中国的午餐文化

石斯琳

摘自：chinadaily.com

Aoife Inman 著

引言： 俗话说，早吃好，午吃饱，晚吃少。无论是上班族还是学生党，对他们来说，每天的午餐绝对不可敷衍。来自英国的奥伊菲在中国结束了短暂的实习之后，却对我们最习以为常的午餐文化印象深刻，并对此羡慕不已。这羡慕从何而来？英国人又是怎么吃午餐的呢？我们来听听她怎么说。

Lunch in China is a big deal. It remains a part of Chinese culture. When Im back home in England， all the time I admire and am forever nostalgic1 for it. I have tried hard to explain to Chinese colleagues this vast cultural difference between my home and here in China.

At home， at work， at school， British lunchtime is far from a celebrated or even acknowledged2 part of the day. We seem eager to get it over alone in a quiet place. Those at desk jobs pull out plasticwrapped sandwiches： sad white bread and vegetables that are far from appetizing3. In Beijing I saw a different side to midday. Lunch was early， eleventhirty， and it lasted until one. This was not the same for everyone. But those without the luxury4 to shut up shops or leave offices for an hour still gathered in small groups to share a meal， in a way that is rarely seen in England.

午餐在中國意义重大。它是中国文化的组成部分。当我回到英国之后，我仍然对中国的午餐文化久久不能忘怀。我还努力尝试跟中国同事解释中英两国这种巨大的文化分歧。

不管是在家，在公司还是在学校，英国的午餐时间绝对不会像在中国一样是一个值得庆祝或者得到公认的时间段。我们英国人似乎迫不及待地想独自一人找个安安静静的地方打发午餐时间。一到午餐时间，那些文员就拿出塑料包装的三明治：可怜的白面包加蔬菜一点儿也不能引起食欲。在北京，我感受到了正午时间的另一面。午餐开始得很早（大概在十一点半），并持续到一点钟。但并不是每个人都这样。有些人没办法为了吃午餐而关闭商店或者离开办公室长达一个小时之久，但是他们仍然会聚集在一起享用午餐。这种现象在英国可以说是很少见的。

Not only is the culture of eating in China different， so too is the emphasis5 on good， cooked food especially among young people. In China I saw a different side to every mealtime. Food was a social activity， a acknowledged and respected part of the day. Chinese families， workers and students eat together. Food is shared and the time is regarded as a moment of reunion6 within busy lives. This is a value and practice we should hold more dearly in our lives in Britain.

在中国，不仅仅是饮食文化别具一格，年轻人们引领的一种注重精心烹饪食物的观念也是一种独特的现象。我在中国的每一餐都看到了不同的一面。食物已然是一种社会活动，是一天当中被众人认可并尊重的一部分。不管是中国家庭、员工还是学生，他们都会聚在一起享受午餐。食物都是大家一起分享的。享用午餐的时光就是享受与朋友家人相聚的时光。中国的这种价值观与习惯值得我们英国学习。

Notes：

1. nostalgic [] adj. 怀旧的；乡愁的

2. acknowledged [] adj. 公认的，得到普遍认可的

3. appetizing [] adj. 开胃的；促进食欲的

4. luxury [] n. 奢侈品 5. emphasis [] n. 强调；重点

6. reunion [] n. 重聚；（班级或学校的）同学会，同窗会endprint