【趣谈英语】酥饼还是面包屑-Shortbread Means Crumbly Bread

Pre-Listening Vocabulary

 

crumble¹: to break apart easily; to break into small bits

pastry²: flaky baked goods that separate easily

shortening: a solid fat, such as butter, used for making crumbly pastry

flaky: breaks away easily in long strands³ (e.g., as a croissant does)

last: to exist; to retain its shape or form

 

Shortbread Means Crumbly Bread

The word short typically means not long or not tall. The word can describe time, height and distance. Hundreds of years ago, short was also used to refer to crumbly baked goods. This is how the word shortbread came about. If you’ve ever baked shortbread, you know that it doesn’t stay together very well when it’s hot. The crumbling⁴ is caused by the high fat content. Shortbread contains a lot of butter or other shortening. The word shortening refers to any type of solid fat used to make flaky or crumbly pastry. Shortbread biscuits originated in Scotland, and were traditionally reserved for holidays and special occasions, such as Christmas. Shortbread tastes so good it doesn’t last long in most households.

1 crumble   

vi.碎裂，崩溃；vt.弄碎，摧毁

参考例句：

• Opposition more or less crumbled away.反对势力差不多都瓦解了。
• Even if the seas go dry and rocks crumble,my will will remain firm.纵然海枯石烂，意志永不动摇。

2 pastry   

n.油酥面团，酥皮糕点

参考例句：

• The cook pricked a few holes in the pastry.厨师在馅饼上戳了几个洞。
• The pastry crust was always underdone.馅饼的壳皮常常烤得不透。

3 strands   

n.（线、绳、金属线、毛发等的）股( strand的名词复数 )；缕；海洋、湖或河的)岸；（观点、计划、故事等的）部份v.使滞留，使搁浅( strand的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Twist a length of rope from strands of hemp. 用几股麻搓成了一段绳子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She laced strands into a braid. 她把几股线编织成一根穗带。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 crumbling   

adj.摇摇欲坠的

参考例句：

• an old house with crumbling plaster and a leaking roof 一所灰泥剥落、屋顶漏水的老房子
• The boat was tied up alongside a crumbling limestone jetty. 这条船停泊在一个摇摇欲坠的石灰岩码头边。