是中国人往往也不是很清楚。A good name can make the dish more interesting , however ,some names are so eccentric that they may confuse people ,both Chinese and foreigners .你要是望文生义，准得闹出笑话来。If you only translate the names literally with no explanation ,you could make a fool of yourself .
7拿天津“狗不理”包子来说吧。“狗不理”纯手工制作，大小均等，深受欢迎。Take Goubuli steamed buns in the city of Tianjin for example . These popular buns are all of the same size and handmade .这些包子整整齐齐地放在托盘上时，看上去就像是含苞欲放的菊花。皮儿很薄，馅儿饱蘸肉汁，口感柔软，香而不腻。可为什么叫“狗不理”呢？ When served in neat rows on a tray ,they look like budding chrysanthemum flowers . The wrapping is thin ,the fillings are juicy ,the meat tender and the taste delicious and not at all greasy . Then ,why the name?
8“狗不理”的背后有一段有趣的故事。There is an interesting story behind it .大约150年前，“狗不理”包子在天津初次亮相。当地有个小伙子，名叫狗子，在一家包子店当学徒。 Goubuli steamed buns are first sold in Tianjin about 150 years ago . A local man by the name of Gouzi(dog) worked as an apprentice in a shop selling baozi(steamed buns).三年后，自己单独开了一家包子店。他做的包子味道鲜美，因此生意十分红火，吸引了越来越多的顾客。After three years ,he set up his own baozi shop . Because his buns were so delicious ,he soon had a thriving business with more and more people coming to buy his buns .狗子工作十分卖力，可他还是满足不了大家的需要，顾客们只得等很长时间。 As hardworking as Gouzi was ,he could not keep up with demand so his customs had to wait a long time to be served . 有些顾客等得不耐烦了，就在外面嚷嚷着催他快点，可狗子忙着做包子呢，哪
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有时间搭理。后来人们就把他做的包子称作“狗不理”，意思是“狗子不搭理他们”。Impatient ,some people would call out to urge him on ,but as he was so busy preparing his buns ,he didn’t answer . People therefore calls his buns Goubuli ,means Gouzi pays no attention .可就是这个有点怪里怪气的名字，反倒起了很好的广告作用，这个名字一直沿用到了今天。如今“狗不理”已经成为天津的老字号。 This eccentric name ,however ,has had very good promotional effects ,and has been used ever since .Goubuli is now a time-cherished brand name in Tianjin .
9浙江菜里有一道深受欢迎的菜，叫东坡肉。In Zhejiang cuisine ,there is a well-known dish called Dongpo meat.这道菜是把五花肉切成大块，配上青葱，在锅底放些生姜，然后加料酒、酱油和糖用慢火做出来的。这道菜色泽红亮，酥嫩多汁，如“狗不理”一样毫无肥腻之感。This dish of streaky pork is prepared over a slow fire where the big chunks of pork are braised with green onion ,ginger ,cooking wine ,soy sauce ,and sugar .the finished dish is bright red in color and the meat is tender and juicy and ,the Goubuli buns ,not at all greasy .它以北宋时代大诗人苏东坡的名字命名。苏东坡在杭州做官时发明了这道菜。This dish was named after Su Dongpo (1037-1101) ,a great poet of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) ,who created it when he was official in Hangzhou .据说，他当时负责西湖的排污工程，经常拿红烧肉犒劳工人。后来为了纪念这位才华横溢、慷慨大方的诗人，人们就把它称作东坡肉。 It is said that ,when he was in charge of the drainage work for the West Lake ,Su Dongpo rewarded workers with stewed pork in soy sauce ,and people later named it Dongpo Meat ,to commemorate this gifted and generous poet .
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10佛跳墙是福建莱里的一道名菜，亦被称作福建第一菜。 Fujian cuisine boasts a famous dish called Buddha Jumping over the Wall ,the number one dish of the province .这道莱的主料不下20种，有鸡肉、鸭肉、海参、干贝、蹄筋、鱼唇、鱼肚、火腿 This dish is prepared with more than 20 main ingredients ,including chicken ,duck ,sea cucumber ,dried scallop ,tendon ,shark lip ,fish maw ,and ham.所有的原料均放在一个陶罐里，加上料酒和鸡汤后，用文火炖，一直炖到肉汁鲜美，柔润细腻，汤味浑厚。配料10多种，有蘑菇、冬笋、鸽蛋等。All these ingredients are placed into a ceramic pot , with cooking wine and chicken broth ,and then cooked over a slow fire until the meat is tender and juicy and the soup because smooth and thick . Then it is served with more than a dozen garnishes such as mushrooms ,winter bamboo shoots and pigeon eggs .轻舔一口，余香满口。这道特色菜的背后有这么一个故事： It is famous for leaving a lingering aftertaste in the mouth . The story behind the name of the specialty goes as follows:
11佛跳墙是由福州市一个叫聚春园的餐馆在清朝光绪年间发明的，早先菜名为八珍锅，而后改为福寿全。Buddha Jumping over the Wall was created in a restaurant called Gathering Spring Garden in Fuzhou ,Fujian ,during the reign of the Qing Emperor ,Guangxu (1875-1908) . It was first named Eight Treasure Stewed in a Pot and the name was later changed to Blessed and Longevity . 一日，几位秀才到聚春园饮酒。菜上桌时，其中一位即兴赋诗一首“坛启荤香飘四邻，佛闻弃禅跳墙来。”佛跳墙这一菜名便由此得来。One day ,several scholars came to Gathering Spring Garden for a meal . When the dish was served ,one of the scholars improvised a poem :fragrance spreads to the neighborhood once the lid lifts ,one whiff and the
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Buddha jumps over the wall ,abandoning the Zen precepts . Hence the name of the dish .
12食物传达的温馨和盛情warmth and hospitality expressed by food 在中国人看来，吃最重要的，尤其在过节时，莫过于是吃饭时的温馨气氛。 In the eyes of Chinese ,what is important about eating ,especially at festivals ,is to eat in a warm atmosphere .吃饭时，年长的和年少的按照年龄大小依次坐好，在欢乐祥和的气氛中，说说笑笑。席间，长辈为晚辈夹菜，晚辈给长辈敬酒，营造出一派欢乐、温馨、和谐的气氛。 Often the young and old still sit in order of seniority ,and the elders select food for the young while the young make toasts to the elders .Chinese people like to create a lively ,warm , and harmonious atmosphere during meals.
13在中国，主人会把最好的莱分给客人。他们用公筷把清蒸鱼最好的部分或最嫩的肉夹给最重要的来宾。这种习俗用来表达尊敬、关怀和好客之意，至今在老一辈的中国人中还是很流行。A hostess or host in China will apportion the best parts of the dishes to guests . Using a pair of serving chopsticks ,she or he places the best part of a steamed fish or the most tender piece of meat on the plate of the most important guest .Such a custom is still popular ,especially among the elder generation ,as a way of experience respect ,concern and hospitality .
14这种饮食习俗对中国人的性格也有几分影响。从某种意义上说，它增强了人们的集体主义精神。无论在聚会还是在宴席上，人们首先考虑大家的需求，把吃饭当成是谦卑有礼和关怀他人的场合。Such culinary customs have had a certain influence on the character of the Chinese people . In a sense ,it has
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strengthened the collective spirit of the nation . At a party or a banquet ,everyone first takes into consideration the needs of the group ;with the eating process also being a time to show humility and concern for others .
15中国人特别在乎过节时吃什么，不同的节日吃不同的食物。比如除夕夜全家团圆时，北方人吃肉饺或菜饺，象征辞旧迎新。In China ,food eaten during festivals is particularly important . At different festivals ,people partake of different fare . For example ,on the eve of the Spring festival, people in the north always eat jiaozi ,meat and vegetable dumplings ,at family reunions. This is a way of bidding farewell to the old year and welcoming the New Year .元宵节吃元宵，元宵是糯米粉做的甜团子，象征家庭团圆、美满。端午节吃粽子，人们用芦苇叶子把糯米包成三角形的粽子是为了纪念受人爱戴的诗人屈原。The Lantern Festival is a day of celebration ,and on this day people like to eat yuanxiao,sweep dumplings made of glutinous rice flour ,to symbolize family reunion and perfection .屈原因遭政治迫害自沉于汨罗江。传说古时候人们把粽子投到江中，希望水中的龙不要带走他。之后，端午节包粽子和吃粽子的习俗就慢慢形成了。 At the Duanwu festival ,people eat zongzi ,glutinous rice wrapped in triangular shape in reed leaves ,to commemorate the beloved poet Qu Yuan (c.339-c.278 BC) ,who drowned himself in the Miluo River in the hope that the water dragon would not take him away . This later gradually developed into a custom of making and eating zongzi during the Duanwu Festival .
Unit Three
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