Eating is best when it’s a social occasion. Think of the meal a family enjoys in the evening when everyone’s together after work or school, or the big get-togethers over food at Spring Festival. But now, in the age of the internet and social media, anyone with an internet connection can enjoy a social eating event.

大家在一起吃饭是最有意思的。想象一下一家人在下班或者放学后共进晚餐，或者春节期间一大家子一起吃饭聚会的场景。而在如今的互联网以及社交媒体时代中，只要能上网，任何人都能享受和大家“一起”吃饭的乐趣。

Mukbang – a South Korean phrase meaning “eating broadcast” – is an unusual food craze that’s sweeping the country. This is a meal where only one person gets to eat, while viewers watch live streams of hosts devouring large quantities of food. They leave comments on the dishes the host is tucking into, and the host responds to them live.

Mukbang(吃播)在韩语中意为“吃饭直播”，是席卷韩国的一种不同寻常的饮食狂潮。在吃饭直播中，只有一个人在吃饭，而观众们则通过视频直播，观看主播大吃一顿。他们会评论主播大快朵颐的菜色，主播也会即时做出回应。

So why have people taken to this unusual new food trend? Jeff Yang, an Asian-American cultural critic, thinks that it’s down to “the loneliness of unmarried or uncoupled South Koreans”. He believes that eating on your own can be hard in a country like South Korea, where social eating is such a long tradition. However, mukbang gives people the feeling that they are part of something larger, it seems.

人们为什么会喜欢这种不同寻常的全新吃饭方式呢?美籍华裔文化评论家杰夫·杨认为，这源于“单身韩国人的孤独感”。他认为，在韩国这样的国家，独自吃饭是件难事，因为聚在一起吃饭这一传统由来已久。然而，“吃播”让人们感觉自己似乎置身于更大的群体之中。

Millions of people have trouble with food. Either they eat too much of it, or too little. Some say that the popularity of mukbang helps people with these disorders. Those who always eat too much and put on weight can watch mukbang streams to satisfy their appetite. And those who don’t eat enough can build their appetite by watching delicious food being eaten.

数百万人都存在饮食问题，要么是吃得太多，要么是吃得太少。一些人认为“吃播”的流行有助于饮食紊乱的人们。吃得太多而导致体重增加的人，可以通过观看直播吃饭来满足他们的食欲。而那些吃得太少的人，则可以通过观看别人吃美食来增加食欲。

Even though mukbang is a South Korean phenomenon, it’s also taken off in the US. But unlike South Koreans who sit down to enjoy noodles and kimchi, Americans enjoy their own native dishes. This means that viewers of US mukbang streamers will see locals stuffing themselves with hamburgers, fries and ice cream.

虽然吃饭直播是种韩国现象，但在美国也大受欢迎。与坐下来享用拉面和泡菜的韩国人不同，美国人喜欢他们自己的本土饮食。这意味着，美国“吃播”的观众会看到当地人吃着汉堡、薯条和冰淇淋。