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Putting the Brakes on Fast Food 慢。食。慢慢享受

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We microwave a TV dinner in the blink of an eye. A restaurant serves a junk meal in an instant. But one movement is intent on not only taking the “fast” out of “fast food,” but actually turning it into “slow food.”

我们微波电视餐，只消一眨眼的时间就加热完毕。到餐厅点垃圾食物，不一会儿的功夫餐点就送来。但有一种运动不仅致力要把「快餐」里的「速」字拿掉，还要把快餐变成「慢食」。

The Slow Food movement began in 1980 in Italy after its founder came to the realization that the “eat fast, live fast” philosophy is damaging. Intensive farming has caused environmental damage, and the human consumption of the pesticides used is a huge cause for concern. In addition, Slow Food supporters believe that when we buy imported food cheaply in the supermarket, local agriculture suffers as a consequence. The food is only superficially cheaper; in the long run, we are harming our own economies. Furthermore, Slow Food advocates say that by discarding the time-honored food traditions of our ancestors, we put part of our culture at risk of dying out.

慢食运动在1980年时起源于意大利，其创始人意识到「快餐、快活」的生活哲学深具杀伤力后，便开始推广此运动。集约式农业造成了环境破坏，其所使用的农药被人食用，更是令人担忧。此外，慢食运动的支持者相信，当我们去超市以廉价购得进口食品时，当地农业就会因此而受害。那些食物只是表面上看起来较便宜，就长远来看，我们其实是在破坏国内的经济体系。再者，慢食运动的倡导者表示，摒除先人传承下来、历史悠久的饮食文化传统，其实就是让自己的文化冒着消失的风险。

The group wants to preserve the traditional senses of farming, cooking, and dining, taking lessons from a time when people found great pleasure in preparing and savoring food as a family. The Slow Food movement wants us to keep our ancestors’ recipes alive, to buy seasonal produce at the farmers’ market, and to foster a respect for the environment through education. A locally grown piece of fruit gives you peace of mind – you know exactly where it came from, and you’ve reduced your carbon footprint because your food didn’t fly halfway around the planet.

这个组织希望能保存传统意义中的农耕、烹饪和用餐的方式，并学习以前人们享受全家一起准备餐点及慢慢品尝的过程。慢食运动要我们将祖先遗留下来的食谱继续发扬光大，在农夫市场采购当季的农产品，并透过教育培养对环境的尊敬。一粒当地出产的水果会让你安心──因为你不仅知道它的确切产地，而且还因没让食物飞过大半个地球而减少了自己的碳足迹呢！

One Slow Food motto is “planet and plate,” reminding us how closely linked the two things are and how straightforward it is to begin to affect a change. The French say “bon appetit” at meal times – but say it the Taiwanese way: “Qing man yong!”

有一句慢食运动的口号是「星球与碟子」（planet and plate），提醒我们这两样事物是多么息息相关，且这句口号也开始对社会有直接的影响。法国人在用餐前会说：bon appetit（祝你胃口大开），但我们台湾人会说：「请慢用。」

−by Alice Davis

Vocabulary

单词发音

movement [ˋmuvmənt] n. 运动，活动

intent [ɪnˋtɛnt] adj. 专心致志的；坚决要做的[F][（+on/upon）]

realization [͵rɪələˋzeʃən] n. 领悟；认识

intensive [ɪnˋtɛnsɪv] adj. 集中的; 密集的

consumption [kənˋsʌmpʃən] n.〔油﹑电等的〕消耗量

import [ɪmˋport] v. 进口〔商品〕﹐输入

agriculture [ˋægrɪ͵kʌltʃɚ] n. 农业

as a consequence 因而，结果

discard [ˋdɪskɑrd] v. 抛弃

die out 死光, 灭绝 become extinct

recipe [ˋrɛsəpɪ] n. 烹饪法；食谱

produce [ˋprɑdjus] n. 产品; 〔尤指〕农产品

foster [ˋfɔstɚ] v. 培养，促进

motto [ˋmɑto] n. 座右铭

straightforward [͵stretˋfɔrwɚd] adj. 明确的; 易懂的

More Information

单词发音

in the blink of an eye 一眨眼的功夫 a very short time

pesticide [ˋpɛstɪ͵saɪd] n. 杀虫剂﹐农药

superficially [ˋsupɚˋfɪʃəlɪ] adv. 浅薄地; 虚假地；表面上

advocate [ˋædvəkɪt] n. 提倡者；拥护者

time-honored [ˋtaɪm͵ɑnɚd] adj. 因古老而受到尊重的；确立已久的; 历史悠久的

sense [sɛns] n. 意义; 智慧

peace of mind 心安

bon appetit 【法】（望你）有好的食欲 good appetite; enjoy your meal

qing man yong  请慢用

Reading Questions

1. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a disadvantage of choosing fast food?

A. Traditional recipes are used less often.

B. Farmers in our own areas are badly affected.

C. The production of fast food is harmful to the planet.

D. Consuming too much fast food makes us overweight and unfit.

2. Which of the following measures does the Slow Food movement suggest?

A. Eating fast food to save money.

B. Buying foods locally, according to the time of the year.

C. Experimenting with foods that are unavailable nearby.

D. Making sure fruit is imported by airplane to keep it fresh.

3. From the passage, how would you best describe the Slow Food movement?

A. As a campaign promoting old Italian recipes.

B. As a collection of courses in cooking and healthy eating.

C. As a group encouraging people to change the way they eat.

D. As a company in competition with McDonald’s and other chains.

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Answer