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.
: ?' D  t; B8 l" V3 X0 `7 l2 Y; q% R6 ?) ^        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。
395. 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，
+ v' W6 b7 a, @# ]8 y" x% y1 u396. You would not be able to understand why some people find it repulsive.
# F( Y. ]! z3 |$ M  k: A+ 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.
0 Z# e  ]. z5 |9 Q: f        另一方面，你一想到动物油炸土豆就会反胃，
/ r. A# _7 K# H- P" Q6 H/ W398. The sad truth is that most of us have been brought up to eat certain foods and we stick to them all our lives.
# q- f$ @# d+ K# m( H  v( h        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。
( J9 g4 `$ z$ u8 \1 l/ U399. No creature has received more praise and abuse than the common garden snail.
        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.
$ ?+ G0 Z- f) p$ w( z. v" V        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。
" I$ I  k  Q7 J4 w0 o& k: q401. 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。
  M3 k8 O/ i4 ?/ ~402. 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.
! G% D! t# J9 e8 T" Y1 v* b  m2 u        他住在大城市里的一所公寓里，没有自己的花园。
. h; C; u3 q" c404. 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。
405. The idea never appealed to me very much,
- S4 v! o% L$ n8 @: k3 X- A        一开始，他的这一想法没有引起我多大兴趣。
406. but one day, after heavy shower,
* H4 M& _8 o) U5 h! @6 @        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.
! ]* q/ |/ N8 a        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。
5 g( b* L# ?) d9 r+ I+ t5 V1 ]408. Acting on a sudden impulse, I collected several dozen, put them in a paper bag, and took them to Robert.
$ g7 r* z# m2 f0 ^6 M: g/ m) }        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.
        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.
: k3 w' i$ v% ]% J        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.
9 C& M& ?4 b' h1 }) v* E        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。
, L- @# ?$ n! R8 l8 J413. 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:
3 c. I" k! I. v5 V4 @/ F" {        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！
) p7 `6 m5 j8 ?% i+ e; T- |7 o  A416. I have never been able to look at a snail since then.
, C% g/ Y4 h# X, k        从那以后，我再也不能看一眼蜗牛了。