2022年经济学人 在瞬息万变的餐饮业，坚持愿景需要勇气

Culture

文化

World in a dish -- Closer to the bone

食界——靠近本质

In the fickle¹ world of restaurants, sticking to a vision takes guts²

在瞬息万变的餐饮业，坚持愿景需要勇气

It is nearly 30 years since St John opened in a former smokehouse, just to the north of the City of London.

距圣约翰在伦敦金融城以北的一个原是熏肉店的地方开业已经30年了。

Back then, the restaurant felt daringly stark³: whitewashed⁴ walls and concrete floors, drinks specials on chalkboards, a high-ceilinged dining room with white tablecloths⁵ and wooden chairs, no music.

当时，这家餐厅给人的感觉非常大胆张扬：粉刷成白色的墙壁和混凝土地面，黑板上写着特饮和特色菜，餐厅的天花板很高，餐桌铺着白色桌布，椅子是木质的，不放音乐。

After the pastel-coloured 1980s, it seemed to smack⁶ of the mortuary or the operating theatre.

跟在柔和色彩占主流的20世纪80年代之后，这里似乎有点像太平间或手术室。

Today the decor is reassuringly⁷ unaltered.

时至今日，令人欣慰的是，它的装修风格依旧如故。

So is the food.

那里的食物也是如此。

St John’s menu changes daily, but its style is constant—what Fergus Henderson, its co-founder, calls “a kind of British cooking”.

圣约翰餐厅的菜单每天都在变化，但其风格却始终如一——其联合创始人费格斯·亨德森称之为“一种英式菜肴”。

It became famous in the early noughties, when the late Anthony Bourdain, an American chef, author and television presenter⁸, rhapsodised over its roast bone marrow⁹ salad.

餐厅在本世纪初声名鹊起，当时已故的美国厨师、作家和电视节目主持人安东尼·波登对它的烤骨髓沙拉大加赞赏。

That is the only dish that almost never leaves the menu, for good reason: it is a symphony of unctuousness¹⁰ (marrow), brightness (a parsley, caper¹¹ and shallot salad), salinity¹² (a mound¹³ of grey sea salt) and crunch¹⁴ (toast), which the diner composes himself.

这是唯一一道几乎从未离开过菜单的菜肴，理由很充分：这道菜中的油脂香气(骨髓)、鲜艳色泽(欧芹、山楂和葱沙拉)、盐的调味(一堆灰色海盐)和酥脆口感(吐司)完美地融合在一起，自成一体。

Marrow and other offal favoured by Mr Henderson began appearing on menus of fashionable restaurants from Seattle to Melbourne.

从西雅图到墨尔本，亨德森青睐的骨髓和其他内脏开始出现在时尚餐厅的菜单上。

The offal fad¹⁵ competed with one for molecular¹⁶ gastronomy¹⁷, with its spheres of olive juice, then gave way to farm-to-table cooking, which painstakingly¹⁸ detailed¹⁹ the provenance²⁰ of every radish in a salad.

这股动物内脏潮与流行的分子料理（用橄榄汁做出小球）展开了竞争，随后又让位于“农场直达餐桌”菜肴，这类菜肴会煞费工夫地详细说明沙拉中每一个萝卜的来源。

Eventually came the narrative-driven cooking of today, in which each dish has its culturally appropriate origin story.

最终轮到了如今流行的“故事先行”菜肴，每道菜都有与其相称的文化起源故事。

The marrow is still on the menu at St John.

而圣约翰餐厅的菜单上还保留着骨髓。

Yet while the offal grabs the headlines, Mr Henderson’s kind of British cooking ultimately rests on bold, unfussy simplicity²¹.

不过，虽然内脏赢得了风头，但亨德森先生的英式菜肴本质上建立在大胆、朴实无华的简单之上。

It is a cold-weather translation of Italian country cooking, with high-quality meat and vegetables simply prepared.

这像是意大利乡村菜肴在寒冷气候下的版本，只需将一些品质好的肉类和蔬菜简单烹饪一下。

The menu is laconic²² (“Snails and Oakleaf”), flavours strong and balanced, presentation a flourish above plain.

菜单简洁明了(“蜗牛和橡树叶”)，口味浓郁而均衡，呈现出一种在朴实之上开花的感觉。

Mr Henderson now has Parkinson’s disease and no longer cooks, but the restaurant hews²³ to his vision.

亨德森现在患了帕金森氏症，不再下厨，但餐厅仍坚守着他的愿景。

In a mercurial²⁴ industry, that is rare.

在一个瞬息万变的行业里，这是很少见的。

Far too many posh metropolitan²⁵ restaurants share a dreary²⁶, trendy predictability, supplying the same gently upbeat music, the same mixture of vaguely²⁷ Italianate and East Asian dishes, and excessively busy cocktails²⁸ with poetic²⁹ or suggestive names.

太多的都市高档餐厅都没什么新意、赶潮流，放着同样温和欢快的音乐，同样的不正宗的意大利和东南亚融合菜，以及品类极其杂乱的鸡尾酒，这些酒的名字充满着诗意或暗示。

There is nothing inherently wrong with that.

这本身并没有什么错。

Everyone wants to succeed, and these things sell.

每个人都想成功，而这些东西卖得好。

Castigating³⁰ restaurateurs for offering them is as silly as berating³¹ directors for making superhero films.

大肆批评餐馆老板提供这些餐食，就像严厉斥责导演拍超级英雄电影一样不理智。

But while predictable restaurants and superhero movies can be successful, and sometimes even good, they cannot be truly great.

但是，尽管这些老套乏味的餐厅和超级英雄电影可能会取得成功，有时甚至会很不错，但它们不可能成就真正的伟大。

Not every singular vision succeeds, or is worth pursuing in the first place.

并不是每一种独特的愿景都能取得成功，或者从一开始就值得追求。

Stubbornness and greatness are not the same thing.

固执和伟大不是一回事。

But -- as every would-be novelist turned lawyer or sculptor³² turned dentist knows -- such dreams are all too easy to abandon out of fear of failure.

但是，正如每一个想成为小说家却做了律师，想成为雕塑家却成了牙医的人都知道的那样，这些梦想太容易因为害怕失败而被放弃了。

And more than most businesses, restaurants tend to fail.

餐厅比大多数其他生意都更容易失败。

To open one that goes against the grain is a risk.

开一家背逆潮流的餐厅是有风险的。

To find that same restaurant little changed, still packed with diners and still delicious after more than a quarter of a century is a quiet cause for joy.

发现这家餐厅还是老样子，几乎没有什么变化，25年过去了仍然挤满了食客，依然美味可口，是件令人会心一笑的事情。

1 fickle   

adj.(爱情或友谊上)易变的，不坚定的

参考例句：

• Fluctuating prices usually base on a fickle public's demand.物价的波动往往是由于群众需求的不稳定而引起的。
• The weather is so fickle in summer.夏日的天气如此多变。

2 guts   

v.狼吞虎咽，贪婪地吃，飞碟游戏（比赛双方每组5人，相距15码，互相掷接飞碟）；毁坏（建筑物等）的内部( gut的第三人称单数 )；取出…的内脏n.勇气( gut的名词复数 )；内脏；消化道的下段；肠

参考例句：

• I'll only cook fish if the guts have been removed. 鱼若已收拾干净，我只需烧一下即可。
• Barbara hasn't got the guts to leave her mother. 巴巴拉没有勇气离开她妈妈。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 stark   

adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地

参考例句：

• The young man is faced with a stark choice.这位年轻人面临严峻的抉择。
• He gave a stark denial to the rumor.他对谣言加以完全的否认。

4 whitewashed   

粉饰，美化，掩饰( whitewash的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The wall had been whitewashed. 墙已粉过。
• The towers are in the shape of bottle gourds and whitewashed. 塔呈圆形，状近葫芦，外敷白色。 来自汉英文学 - 现代散文

5 tablecloths   

n.桌布，台布( tablecloth的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Champagne corks popped, and on lace tablecloths seven-course dinners were laid. 桌上铺着带装饰图案的网织的桌布，上面是七道菜的晚餐。 来自飘（部分）
• At the moment the cause of her concern was a pile of soiled tablecloths. 此刻她关心的事是一堆弄脏了的台布。 来自辞典例句

6 smack   

vt.拍，打，掴；咂嘴；vi.含有…意味；n.拍

参考例句：

• She gave him a smack on the face.她打了他一个嘴巴。
• I gave the fly a smack with the magazine.我用杂志拍了一下苍蝇。

7 reassuringly   

ad.安心，可靠

参考例句：

• He patted her knee reassuringly. 他轻拍她的膝盖让她放心。
• The doctor smiled reassuringly. 医生笑了笑，让人心里很踏实。

8 presenter   

n.（电视、广播的）主持人，赠与者

参考例句：

• Most people think being a television presenter is exciting.很多人认为当电视节目主持人是一件刺激的事情。
• The programme dispensed with its most popular presenter.这个节目最受欢迎的主持人被换掉了。

9 marrow   

n.骨髓；精华；活力

参考例句：

• It was so cold that he felt frozen to the marrow. 天气太冷了，他感到寒冷刺骨。
• He was tired to the marrow of his bones.他真是累得筋疲力尽了。

10 unctuousness   

油性

参考例句：

• What welcome relief from the usual unctuousness of his kind! 平常这类广告虚情假意，现在多么受人欢迎，令人轻松！ 来自互联网

11 caper   

v.雀跃，欢蹦；n.雀跃，跳跃；续随子，刺山柑花蕾；嬉戏

参考例句：

• The children cut a caper in the yard.孩子们在院子里兴高采烈地乱蹦乱跳。
• The girl's caper cost her a twisted ankle.小姑娘又蹦又跳，结果扭伤了脚踝。

12 salinity   

n.盐分；咸度；盐浓度；咸性

参考例句：

• In the sea water sampled the salinity is two parts per thousand.在取样的海水中，盐度为千分之二。
• In many sedimentary basins the salinity of the formation water increases with depth or compaction.在许多沉积盆地中，地层水的含盐量随深度或压实作用而增高。

13 mound   

n.土墩，堤，小山；v.筑堤，用土堆防卫

参考例句：

• The explorers climbed a mound to survey the land around them.勘探者爬上土丘去勘测周围的土地。
• The mound can be used as our screen.这个土丘可做我们的掩蔽物。

14 crunch   

n.关键时刻；艰难局面；v.发出碎裂声

参考例句：

• If it comes to the crunch they'll support us.关键时刻他们是会支持我们的。
• People who crunch nuts at the movies can be very annoying.看电影时嘎吱作声地嚼干果的人会使人十分讨厌。

15 fad   

n.时尚；一时流行的狂热；一时的爱好

参考例句：

• His interest in photography is only a passing fad.他对摄影的兴趣只是一时的爱好罢了。
• A hot business opportunity is based on a long-term trend not a short-lived fad.一个热门的商机指的是长期的趋势而非一时的流行。

16 molecular   

adj.分子的；克分子的

参考例句：

• The research will provide direct insight into molecular mechanisms.这项研究将使人能够直接地了解分子的机理。
• For the pressure to become zero, molecular bombardment must cease.当压强趋近于零时，分子的碰撞就停止了。

17 gastronomy   

n.美食法；美食学

参考例句：

• He studied gastronomy but cannot make a living as a cook.他学习了烹饪但却无法靠厨艺过活。
• Burgundy has always been considered a major centre of gastronomy.勃艮第大区一向被视为重要的美食中心。

18 painstakingly   

adv. 费力地 苦心地

参考例句：

• Every aspect of the original has been closely studied and painstakingly reconstructed. 原作的每一细节都经过了仔细研究，费尽苦心才得以重现。
• The cause they contrived so painstakingly also ended in failure. 他们惨淡经营的事业也以失败而告终。

19 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

20 provenance   

n.出处；起源

参考例句：

• Kato was fully aware of the provenance of these treasures.加藤完全清楚这些珍宝的来源。
• This plant's provenance is Asiadj.这种植物原产于亚洲。

21 simplicity   

n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯

参考例句：

• She dressed with elegant simplicity.她穿着朴素高雅。
• The beauty of this plan is its simplicity.简明扼要是这个计划的一大特点。

22 laconic   

adj.简洁的；精练的

参考例句：

• He sent me a laconic private message.他给我一封简要的私人函件。
• This response was typical of the writer's laconic wit.这个回答反映了这位作家精练简明的特点。

23 hews   

v.（用斧、刀等）砍、劈( hew的第三人称单数 )；砍成；劈出；开辟

参考例句：

• The voice of the Lord hews out flames of fire. 诗29:7耶和华的声音使火焰分岔。 来自互联网

24 mercurial   

adj.善变的，活泼的

参考例句：

• He was of a mercurial temperament and therefore unpredictable.他是个反复无常的人，因此对他的行为无法预言。
• Our desires and aversions are mercurial rulers.我们的欲望与嫌恶是变化无常的统治者。

25 metropolitan   

adj.大城市的，大都会的

参考例句：

• Metropolitan buildings become taller than ever.大城市的建筑变得比以前更高。
• Metropolitan residents are used to fast rhythm.大都市的居民习惯于快节奏。

26 dreary   

adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的

参考例句：

• They live such dreary lives.他们的生活如此乏味。
• She was tired of hearing the same dreary tale of drunkenness and violence.她听够了那些关于酗酒和暴力的乏味故事。

27 vaguely   

adv.含糊地，暖昧地

参考例句：

• He had talked vaguely of going to work abroad.他含糊其词地说了到国外工作的事。
• He looked vaguely before him with unseeing eyes.他迷迷糊糊的望着前面，对一切都视而不见。

28 cocktails   

n.鸡尾酒( cocktail的名词复数 )；餐前开胃菜；混合物

参考例句：

• Come about 4 o'clock. We'll have cocktails and grill steaks. 请四点钟左右来，我们喝鸡尾酒，吃烤牛排。 来自辞典例句
• Cocktails were a nasty American habit. 喝鸡尾酒是讨厌的美国习惯。 来自辞典例句

29 poetic   

adj.富有诗意的，有诗人气质的，善于抒情的

参考例句：

• His poetic idiom is stamped with expressions describing group feeling and thought.他的诗中的措辞往往带有描写群体感情和思想的印记。
• His poetic novels have gone through three different historical stages.他的诗情小说创作经历了三个不同的历史阶段。

30 castigating   

v.严厉责骂、批评或惩罚（某人）( castigate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Do not overdo your privilege of reproving or castigating me. 不要过分使用责备我的特权；不要对我倚老卖老。 来自互联网
• He is capable of castigating his own country. 他也会痛诋他的祖国。 来自互联网

31 berating   

v.严厉责备，痛斥( berate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He deserved the berating that the coach gave him. 他活该受到教练的严厉训斥。 来自互联网
• The boss is berating those who were late for work. 老板正在呵斥那些上班迟到的员工。 来自互联网

32 sculptor   

n.雕刻家，雕刻家

参考例句：

• A sculptor forms her material.雕塑家把材料塑造成雕塑品。
• The sculptor rounded the clay into a sphere.那位雕塑家把黏土做成了一个球状。