留学生在中国 第10期 Dumpling 饺子
时间:2018-12-02 作者:英语课 分类:留学生在中国
英语课
David:I understand that in Chinese culture people normally 1 eat rice or, as an alternative, dumplings at the end of a meal.
我感觉中国人吃饭时喜欢最后吃米饭或饺子。
You:We usually eat rice, but we don't usually eat dumplings every day.
我们经常吃米饭,但饺子可不是每天都吃。
David:Sometimes I have had meals with Chinese friends and at the end of the meal, they choose whether to eat rice or dumplings. Why?
我跟中国朋友一起去吃饭时,他们经常会在快吃完时才点米饭或饺子。这是为什么?
You:Well, maybe this is true in restaurants when people eat starch 2 to fill up at the end of a meal. But eating at home is different. At home, dumplingsaren't intended for every day consumption 3. If you eat rice at every meal, although it's convenient, it can get boring. It's a Chinese custom, especially in the north, to eat dumplings the night before Spring Festival.
哦。在餐馆里,人们可能喜欢在正餐后吃点面食来填肚子;而在家里人们并不是每天都吃饺子。如果每顿都吃米饭,虽然很方便,但也会觉得烦的。中国人有除夕夜吃饺子的习俗,而且这一习俗在北方更为盛行。
David:Why? What's the history?
为什么?有什么说法吗?
You:There is a story but I don't know it. I am from south China and we don't share that custom.
是有一个故事但我不大清楚。我是南方人,我们那儿没有这个习俗。
David:It's not a part of the custom in southern China. It is only a custom in Beijing?
中国南方没有这个习俗。那仅仅是北京有吗?
You:Not only Beijing, but all northern China.
不仅是北京,而且整个北方都有这样的习俗。
David:Someone told me before that, because the dumpling is round, it symbolizes 4 the beginning of a new cycle. I am not sure, but sometimes I understand they put a coin inside when they make dumplings, whoever eats the dumpling with the coin will have good luck. Maybe this is more northeastern culture.
以前有人告诉我,饺子是圆的,象征着新的一轮的开始;我不知道这是不是真的。可是,我知道有时候人们包饺子时也会把一个饺子里面包上一枚硬币。吃到这个饺子的人就会有好运。也许这更具有东北特色一些。
You:Yeah, Ithink so.
我也这样认为。
1 normally
adv.正常地,通常地
- I normally do all my shopping on Saturdays.我通常在星期六买东西。
- My pulse beats normally.我脉搏正常。
2 starch
n.淀粉;vt.给...上浆
- Corn starch is used as a thickener in stews.玉米淀粉在炖煮菜肴中被用作增稠剂。
- I think there's too much starch in their diet.我看是他们的饮食里淀粉太多了。
3 consumption
n.消费,消耗,消费额,消耗量,结核病
- Consumption of oil has declined in recent years.石油消耗量在最近几年下降了。
- The meat was condemned as unfit for human consumption.这种肉已被宣布不适宜人们食用。
4 symbolizes
v.象征,作为…的象征( symbolize的第三人称单数 )
- The use of light and dark symbolizes good and evil. 用光明与黑暗来象征善与恶。
- She likes olive because It'symbolizes peace. 她喜欢橄榄色因为它象征着和平。 来自《简明英汉词典》