想讓外國朋友認識台灣
一定要讓他嚐遍台灣的小吃
「夜市」絕對可以說是台灣美食的聚集地
但要怎麼跟外國朋友用英文介紹呢?
看看 Annie 怎麼說吧!
Annie 去交換認識的朋友 Linda 來到台灣找她玩,身為饕客的 Linda 想要趁機試試台灣的小吃,所以 Annie 就決定帶 Linda 去夜市吃個夠!
Linda: So, what are the must-try snacks in the night market?
Linda:那有哪些是夜市必嚐的小吃呢?Annie: I personally recommend scallion pancakes. It’s flatbread mixed with scallions, and it tastes like a savory croissant. You can add eggs, basil leaves, ham, and so on.
Annie:我個人推薦蔥油餅,它是加了蔥的薄餅,吃起來像是鹹的可頌。你可以在裡面加蛋、九層塔、火腿等等。(After buying a scallion pancake and taking a bite…)
(買了個蔥油餅並吃了一口之後…)Linda: It’s very crispy but a little bit greasy. What do you recommend I drink with this?
Linda:吃起來很酥脆但有點油膩。你有推薦什麼好喝的嗎?Annie: Many foreigners love pearl milk tea. But if you want to quench your thirst, I think lemon aiyu jelly is the best! The texture of aiyu jelly is quite smooth and soft. It’s made from the seeds of a plant in the fig family.
Annie:很多外國人都喜歡珍珠奶茶。但如果你想要止渴,我最推薦檸檬愛玉。愛玉的口感相當柔軟滑順,它是用一種無花果科的籽做成的。Linda: I’ve tried pearl milk tea in France. After all, its popularity has spread all over the world. So, this time I’d like to try aiyu jelly! Then, where’s our next stop?
Linda:我在法國有喝過珍珠奶茶,畢竟它已經從台灣紅遍全球了。所以這次我想喝喝看愛玉!那我們下一站要去哪?Annie: I remember that you love seafood. Maybe you can try an oyster omelet. It’s typically made from eggs, flour, and potato starch, then it is usually topped with a mildly spicy and salty sauce.
Annie:我記得你喜歡吃海鮮,或許你可以試試蚵仔煎,那個「煎」是用蛋、麵粉和太白粉做成的,上面通常會淋上有點辣又有點鹹的醬汁。Linda: I love oysters! I’ll get three oyster omelets… wait! What’s that odor? It smells like rotten garbage or smelly feet.
Linda:我超愛蚵仔!我要來三份蚵仔煎…等等!那是什麼臭味啊?聞起來像腐敗的垃圾又像腳臭味。Annie: Hahaha, it’s one of the most notorious dishes in Taiwan, called stinky tofu. It smells bad because it’s fermented, just like blue cheese. It’s crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. You can hold your nose and give it a try!
Annie:哈哈哈,這是台灣最惡名昭彰的食物之一,叫臭豆腐。它聞起來臭是因為它有發酵過,就像藍紋乳酪一樣。它吃來外酥內軟,你可以捏著鼻子吃吃看!Linda: Ok… I think a tiny bite is enough for me.
Linda:好喔……我想我吃一小口就好了。
Linda 吃了臭豆腐後的感想如何呢?我們先來複習單字吧!
scallion (n.) 蔥
scallion 是「蔥」,英式英文則會用 spring onion 這個字。另外補充,「香菜」是 cilantro (美式)、coriander (英式),「芹菜」則是 celery。
When you come to Yilan, you must try the scallion pancakes.
只要來到宜蘭,你一定要試試蔥油餅。
savory (adj.) 鹹的
想要形容食物是「鹹的」要用 savory,salty 則是指食物「太鹹了」。
Tangyuan has sweet and savory fillings.
湯圓的內餡有甜的也有鹹的。
quench (v.) 解渴
quench 的意思是「解渴」,常見用法會說 quench your thirst with + 水/飲料。形容詞 thirst-quenching 就是「解渴的」。
During the sweltering summer, I like to quench my thirst with starfruit juice.
在炎熱的夏天,我喜歡喝楊桃汁解渴。
be topped with 淋上;加上
top 在這邊是動詞,意思是「在…表面放上」,be topped with 的意思則是在食物上面「淋上;加上 (做為裝飾)」。
The cake is topped with strawberries and raspberries.
這個蛋糕上面放了草莓和覆盆莓裝點。
ferment (v.) 使發酵
ferment /fərˈmɛnt/ 為動詞,意思是「(使食物) 發酵」,名詞形則是 fermentation。
Fermented foods contain probiotics which can improve digestion.
發酵的食品含有益生菌,能夠改善消化。
Linda 喜歡臭豆腐嗎?讓我們繼續看下去!
Linda: That’s amazing! How can it be so delicious while smelling so bad? The kimchi on the top of the tofu counterbalances the greasy flavor!
Linda:太神奇了!它怎麼能聞起來這麼臭,吃起來卻這麼美味?豆腐上面的泡菜很解膩!Annie: Hey! Save room for other food!
Annie:嘿!留點空間給其他食物啊!Linda: No worries! I eat like a horse! What are the small dumplings in the bamboo steamer?
Linda:別擔心!我食量很大的!那個蒸籠裡的小水餃是什麼啊?Annie: They’re called xiaolongbao, which are different than dumplings. Xiaolongbao are steamed and filled with soup while dumplings are boiled.
Annie:那是小籠包,跟水餃不一樣,小籠包是用蒸的,裡面有很多湯汁,水餃則是用水煮的。Linda: I’d like to save that for last or I might feel full immediately. Look! Those little orange balls are so cute! They are like table tennis balls. What are they?
Linda:我要把小籠包留到最後,不然我可能馬上就飽了。你看!那些橘色的小球好可愛,看起來好像乒乓球,那是什麼?Annie: This is a popular bite-sized snack, called fried sweet potato balls. It’s crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.
Annie:這個一口一個的小點心很受歡迎,叫地瓜球,它的外皮酥脆,裡面吃起來很有嚼勁。Linda: I want a bag of fried sweet potato balls!
Linda:我要一份地瓜球!(After finishing the fried sweet potato balls…)
(吃完地瓜球後…)Linda: Oh, no! I’m stuffed! But there was lots of food for me to try!
Linda:噢不!我已經吃得好撐了!但還有好多食物還沒吃過!Annie: If you want, tomorrow we can come to the night market again.
Annie:如果你想要的話,我們可以明天再來一次夜市。
counterbalance (v.) 使平衡;抵消
counter- 字首有「反;逆」的意思,balance 則是「平衡」,所以 counterbalance 就是「使平衡;抵銷」之意。在對話中,counterbalance the greasy falovr 就是指泡菜的清爽把臭豆腐的油膩感中和掉了。
I like to eat strawberries with honey because the honey can counterbalance the acidity.
我喜歡在吃草莓的時候加蜂蜜,因為蜂蜜可以中和酸味。
eat like a horse (phr.) 食量大
要形容人「食量大」可以說 eat like a horse,「食量小」則是 eat like a bird,跟中文的「小鳥胃」一樣。
My cousin eats like a horse, so he loves all-you-can-eat restaurants.
我的表弟食量很大,所以他超愛吃到飽餐廳。
bite-sized (adj.) 一口能吃下去的
bite 是「咬」,size 是「尺寸」,所以形容詞 bite-sized 就是「一口能吃下去的;大小適合入口的」。
My mother cut the steak into bite-sized pieces for us.
媽媽幫孩子把牛排切成適合入口的大小。
I’m stuffed! 我吃飽了!
形容詞 stuffed 有「填滿的;填充以保持形狀的」之意,像 stuffed animal 就是「絨毛娃娃;填充玩具」,此外,stuffed 還可以形容人「吃飽的;吃撐的」,就像整個胃都被塞滿了。
A: Would you like to have some dessert?
B: No, thanks! I’m stuffed!A:想要來些甜點嗎?
B:不用,謝謝!我吃飽了!
本篇台灣小吃英文詞彙整理:
1. scallion pancake 蔥油餅
2. pearl milk tea 珍珠奶茶
3. lemon aiyu jelly 檸檬愛玉
4. oyster omelet 蚵仔煎
5. stinky tofu 臭豆腐
6. tangyuan 湯圓
7. starfruit juice 楊桃汁
8. xiaolongbao 小籠包
9. fried sweet potato balls 地瓜球
Linda 能吃到這麼多道地的台灣美食真是太好了!下次有外國朋友來台灣,也不妨帶他們去夜市逛逛,用台灣美食征服他們的胃吧!
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文/ Vivian Chen
審/ Eunice Lin
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