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.
/ A  x7 Q) @, G! O        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。
; x6 {) U2 D4 F' [' W3 b5 Z; N8 N395. If you lived in the Mediterranean, for instance, you would consider octopus a great delicacy.
        比如，如果你住在地中海地区，你会把章鱼视作是美味佳肴，
396. You would not be able to understand why some people find it repulsive.
9 Z/ J+ s1 r; p9 E4 J) I        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.
* E- t) f7 }" L  j; x  J6 ~        另一方面，你一想到动物油炸土豆就会反胃，
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.
" V; X! H5 l2 @  t1 u        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.
! G  c/ z2 K1 m+ k, L: g% L0 R6 `        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。
401. 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。
) t) a( i/ X4 g( E& K402. My friend, Robert, lives in a country where snails are despised.
        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.
2 P7 e$ ^( |4 W9 e$ x        他住在大城市里的一所公寓里，没有自己的花园。
9 ?+ k6 K9 d$ W0 [404. For years he has been asking me to collect snails from my garden and take them to him.
        多年来，他一直让我把我园子里的蜗牛收集起来给他捎去。
" y5 ]" U& f: D405. The idea never appealed to me very much,
        一开始，他的这一想法没有引起我多大兴趣。
9 B8 E2 S5 T7 p406. but one day, after heavy shower,
$ m3 L3 L+ b# B" G        后来有一天，一场大雨后，
, x0 i8 b3 Y1 N7 O0 V407. 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.
' S- Z: _! X) j        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.
! _# ?% I! f) X, e7 M% l        我一时冲动，逮了几十只，装进一只纸袋里，带着去找罗伯特。
' n6 k8 P/ S$ G7 o: T409. Robert was delighted to see me and equally pleased with my little gift.
2 C4 \$ M, P+ k# @        罗伯特见到我很高兴，对我的薄礼也感到满意。
4 H% |7 y/ k8 y410. 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.
- V. F  V$ B) ]4 q2 M, H9 G        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.
        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。
+ D' q2 Z: C% \9 M: ]8 s414. 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!
        它们从纸袋里逃了出来，爬得满厅都是！
7 C* |& Y3 l2 U& i416. 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。