囧研究：你知道放什么音乐吃嘛嘛香吗？

 　　Listening to The Beatles could help to enhance the enjoyment¹ of a fish and chip supper, psychologists have found.

　　心理学家发现，听着甲壳虫乐队的音乐，吃炸鱼薯条也会觉很享受。

　　Research suggests that certain types of music can bring out specific flavours - including sweet, salty and bitter - in a range of foods.

　　研究还发现，特定的音乐类型能给很多食物增添一些特别的风味，比如甜味，咸味和苦味。

　　The intensity² of Nessun Dorma, performed by Luciano Pavarotti, is said to be the perfect accompaniment to dark mouse or coffee. Meanwhile, the high-pitched piano in Billie Holiday's Autumn in New York can help emphasise³ the autumnal flavour of a pumpkin⁴ pudding.

　　据说，帕瓦罗蒂演唱的《今夜无人入睡》与巧克力慕斯和咖啡最搭配。而比莉·荷莉戴《纽约的秋天》里的高音调钢琴伴奏则有助于让人感受到南瓜布丁里那种秋天的风味。

　　囧研究：你知道放什么音乐吃嘛嘛香吗？

　　In Ultraviolent restaurant in Shanghai, fish and chips are served up to a backdrop of the Beatles, while in El Celler de Can Roca in Girona, Spain, scented⁵ meringue comes with a commentary describing Barcelona footballer Lionel Messi in action, a clip which apparently⁶ brings out the citrus flavours in the dessert.

　　在上海的“紫外光”感官餐厅里，炸鱼薯条被端上桌时通常放的是甲壳虫乐队的音乐；而在西班牙赫罗纳的El Celler de Can Roca餐厅里，甜点的味道总是在足球运动员梅西球赛的解说伴奏下而更加香气扑鼻。

　　The so-called digital seasoning⁷ also applies to wine, helping⁸ drinkers to enjoy their tipple⁹ by up to 15 per cent more, if served alongside the right music.

　　这种所谓的“数码调味品”也适用于酒类，如果喝酒时能配上合适的音乐，则能使饮酒者更加享受美酒的味道，而且喝的会比平时多15%。

　　Researchers found people enjoyed their wine more while listening to 'paired' music, rather than while being sat in silence. Tchaikovsky's String Quartet No 1 in D Major particularly compliments Chateau¹⁰ Margaux 2004, while Mozart's Flute¹¹ Quartet in D Major should be played while drinking Puilly-Fume.

　　研究人员发现，喝酒时听合适的音乐比安静地喝酒更能让人享受其中。比如柴可夫斯基的D大调第一弦乐四重奏与04年的法国玛歌正牌葡萄酒正相配，而莫扎特的长笛四重奏更适合在喝法国卢瓦尔河谷普伊·富美白葡萄酒的时候听。

　　Professor Charles Spence, a behavioral psychologist from Oxford¹² University, told the Observer's Neil Tweedle that taste is not as dominant¹³ as we might think in judging a meal and that our ears might subconsciously¹⁴ talk to our tastebuds.

　　牛津大学的行为心理学教授查尔斯·斯彭斯认为，食物的味道并不是唯一能够决定我们对食物的评价的，我们的耳朵也能在潜意识里左右着我们的味蕾。

　　He said: 'Music cannot create taste or flavours that are not there in your mouth, but it can draw attention to certain notes in a wine or food that are competing in your mind... It's kind of digital seasoning.'

　　斯彭斯教授说：“食物在吃之前，音乐并不能对其有所影响，但音乐能让人的大脑对某种味道印象深刻因而能吸引人的注意力……所以音乐就是一种数码调味品。”

　　Mr Spence added that humans tend to match the same sounds to the same tastes.

　　他还说，人们更倾向于把同一类的声音与相应的味道结合在一起。

　　He described sourness as 'high-pitched', meaning it should be played alongside music of the same quality. He also said sweetness is associated with richer sounds, while bitterness is linked to deeper tones.

　　酸味和“高音”搭配，所以吃类似味道的食物时适合伴以这样的音乐。甜味与多种音乐类型相适合，而苦味与较低沉的声音更搭。

　　He believes the sound associated with salty - which he has not yet pinned down - would be enhanced by a throbbing¹⁵ type of sound.

　　斯彭斯教授说，至于咸味他还不怎么确定，可能更合适搭配的音乐是较为动感的声音。

　　'Bitter, sweet, sour - we have those,' says Professor Charles Spence, 'But salty is the hardest taste to embody¹⁶ in sound.'

　　“苦味、甜味和酸味我们都已基本确定了，只有咸味最难确定搭配哪种声音。”

　　To carry out his research, Mr Spence gives people two pieces of identical chocolate and asks them to each eat one while listening to a different piece of classical music.

　　为了进行研究，斯彭斯教授给人们两块完全相同的巧克力，然后听着不同的古典音乐来吃这些巧克力。

　　While the more sombre music is played, people generally describe the chocolate as more bitter. When they described the chocolate as 'sweet', it generally when the more upbeat piece was being played, he said.

　　听较为伤感的音乐时，人们认为巧克力的口味更苦。而听欢快的音乐时，他们觉得口中的巧克力更甜。

　　Heston Blumenthal, who runs the Fat Duck in Bray¹⁷, Berkshire, is among restaurateurs who have sought the professor's advice.

　　在伯克郡布雷经营一家餐厅的赫斯顿·布卢门撒尔十分赞同斯彭斯教授的观点。

　　Mr Spence said that, as well as music, colour and even the weight of cutlery are factors which can combine to make a dining experience more enjoyable. Ambient lighting¹⁸ was found to have a positive effect on a person's enjoyment, with red light bringing out the fruitiness in red wine.

　　斯彭斯教授说，和音乐的作用一样，颜色甚至餐具的重量等因素结合在一起都能影响用餐体验。灯光也有类似的作用，红色灯光能使葡萄酒中的果香味更加醇厚。

1 enjoyment   

n.乐趣；享有；享用

参考例句：

• Your company adds to the enjoyment of our visit. 有您的陪同，我们这次访问更加愉快了。
• After each joke the old man cackled his enjoyment.每逢讲完一个笑话，这老人就呵呵笑着表示他的高兴。

2 intensity   

n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度

参考例句：

• I didn't realize the intensity of people's feelings on this issue.我没有意识到这一问题能引起群情激奋。
• The strike is growing in intensity.罢工日益加剧。

3 emphasise   

vt.加强...的语气，强调，着重

参考例句：

• What special feature do you think I should emphasise? 你认为我该强调什么呢？
• The exercises heavily emphasise the required readings.练习非常强调必须的阅读。

4 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！

5 scented   

adj.有香味的；洒香水的；有气味的v.嗅到(scent的过去分词)

参考例句：

• I let my lungs fill with the scented air. 我呼吸着芬芳的空气。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The police dog scented about till he found the trail. 警犬嗅来嗅去，终于找到了踪迹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

7 seasoning   

n.调味；调味料；增添趣味之物

参考例句：

• Salt is the most common seasoning.盐是最常用的调味品。
• This sauce uses mushroom as its seasoning.这酱油用蘑菇作调料。

8 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

9 tipple   

n.常喝的酒；v.不断喝，饮烈酒

参考例句：

• My favourite tipple is a glass of port.我最喜欢喝的酒是波尔图葡萄酒。
• Scotch drinkers around the world tend to associate their favourite tipple with success and achievement.世界各地喝苏格兰威士忌的人，往往把他们最喜欢的这种烈酒，与成功和成就联系在一起。

10 chateau   

n.城堡，别墅

参考例句：

• The house was modelled on a French chateau.这房子是模仿一座法国大别墅建造的。
• The chateau was left to itself to flame and burn.那府第便径自腾起大火燃烧下去。

11 flute   

n.长笛；v.吹笛

参考例句：

• He took out his flute, and blew at it.他拿出笛子吹了起来。
• There is an extensive repertoire of music written for the flute.有很多供长笛演奏的曲目。

12 Oxford   

n.牛津（英国城市）

参考例句：

• At present he has become a Professor of Chemistry at Oxford.他现在已是牛津大学的化学教授了。
• This is where the road to Oxford joins the road to London.这是去牛津的路与去伦敦的路的汇合处。

13 dominant   

adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因

参考例句：

• The British were formerly dominant in India.英国人从前统治印度。
• She was a dominant figure in the French film industry.她在法国电影界是个举足轻重的人物。

14 subconsciously   

ad.下意识地，潜意识地

参考例句：

• In choosing a partner we are subconsciously assessing their evolutionary fitness to be a mother of children or father provider and protector. 在选择伴侣的时候，我们会在潜意识里衡量对方将来是否会是称职的母亲或者父亲，是否会是合格的一家之主。
• Lao Yang thought as he subconsciously tightened his grasp on the rifle. 他下意识地攥紧枪把想。 来自汉英文学 - 散文英译

15 throbbing   

a. 跳动的,悸动的

参考例句：

• My heart is throbbing and I'm shaking. 我的心在猛烈跳动，身子在不住颤抖。
• There was a throbbing in her temples. 她的太阳穴直跳。

16 embody   

vt.具体表达，使具体化；包含，收录

参考例句：

• The latest locomotives embody many new features. 这些最新的机车具有许多新的特色。
• Hemingway's characters plainly embody his own values and view of life.海明威笔下的角色明确反映出他自己的价值观与人生观。

17 bray   

n.驴叫声, 喇叭声；v.驴叫

参考例句：

• She cut him off with a wild bray of laughter.她用刺耳的狂笑打断了他的讲话。
• The donkey brayed and tried to bolt.这头驴嘶叫着试图脱缰而逃。

18 lighting   

n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光

参考例句：

• The gas lamp gradually lost ground to electric lighting.煤气灯逐渐为电灯所代替。
• The lighting in that restaurant is soft and romantic.那个餐馆照明柔和而且浪漫。