23_One_Man's_Meat_is_Another_Man's_Poison

23 One Man's Meat is Another Man's Poison

原文译文

People become quite illogical when they try to decide what can be eaten and what cannot be eaten. If you lived in the Mediterranean, for instance, you would consider octopus a great delicacy. You would not be able to understand why some people find it repulsive. On the other hand, your stomach would turn at the idea of frying potatoes in animal fat-the normally accepted practice in many northern countries. The sad truth is that most of us have been brought up to eat certain foods and we stick to them all our lives.

No creature has received more praise and abuse than the common garden snail. Cooked in wine, snails are a great luxury in various parts of the world. There are countless people who, ever since their early years, have learned to associate snails with food. My friend, Robert, lives in a country where snails are despised. As his flat is in a large town, he has no garden of his own. For years he has been asking me to collect snails from my garden and take them to him. The idea never appealed to me very much, but one day, after a heavy shower, I happened to be walking in my garden when I noticed a huge number of snails taking a stroll on some of my prize plants. Acting on a sudden impulse, I collected several dozen, put them in a paper bag, and took them to Robert. Robert was delighted to see me and equally pleased with my little gift. I left the bag in the hall and Robert and I went into the living room where we talked for a couple of hours. I had forgotten all about the snails when Robert suddenly said that I must stay to dinner. Snails would, of course, be the main dish. I did not fancy the idea and I reluctantly followed Robert out of the room. To our dismay, we saw that there were snails everywhere: they had escaped from the paper bag and had taken complete possession of the hall! I have never be able to look at a snail since then.

在决定什么能吃而什么不能吃的时候，人们往往变得不合情理。比如，如果你住在地中海地区，你会把章鱼视作是美味佳肴，同时不能理解为什么有人一见章鱼就恶心。另一方面，你一想到动物油炸土豆就会反胃，但这在北方许多国家却是一种普通的烹任方法。不无遗憾的是，我们中的大部分人，生来就只吃某几种食品，而且一辈子都这样。

没有一种生物所受到的赞美和厌恶会超过花园里常见的蜗牛了。蜗牛加酒烧煮后，便成了世界上许多地方的一道珍奇的名菜。有不计其数的人们从小就知道蜗牛可做菜。但我的朋友罗伯特却住在一个厌恶蜗牛的国家中。他住在大城市里的一所公寓里，没有自己的花园。多年来，他一直让我把我园子里的蜗牛收集起来给他捎去。一开始，他的这一想法没有引起我多大兴趣。后来有一天，一场大雨后，我在花园里漫无目的散步，突然注意到许许多多蜗牛在我的一些心爱的花木上慢悠悠的蠕动着。我一时冲动，逮了几十只，装进一只纸袋里，带着去找罗伯特。罗伯特见到我很高兴，对我的薄礼也感到满意。我把纸袋放在门厅里，与罗伯特一起进了起居室，在那里聊了好几个钟头。最后我把蜗牛的事已忘得一干二净，罗伯特突然提出一定要我留下来吃晚饭，这才提醒了我。蜗牛当然是主菜。我并不喜欢这个主意，所以我勉强跟着罗伯特走出了起居室。使我们惊愕的是门厅里到处爬满了蜗牛：它们从纸袋里逃了出来，爬得满厅都是！从那以后，我再也不能看一眼蜗牛了。

Words

• illogical /ˌɪˈlɑdʒɪkəl/ adj. 不合逻辑
  1. It is illogical to assume you can do the work of three people.
  2. Because we do not know what death is, it is illogical to fear it.
  3. It’s illogical to bet all your money on this.
• octopus /ˈɑktəˌpʊs/ n. 章鱼
  1. On the other hand, no one there likes to eat octopus.
  2. I’m genuinely sorry that you don’t like octopus.
• repulsive /riˈpʌlsɪv/ adj. 令人厌恶的
  1. He is so repulsive that no one is interested in him.
  2. Leo describes snails as very repulsive food.
• stomach /ˈstʌmək/ n. v. 胃
  1. Much to Leo's surprise, it didn’t turn his stomach at all.
• turn /tɝn/ 恶心
• frying /ˈfraɪɪŋ/ v. 油炸
  1. It seems that they had fried chicken for dinner.
  2. Leo learnt to fry chicken when he was in Auckland.
• abuse /əˈbjus/ n. 辱骂
  1. No one has received more abuse than that guy in our company.
• snail /snel/ n. v. 蜗牛
  1. Leo saw him eat a snail last week.
  2. For the first time in Leo’s life, he tired to eat a snail.
  3. Why do people associate snails with food?
• luxury /ˈlʌɡʒəri/ n. 奢侈品
  1. She got used to a life of great luxury.
  2. She saw books as a necessity, not a luxury.
• despised /dɪˈspaɪzd/ v. 鄙视
  1. She despised her neighbor, and tried to put her neighbor’s husband out of business.
• appealed /əˈpild/ v. 吸引
  1. Leo is anxious to find out if the new book will appeal to young readers.
• shower /ˈʃaʊɚ/ n. 阵雨
  1. After a heavy shower, he followed his father’s instructions and fixed the front door.
• taking /ˈtekɪŋ/ a /ə/ stroll /strol/ n. 散步
  1. It is no use pretending that you don’t want to go for a stroll with her.
  2. I’m glad that we took a stroll together.
  3. He wished that he had gone for a stroll with her last night.
• impulse /ˈɪmpʌls/ n. 冲动
  1. Rosa had an impulse to tell Henry the truth.
  2. Acting on an impulse, he decided to visit his sister.
• fancy /ˈfænsi/ v. 喜欢
  1. She didn't fancy (= did not like) the idea of going home in the dark.
  2. She is always doing that, and I don’t fancy the idea of living with her.（L2）

Expressions

• One man's meat is another man's poison(毒药) 萝卜青菜各有所爱
• it is illogical to do sth. 做某事不合逻辑
• turn sb’s stomach 使某人反胃
• sick to my stomach 胃里难受
• animal fat 动物脂肪
• a received more abuse than 受到的辱骂多于……
• associate a with b 把a和b联系起来
• appeal to sb. 吸引某人
• After a heavy shower... 一场大雨过后……
• be in the shower 淋浴
• take a shower 洗淋浴
• take a stroll... /go for a stroll... 散步
• have the impulse to do sth. 有做某事的冲动
• dozens of sth. sb. 几十个……
• for instance 例如
• at the idea of... 一想到……
  1. She was very unhappy at the idea of staying in London.
  2. Because of this, she was shocked at the idea of flying to Europe.
  3. Many parents may be shocked at the idea of paying $100 for a pair of shoes.
  4. The simple truth is that there isn’t enough money to pay for it.
  5. The sad truth is that he doesn't like you any longer.
  6. The truth is that anyone [who...] takes no interests in this kind of thing.
• The sad truth is that+句子 可悲的事实是……
• be brought up to do sth 被教导要做某事
• stick to sth. 坚持某事
  1. Stick to the main roads and you won't get lost.
  2. Leo was determined to stick to his decision.
• notice sb. doing sth. 注意到某人正在做某事
  1. Did you notice him leaving the party early?
  2. I was going to leave when I noticed someone entering the room.
  3. He was sure no one had noticed him talking to the journalist.
• be delighted to do sth. 很高兴做某事
• stay to dinner = stay for dinner 留下来吃晚饭
  1. A: "Would you like to stay to dinner, Jeff?"
  2. B: "Sure! I'll have to ask my parents first."
  3. I don’t have cause to stay to dinner.
  4. Not only did he stay to dinner last night, ...
• to sb’s dismay 令某人沮丧的是
• take possession of sth. 占有某物