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Black Diamond of the Kitchen – The Truffle 美食天王──松露

课文朗读

课文讲解

繁體中文譯本

The warty-looking truffle, though hardly beautiful, graces the tables of three-star restaurants with its magnificent, room-filling aroma. Because this fungus has never been successfully cultivated, its price has always been exorbitant. Since Roman times, truffles have remained the purview of the peasants who hunt for them and the ultrarich who can afford them.

松露的外型像疣，虽然貌不惊人，但它满室生香的绝佳风味让三星级【注】餐厅的餐桌备添风采。因为这种菌类从来没有以人工方式栽培成功过，所以价钱始终非常昂贵。自从古罗马时代以来，松露就一直是农夫们刻意寻觅的东西，也是超级富豪们才享受得起的珍馐。

The truffle’s pungent flavor is so unique that gastronomes have conjured up descriptions like “ozone, nuts, and musk” in an attempt to accurately describe what one French chef characterized as “the essence of paradise.” Truffles are best enjoyed sliced paper-thin, and added to omelettes, rice, meat, or poultry dished just before serving.

松露的浓郁味道非常特殊，以致美食家甚至想出像「臭氧、坚果、和麝香」这类的描述，企图精确地描述这种曾经被一位法国大厨称为「天堂精华」的东西。品尝松露最好将它切成极细的薄片，搭配蛋包、米饭、肉类、或禽类的菜肴，然后再上菜。

Though there is some regional favoritism, the black truffle from the Perigord region of France is generally the most sought after variety, while the Italian white truffle commands nearly an equal following. Due to truffles outrageous cost, mushroom hunters have recently sought them out in Oregon, New Zealand, and even Asia, but most aficionados decry these upstarts as distinctly second-class.

虽然有些地方出产的松露颇受欢迎，但一般而言，来自于法国佩里戈地区的黑松露是最受青睐的品种，而意大利产的白松露也不遑多让，在市场上几乎受到等量的欢迎。由于松露价格高得吓人，松露猎人最近已在美国奥勒冈州、纽西兰、甚至亚洲搜罗，但是大多数的松露爱好者把这些刚崭露头角的松露视为二等货色。

Is this famous fungus an aphrodisiac as many have claimed? Some connoisseurs believe so, but there is no conclusive evidence to prove this oft-repeated claim.

这种大名鼎鼎的菌类是否真的像许多人所说，俱有催情的效果？有些行家相信真有其事，但并没有有确证来证明这项经常流传的说法。

【注】虽然一般经常用四、五星级这类分法来评量餐旅场所，但是欧洲最老牌也最权威的《米其林餐饮指南》对于美食的分类，三星就是最高等级。即使只有一颗星，也表示是家很棒的餐厅。

Vocabulary

单词发音

warty [ˋwɔrtɪ] adj. 有疣的；多疣的

grace [gres] v. 使增光

fungus [ˋfʌŋgəs] n. 菌类植物

exorbitant [ɪgˋzɔrbətənt] adj.（要求，收费等的）过高的；过分的

purview [ˋpɝvju] n. 范围；权限

pungent [ˋpʌndʒənt] adj.（气味等）有刺激性的

gastronome [ˋgæstrə͵nom] n. 美食家；讲究饮食的人

conjure  [ˋkʌndʒɚ] up  魔术般变出〔某物〕; 想出

musk [mʌsk] n. 麝香；麝香香味

omelette [ˋɑmlɪt] n. 煎蛋饼，煎蛋卷

favoritism [ˋfevərɪt͵ɪzəm] n. 偏袒; 偏爱

sought-after [ˋsɔt͵æftɚ] adj. 受欢迎的，很吃香的  greatly desired

command [kəˋmænd] v. 控制

aficionado [ə͵fisjəˋnɑdo] n. …迷; 狂热爱好者

upstart [ˋʌp͵stɑrt] n. 新贵; 自命不凡的家伙

aphrodisiac [͵æfrəˋdɪzɪ͵æk] n. 催情剂﹐春药

connoisseur [͵kɑnəˋsɝ] n.〔艺术﹑食品﹑音乐等〕鉴赏家﹐鉴定家

Sentence of the Day

Truffles cost a king’s ransom.

松露的身价不凡(价钱贵得吓人)。

课文讲解

An American couple on vacation, Tammy and Spencer, are eating dinner at a Michelin Guide-listed French restaurant:  一对出国度假的美国夫妇谭美和史宾赛，在一家列名《米其林餐饮指南》的法国餐厅里用晚餐：

T: Please, you’ve done nothing but make amorous noised for five minutes.

拜托，你「喔喔」叫个不停已经五分钟了。

S: I can’t help it. These truffle dishes are beyond belief.

我忍不住啊。这道松露餐实在赞。

T: With 500 grams of black truffles going for about €400, they’d better be good.

五百公克的黑松露要价约四百欧元，当然要好吃才行。

S: Maybe we should get into the trufficulteur business.

或许我们该改行当松露猎人【注一】。

T: Do you have a sow to sniff out mature truffles?

你有养嗅得出成熟松露的母猪吗？

S: Not yet. But apparently, dogs are more popular for truffle hunting these days. Know why?

还没。但是很明显地，最近改用狗猎松露比较流行。妳知道为什么吗？

T: Uh huh. Because truffles smell like a virile swine, sows sometimes get a bit overenthusiastic and eat the truffles they find, whereas dogs will settle for a piece of bread.

嗯哼。因为松露闻起来像是成年的公猪，母猪有时候兴奋过头，会把找到的松露吃掉，而狗狗用一片面包就能打发了。

S: Actually, the same scent chemical – a steroid, I think – is also found in men’s underarm sweat.

实际上，相同味道的化学成分──我想，是种类固醇吧──在男人腋下的汗水也找得到。

T: That doesn’t sound nearly as appealing as a truffle dinner, my dear.

亲爱的，那听起来不像松露晚餐般能让人食指大动。

S: There was even a case here in France of a man killing his maid for serving his last truffle to an undeserving guest.

在法国甚至还有这样的例子：一名男子只因女仆把他最后仅剩的松露拿给一位不配吃松露的客人吃，就把她杀了！

T: A crime of passion, indeed! Implying something, Spencer?

犯这种罪也真太冲动了！你在暗示什么吗？史宾赛──！

S: Well, I have a sharp knife in my hand. So no matter how much you bat your eyes at me, don’t you dare try to steal anything from my plate!

嗯，我手中有把尖刀。所以啊，不管妳怎么对我挤眉弄眼，休想偷我盘内的东西吃！

－by Nick Wheeler

【注一】法语，指松露猎人。

Vocabulary

单词发音

amorous [ˋæmərəs] adj. 热情的; 多情的

beyond belief (因太大、太难、太可怕等)难以置信的; 不可思议的

trufficulteur 法语，指松露猎人

sow [so] n.（大）母猪；牝猪

sniff out【非正式】找出﹐发现﹐察觉

sniff [snɪf] v. 嗅，闻

virile [ˋvɪrəl] adj. 男人的；有生殖力的；强壮的

swine [swaɪn] n.【非正式】下流坯﹐猪猡

steroid [ˋstɪrɔɪd] n.【生化】类固醇

appealing [əˋpilɪŋ] adj. 有吸引力的; 有趣的

Sentence of the Day

The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.

要捉住一个男人的心，先捉住他的胃。