新概念英语3--（一天学一篇）--- 23

ltlong52010

课文23  各有所爱
394. People become quite illogical when they try to decide what can be eaten and what cannot be eaten.
3 |% z' p: d/ J' E( ~" d        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。
. F/ Y$ _$ [7 w# ~9 K395. If you lived in the Mediterranean, for instance, you would consider octopus a great delicacy.
3 v; @6 y+ T& S. P9 X        比如，如果你住在地中海地区，你会把章鱼视作是美味佳肴，
3 w8 i; @, o" g0 t  f& e396. You would not be able to understand why some people find it repulsive.
# x1 t* R; I! Y2 w9 [        同时不能理解为什么有人一见章鱼就恶心。
397. 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.
$ S/ c) F$ l- m3 U6 L        另一方面，你一想到动物油炸土豆就会反胃，
- P% _! K+ j! c5 _/ C7 J4 \398. The sad truth is that most of us have been brought up to eat certain foods and we stick to them all our lives.
* C2 j# T; r, f; O- G        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。
399. No creature has received more praise and abuse than the common garden snail.
+ U% D( O: T) |; _/ ~5 r        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。
400. Cooked in wine, snails are a great luxury in various parts of the world.
        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。
) C& j0 R2 `0 F  K: }( t1 f0 b7 y401. There are countless people who, ever since their early years, have learned to associate snails with food.
        有不计其数的人们从小就知道蜗牛可做菜。
402. My friend, Robert, lives in a country where snails are despised.
+ i' `9 z/ [( u% K        但我的朋友罗伯特却住在一个厌恶蜗牛的国家中。
403. As his flat is in a large town, he has no garden of his own.
        他住在大城市里的一所公寓里，没有自己的花园。
404. For years he has been asking me to collect snails from my garden and take them to him.
; ~& h9 U) W5 v, H8 T/ I        多年来，他一直让我把我园子里的蜗牛收集起来给他捎去。
4 B: g% f7 X8 I- C3 S6 N3 W5 Q405. The idea never appealed to me very much,
8 Q( N" D% ^5 @        一开始，他的这一想法没有引起我多大兴趣。
# U2 q& f5 |: V, g/ k& F3 I. d# s406. but one day, after heavy shower,
        后来有一天，一场大雨后，
407. 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.
        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。
408. Acting on a sudden impulse, I collected several dozen, put them in a paper bag, and took them to Robert.
        我一时冲动，逮了几十只，装进一只纸袋里，带着去找罗伯特。
409. Robert was delighted to see me and equally pleased with my little gift.
& M! t' c) d2 F0 J" o        罗伯特见到我很高兴，对我的薄礼也感到满意。
410. I left the bag in the hall and Robert and I went into the living room where we talked for a couple of hours.
        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。
411. I had forgotten all about the snails when Robert suddenly said that I must stay to dinner.
8 y  F9 n$ u, h/ F0 x9 a        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。
412. Snails would, of course, be the main dish.
0 L% ~9 i# u2 H9 _3 _3 p        蜗牛当然是道主菜。
413. I did not fancy the idea and I reluctantly followed Robert out of the room.
        我并不喜欢这个主意，所以我勉强跟着罗伯特走进了起居室。
414. To our dismay, we saw that there were snails everywhere:
        使我们惊愕的是门厅里到处爬满了蜗牛：
415. they had escaped from the paper bag and had taken complete possession of the hall!
6 W$ M1 J8 z1 Q7 \. X' a        它们从纸袋里逃了出来，爬得满厅都是！
  Z4 g; r% T4 F9 _7 n416. I have never been able to look at a snail since then.
        从那以后，我再也不能看一眼蜗牛了。