【英语趣味课堂】小吃-Snacks

Nabeel: Actually, I remember that one time you had a party and you made that really nice pumpkin¹ dip.

 

Ginger²: Oh, yeah, that's a popular one. Everyone loves that when I make it.

 

Nabeel: What do you need for it?

 

Ginger: It's really easy. All you need is one can of canned pumpkin, one eight ounce block of cream cheese, powdered sugar, and few spices.

 

Nabeel: Is it easy to make?

 

Ginger: It is. You just let the cream cheese melt a little, and then you blend it together with the pumpkin and the powdered sugar, and then after you get that really smooth and creamy, then you put in the nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon.

 

Nabeel: Wow, that sounds yummy.

 

Ginger: It is. It's great. And then I usually put a few cinnamon sticks in for appearance and serve it with ginger snaps and with green apples cut into slices. It's good with both of those.

 

Nabeel: Cool, I'm gonna try that sometime. What else can you make?

 

Ginger: Well, like I said, I'm not much of a cook, so I don't cook much. I put things together.

 

You know what, I have a blender and I do a lot of smoothies. I love making smoothies. I buy the fruit. And then keep the fruit in the freezer. That's the trick. You've got to freeze the fruit, and then you don't need ice so it doesn't taste watered down. So you take the frozen fruit. Put it in the blender, and then you just mix it with yogurt, or fruit juice and it's delicious.

 

Nabeel: What kind of fruit do you like to use?

 

Ginger: Well, my favorite is just really simple. It's just frozen strawberries, frozen banana, orange juice, and a little honey if you want, but you don't even need the honey, and then I have another I like with mango and papaya and pineapple and yogurt.

 

Nabeel: Well, between you smoothie and pumpkin dip and my eggplant curry³ we can throw quite a party.

 

Ginger: Let's do it. We'll have it on your rooftop with your cats.

 

Nabeel: Sounds like a good idea.

 

重点词汇：

 

Learn Vocabulary from the Lesson

yummy

 

That sounds yummy.

 

"Yummy" is a slang word meaning delicious.

 

I heard that the chocolate gateau at the new French restaurant is yummy.

"Umm, that stew⁴ smells yummy, let's eat!"

like I said

 

Well, like I said, I'm not much of a cook.

 

This expression is used when the speaker wants to emphasize that they have already made that comment or point previously⁵ in the conversation.

 

Like I said, Sunday is my favorite day of the week because I can sleep in.

If you had kept to the speed limit like I said, you would not have gotten a speeding ticket!

That's the trick

 

Keep the fruit in the freezer. That's the trick.

 

In this case, "that's the trick" means the successful or short way to do something.

 

Keep your balance on the bike by putting your weight back in the seat. That's the trick.

Making your spoken English easy to understand is all about catching⁶ the rhythm of the language. That's the trick.

watered down

 

You don't use ice so it doesn't taste watered down.

 

"Watered down" means to dilute⁷ something, usually a liquid by adding water. It can also refer to statements or ideas that have been made weaker than the original.

 

The hostess bars serve watered down drinks to keep costs down.

The original proposal to ban all guns was watered down when the pro-gun group protested.

throw (a party)

 

We'll throw a party on your rooftop.

 

In this context, "throw" means to have.

 

Let's throw a fancy dress party for New Year.

Let's throw a bachelorette party for Sue, she is getting married next week.

1 pumpkin   

n.南瓜

参考例句：

• They ate turkey and pumpkin pie.他们吃了火鸡和南瓜馅饼。
• It looks like there is a person looking out of the pumpkin!看起来就像南瓜里有人在看着你！

2 ginger   

n.姜，精力，淡赤黄色；adj.淡赤黄色的；vt.使活泼，使有生气

参考例句：

• There is no ginger in the young man.这个年轻人没有精神。
• Ginger shall be hot in the mouth.生姜吃到嘴里总是辣的。

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 stew   

n.炖汤，焖，烦恼；v.炖汤，焖，忧虑

参考例句：

• The stew must be boiled up before serving.炖肉必须煮熟才能上桌。
• There's no need to get in a stew.没有必要烦恼。

5 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

6 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

7 dilute   

vt.稀释，冲淡；adj.稀释的，冲淡的

参考例句：

• The water will dilute the wine.水能使酒变淡。
• Zinc displaces the hydrogen of dilute acids.锌置换了稀酸中的氢。