趣味青春英语 第69期:Melting pot

 　　Idiom:

　　melting pot大熔炉，在一个地区外来的每个不同民族背景的人带来了不同的文化,最后融合形成了新的文化。

　　Hit the book:

　　Variety

　　Household

　　Chopstick

　　Ritual

　　Feast

　　Reciprocate¹

　　Visitors to Japan are often excited about the variety of food available. But, many people are a little nervous about what to do at restaurants or in a Japanese household . It's helpful to know basic table manners before going to Japan.

　　Chopsticks in rice. Do not stick your hashi (chopsticks) upright in a bowl of rice. This is how rice is offered to the dead in Buddhist² rituals. Similarly, do not pass food from your chopsticks to someone else's. This is another funereal³ ritual.

　　Polite expressions. When eating with other people, especially when you're a guest, it is polite to say 'itadakimasu' (literally, 'I will receive') before digging in. This is as close as the Japanese come to saying grace. Similarly, at the end of the meal, you should thank your host by saying 'gochiso-sama deshita', which means 'It was a real feast'.

　　Kampai. It is bad form to fill your own glass. You should fill the glass of the person next to you and wait for them to reciprocate. Raise your glass a little off the table while it is being filled. Once everyone's glass has been filled, the usual starting signal is a chorus of 'kampai', which means 'cheers!'

　　Slurp⁴. When you eat noodles in Japan, it's perfectly⁵ OK, even expected, to slurp them. In fact, one of the best ways to find ramen (egg noodle) restaurants in Japan is to listen for the loud slurping⁶ sound that comes out of them.

1 reciprocate   

v.往复运动；互换；回报，酬答

参考例句：

• Although she did not reciprocate his feelings, she did not discourage him.尽管她没有回应他的感情，她也没有使他丧失信心。
• Some day I will reciprocate your kindness to me.总有一天我会报答你对我的恩德。

2 Buddhist   

adj./n.佛教的，佛教徒

参考例句：

• The old lady fell down in adoration before Buddhist images.那老太太在佛像面前顶礼膜拜。
• In the eye of the Buddhist,every worldly affair is vain.在佛教徒的眼里，人世上一切事情都是空的。

3 funereal   

adj.悲哀的；送葬的

参考例句：

• He addressed the group in funereal tones.他语气沉痛地对大家讲话。
• The mood of the music was almost funereal.音乐的调子几乎像哀乐。

4 slurp   

n.啜食；vt.饮食出声

参考例句：

• You may not slurp your soup.喝汤不可发出声音。
• Do you always slurp when a milkshake?你总是这样啧啧喝牛奶吗？

5 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

6 slurping   

v.啜食( slurp的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He was slurping his tea. 他正咂着嘴喝茶。
• Although the downturn has not stopped consumers slurping ice-cream, it has affected the bottom line. 尽管经济低迷没有阻止消费者吃冰淇淋，但却影响了净利润。 来自互联网