正文翻譯
原創(chuàng)翻譯：龍騰網(wǎng) http://www.ltaaa.com 翻譯：yjl0518 轉(zhuǎn)載請(qǐng)注明出處

Food is an important part of Chinese culture, and Chinese cuisine holds many symbolic meanings.

食物是中國(guó)文化的重要組成部分，許多中國(guó)菜具有象征意義。

Chinese dishes are often eaten around celebratory occasions. Many believe eating certain dishes during festivals such as the Chinese New Year, Mid-Autumn Festival or Dragon Boat Festival is considered auspicious. However more often than not, people of Chinese heritage eat certain dishes over and over again most days, and these dishes are equally important in Chinese culture.

有些中國(guó)菜經(jīng)常在慶祝的場(chǎng)合吃。許多人認(rèn)為在中國(guó)新年、中秋節(jié)或端午節(jié)這樣的節(jié)日里吃某些菜肴是吉祥的。大多數(shù)情況下，傳統(tǒng)的中國(guó)人會(huì)反復(fù)地吃某些菜肴，這些菜肴在中國(guó)文化中同樣重要。

Chinese food is not something I eat every day. But Chinese cuisine is one of my favourite cuisines. I find it fun replicating traditional Chinese recipes at home. It’s a treat when I get to eat at a low-key Chinese restaurant with family and friends on a casual weekend.

我不是每天都吃中國(guó)菜，但是中國(guó)菜是我最喜歡的菜之一。我覺(jué)得在家制作中國(guó)傳統(tǒng)菜很有趣。在一個(gè)休閑的周末和家人朋友低調(diào)的在一家中國(guó)餐館吃飯，是一種享受。

No matter the occasion, most Chinese dishes are symbolic of traditions from the past. There are many variations of Chinese cuisine, ranging from Shanghai cuisine to Hainanese cuisine to Sichuan cuisine and so much more. Notably there are common ingredients within each cuisine. Here are six such symbolic Chinese dishes eaten around the world for breakfast, lunch and dinner on an average day.

無(wú)論在什么場(chǎng)合，大多數(shù)中國(guó)菜都象征著傳統(tǒng)。中國(guó)菜有很多種，從上海菜到海南菜到四川菜等等，值得注意的是每道菜都有共同的配料。這里有六道象征性的中國(guó)菜，世界各地人們每天的早餐、午餐和晚餐都經(jīng)常吃這些菜。

1. Rice and noodles

1.米飯和面條

Time and time again I’ve heard my folks and extended Chinese Malaysian family say they feel weird if they don’t eat rice or noodles after a day or two. Whenever we go out for Chinese dinner and don’t feel like eating white rice, my folks normally order fried rice instead as it is…rice. Call me a bad Asian but I have no problem not eating rice every day and have gone weeks without eating rice. That said, yangzhou fried rice (揚(yáng)州炒飯) is one of the dishes I like to cook and eat, just like how I like making instant Maggi noodles for weekend breakfast.

我不止一次聽到我的家人和馬來(lái)西亞華裔家庭說(shuō)，如果一兩天不吃米飯或面條，他們會(huì)覺(jué)得很奇怪。每當(dāng)我們出去吃中餐，不想吃白米飯的時(shí)候，我的家人通常會(huì)點(diǎn)炒飯，因?yàn)樗褪?..米飯。但是我每天不吃米飯也沒(méi)有問(wèn)題，你可以說(shuō)我是一個(gè)不合格的亞洲人，而且我已經(jīng)幾個(gè)星期沒(méi)有吃米飯了。也就是說(shuō)，揚(yáng)州炒飯是我喜歡做和吃的菜之一，就像我喜歡在周末的早上吃方便面一樣。

2. Chicken

2.雞肉

There are endless Chinese chicken recipes, many of which have been adapted to suit local palates around the world. While steamed yellow-skinned chicken is a popular dish during celebratory occasions (with chicken head, feet and tail symbolising unity and togetherness), chicken is common in Chinese stir-frys too. Oyster sauce chicken with bok choy, Malaysian mango chicken and cashew nut chicken were some dishes I remember my mum cooked when I was younger.

中國(guó)有數(shù)不清的雞肉食譜，其中很多都是為了適應(yīng)世界各地的當(dāng)?shù)乜谖抖牡摹Ｇ逭酎S皮雞是慶?；顒?dòng)中的常見菜肴(雞頭、雞腳和雞尾象征團(tuán)結(jié)和團(tuán)圓)，而雞肉在中式炒菜中也很常見，蠔油雞配白菜，馬來(lái)西亞芒果雞和腰果雞是我記憶中媽媽在我小時(shí)候做的一些菜。

At times a Chinese dish might come with subtle crunch along with the sweetness. Sesame seeds are commonly sprinkled over poultry dishes such as sesame oil chicken, fried chicken and sweet and sour pork (always debatably a true classic Chinese dish…).

有時(shí)一道中國(guó)菜伴隨著輕微的嘎吱聲和甜味而來(lái)。芝麻通常撒在家禽類菜肴上，比如芝麻油雞、炸雞和糖醋排骨(一直被認(rèn)為是真正的經(jīng)典中國(guó)菜...)。

4. Dumplings

4.餃子

Chinese dumplings are one of the most important and all time favourite foods in Chinese culture. A staple around the Chinese New Year, dumplings are also popular during yum cha and family gatherings. There are many kinds of Chinese dumplings; the jiǎozi (餃子), xiǎo long bāo (小籠包), shēng jiān bāo (生煎), xiā jiǎo/hā gáau (蝦餃) and shāo mài/sīu máai (燒賣) are just a few of them.

中國(guó)餃子是中國(guó)文化中最重要也是最受歡迎的食物之一。餃子是中國(guó)新年的主食，在飲茶和家庭聚會(huì)時(shí)也很受歡迎。中國(guó)的餃子有很多種，其中包括餃子、小籠包、生煎、蝦餃和燒麥等。

As I wrote in Why Many Chinese Like Eating Dumplings, dumplings are dishes for sharing and represent wealth and togetherness. Interestingly enough, when it comes to eating dumplings many seem content to just eat dumplings and more dumplings, no need for rice of noodles. At least that is the case when I eat dumplings with my Chinese friends in Australia – just eat dumplings and no other dishes. Dumplings really are just that good by themselves and it’s easy to feel stuffed from eating more and more dumplings.

正如我在《為什么很多中國(guó)人喜歡吃餃子》一書中所寫的，餃子是可以分享的美食，代表著財(cái)富和團(tuán)結(jié)。有趣的是，當(dāng)提到吃餃子，很多人似乎滿足于只吃更多的餃子，而不需要吃米飯和面條。至少當(dāng)我和我在澳大利亞的中國(guó)朋友一起吃餃子的時(shí)候是這樣的——只吃餃子，沒(méi)有其他的菜。餃子本身就很好吃，而且吃的餃子越來(lái)越多，很容易讓人覺(jué)得吃飽了。

5. Green leafy vegetables

5.綠葉蔬菜

There’s almost always a vegetable dish when it comes to having a Chinese meal. Bok choy/Chinese celery (xiǎo bái cài, 小白菜), gai lan/Chinese broccoli (jiè làn, 芥蘭), water spinach and bamboo shoots are some popular greens in Chinese cooking. Probably the most well-known one is the bok choy. Native to China and first cultivated along the yellow Yangtze River Delta, it is nicknamed ‘soup spoon’ for its large leaves that are shaped like a spoon. Chinese immigrants brought bok choy to Australia during the 1850s Gold Rush and it was brought to North America in the 1880s.

說(shuō)到吃中餐，幾乎總是有蔬菜。白菜或者中國(guó)西芹(小白菜)、甘藍(lán)或者中國(guó)西蘭花(芥藍(lán))、菠菜和竹筍是中國(guó)烹飪中常見的綠色蔬菜，也許最有名的是白菜，它原產(chǎn)于中國(guó)，最初在黃河長(zhǎng)江三角洲種植，因其形狀像勺子一樣的大葉子而被稱為湯匙。在19世紀(jì)50年代的淘金熱期間，中國(guó)移民將白菜帶到了澳大利亞，并在19世紀(jì)80年代將其帶到了北美。

In general, raw and uncooked vegetables aren’t eaten too often among the Chinese. Good sanitation has been a problem in China for a long time, and food here is preferably cooked over heat to minimise bacteria. From a traditional Chinese medicine perspective, uncooked and ‘cold’ food may not be optimal for digestion. Personally I like my vegetables cooked hot and over the years have learnt vegetables are one of the fastest foods to cook. If I come home from work, have the house to myself for the evening and am feeling lazy, boiling some bok choi or Chinese broccoli for five minutes along with some fresh meat makes for a meal right away. Quick and easy for a hungry girl. Not to mention washing up is easy too.

一般來(lái)說(shuō)，中國(guó)人并不常吃生的和未煮熟的蔬菜。缺少良好的衛(wèi)生條件長(zhǎng)期以來(lái)一直是中國(guó)的一個(gè)問(wèn)題，這里的食物最好是在高溫下烹飪，以盡量減少細(xì)菌。從傳統(tǒng)中醫(yī)的角度來(lái)看，生冷食物可能不是最佳的消化方式。就我個(gè)人而言，我喜歡吃煮熟的蔬菜，多年來(lái)我已經(jīng)明白了蔬菜是烹飪速度最快的食物之一。如果我下班回家，晚上一個(gè)人懶洋洋的呆在家里，花上五分鐘時(shí)間煮一些小白菜或者芥蘭，再加上一些新鮮的肉，馬上就可以做成一頓飯。對(duì)于一個(gè)饑餓的女孩來(lái)說(shuō)既簡(jiǎn)單又方便，更不用說(shuō)洗餐具也很容易。

6. Tofu

6.豆腐

Traditionally tofu symbolises death in Chinese culture. This is because most tofu is white (at least on the inside) and the colour white is synonymous with death – and so sometimes isn’t served during festivals. That said, some have suggested eating tofu sounds like eating a mouthful of ‘fú’ (福) or good fortune. In everyday Chinese cooking, tofu is cooked with soups and in stir fries and simmered in hotpots. Made out of soybeans, milk and coagulents, there are many varieties of tofu such as beancurd, silken tofu, dehydrated tofu, pickled tofu and stinky tofu. One of the most popular tofu dishes is the Sichuan mapo tofu which is beancurd in red chilli and bean oil.

傳統(tǒng)上，豆腐在中國(guó)文化中象征著死亡，這是因?yàn)榇蠖鄶?shù)豆腐是白色的(至少里面是白色的)，白色是死亡的同義詞——所以有時(shí)在節(jié)日期間不吃豆腐。而有些人建議吃豆腐，因?yàn)槁犉饋?lái)像是吃了一口“fú”(福)或好運(yùn)。在日常的中國(guó)烹飪中，豆腐可以和湯一起煮，用旺火炒，在火鍋里慢燉。豆腐由大豆、牛奶和凝結(jié)劑制成，品種繁多，有豆腐、絹豆腐、脫水豆腐、腌制豆腐、臭豆腐等。其中最受歡迎的豆腐是四川麻婆豆腐，它是用紅辣椒和豆油腌制成的豆腐。

Rumour has it tofu is associated with sexual harassment. There is this story out of Chang’an in China where a husband and wife duo ran a tofu restaurant. The husband made tofu at night while the wife ran the shop in the day. The wife was said to have good looks as a result of of eating tofu (supposedly keeps the skin nice and smooth) and men patronised the shop to ‘eat tofu’ – flirt with her.

有傳言說(shuō)，豆腐和性騷擾有關(guān)。在中國(guó)古代有這樣一個(gè)故事，長(zhǎng)安一對(duì)夫妻開了家豆腐店，丈夫晚上做豆腐，妻子白天經(jīng)營(yíng)店鋪，據(jù)說(shuō)這位妻子因?yàn)槌粤硕垢?據(jù)說(shuō)可以保持皮膚光滑)而長(zhǎng)得很漂亮，男人們都光顧這家店來(lái)“吃豆腐”——和她調(diào)情。

Certain Chinese cuisine is spicier than others. Think Sichuan and Hunan cooking out of the Sichuan and Hunan provinces south of China where the climate is relatively cool. In general, many Chinese eat spicy and don’t mind spicy food at all. China currently produces around 28 million tons of chilli, which is 46% of the world’s total chillis. These days if you go to a Chinese restaurant, more than likely you’ll come across a spicy Chinese dish on the menu or chilli condiments on the table like chilli flakes or chilli oil.

Today Chinese food is found all over the world. In Australia, it’s not hard to find Chinese food in the capital cities. Here in Melbourne it’s not hard to find more than a few Chinese restaurants in the city and in the towns with a high Asian demographic – quite easy to eat at a different Chinese meal at a different Chinese restaurant every night (and so easy to get broke eating this way). The question of whether Australia’s Chinese food is more on the authentic side or more geared towards a Western palate is a question to ponder. But that’s another story for another day.

現(xiàn)如今中國(guó)菜在世界各地都能找到。在澳大利亞的首都找到中國(guó)菜并不難，在墨爾本這座城市和亞洲人口密集的城鎮(zhèn)，不難找到幾家中餐館——很容易在每天晚上在不同的中餐館吃不同的中國(guó)菜(用這種方式吃飯很容易破產(chǎn))。澳大利亞的中國(guó)菜是更偏向正宗還是更適合西方口味，這個(gè)問(wèn)題值得深思。但這是另外一個(gè)故事了。

Do you like Chinese cuisine?

你喜歡中國(guó)菜嗎？

評(píng)論翻譯
原創(chuàng)翻譯：龍騰網(wǎng) http://www.ltaaa.com 翻譯：yjl0518 轉(zhuǎn)載請(qǐng)注明出處

Behind the Story
I think everyone loves Chinese food. One of the biggest strengths of Chinese cooking I think is the variety of vegetables, meat, fish, and seafood that are used. Even though I like noodles and dumplings and dim sum, I try not to eat them too often. They’re delicious, but rich and heavy on carbohydrates. It’s my impression that Chinese cooking does a good job with veggies, fish and seafood because they insist on freshness, they don’t overcook them, and they seldom smother them with heavy sauces.

我想每個(gè)人都喜歡中國(guó)菜。我認(rèn)為中國(guó)烹飪最大的優(yōu)勢(shì)之一就是所用的蔬菜、肉類、魚類和海鮮的多樣性。盡管我喜歡吃面條、餃子和點(diǎn)心，但我盡量不吃太多。它們很美味，但含有豐富的碳水化合物。我的印象是，中國(guó)菜在蔬菜、魚和海鮮方面做得很好，因?yàn)樗鼈兒苄迈r，不會(huì)過(guò)度烹飪，而且很少用濃重的醬汁蓋住它們的味道。

Mabel Kwong
Thank you for coming back, Theresa Although I like chicken, you do have a good point there about dark meat being more flavourful. Lovely to hear you like duck, and I think you described the taste of duck spot-on: sweetly savoury.Hope you get to taste more delicious tofu dishes. It really is a great substitute for meat and is a good source of protein.?

謝謝你回來(lái)，Theresa。雖然我喜歡吃雞肉，但你說(shuō)的有道理，深色肉更有味道。很高興聽到你喜歡吃鴨子，我想你描述的鴨子的味道恰到好處：非常可口。希望你能品嘗到更多美味的豆腐菜肴，它確實(shí)是肉類的絕佳替代品，也是蛋白質(zhì)的良好來(lái)源。

Sue Dreamwalker
What a brilliant post, filled with wonderful information and delicious looking food.. I enjoy a Chinese meal, and we have often been to a local Chinese restaurant. My daughter who is vegan can also come along and enjoy their wonderful vegetarian dishes .I think the saying We are what we eat is true too.. I love preparing food and eating fresh vegetables, and I think we should never be afraid of trying something new and different..Much love to you dear Mabel… I have learnt alot, and your dumplings are very different to the ones I add to my stews.. and I agree, they are comfort food and filling and satisfying..

多么精彩的帖子，充滿了很棒的信息和美味的食物。我喜歡吃中餐，我們經(jīng)常去當(dāng)?shù)氐闹胁宛^吃飯。我的素食者女兒也可以一起來(lái)享用他們美味的素食菜肴。我認(rèn)為我們吃什么就是什么這句話也是正確的。.我喜歡準(zhǔn)備食物和吃新鮮蔬菜，我認(rèn)為我們永遠(yuǎn)不應(yīng)該害怕嘗試新的和不同的東西。非常愛(ài)你，親愛(ài)的Mabel...我已經(jīng)學(xué)了很多，你做的餃子和我燉的餃子很不一樣。我贊同它們是讓人感到舒適、充實(shí)和滿足的食物...

Mabel Kwongon
So lovely to hear your daughter enjoyed vegan Chinese dishes when you ate together. There really is quite a lot of vegan and vegetarian variety in Chinese food.That’s okay if you cook different dumplings along with your stews…we are different and who knows, maybe one day I will have your kind of dumplings.

當(dāng)你們一起吃飯的時(shí)候，聽到你的女兒喜歡中國(guó)素食真是太好了。中國(guó)的食物中確實(shí)有相當(dāng)多的素食菜。如果你做的餃子和我做的不一樣也沒(méi)關(guān)系...我們是不同的，也許有一天我會(huì)吃你做的這種餃子，誰(shuí)知道呢。

Tiny
Interesting and informative post, Mabel! I love Chinese food, but have not tasted all of these…something to look forward to!

有趣而且信息豐富的帖子，Mabel！我喜歡中國(guó)菜，但是還沒(méi)有嘗過(guò)所有這些...這里有一些值得期待的東西！

Kally
I love Chinese food and yes, I couldn’t go without rice for more than a week. My husband is worse, he couldn’t live without rice even for a day. I saw this dependency on rice and wouldn’t want that for my little one so her diet consist of more meat and more veggies and little to no rice / noodles as opposed to rice as the main core of the meal.

我喜歡中國(guó)食物，我不能超過(guò)一個(gè)星期不吃米飯，我丈夫更嚴(yán)重，他一天都不能沒(méi)有米飯。我看到了孩子對(duì)米飯的依賴，我不想讓她吃米飯，所以我讓她的飲食包括更多的肉和蔬菜，很少甚至不吃米飯或者面條，而不是把米飯作為主食。

Judy
I enjoy good Chinese food especially fried rice with egg and meat, spring rolls, and crab rangoon. The Chinese have some very delicious menu items that are enjoyed around the world.

我喜歡好吃的中國(guó)菜，特別是雞蛋肉炒飯，春卷和蟹肉。中國(guó)人有一些非常美味的菜，在世界各地都很受歡迎。

Mabel Kwong
Hope you get to eat some great Chinese food at some point again?

希望你能在某個(gè)時(shí)候再次品嘗到美味的中國(guó)菜。