口译练习4

口译练习4：
Topic for interpretation：Catering Culture （1）
Characteristics of Chinese Cuisine
Chinese cuisine, rich and colorful, has, as its main features diversified color, aromatic flavor, and excellent taste. With these three characteristics, Chinese cuisine is not only tasty but also a work of art for people to appreciate.
To make real Chinese food, none of the three characteristics - color, aroma and delicious taste should be excluded.
Diversified Colors:
Food with diversified color can usually greatly
arouse people's appetite. For many years, Chinese
food preparation has paid attention to aesthetic
appearance. To have a bright, pleased and
harmonious color is one of the main principles when
cooking Chinese food. To achieve this, add two or
three ingredients with different colors are added as
decoration to complement the main ingredient. Thus,
it is not only the taste of Chinese cuisine that makes
you amazed but also its aesthetic value.
Aromatic Flavor:
Chinese people attach great importance to the aroma
of the dish. Usually aniseed, Chinese prickly ash
seeds, cinnamon and other spices are added to help
dispel the ingredients' particular smells, such as foul,
fishy and mutton smells. Also some other flavors
like shallot, ginger, garlic or chili, cooking wine and
sesame oil are added to make the food fragrant in
flavor.
Excellent Taste:
Regarded as the soul of the Chinese dish, taste can be divided into five classes - sweet, sour, bitter, hot and salty. Seasoning such as soy sauce, sugar, vinegar and salt in proper amount and in different sequences, contribute to the taste of the dish. In the vast land of China, there are eating habits of 'South-Sweet, North-Salty, East-Hot and West-Sour' according to the different tastes of the people. Those in southern China like to add more sugar when cooking than others. Jiangsu Cuisine, one of the Chinese 'Eight Cuisines', is representative of 'South-Sweet'. Shandong Cuisine feature more salt and people living in Hunan, Hubei, Jiangxi, Guizhou, Sichuan like chili best. Sour flavor is favored by Shanxi, Fujian, Guangxi people and the northeasterners.
When a banquet is held, usually ten to twelve people sit around a table to enjoy the bounteous feast. Delicious hot and cold dishes with different tastes and flavors cooked in different ways are served. Together with the diversified colors of the dishes, everyone can't help marveling at the rich Chinese dietetic culture.
aesthetic adj. 美学的, 有审美感的Chinese prickly ash seeds 花椒粒
cinnamon n. 肉桂,肉桂树foul adj. 恶臭的fishy adj. 腥臭的
shallot n. 葱bounteous adj. 慷慨的dietetic a. 饮食的
Chopsticks - The stamp of a civilized eating culture
According to historical evidence, the Chinese have used chopsticks since the time of the Shang Dynasty (ca 1766 - 1066 BCE). The first sticks used as eating utensils were twigs that the hungriest eaters used to scoop food into their mouths. This invention obviously brought added convenience to eating as the sticks made it easier to handle steaming hot food.
It's easy to eat with chopsticks!
The Chinese word denoting chopsticks, kuài zi (筷子), is made up of the character for "bamboo" on top (zhú竹), and the character for kuài (快) meaning “quickly.” In essence then, chopsticks are traditionally made from bamboo and you can eat fast with them. The word kuài zi can also be interpreted as referring to a "fast" (kuài) "boy" (zĭ子). Due to this wordplay chopsticks are a great gift for newlyweds who are hoping for a male child.
Chopsticks are mainly made out of wood or bamboo, but some are also made from jade, ivory, silver, steel and nowadays even plastic.
Legend has it that Chinese emperors used to prefer silver chopsticks because the material reacted to poisons that assassins put in food by turning black.
Specialty stores have a wide selection of chopsticks.
The use of chopsticks has been a part of Chinese food culture. There are some taboos of using chopsticks that you must pay great attention to, or you may make mistakes and be laughed at.
make a lot of noise, because Chinese people think only beggars
would do this to beg for food.
Second, when you use chopsticks, don't stretch out your index
finger, which would be regarded as a kind of accusation to others.
Never use chopsticks to point at others.
Third, it is thought to be an impolite behavior when you suck the
end of a chopstick. People will think you lack family education.
Fourth, don't use chopsticks to poke at every dish without
knowing what your want.
And last, don't insert chopsticks vertically into the food. Chinese
people do this only when they burn incense to sacrifice the dead.
ivory 象牙burn incense 烧香
sacrifice 祭祀
商朝Shang Dynasty 西周Western Zhou Dynasty index finger 食指
American Table Manners
Manners in every country are different. What is polite in China may not be polite in the United States. These basic rules will help you enjoy western food with your American friends.
Always put the napkin on your lap first. Before you leave the table, fold your napkin and put it beside your plate.
As the meal is served, use the tableware farthest from the plate first. When eating something in a bowl, do not leave the spoon in the bowl. Put it on the plate beneath the bowl.Soup, as well as all American food is eaten quietly. Do not slurp the soup. The soup spoon is used by moving the spoon away from you. Do not over fill the spoon.
While eating, remember not to talk with your mouth full of food. When you have finished your meal, place your knife and fork side by side on the plate. This signals that you have finished eating.
During the meal, the host or hostess will offer you a second help of food. Sometimes they will ask you to help yourself. When they offer you food, give a direct answer. If you decline it the first time, they might not ask you again.
At the table, ask others to pass you dishes that are out of your reach. Good phrases to know are: “Please pass the ____” or “Could you hand me the ____, please?” If asked to pass the salt to someone, you should pass both the salt and pepper which are placed on the table together. Hand the salt and pepper to the person seated next to you. Do not reach over the person next to you to pass anything to others.
Sit up straight at the table. Bring the food up to your mouth. Do not lean down to your plate.
Cut large pieces of meat, potatoes and vegetables into bite size pieces. Eat the pieces one at a time. When eating spaghetti, wind the noodles up on your fork. You may use your spoon to assist in winding the noodle on your fork. The spaghetti on your fork should be eaten in one bite. It is very impolite to eat half your noodles and allow the other half to fall back on your plate.
Some foods may be eaten with your fingers. If you are not sure if it is proper to eat something by
picking it up with your fingers watch what others do before doing so yourself. Examples of foods
which can be eaten with your fingers include: bacon which has been cooked until it is very crisp; bread should be broken rather than cut with a knife; cookies; sandwiches; and small fruits and berries on the stem. Most fast foods are intended to be eaten with your fingers.
Do not lean on your arm or elbow while eating. You may rest your hand and wrist on the edge of the table.
In America, people do not use toothpicks at the table.
Some of the rules mentioned here may be somewhat relaxed in informal settings.
The best way to learn good manners is to watch others. Observe the way your western friends eat. This is the best way to avoid making mistakes when you are unsure of what to do.
Napkin 餐巾tableware 餐具lap 大腿fold 折叠
Slurp 啜食
Task 1: Characteristics of Chinese Cuisine
张经理在欢迎Mr.John Green 一行的宴会上，边吃边向在座的外国朋友介绍中国菜肴的特色和烹饪手法。

请你在现场做翻译。

焖stew 炖simmer 煨braise
煎fry 蒸steam 筷子chopsticks
烹调术cookery 色、香、味、形color, aroma/flavor, taste and shape
佐料seasoning 食谱recipe
Task 2: The history of chopsticks and the taboos of using them.
说到筷子，张经理接着向外国朋友介绍筷子的历史，以及使用筷子时要注意的事项，请你继续为他做口译。

Task 3：Eating in America
听完张经理对中国菜肴的介绍，Mr. John Green 也谈起了美国人的三餐。

请你为他做口译。

餐前开胃点心appretizer
主菜main course 附菜side dish 餐后甜食dessert
冷盘cold dish 点心pastry 餐桌圆转盘Lazy Susan
什锦色拉mixed fruit salad with ham 什锦水果圣代mixed fruit sundae 早午餐brunch 小吃snack 宵夜late snack 正餐dinner
Task 4：American Table Manners
Mr. John Green 看来兴致不错，接着跟中国主人聊起了在美国吃西餐需要注意的餐桌礼仪。