking oil: 2 spoons; dried chillies: 5 or 6; spring onions: a handful; soy sauce: 1 teaspoon; vinegar: 1 teaspoon; sugar: 2 teaspoons; salt: 1 teaspoon.
Instructions
1. Heat the oil over a high heat.
2. When the oil is hot, add the chillies and stir them for about 30 seconds.
3. Add the spring onions and stir them for about 30 seconds.
4. Add the chicken and cook it through.
5. Add the soy sauce, vinegar and sugar.
6. Add the peanuts and dried tofu and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.
7. Season with salt and serve.
宫保鸡丁(又称“Kung Pao Chicken”)原本是清代高官丁宝桢(又称丁宫保)家中的一道菜。丁宝桢曾协助重修四川成都的都江堰水利工程。多年来,宫保鸡丁已成为世界各地中餐馆中最受欢迎的菜肴之一。
辣、咸、甜、酸多种味道相互融合,使宫保鸡丁令人难以抗拒。更重要的是,它制作简便,还可以根据个人口味灵活调整。
所以,回家路上别忘了买些鸡肉,亲手试试这份食谱!
食材
鸡胸肉300克;熟花生米50克;豆腐干丁50克;食用油2勺;干辣椒5至6个;葱一把;酱油1茶匙;醋1茶匙;糖2茶匙;盐1茶匙。
做法
1. 用大火把油烧热。
2. 油热后放入干辣椒,翻炒约30秒。
3. 加入葱段,再翻炒约30秒。
4. 放入鸡肉,炒至完全熟透。
5. 加入酱油、醋和糖。
6. 放入花生米和豆腐干,再炒1至2分钟。
7. 加盐调味后装盘上桌。
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