【英语趣味课堂】快餐-Fast Food

Mike: Hi, this is Mike from Singapore and I'm talking to Clare from America about obesity¹ and food in our respective² countries. So Clare, what about America? What makes it so infamous³ for having food that are very, very so called "unhealthy"?

Clare: Well, in America we were the country that invented the fast food chain, I think. There are very many famous fast food chains that got their start in America and they became popular because Americans were working very long hours in the cities and in small towns and it was a lot easier, it was very new, to have a convenient⁴ meal ready for you. Well unfortunately these meals were not prepared in a way that was healthy. There was very little veggies, I mean french fries are fried⁵ potatoes, burgers are fried, so the way they're cooked it ... they're made quickly but they're not made in a way that's healthy, there's no boiling or steaming so ... because these chains had a very good product being offered in one respect, that they were fast and easy and convenient to get to, while on the down side they were very fattening⁶, people sort of just chose what was convenient I think, and there are so many of them because they really are popular. It's sort of a cycle where even though people know it's bad they choose it because it's convenient and because it gets so much business more chains open in a city or along roads because Americans have ... travel very long distances for commuting⁷ to get almost anywhere. For example, where I live in Texas, along the road very small towns separated⁸ by miles and miles of desert, every small town where highways come together have at least one burger joint⁹ or ice cream place that serves burgers and fries and so it's a little bit of, I wouldn't call it American culture, its just sort of what we got used to.

1 obesity   

n.肥胖，肥大

参考例句：

• One effect of overeating may be obesity.吃得过多能导致肥胖。
• Sugar and fat can more easily lead to obesity than some other foods.糖和脂肪比其他食物更容易导致肥胖。

2 respective   

adj.各自的，各个的

参考例句：

• He and I are each going to visit our respective teachers.我和他分别要去拜访各自的老师。
• All men have their respective duties.各人有各人的职责。

3 infamous   

adj.声名狼藉的，臭名昭著的，邪恶的

参考例句：

• He was infamous for his anti-feminist attitudes.他因反对女性主义而声名狼藉。
• I was shocked by her infamous behaviour.她的无耻行径令我震惊。

4 convenient   

adj.便利的，方便的

参考例句：

• I have to find a convenient location for the shelves.我得找一合适的地方放这些书架。
• Come at any time that is convenient to you.你哪会儿方便就哪会儿来吧。

5 fried   

adj.油煎的；油炒的

参考例句：

• I ate everything fried.所有油炸的我都吃。
• I prefer fried peanuts.我选择炸花生。

6 fattening   

adj.（食物）要使人发胖的v.喂肥( fatten的现在分词 )；养肥（牲畜）；使（钱）增多；使（公司）升值

参考例句：

• The doctor has advised him to keep off fattening food. 医生已建议他不要吃致肥食物。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We substitute margarine for cream because cream is fattening. 我们用人造黄油代替奶油，因为奶油会使人发胖。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 commuting   

交换（的）

参考例句：

• I used the commuting time to read and answer my mail. 我利用上下班在汽车中的时间来阅读和答复给我的函电。
• Noncommuting objects are as real to the mathematicians as commuting objects. 对于数学家来说，不可交换的对象与可交换的对象是一样真实的。

8 separated   

adj.分开的v.分开(separate的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• Her parents are separated but not divorced. 她父母分居但没离婚。
• No child should ever be separated from his mother by force. 绝不能强行使任何一个孩子与母亲分开。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。