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

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 Historic¹ 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 edible² bugs³.

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 gum⁵ 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 flavor⁶.

“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 crickets⁷ 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 tart⁸ 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 nostalgia⁹, which is weird¹⁰ because it’s in such an unfamiliar¹¹ setting¹², 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 Sin⁴ 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 regions¹³ 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

1 historic   

adj.历史上著名的，具有历史意义的

参考例句：

• This is a historic occasion.这是具有重大历史意义的时刻。
• We are living in a great historic era.我们正处在一个伟大的历史时代。

2 edible   

n.食品，食物；adj.可食用的

参考例句：

• Edible wild herbs kept us from dying of starvation.我们靠着野菜才没被饿死。
• This kind of mushroom is edible,but that kind is not.这种蘑菇吃得，那种吃不得。

3 bugs   

adj.疯狂的，发疯的n.窃听器( bug的名词复数 )；病菌；虫子；[计算机]（制作软件程序所产生的意料不到的）错误

参考例句：

• All programs have bugs and need endless refinement. 所有的程序都有漏洞，都需要不断改进。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The sacks of rice were swarming with bugs. 一袋袋的米里长满了虫子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 sin   

n.罪，罪孽，过失；vi.犯罪，违反

参考例句：

• It's a sin to waste food.浪费食品是一种罪过。
• It's a sin to be indoors on holiday.假期中待在家里实在是罪过。

5 gum   

n.牙龈；口香糖；树胶

参考例句：

• We can stick these pictures into the book with gum.我们可用胶水把这几张画粘贴在书里。
• Americans like to chew gum.美国人喜欢嚼口香糖。

6 flavor   

n.味，滋味，味道；风味；vt.调味，加味于

参考例句：

• I like the flavor of chocolate.我喜欢巧克力的味道。
• Each flavor was totally unique.每一种味道都是独一无二的。

7 crickets   

n.蟋蟀( cricket的名词复数 )；板球

参考例句：

• The crickets stridulated their everlasting monotonous meaningful note. 蟋蟀发出了它们持久的，单调而有意思的调子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The crickets chirped faster and louder. 蟋蟀叫得更欢了。 来自辞典例句

8 tart   

adj.酸的；尖酸的，刻薄的；n.果馅饼；淫妇

参考例句：

• She was learning how to make a fruit tart in class.她正在课上学习如何制作水果馅饼。
• She replied in her usual tart and offhand way.她开口回答了，用她平常那种尖酸刻薄的声调随口说道。

9 nostalgia   

n.怀乡病，留恋过去，怀旧

参考例句：

• He might be influenced by nostalgia for his happy youth.也许是对年轻时幸福时光的怀恋影响了他。
• I was filled with nostalgia by hearing my favourite old song.我听到这首喜爱的旧歌，心中充满了怀旧之情。

10 weird   

adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的

参考例句：

• From his weird behaviour,he seems a bit of an oddity.从他不寻常的行为看来，他好像有点怪。
• His weird clothes really gas me.他的怪衣裳简直笑死人。

11 unfamiliar   

adj.陌生的，不熟悉的

参考例句：

• I am unfamiliar with the place and the people here.我在这儿人地生疏。
• The man seemed unfamiliar to me.这人很面生。

12 setting   

n.背景

参考例句：

• The play has its setting in Vienna.该剧以维也纳为背景。
• Where and when a story takes place is called the setting.故事发生的地点和时间称为故事背景。

13 regions   

n.地区( region的名词复数 )；[数学]区域；（艺术、科学等的）领域；行政区

参考例句：

• A flying doctor service operates in remote regions. 在偏远地区有飞行医生服务。
• More powers are gradually being devolved to the regions. 正逐步向地方下放更多的权力。 来自《简明英汉词典》