双语有声阅读:A Healing Cuisine 食补 ── 中国吃的

A Healing Cuisine¹ 食补 ── 中国吃的艺术

Chinese cuisine is widely known and enjoyed in all four corners of the world. Who could not confess to longing² for a favorite Chinese dish? But there is one interesting concept concerning Chinese food which is almost unheard of in the West, and which is becoming increasingly ignored by the youth of the East—the ancient custom of “tonic³ food.”

Tonic food is food which is consumed to improve one’s well-being⁴, or stave off sickness, particularly at times when one is more prone⁵ to illness. For instance, it was once the custom for new mothers to eat a sesame- oil hot pot every day for the first month after giving birth. It was believed that this dish would benefit the muscles, reduce pain, improve circulation, stimulate⁶ sweating, and warm the body.

In fact, these Chinese beliefs parallel some Western theories of health, although each takes a different path toward the very same goal. Western medicine actually recommends some of the exact same ingredients that make up the chicken hot pot dish. Sesame oil has been found to promote contraction⁷ of the womb while providing lots of calories, and chicken meat is particularly high in protein. Any Western doctor should be happy to suggest such a Chinese dish after childbirth.

The elderly, weak, and young can also benefit greatly from tonic foods, especially during the winter. Some foods, such as goat meat and spinach⁸, are seen as “hot,” while others, such as Chinese cabbage and radish, are seen as “cold.” One should be careful not to eat too much of either “hot” or “cold” food. However, how much “hot” or “cold” food one should eat depends on the time of the year, how the food is prepared and what it is prepared with, and the individual’s health.

“Warm” or “cool” tonic foods are strongly recommended. The choices for “warm” and “cool” foods range from simple sea cucumber to the delicacy⁹ of bird’s nest soup, depending on the individual’s economic circumstances.

The concept of tonic food is far from losing credibility, either with Westerners or practitioners¹⁰ of modern medicine. For example, up until two years ago, tonic foods were added to the meals served at a renowned¹¹ hospital.

The custom of prescribing tonic foods for a healthier life also spills over into the catering¹² industry. Although tonic foods themselves are losing popularity among the younger generation, Chinese herbal medicines, such as wolfberry fruit, can be found on many a restaurant menu, either added to fruit tea or as a beneficial addition to a dish. These herbs attract customers, such as over-worked office staff, in need of a modest pick-me-up.

So, whether you need to boost your masculinity with a large helping¹³ of bull penis, or increase your mental powers with a serving of pig’s brain soup, you may find that this ancient Chinese custom could be just the tonic you were looking for.

中国菜誉满天下，为全世界人所喜爱。谁敢说自己不想尝一道美味的中国佳肴？不过中国菜有个有趣的观念──“食补”，这个古老的习俗在西方几乎是前所未闻，而在东方则逐渐被年轻人忽视。

食补是指通过食用某些食物以增进健康，或防止疾病，尤其在人容易生病的时候。举个例子，在过去的习俗里，产妇在产后一个月内每天都要吃麻油鸡。人们认为这道菜对肌肉有益，并能减轻疼痛、促进循环、刺激排汗和暖和身子。

事实上，这些中国人的信念与西方的某些健康理论相似，可谓殊途同归。西方医学确实建议摄食几种和麻油鸡材料相同的成份。经证实麻油可以促进子宫收缩，同时提供高热量，而鸡肉的蛋白质含量特别高。西方国家的医生应该也乐于建议妇女产后食用这道中国菜。

老年人、体弱者和年轻人也可以从食补中获得很大收益，尤其在冬季。一些像羊肉和菠菜之类的食物，被视为“热性”食物，其它如大白菜及小红萝卜等，则被视为“凉性”食物。要注意热性或凉性的食物都不能吃太多。而热性及凉性食物摄食的多少，则应视时令、烹饪方式、烹饪调料及个人体质而定。

“温性”与“凉性”食物受到大力推荐。“温性”与 “凉性”食物的选择从简单的海参到美味的燕窝汤不等，视个人经济情况而定。

对西方人或现代医学的医生而言，食补的概念还远未丧失其可信度。比如大约两年前，一家著名的医院就将食补纳入其供餐服务中。

将食补作为养生之道的习俗也影响到了公共饮食业。虽然食补在年轻人中受欢迎的程度正在减退，但在许多餐厅的菜单中都能看到中药，像枸杞被加到水果茶中或是被当作有益的配料使用。这些中药吸引了需要适度提神的顾客，如加班时间过长的上班族等。

因此，不管你是需要大力借助牛鞭来提振男性雄风，还是用猪脑汤来增进你的脑力，你会发现古老的中国食补习俗可能就是你在寻觅的补药
 

1 cuisine   

n.烹调，烹饪法

参考例句：

• This book is the definitive guide to world cuisine.这本书是世界美食的权威指南。
• This restaurant is renowned for its cuisine.这家餐馆以其精美的饭菜而闻名。

2 longing   

n.（for）渴望

参考例句：

• Hearing the tune again sent waves of longing through her.再次听到那首曲子使她胸中充满了渴望。
• His heart burned with longing for revenge.他心中燃烧着急欲复仇的怒火。

3 tonic   

n./adj.滋补品，补药，强身的，健体的

参考例句：

• It will be marketed as a tonic for the elderly.这将作为老年人滋补品在市场上销售。
• Sea air is Nature's best tonic for mind and body.海上的空气是大自然赋予的对人们身心的最佳补品。

4 well-being   

n.安康，安乐，幸福

参考例句：

• He always has the well-being of the masses at heart.他总是把群众的疾苦挂在心上。
• My concern for their well-being was misunderstood as interference.我关心他们的幸福，却被误解为多管闲事。

5 prone   

adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的

参考例句：

• Some people are prone to jump to hasty conclusions.有些人往往作出轻率的结论。
• He is prone to lose his temper when people disagree with him.人家一不同意他的意见,他就发脾气。

6 stimulate   

vt.刺激，使兴奋；激励，使…振奋

参考例句：

• Your encouragement will stimulate me to further efforts.你的鼓励会激发我进一步努力。
• Success will stimulate the people for fresh efforts.成功能鼓舞人们去作新的努力。

7 contraction   

n.缩略词，缩写式，害病

参考例句：

• The contraction of this muscle raises the lower arm.肌肉的收缩使前臂抬起。
• The forces of expansion are balanced by forces of contraction.扩张力和收缩力相互平衡。

8 spinach   

n.菠菜

参考例句：

• Eating spinach is supposed to make you strong.据说吃菠菜能使人强壮。
• You should eat such vegetables as carrot,celery and spinach.你应该吃胡萝卜、芹菜和菠菜这类的蔬菜。

9 delicacy   

n.精致，细微，微妙，精良；美味，佳肴

参考例句：

• We admired the delicacy of the craftsmanship.我们佩服工艺师精巧的手艺。
• He sensed the delicacy of the situation.他感觉到了形势的微妙。

10 practitioners   

n.习艺者，实习者( practitioner的名词复数 )；从业者（尤指医师）

参考例句：

• one of the greatest practitioners of science fiction 最了不起的科幻小说家之一
• The technique is experimental, but the list of its practitioners is growing. 这种技术是试验性的，但是采用它的人正在增加。 来自辞典例句

11 renowned   

adj.著名的，有名望的，声誉鹊起的

参考例句：

• He is one of the world's renowned writers.他是世界上知名的作家之一。
• She is renowned for her advocacy of human rights.她以提倡人权而闻名。

12 catering   

n. 给养

参考例句：

• Most of our work now involves catering for weddings. 我们现在的工作多半是承办婚宴。
• Who did the catering for your son's wedding? 你儿子的婚宴是由谁承办的？

13 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。