流行美语 (Popular American) 262

李华和Larry一起去附近一家新开的中国餐馆吃自助餐。李华今天要学两个常用语：yum和yuck.

LL: There is so much good food at this buffet¹, Li Hua. I can't wait to eat some of those spring rolls. Yum!

LH: 你说yum，那你肯定很喜欢吃春卷！因为我知道，yum在英语里就是可口，好吃的意思。

LL: Hey, Li Hua, you are right! Where did you learn about the word "Yum"?

LH: 我前不久跟一帮美国朋友去吃pizza，其中一个人刚咬第一口，就大喊yum！他说自己最爱吃的东西就是pizza.

LL: Well, I really enjoy eating spring rolls - especially when they are fresh. And these spring rolls look especially tasty. What makes you say "Yum!", Li Hua?

LH: 我最爱吃的菜是鱼香茄子，想想都会流口水。Yum!

LL: Well, I am afraid eggplant is not one of my favorites, Li Hua. I don't find eggplant dishes to be very yummy.

LH: Yummy肯定是从yum来的吧！

LL: Right! Yummy is used to describe a thing - Like yummy spring rolls or yummy eggplant.

LH: 所以yummy是形容词，yum则是发感慨的时候说的。

LL: Speaking of being about to eat, let's take our plates over to the table and enjoy this yummy food.

LH: 对啊，我们得赶紧吃，吃完第一盘，马上再回来拿，你看他们正在上龙虾呢！ Yum!

LL: But don't fill up too much, Li Hua. You'll want to save room for dessert. The almond cookies look especially yummy.

LH: 杏仁酥看起来确实比红豆面包好，那些红豆面包看起来好像不太新鲜的样子。

LL: Well, I think most of the food here is yummy. What do you think, Li Hua?

LH: 跟其他中国餐馆比，味道确实还不错。

LL: But - is it as yummy as the food you used to eat back home in China?

LH: 这里的饭菜当然没办法跟我妈做的饭比了！

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LL: What's that on your plate, Li Hua? Is it a snake? Yuck!

LH: 我如果没有理解错的话，这个yuck一定是yum的反义词吧？你觉得吃蛇肉很恶心吗？

LL: Right again, Li Hua. Yuck is an exclamation² of disgust³. And I am sorry, but I find the idea of eating a snake disgusting⁴.

LH: 我可不是故意要恶心你。不瞒你说，蛇肉可好吃了，而且在美国，你想吃到蛇肉可不容易。刚才你说yuck的样子，突然间让我想起了我第一次吃奶酪的感觉。

LL: Cheese? Cheese makes you say "Yuck!", Li Hua? What's wrong with cheese anyway?

LH: 中国人做饭不用奶酪，以前我在中国的时候也没吃过。 可是美国人都很能吃奶酪。我到美国后，第一次吃奶酪的时候，简直难以下咽。 Yuck! 那种感觉，现在还记忆犹新。

LL: That is interesting. Actually, Li Hua, there are some kinds of cheese that I find pretty yucky, too.

LH: Yucky? Yucky肯定又是从yuck来的！就好像yummy是从yum来的一样。

LL: Yucky is used to describe disgusting things. In this case, I was talking about disgusting cheeses. I find blue cheese to be especially yucky.

LH: 你也有不爱吃的奶酪？我是从来没有尝过blue cheese, 可是如果连你都觉得yucky的话，那我也就不用尝了。

LL: I don't blame you, Li Hua. No one should have to eat something that yucky.

LH: Larry, 你拿的鱼香茄子怎么也没吃啊？不好吃吗？你不会觉得鱼香茄子也yucky吧！

LL: I think I told you earlier, Li Hua, that I don't find eggplant to be very yummy. In fact, I do think it is pretty yucky.

LH: 既然觉得鱼香茄子难吃，那你干嘛还要拿呢？

LL: You told me fish fragrant⁵ eggplant was your favorite dish, Li Hua. So even though I think eggplant is yucky, I thought I should still try it.

LH: 这就证明，一个人觉得yummy的食物，换个人完全可能会觉得yucky. Larry, 我看你呀，还是去吃春卷吧！

今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是yum或yummy, 是指食物可口好吃的意思。另一个是yuck或yucky, 是指食物难吃，难以下咽。
 

1 buffet   

n.自助餐；饮食柜台；餐台

参考例句：

• Are you having a sit-down meal or a buffet at the wedding?你想在婚礼中摆桌宴还是搞自助餐？
• Could you tell me what specialties you have for the buffet?你能告诉我你们的自助餐有什么特色菜吗？

2 exclamation   

n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词

参考例句：

• He could not restrain an exclamation of approval.他禁不住喝一声采。
• The author used three exclamation marks at the end of the last sentence to wake up the readers.作者在文章的最后一句连用了三个惊叹号，以引起读者的注意。

3 disgust   

n.使厌恶，使反感；vt.恶，反感

参考例句：

• The food at the hotel filled him with disgust.旅馆的食物使他作呕。
• My immediate reaction was just disgust.我当时的第一反应就是反感。

4 disgusting   

adj.令人作呕的，可憎恶的，讨厌的

参考例句：

• What a disgusting smell!多么讨厌的气味！
• The mosquito is the disgusting thing.蚊子是讨厌的东西。

5 fragrant   

adj.芬香的，馥郁的，愉快的

参考例句：

• The Fragrant Hills are exceptionally beautiful in late autumn.深秋的香山格外美丽。
• The air was fragrant with lavender.空气中弥漫薰衣草香。