【世说成语】介绍中国传统文化的英文文章-筷子 Chopsticks
2010-12-11 10:59阅读：
【世说成语】介绍中国传统文化的英文文章-筷子 Chopsticks
History of Chopsticks
While the precise origins of chopsticks are unknown (the first
chopsticks may have been twigs used to spear a roast cooked over an
open fire) they were definitely in use by the Shang dynasty (1766
BC - 1122 BC). Their enduring popularity since that time may
actually be linked to Chinese cooking methods - before stir-frying
the food is cut into tiny pieces, making them easy to manipulate
with a chopstick.
Here in the west, where fork eaters are in the majority, it is
sometimes easy to forget that the fork has only recently become an
essential item at the din
ner table. True, the
Byzantines
used forks in the 10th century, and Catherine de M'edici introduced
the pointed tines to the French court in the early 1500s. But in
the United States, it wasn't until the eighteenth century that
people felt the need for more than a knife and spoon. By contrast,
chopsticks have been the utensil of choice throughout all of China
since the Han dynasty (approximately 200 BC to 200 AD).
The Difference Between Chinese and Japanese Chopsticks
There are several differences between Chinese and Japanese
chopsticks:
- Chinese chopsticks are normally made of unfinished wood or
bamboo.
- Japanese chopsticks are normally made of lacquered wood or
bamboo.
- Chinese chopsticks made for adults are normally about 10 ½
inches (shorter chopsticks for young children are
available)
- Japanese chopsticks are normally about 9 inches
- Chinese chopsticks taper to a blunt end.
- Japanese chopsticks taper to pointed ends.
You can also find chopsticks made with inexpensive plastic, or more
expensive materials such as jade or ivory.
Do You Need to Use Chopsticks?
Today, chopsticks are growing in popularity in non-Asian countries.
And why not? After all, if you can handle rice with chopsticks, why
not linguine? But I have a confession to make. Despite my love of
Chinese cuisine, I am a bit of a klutz with chopsticks. Somehow
I've never fully mastered that
delicate art of holding the bottom stick stationary between my
thumb and fourth finger, while using the tip of that same thumb and
my index and middle fingers to manipulate the top chopstick, in
order to capture a bite-sized morsel and steer it toward my mouth.
Being left-handed only complicates the whole process.
Still, I must agree with Asian food aficionados who won't go near a
plate of Ginger Beef without their 'Kuai zi.' (The word 'chop' is
pidgin English for kuai, which means quick or speedy). Just as
coffee loses some of its tangy essence when served in a Styrofoam
cup, Chinese cuisine simply tastes better eaten with chopsticks.
And there are distinct benefits to having to work a bit harder to
obtain your food: for one thing, it forces you to realize exactly
how much you are eating.
Chopsticks - A Cultural Phenomenom
Given its prominence in Asian culture, it is not surprising that
chopsticks have transcended the boundaries of food. Poems have been
written about them, and researchers at the Hong Kong Polytechnic
University put the basic concept behind chopsticks to good use when
designing the
Mars Rock Corer. Studies have been conducted on
whether chopstick usage helps improve memory, and whether it can
aid children in learning to write Chinese. But whether you wrap
your noodles around your fork or pick them up with chopsticks, here
are some recipes for you to enjoy (and hopefully use to perfect
your chopstick skills!)
本文转载自http://chinesefood.about.com/od/restaurantdining/a/chopsticks.htm
你可能喜欢的其他文章：
1.【世说成语】介绍中国传统文化的英文文章-旗袍
2.【世说成语】网络购物经验总结、团购网站团购注意事项
3.【世说成语】查找外文文献资料的方法之三 准确翻译专业词汇
4.【世说成语】查找外文文献资料的方法之二 访问外网
5.【世说成语】查找外文文献资料的方法之一 网页翻译
如果你喜欢我的博客，欢迎订阅，订阅方法是在博客首页订阅工具条，无论你习惯抓虾，谷歌，鲜果还是QQ，或是其它，你只需要按订阅
按钮即可！
如果你有
新浪微博，就更简单了，你只需要在首页
加关注世说成语微博http://t.sina.com.cn/igers，我的博客有什么最新动态都会实时在微博上更新，精彩你不会错过！
