【英语趣味课堂】食物-Food

I think food is such a great subject, such an interesting subject. I mean, food is something that everyone has to do. It's a life necessity, and actually because of that it can be a real hassle, like when you have to eat when you're hungry but you really can't be bothered to make anything. You can't go out and buy anything. You don't have the money to go out and buy anything is the worst thing, but when you're not in that situation food is great. Um, I'm just sort of thinking over all the different types of food I've eaten throughout my life and the sort of real spread, range of food, throughout different countries. I mean, I come from England where, I wouldn't say England really had a very specific scene of it's own. I think, you know, very nice English restaurant food is probably more like French restaurant food. The only sort of staple¹ things that everyone knows comes from England are obviously Fish and Chips which actually, normal English people don't eat that much of. I probably eat Fish and Chips 3 times a year. Maybe if I lived a bit further north, I'd eat it once a week, but that is known as the sort of number one English dish. Although that's really junk food, and I think a good roast with gravy² , Yorkshire pudding, baked potatoes. I see that as proper English food, but just thinking, now living in Japan, the difference between the food in England and the food in Japan, and then I've been brought up very much on like Chinese food as well. My mom always cooked lots of Chinese food, and in England of course, the number one favorite food is Indian curry³, and all these different foods are so, so different from each other, just flavors, what you use, I mean, cooking here, is really depressing when it gets to about 7 o'clock in the evening here, cause I go down in the guest house I'm living in, and I walk into the kitchen area, and just the whole area smells amazing from where all the Japanese residents are cooking their normal Japanese meal, which are totally normal to them, but to a foreigner, they seem like these amazingly elaborate meals where I'm sure, like roast beef and Yorkshire pudding would seem the same to a Japanese person, but it's a pity really that sort of countries aren't more, sort of aware of sharing their food with each other. I mean when I get back to England, I'm gonna be in a whole load of trouble cause all the food I eat here, all the ingredients that I need, you can only get in Japan: they're specific Japanese vegetables, or in Asia at least, and I'm gonna have to get to very specific supermarkets to get even half the stuff I want and all the things like the nice vegetables I won't be even able to buy. 

学习内容：

can't be bothered

 

You really can't be bothered to make anything.

 

When you 'can't be bothered' to do something it means that you are not willing to make the effort to get it done. It seems like too much effort.

 

Notice the following:

 

I can't be bothered to get out of bed today. 

She could not be bothered to clean up properly. 

scene

 

I wouldn't say England really had a very specific scene of it's own.

 

The 'scene' of a place or area is the vibe or atmosphere that it has. 

 

Notice the following:

 

The night club scene was always very energetic when I was younger. 

The food scene is very relaxed and vibrant⁴. 

staple

 

The only sort of staple things that everyone knows comes from England are obviously Fish and Chips.

 

'Staple' foods are things that are necessary or commonly used in a certain area. Rice would be a staple food in Japan. 

 

Notice the following:

 

I had a staple diet of baked beans when I was a student. 

We really need to go to the supermarket. We don't even have the staple items. 

a good roast

 

I think a good roast with gravy, Yorkshire pudding, baked potatoes. I see that as proper English food.

 

A 'good roast' refers to a good version of the traditional English Sunday roast meat dinner. 

 

Notice the following:

 

My mum always cooks a good roast at the weekend and the whole family comes round for dinner.

The restaurant serves up a good roast. 

elaborate

 

To a foreigner, they seem like these amazingly elaborate meals.

 

When something is 'elaborate' it means that it is very detailed⁵ and has taken a lot of time to create. 

 

Notice the following:

 

He put on a very elaborate performance. 

There was an elaborate feast⁶ laid on for the guests. 

 

1 staple   

n.主要产物，常用品，主要要素，原料，订书钉，钩环；adj.主要的，重要的；vt.分类

参考例句：

• Tea is the staple crop here.本地产品以茶叶为大宗。
• Potatoes are the staple of their diet.土豆是他们的主要食品。

2 gravy   

n.肉汁；轻易得来的钱，外快

参考例句：

• You have spilled gravy on the tablecloth.你把肉汁泼到台布上了。
• The meat was swimming in gravy.肉泡在浓汁之中。

3 curry   

n.咖哩粉，咖哩饭菜；v.用咖哩粉调味，用马栉梳，制革

参考例句：

• Rice makes an excellent complement to a curry dish.有咖喱的菜配米饭最棒。
• Add a teaspoonful of curry powder.加一茶匙咖喱粉。

4 vibrant   

adj.震颤的，响亮的，充满活力的，精力充沛的，(色彩)鲜明的

参考例句：

• He always uses vibrant colours in his paintings. 他在画中总是使用鲜明的色彩。
• She gave a vibrant performance in the leading role in the school play.她在学校表演中生气盎然地扮演了主角。

5 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

6 feast   

n.盛宴，筵席，节日

参考例句：

• After the feast she spent a week dieting to salve her conscience.大吃了一顿之后，她花了一周时间节食以安慰自己。
• You shouldn't have troubled yourself to prepare such a feast!你不该准备这样丰盛的饭菜，这样太麻烦你了！