时间:2019-01-12 作者:英语课 分类:2016年VOA慢速英语(八)月


英语课

State Fairs: A Deep-Fried Taste of the U.S.


State fairs are one of the great U.S. summertime traditions.


Just ask Don Greiman. He has been going to the Iowa State Fair since just after he was born – 89 years ago.


Greiman said state fairs started in the mid-1800s because farmers wanted to have a gathering 1 to show off their produce each year. For example, farmers that raised cows wanted to see how their cows compared to the cows of their neighbors.


Over time, state fairs evolved into bigger events. Much bigger events.


“The women thought, say, you know, our husbands are proud of their livestock 2. We’re sort of proud of our baking and cooking and maybe garment-making. So we ought to have a little fair, too. And that’s how fairs started. And then somebody could maybe play a fiddle 3 or a little entertainment with it. And that’s how it sort of evolved. And they decided 4, ‘Well, hey, let’s make this an annual event.”


Today, some state fairs average over 100,000 visitors per day. The nation’s most popular fairs – including the one in St. Paul, Minnesota – attract almost 2 million visitors each year.


Most state fairs run for a little more than a week between August and October. They have craft exhibits, lots of live music, games and rides like roller coasters and Ferris wheels. Some even have wine tastings, beer gardens, or competitions to see who can bake the tastiest cake or make the best sculpture out of butter.


Above all, state fairs have a lot of interesting food.


Consider a bucket of chocolate chip cookies at the state fair in Minnesota, fried butter at the Texas State Fair or a pork chop on a stick at the fair in Iowa.


“We have 72 foods on a stick now, that seems to be the rage,” said Greiman of Iowa. “Corn dogs, butter on a stick, Oreos on a stick.”


“You name it, we’ve just about got it on a stick.”


New York: The Deep-Fried Guy


Eating is one of the most popular activities at state fairs around the country.


It is where some of the most interesting cooking techniques and food creations are found.


Jim Hasbrouck owns one of the popular food stands at the New York State Fair, which takes place from August 25-September 5 this year.


His stand is called Fried Specialties 5. But he may be better known as the deep-fried guy. That is because he will put just about anything in batter 6 and fry it in oil.


He sells fried peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, fried pickles 8, fried jellybeans, fried candy bars and even fried lasagna. He has 35 items on the menu.


“Everything’s fry-able. Everything. I’ve done everything up to whiskey. Fruits. I’ve done everything. Everything’s fry-able. It’s all in the process, how you do it. If you want to take your time and come up with a process and you can toy with it, you can make it happen.”


This year, he has a special fried creation. It is called The Harvester. The sandwich includes mashed 9 potatoes, stuffing, fried turkey and other items that recall the U.S. holiday of Thanksgiving.


Hasbrouck loves frying food so much that he sold his construction business and devoted 10 himself to making fried items. “This is what we do full-time 11 now,” he said.


Hasbrouck attends multiple fairs and festivals each year. But he is from New York and loves being at the New York State Fair.


“My blood gets flowing and I feel like a kid again. It’s just a great thing. And I don’t think you can go wrong with going to a state fair.”


Texas: Fried Jesus


If you want to visit the king of all fried items, it is a good idea to pack your bags for Texas. That is where you will find Abel Gonzales. Some people call him Fried Jesus.


The State Fair of Texas runs for almost a month, from September 30 to October 23. It is located in the city of Dallas.


Gonzalez impressed food critics from all over when he came up with fried butter in 2009. His creation was so good that the newspaper in Dallas wrote that he should be named “Texan of the Year.”


Fried butter is a sweet square of butter that is rolled in batter. It is then fried. The result is something like a bite-sized bread roll, with the butter already melted inside.


Gonzales won the fair’s food competition for his fried butter. He went on to be featured on television shows and in food magazines.


Can a sausage win an election?


State fairs can also be a good place for politicians to meet the people they represent.


The New York Times has a story of the New York State Fair in 2000. In that year, Hillary Clinton was campaigning to become a senator.


Clinton and her husband, then-president Bill Clinton, stopped at a well-known food stand at the New York State Fair for a sausage sandwich. The first couple happily ate one sandwich each, according to the story. They posed for photos and joked with voters and reporters.


But Clinton’s top rival for the senate position did not eat the sandwich when he was offered one.


Clinton went on to win the election two months later.


If you like music, you will love the fair


Musical performers attract a lot of people to state fairs. The fair hires popular singers or bands to perform and draw more people to the fairgrounds.


Here are some of the well-known performers coming to state fairs in the coming months.


If you want to see singer and dancer Jason Derulo, you can go to the Iowa State Fair on August 14.


Dolly Parton will sing at the Ohio State Fair on August 2.


Bruce Hornsby will be at the New York State Fair on August 28.


Nick Jonas and Demi Lovato are at the Minnesota State Fair on August 31.


State fairs have many modern parts these days. But at its core, Don Greiman of Iowa says the event still aims to bring a variety of people together for a few days of fun.


He says the state fair is a way for “our city cousins to look at the animals, because they don’t have the opportunity to see them every day like we do. To try different food than usual – not everybody has a corn dog or butter on a stick. And then of course the entertainment. There’s something at the fair you can’t see every day.”


Words in This Story


produce – n. fresh fruits and vegetables; items grown by farmers


raise – v. to keep and take care of (animals or crops)


evolve – v. to keep and take care of (animals or crops)


craft – n. an activity that involves making something in a skillful way by using your hands


live music – n. music performed in front of an audience


rides – n. a large machine at an amusement park, fair, etc., that people ride on for enjoyment 12


beer garden – n. an outdoor restaurant or pub for drinking beer


technique – n. a way of doing something by using special knowledge or skill


corn dog – n. a hot dog dipped in a cornmeal batter, rolled and fried. Usually served on a stick


Oreo – n. a chocolate cookie with a white cream filling


batter – n. a mixture of flour and a liquid (such as egg, oil, or water) that is used to cover food before it is fried


lasagna – n. a type of Italian food that has layers of flat noodles baked with a sauce usually of tomatoes, cheese, and meat


pickle 7 – n. a cucumber that is preserved in salt water or vinegar


toy – v. to experiment with something


cousin – n. a child of your uncle or aunt



n.集会,聚会,聚集
  • He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
  • He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。
n.家畜,牲畜
  • Both men and livestock are flourishing.人畜两旺。
  • The heavy rains and flooding killed scores of livestock.暴雨和大水淹死了许多牲口。
n.小提琴;vi.拉提琴;不停拨弄,乱动
  • She plays the fiddle well.她小提琴拉得好。
  • Don't fiddle with the typewriter.不要摆弄那架打字机了。
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
n.专门,特性,特别;专业( specialty的名词复数 );特性;特制品;盖印的契约
  • Great Books are popular, not pedantic. They are not written by specialists about specialties for specialists. 名著绝不引经据典,艰深难懂,而是通俗易读。它们不是专家为专业人员撰写的专业书籍。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学
  • Brain drains may represent a substantial reduction in some labor force skills and specialties. 智力外流可能表示某种劳动力技能和特长大量减少。 来自辞典例句
v.接连重击;磨损;n.牛奶面糊;击球员
  • The batter skied to the center fielder.击球手打出一个高飞球到中外野手。
  • Put a small quantity of sugar into the batter.在面糊里放少量的糖。
n.腌汁,泡菜;v.腌,泡
  • Mother used to pickle onions.妈妈过去常腌制洋葱。
  • Meat can be preserved in pickle.肉可以保存在卤水里。
n.腌菜( pickle的名词复数 );处于困境;遇到麻烦;菜酱
  • Most people eat pickles at breakfast. 大多数人早餐吃腌菜。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • I want their pickles and wines, and that.' 我要他们的泡菜、美酒和所有其他东西。” 来自英汉文学 - 金银岛
a.捣烂的
  • two scoops of mashed potato 两勺土豆泥
  • Just one scoop of mashed potato for me, please. 请给我盛一勺土豆泥。
adj.忠诚的,忠实的,热心的,献身于...的
  • He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
  • We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。
adj.满工作日的或工作周的,全时间的
  • A full-time job may be too much for her.全天工作她恐怕吃不消。
  • I don't know how she copes with looking after her family and doing a full-time job.既要照顾家庭又要全天工作,我不知道她是如何对付的。
n.乐趣;享有;享用
  • Your company adds to the enjoyment of our visit. 有您的陪同,我们这次访问更加愉快了。
  • After each joke the old man cackled his enjoyment.每逢讲完一个笑话,这老人就呵呵笑着表示他的高兴。
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