Sticky Fingers: Toffee, A Delightfully British Sweet 英国的传承甜食：奶油太妃糖
- 详细资料
- 创建于 2004年7月07日
- 最后更新于 2024年5月25日
- 发布于 2011年7月07日
- 作者：Mike Lee
- 点击数：390
课文朗读
课文讲解
In the U.K. toffee takes pride of place as the most fondly received of treats from grandmother’s kitchen. Toffee’s mouthwatering richness somehow symbolizes that golden era of the past when much of the world lay under the benevolent flutter of the Union Jack.
在英国，太妃糖占有最受人欢迎的祖母级甜点这样的崇高地位。太妃糖令人垂涎欲滴的丰富口感，或许某方面可说象征了英国过去黄金岁月时，全世界很多地方都臣服于英国国威下的时代。
The modern art of toffee making has its origins in Halifax, a small town in northern England. There, in 1890, John Mackintosh revolutionized the candy world with a unique new recipe. He understood the huge potential of combining the soft chewiness of American caramels with the brittleness of traditional British toffee. Mackintosh’s huge success confirmed that he had successfully married the stately traditions of England with the New World flair of the States.
现代制作太妃糖的技术源起于北英格兰的一个小镇──哈利法克斯。1890年时，当地人约翰麦金塔以一种全新独门配方使得制糖业起了革命性的变化。他晓得美国软焦糖的耐嚼口感有极大的潜力可以与英国传统太妃糖的酥脆结合起来。麦金塔斐然的成就证实他把英国的传统国粹与新大陆美国的长处成功地结合了起来。
Desire for British toffee shows no sign of lessening, and it is still being made today by descendants of the original “toffee kings,” using recipes that have changed little over more than a century. One venerable toffee family, makers of Walker’s Nonsuch, produces enough toffee yearly to stretch from Land’s End to John o’Groats.
人们对英国太妃糖的需求显然是有增无减，时至今日，以前「太妃糖大王」的后人仍然继续生产制作太妃糖，所用的配方经过一世纪之后，也仍然无甚大变化。有一相当令人敬重的太妃糖家庭，生产「瓦克浓舒Walker’s Nonsuch」品牌的商家，他们每年生产的太妃糖多到足够连接起英伦岛的最南端和最北端【注】。
That’s not to say that toffee makers are stuck in the past. Modern times have brought with them an astonishing variety of toffee flavors ensuring that a sweet tooth can always be satisfied.
这并不是说生产太妃糖的商家都太古老，不够新颖。现代潮流已为他们带来了无数令人震撼的新口味，担保所有爱吃甜食的人都能得到满足。
【注】：英伦岛上英国国土的最南端和最北端，两者相距约1400公里。
Vocabulary
单词发音
delightfully [dɪˋlaɪtfəlɪ] adv. 令人高兴地；讨人喜欢地
toffee [ˋtɔfɪ] n. 乳脂糖，太妃糖
pride of place 最重要的位置
fondly [ˋfɑndlɪ] adv. 深情地；温柔地
received [rɪˋsivd] adj.【正式】被普遍接受的; 公认的
treat [trit] n. 请客; 款待
richness [ˋrɪtʃnɪs] n.（味道等的）浓厚
benevolent [bəˋnɛvələnt] adj. 亲切的，善意的
flutter [ˋflʌtɚ] n.（旗帜等）飘动，飘扬
Union Jack 联合王国国旗（英国国旗）
revolutionize [͵rɛvəˋluʃən͵aɪz] v. 彻底改革
recipe [ˋrɛsəpɪ] n.（糕饼等的）制作法
chewiness 耐嚼性
caramel [ˋkærəm!] n.〔含有焦糖的〕糖果
brittleness [ˋbrɪt!nɪs] n. 脆性
stately [ˋstetlɪ] adj. 庄重的；高贵的
flair [flɛr] n. 才华; 资质; 创意
lessen [ˋlɛsn] v. 变小，变少
venerable [ˋvɛnərəb!] adj.【正式或幽默】〔由于年龄﹑经验〕令人尊敬的
stretch [strɛtʃ] v. 延伸
Land’s End [英国] 兰兹角
John o’Groats [英国] 约翰奥格罗茨
sweet tooth 嗜食甜品者 someone with a liking for sweet foods
Sentence of the Day
John Mackintotosh enjoyed the sweet smell of success.
约翰麦金塔享受了功成名就的甜美滋味。
课文讲解
Kitty, an American, and Albert, her British husband, are making toffee for the country fair: 美国籍的凯蒂和她英国籍的先生艾伯特，正在为乡村农产品展售会的场合制做太妃糖：
A: It’s jolly British of us to be making a batch of toffee for the weekend.
我们为周末场合而做这个太妃糖真是充满英式风情。
K: Actually, we might be using the modern recipe for toffee, but it was made in a very primitive form as far back as 4,000 years ago across Asia and the Middle East.
事实上我们做太妃糖的配方也许蛮现代的，不过做它的方法还是很古老，几乎可以追溯到四千年前的亚洲和中东地区。
A: Well, Mrs. Trivia, did you know toffee is famed for its aphrodisiac qualities? It’s right up there with oysters, apparently.
这个吗，机智问答女王【注】，妳可知道太妃糖的催情作用是出了名的？很明显地，与牡蛎效果一般好哦。
K: Concentrate on what you’re doing, smarty-pants! Pass me 1,400 grams of butter and, let me see … 1,400 grams of sugar too.
专心做你的事，鬼灵精！拿给我1400公克的奶油和，让我想想…还有1400公克的糖。
A: I’m one step ahead, Kitty. I’ve already melted the butter. Now, I just stir in the sugar until it turns a light brown, right?
凯蒂，我比妳讲的快一步。我已经把奶油融好了。现在我是要把糖放进去搅拌直到它变成棕黄色，对吧？
K: That’s right. Then pour the mix carefully into this buttered tray.
没错。然后小心地把混合好的材料，倒进涂抹过奶油的烤盘里。
A: What about these hazelnuts?
这些榛果呢？
K: Wait until you’ve put the mixture in the tray.
等你已经把混合好的材料倒进烤盘之后再说。
A: Maybe next time we could add Brazil nuts. They’re good for the complexion and for curing baldness.
或许下次我们可以用巴西榛果。它们对调理气色和治秃发很有功效。
K: Ha! You are a little thin on top. So if our toffee doesn’t work out, I’m sure we could stick your toupee in place with this gooey mixture!
哈！你头上真的童山濯濯。所以如果我们太妃糖做不成功，相信我们还是能派上用场。把它涂在你假发上保证它戴得端正牢靠。
【注】：trivia 这个字是机智问答的意思，在会话中艾伯特调侃凯蒂，说她像个机智问答冠军。
－by Nick Wheeler
Vocabulary
单词发音
jolly [ˋdʒɑlɪ] adv.【英】【口】非常，很
batch [bætʃ] n. 一批生产量[(+of)]
primitive [ˋprɪmətɪv] adj. 早期的; 原始的
famed [femd] adj. 有名的；著名的[（+for）]
aphrodisiac [͵æfrəˋdɪzɪ͵æk] n. 催情剂﹐春药
right up there 不亚于；并驾齐驱
oyster [ˋɔɪstɚ] n. 牡蛎；蚝
smarty-pants [ˋsmɑrtɪ͵pænts] n. 自以为是的家伙 a smart aleck
tray [tre] n. 盘子，托盘
hazelnut [ˋhez!͵nʌt] n. 榛子﹐榛实
complexion [kəmˋplɛkʃən] n. 面色，肤色；气色
baldness [ˋbɔldnɪs] n. 秃；秃头
toupee [tuˋpe] n.（男士的）假发
gooey [ˋguɪ] adj. 黏﹑松软而甜的
Sentence of the Day
Toffee reminds us that the sun once never set on the British Empire.
英式太妃糖让我们回想起大不列颠曾经是日不落国。
set [sɛt] v.（日，月等）落