English Food 汉译

    English food has a bad reputation abroad. This is most probably because foreigners in  England are often obliged to eat in the more “popular” type of restaurant. Here it is necessary to prepare food rapidly in large quantities, and the taste of the food inevitably suffers, though its quality, from the point of view of nourishment, is quite satisfactory. Still, it is rather dull and not always attractively presented. Moreover, the Englishman eating in cheap or medium price restaurant is usually in a hurry—at least at lunch—and a meal eaten in a leisurely manner in pleasant surroundings is always far more enjoyable than a meal taken hastily in a business-like atmosphere. In general, it is possible to get an adequate meal at a reasonable price; in fact, such a meal may be less expensive than similar food abroad. For those with money to spare, there are restaurants that compare favourably with the best in any country.

    In many countries breakfast is a snack rather than a meal, but the traditional English breakfast is a full meal. Some people have a cereal or porridge to begin with. If porridge is prepared from coarse oatmeal (in the proper Scottish manner) it is a tasty, economical, and nourishing dish, especially when it is eaten with milk or cream, and sugar or salt. Then comes a substantial, usually cooked, course such as bacon and eggs, sausages and bacon or, sometimes, haddock or kippers.Yorkshire ham is also a breakfast speciality. Afterwards comes toast, with butter and mamalade, and perhaps some fruit. Tea or coffee is drunk with the meal. Many English people now take such a full breakfast only on Sunday morning.

    The traditional English meal (lunch or dinner, lunch generally being the lighter meal) is based on plain, simply-cooked food. British beefsteak is unsurpassed (with the best steaks coming from the Scotch Angus cattle) and is accompanied by roast potatoes; a second vegetable (probably cabbage or carrots), and Yorkshire pudding (baked batter, a mixture of flour, egg, milk and salt).

    English lamb chops, best when grilled, make a very tasty dish, particularly when eaten with fresh spring peas, new potatoes and mint sauce. English pork is good, but English veal is sometimes disappointing.

    As regards fish, Dover soles are a delicacy. So are British trout and salmon. Unfortunately, they are not cheap!

    Apple pie is a favourite sweet, and English puddings, of which there are various types, are an excellent ending to a meal, especially in winter.

    English cheeses deserve to be better known than they are. The “king” of cheeses is Stilton, a blue-veined cheese both smooth and strong, and at its best when Bordeaux is drunk with it. Cheddar, Cheshire, and Lancashire cheeses are all pleasing to the palate, and cream cheeses are to be had in various parts of the country. In Devon, excellent clotted cream is made, which goes well with English strawberries and raspberries.

    But what, you may say, shall we drink with our meal? Many will say English beer, preferably bitter or pale ale, or cider. If it is real Devonshire country cider, be careful—it is stronger than you think when you first taste it!

    In recent years the British have become more cosmopolitan in their eating habits, and many families frequently sit down to meals whose ingredients or recipes may come from India (curry is a well-liked dish), China, or anywhere in the world.

刘士聪、张保红 编译:

英国饮食

选自《英国风情录》

    英国食品在海外的名声不佳，这很可能是因为来英国的外国人不得不在更“大众化”的餐馆里用餐的缘故。在那里，必须迅速、大量的备餐，因此饭菜的味道不可避免地要差一些，尽管在营养方面，其质量还是令人满意的。可是饭菜仍然显得单调，花色也常常不大讲究。此外，在价钱便宜或适中的饭店里用餐的英国人，通常是来去匆匆——至少午餐如此——而在舒适的环境里中从容就餐要比在生意氛围较浓的环境里匆忙吃饭更有乐趣。一般来说，花不多的钱吃上一顿饱饭是可能的。事实上，同样的饭菜比国外或许还要便宜些。对于手头有富余的人来说，英国某些饭店和国外最好的饭店相比还要划算一些。

    在许多国家，早餐只是小吃而不算正餐，但传统的英国早餐却是正餐。有的人先吃麦片或喝粥，如果粥是用粗燕麦片做的（正宗的苏格兰风味），那就既可口又经济并富有营养，特别是加了牛奶或奶油，糖或盐。然后是一道实实在在的熟菜，火腿鸡蛋、香肠火腿，有时是鳕鱼或熏鲱。约克郡火腿也是早餐的特色食堂。然后是涂上黄油和果酱的吐司，也许还有些水果。吃早餐时喝茶或咖啡。许多英国人现在只是在星期天才吃这样的早餐。

    传统的英国正餐（午餐或晚餐；午餐一般比较简单）以清淡、烹调省事的食物为主。英国的牛排最好（用苏格兰安格斯牛的上等牛排调制），伴以烤土豆另加第二道菜（可能是卷心菜或胡萝卜），以及约克郡布丁（用面粉、蛋、牛奶和盐调制成面烦乱烘烤而成）。

    英国的羊排美味可口，烤着吃滋味最佳，特别是和春天新鲜的豌豆、土豆和薄荷酱一起吃。英国的猪肉味道也很好，但英国的小牛肉有时却令人失望。

    至于鱼类，多佛鳎鱼味道鲜美，英国的鳟鱼和鲑鱼也很好。只可惜，价格不低！

    苹果饼是受欢迎的甜食，各式各样的英国布丁也是很好的饭后点心，特别是在冬天。

    英国奶酪应该比现在更知名。奶酪之王是斯提耳顿干酪，带有青色纹络，细腻而味浓，喝着波尔图葡萄酒吃味道最好。切达干酪、柴郡奶酪和兰开夏郡奶酪味道都很好，而奶油干酪在全国各地都有。德文郡出产上等的浓缩奶油，用英国草莓和紫莓沾着吃味道鲜美。

    可是你也许要问，我们用餐时喝些什么呢？许多人会说：英国啤酒，最好是苦啤酒或淡啤酒，或者是苹果酒。如果是正宗的德文郡乡间产的苹果酒，那你得小心——第一次品尝时可比你所想象的要厉害。

    近年来，英国人的包含习惯越来越国际化了，许多家庭上食物的原料或烹调方法可能来自印度（咖喱食品是很受欢迎的菜肴），中国，或世界上任何地方。