基础英语轻松学：被误解的意大利美食——不只是馅饼和细面条

本课您将学到：dish和plate有什么不同，句型be safe to guess…（……是很可能的）

　　When one mentions Italian cooking to most foreigners they almost automatically（自动地） think of pizza and spaghetti（意大利面）. This is a sad oversimplification（过渡单纯化的事物）, because Italian cooking is as diversified（变化多样的） as it is delicious.

　　The centuries during which Italy was a collection of separate kingdoms, duchies（公爵领地）, and republics（共和国） has given the modern Italians a cuisine（菜肴） with as many subtle（不可思议的） variations（变化） as their language. Pizza, for example, is a south Italian regional（地区的） dish that was once served because it combined（结合） all the virtues（优点） a thrifty（节俭的） cook looks for - it was inexpensive, simple to make, nourishing（有营养的）, and tasty（可口的）.

　　The popularity（流行） of pizza as a meal or a snack in America is probably greater than in Italy where it is safe to guess that many people have never even tasted one of their best-known exports.（输出品）

　　「读书笔记」

　　如果有人对外国人提起意大利烹饪，（When one mentions Italian cooking to most foreigners）大部分人总是想到意大利馅饼和意大利细面条。（they almost automatically think of pizza and spaghetti）这是一种可悲的过分简单的想法，（This is a sad oversimplification）因为意大利饭菜不仅美味可口，而且丰富多彩。（because Italian cooking is as diversified as it is delicious）

　　几个世纪以来，（The centuries during）意大利经历了独立的王国、公爵领地以及共和国等许多时期，（which Italy was a collection of separate kingdoms, duchies, and republics）这使得当代意大利人的食谱犹如他们的语言一样绚丽多姿。（has given the modern Italians a cuisine with as many subtle variations as their language）例如，馅饼（Pizza）是意大利南部的一种地方食品，（is a south Italian regional dish）它集中了勤俭厨师所追求的一切优点（that was once served because it combined all the virtues a thrifty cook looks for）——价格不贵，制作方便，营养丰富，而且美味可口。（it was inexpensive, simple to make, nourishing, and tasty）

　　dish在这里指的是“一盘菜”，那么，我最喜欢的菜就可以说是my favorite dish，造个句子，“我最喜欢煎鸡蛋。”就可以这样说：

　　Fried eggs are my favorite dish.

　　（大家都喜欢什么菜呢？不妨跟着说说看。）

　　另外，dish也指盛菜的盘子，用英文来解释就是a flat round container with not very high sides, from which food is served on the table，因为dish有个不太高的边沿，所以要表达某样东西放在dish“里”，要说in the dish，举个例子：

　　Mary put the peaches in a white dish.
　　玛丽将桃子装在一个白盘子里。

　　还有一个词，也经常被用来表示盘子，就是plate.它是什么样的呢？我们来看看英文的解释。A flat and usually round dish that you eat from or serve food from，也就是说plate是没有边沿的，所以东西放在plate“上”，我们要说on the plate，举个例子：

　　The child soon finished the food on his plate.
　　那孩子很快把自己盘子里的食物吃完了。

　　在美国,Pizza被当成主食或零食。（The popularity of pizza as a meal or a snack in America）而且美国人比意大利人更喜欢Pizza.（is probably greater than in Italy）你可以这么认为（where it is safe to guess）意大利人甚至从未尝过他们那早已流传在外国的馅饼。（many people have never even tasted one of their best-known exports）

　　「句型留言板」

　　be safe to guess…

　　safe是“安全的、平安的”意思，guess是“猜”，连在一起，从字面上看就是“这么猜是安全的”，翻译得更顺口一些就是“你可以这么认为……”。

　　IT世界变化迅速，从业人员经常需要展望未来，下面这句话就是一位业内人士对电脑发展方向的推测：

　　It's safe to guess that in 10 or 20 years, the desktop might be replaced by something we don't currently comprehend.
　　我们可以预言，在10到20年的时间里，台式机很可能被我们现在还看不到的东西取代。

　　中国有句话叫“人不可貌相”，许多平时注意锻炼的中年人，不但外表年轻，而且拥有惊人的体力，下面这句话说的就是这样一个人：

　　It would be perfectly safe to guess his age between forty and sixty, but it would not be wise to measure his strength by the size of his body.
　　他的年龄绝对是在40-60之间，但想从体型上推测他的实力是不明智的。

　　今天的节目里，我们辨析了dish和plate的用法，学会了一个表示推测意思的句型，be safe to guess…（你可以这么认为），大家都掌握了吗？

　　我们下次再见！