VOA慢速英语2018 西弗吉尼亚糖果店售卖各个历史时期的糖果（在线收听）

West Virginia Candy Store Has Sweets from All Ages

For many people, there is nothing better than a piece of candy.

对于很多人来说，没有比一块糖更好的东西了。 

Sweets date back thousands of years to the ancient Egyptians, who ate sesame seeds with honey.

糖果可以追溯至数千年前的古埃及人，他们当时就吃芝麻加蜂蜜。 

In the United States, a good place to learn about candy is the True Treats Historic Candy store in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. The store sells many kinds of treats that were popular during different periods in history. The unusual collection has everything from chocolate kisses to edible bugs.

在美国，一个了解糖果的好地方是西弗吉尼亚州哈泊斯费里的历史糖果店（True Treats Historic Candy）。该店销售不同历史时期倍受欢迎的糖果。这些不一般的收藏从巧克力之吻到可食用昆虫应有尽有。

True Treats is said to be the only historic candy store in the United States. The business opened eight years ago. It has everything from ancient Greek chewing gum to favorite candies from the 1900s.

该糖果店据说是美国唯一一家有历史意义的糖果店。这家店于八年前开张。从古希腊的口香糖到20世纪流行的糖果，这家店都有销售。

Susan Benjamin is the store’s owner.She tells people interesting facts about the 400 products found in True Treats. Many visitors enjoy reading historical information written on product labels.

苏珊·本杰明是这家店的店主。她会向人们介绍店里400多种产品的有趣故事。很多参观者也很喜欢阅读产品标签上的历史信息。

Benjamin notes that sweets were first used to treat health problems.

本杰明说糖果曾首次被用于治疗健康问题。 

Sugar was used as medicine, and the Turkish delight was made for sore throats somewhere around the year 900. And it became very popular worldwide.

“糖被用作药材，土耳其软糖在900年左右在某地被用于治疗喉咙痛。之后在全球各地流行开来。” 

People also enjoyed some plants that were naturally sweet. They chewed on tree bark, branches and roots.

过去人们也喜欢一些具有天然糖味的植物。他们拒绝树皮、树枝和树根。 

In the mid-1800s, kids would go and buy a root of licorice plant and they would chew it and get that delicious licorice flavor.

“19世纪中期，小孩子会去买甘草的根，他们咀嚼甘草根，有可口的甘草味。” 

One popular product at True Treats is a mix of roasted crickets and mealworms. Benjamin says these insects were once considered a sweet snack.

店里最流行的一个产品是烤蟋蟀和烤黄粉虫的混合物。本杰明说这些昆虫曾被作为甜品小吃。 

The crickets, to me, taste a little bit like sesame. I’ve had ants, and some of them are a little bit bitter, almost tart like lemon.

“对我来说，蟋蟀尝起来有点像芝麻。我还吃过蚂蚁，一些尝起来有点苦，像柠檬一样酸。” 

Small round fruit and nut chocolate candies were popular from the 1920s to 1950s with people who played card games.

小圆果和果仁巧克力在20世纪20年代至50年代在喜欢打牌的人群中很流行。 

And they made little candies that people could pick up with their fingers in one hand and hold the cards in the other.

“人们会制作一些小糖果，这样可以一只手捏起，一只手拿着牌。” 

Some visitors to True Treats find candy that brings back memories. Others are too young to have grown up with any of the candy in the store, like Bev Soriano.

很多参观者会在店里发现能唤起他们回忆的糖果。还有一些人太小了，还没有店里的糖年纪大，比如贝福·索里亚诺。

I came here a lot as a kid, so it’s kind of a lot of nostalgia, which is weird because it’s in such an unfamiliar setting, yet I have so many fond memories.

“我来这的时候是个孩子，所以有一种怀旧之情，这很奇怪，因为这完全是个陌生的环境，我却有很多温柔的记忆。”

Benjamin has also written a book called Sweet as Sin about the history of sweet treats.

本杰明还写了一本书，名叫《甜美的罪》，讲述糖果的历史。 

Words in This Story

bark – n. the outer covering of a tree

sesame – n. a plant that is grown in warm regions and that produces small flat seeds that are used in cooking and as a source of oil

tart – adj. having a sharp or sour taste

candy – n. a sweet food made with sugar or chocolate

edible – adj. suitable or safe to eat

label – n. a piece of paper, cloth, or similar material that is attached to something to identify or describe it

kid – n. a child

nostalgia – n. pleasure and sadness that is caused by remembering something from the past and wishing that you could experience it again

weird – adj. strange