美语咖啡屋 Lesson 5: Restaurant Culture

J: Hi everyone! I'm Jody and welcome to American Cafe

Y: 大家好，我是杨晨，欢迎您到美语咖啡屋。在我们这个小小的咖啡屋里，您可以了解美国文化，还可以认识美国朋友，最重要是还可以学地道的美国英语。

J: That's right! And on today's program, we are going to take you to the Big Apple...New York City, to talk about something New Yorkers cannot live without, Restaurants!

Y: 对，今天这个题目大家一定都喜欢。我们要带您到最有美国特色的大都市纽约，了解对纽约人来说至为重要的餐馆文化。

J: Well, Yang Chen I spoke 1 with Brian Carson, who is the manager of a restaurant located in the heart of New York City.

Y: 这个Brian Carson是我们今天要认识的第一位美国人。他在这个热闹的纽约市中心的一家餐馆做经理。好，我们听听他来解释这个餐馆文化对纽约人来说意味着什么。

实录1 Brian Carson: Most people don't cook in this city because it's set up to eat. You walk outside your door and there's a sea of 10000 restaurants on the isle 2 of Manhattan. It's just that it's part of the convenient, ummm, way of life in New York City. People eat out. They dine out, that's what they do.

Y: 哇，你听见他说了吗? 他说光在曼哈顿区就有一万个餐馆。而且他用了一个词，用"sea”来形容餐馆林立。 "Sea" 就是海洋的意思。

J: He said "a sea of 10,000 restaurants," to describe when something is abundant. You could say, "the grassy 3 field was a sea of green." Ah, you could say, "she is drowning in a sea of confusion."

Y: 你是在说我吗？

J: No, not you. Another example, "The streets of New York are a sea of people."

Y: 确实，中文里也有“人山人海”这种说法。下面我们再接着听听Brian介绍餐馆文化的意义。

实录2 Brian Carson: What makes...um, things special for New Yorkers is when they throw dinner parties. It's the opposite. They invite people into their world and they create feasts in their environments. That to me and to them is a special night. Eating out is almost like a necessity in this city. It's just what people do.

Y: 这么说来，纽约人请别人到餐馆吃饭是很普通的，如果请你到家里那是特殊的情况，是不是？

J: Right. And when I spoke to a customer, her name's Tammy, she was very honest in her response. She also said she doesn't cook. Much like you, Yang Chen.

Y: 就是想我一样。

J: And she said that it's simply easier for her to meet her friends out at restaurants. But it is a very special event when they come to her home.

实录3 Tammy Scotsafaber: Eating out is very important for me because I don't cook, A. I think it is one of the main ways that people end up seeing their friends at dinners and drinks or dinners then drinks. If you have someone to your home then you have to be a hostess as opposed to being able to just relax and have dinner.

Y: 她说得太对了！你想一想，在家请客又费力，又费心，花那么多的精力去准备，对不对？

J: Sorry to interrupt, but I was going to say, you also have to clean your house.

Y: 没错！

J: And New Yorkers, I mean, people who live in big cities, not only New York, Shanghai, Beijing, Los Angeles, you just don't have time.

Y: 并不是说我很懒惰！

J: No. It's not because we're lazy. We're busy women!

Y: 因为我的时间太宝贵。说起服务员的工作，我想，这份工作挺好的。

J: Well, we spoke with a man by the name of Aaron Zebrook and he has many reasons why he likes to work as a waiter.

实录4 Aaron Zebrook: Pretty women. Lots of cash. Stuff like that is involved. Good food. You learn about wine, you learn about food. You have to know these things. And that's again appealing. Who doesn't want to learn about food and wine and try all this good stuff and make cash at the same time at night when you have free time?

Y: 哇，他总结得很精彩，美酒佳肴，金钱美女，听起来真的是很诱人。

J: You learn about lots of stuff, food and wine and people. It can be a really good job.

Y: 也是一种社会经验。

J: Yeah. And I'll tell you what, for students, it is one of the most popular jobs to have. All this talk about restaurants, Yang Chen, is making my stomach growl 4.

Y:对，我听到你的肚子在叫了！

J: I know! It's embarrassing, but I'm starving! So, let's go to a restaurant and get something to eat.

Y: 好了，今天我们的节目时间到了！我和 Jody 要赶快到外边吃饭去了！

J: Thanks for joining us on American Cafe! Let's go eat!

Y: 咱们走罢！