Food 美式食物

　　"You are what you eat." Nutrition experts often use this sayingto promote better eating habits. What we put in our mouthsdoes become a part of us. But we can look at this statementanother way. What we eat reflects who we are--as people andas a culture. Do you want to understand another culture? Thenyou ought to find out about its food. Learning about Americanfood can give us a real taste of American culture.

　　"你吃什么就成为什么样子"营养专家经常使用这句话来倡导更好的饮食习惯，入嘴的东西确实成为我们的一部分.但我们也可以从另一个角度来看这句话，我们所吃的反映出我们自己--不论就人或文化而言.你想了解另一种文化吗?那么你应该去认识他们的食物.认识美国食物可以让我们得知美国文化的精髓。

　　What is "American food"? At first you might think the answer is easy as pie. To many people,American food means hamburgers, hot dogs, fried chicken and pizza. If you have a "sweet tooth,"you might even think of apple pie or chocolate chip cookies. It's true that Americans do eat thosethings. But are those the only kind of vittles you can find in America?

　　何谓「美式食物」?乍听之下你可能认为答案容易得很。对许多人而言，美式食物就是汉堡、热狗、炸鸡和披萨。如果你是好吃甜食的人，你可能会想到苹果派或巧克力片饼干。美国人确实吃这些东西，但这些就是你在美国唯一找得到的食物吗?

　　Except for Thanksgiving turkey, it's hard to find a typically "American" food. The United Statesis a land of immigrants. So Americans eat food from many different countries. When people moveto America, they bring their cooking styles with them. That's why you can find almost every kindof ethnic food in America. In some cases, Americans have adopted foods from other countries asfavorites. Americans love Italian pizza, Mexican tacos and Chinese egg rolls. But the Americanversion doesn't taste quite like the original!

　　除了感恩节火鸡以外，挺难找到典型的美国食物。美国是个移民之地，所以美国人吃的食物来自许多不同的国家，当人们移居美国，他们也将自己的烹调带了进来。那也就是为什么在美国你几乎可以看到所有不同民族的食物。在某些情况中，美国人把外国的食物视为最爱。美国人喜爱意大利的披萨，墨西哥的玉米饼和中国的春卷，但是这些东西的美国版味道却不很道地!

　　As with any large country, the U.S.A has several distinct regions. Each region boasts its ownspecial style of food. Visit the South and enjoy country-style cooking. Journey through Louisianafor some spicy Cajun cuisine. Take a trip to New England and sample savory seafood dishes. Travelthrough the Midwest, "the breadbasket of the nation," for delicious baked goods. Cruise over tothe Southwest and try some tasty Tex-Mex treats. Finish your food tour in the Pacific Northwestwith some gourmet coffee.

　　和许多大国一样，美国有数个截然不同的地区，每个地区都以自己特有的食物夸口。走访美国南部享受乡村式的烹调;到路易斯安纳州品尝辛辣的凯郡式料理;走一趟新英格兰试尝它美味的海鲜;再到中西部「美国的面包之乡」品尝可口的烘培食品;乘船游览至西南部尝试一些好吃的墨式德州小吃，最后到太平洋西北岸，啜饮美食家的咖啡，作为美食之旅的句点。

　　Americans living at a fast pace often just "grab a quick bite." Fast food restaurants offerpeople on the run everything from fried chicken to fried rice. Microwave dinners and instant foodsmake cooking at home a snap. Of course, one of the most common quick American meals is asandwich. If it can fit between two slices of bread, Americans probably make a sandwich out of it.Peanut butter and jelly is an all-time American favorite.

　　生活在快速步调之下的美国人通常只能「很快地吃几口」。快餐店提供赶时间的人各种食物，从炸鸡到炒饭，应有尽有。微波炉晚餐和实时餐点使得在家烧饭省事又快速。当然，最平常的美式速餐之一就是三明治。任何能夹在两片土司中间的东西，美国人就可以把它作成一份三明治，花生酱和果酱更是一直都深受美国人的喜爱。

　　Americans on the go also tend to eat a lot of "junk food." Potato chips, candy bars, soft drinksand other goodies are popular treats. Many people eat too many of these unhealthy snacks. Butothers opt for more healthy eating habits. Some even go "all natural." They refuse to eat anyfood.

　　以上就是关于托福阅读背景知识中的一些欧美风俗的介绍，考生可在平常复习中多留意托福阅读背景知识。