Travels in Europe: London 雾都漫步 - 2

You just can't win it in London. It's too big, too busy and too expensive. This is one place where you've got to get information and use it, but that's no problem here, because there's so much help. Of course, the best place to get guidebooks and maps is the Tourist Information Office. I've already been there. What we need now is a periodical entertainment guide and you get that at a newsstand. I wanna know what's going on this week.

Hello. (Hello) City Limits. It's1 pound? (Yep!) Good. Thanks a lot.

We are close to the Clarence Pub. Let's pop in for some pub grub and plan our strategy.

It's just up the street from Parliament. Pubs in Britain are like an extended living room, a basic part of the social scene. They are the next best thing to relatives.

Pub is short for public house. People come here to talk. We can get lots of advice on what's the best play, the most entertaining walking tour, how to get from here to there, as well as the latest on, who is angry with whom in the Royal Family.

Just for a couple of days, do you have a play that you'd recommend?

Here is where we get educated about British beers, bitters, ales and lagers. And teetotalers don't have to partake to be welcome, coffee, tea or soft drinks do just as well at breaking the ice.

Lots of pubs serve a terrific buffet¹ meal, assorted² meat pies, curry³ dishes, knish, vegetables and chips.

Well England doesn't exactly pop to mind when you say fine cuisine⁴, I enjoy the straightforward⁵ English food in the fine Old-World settings.

Pub grub can be surprisingly good and is often the best hot food deal in town. This one advertises its food and lots of people are eating here. To me, that's the cue that is a good pub for a meal.

(You've ever taken the walking tours to instruct your walks? 100 blocks, pub grub, Shakespeare, Jack⁶ the Ripper…
I went the dungeons⁷.)

Ok, we've filled ourselves with food and information, and according to our adviser⁸, there's a good walking tour leaving in just a couple of minutes. We've still got time to make it. Let's go.

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teetotaler n. One who abstains⁹ completely from alcoholic¹⁰ beverages¹¹.
绝对禁酒者,禁酒主义者

assorted Consisting of a number of different kinds a. 配合的,组合的,各色俱备的
Ex: a box of assorted chocolates 一盒什锦巧克力糖

knish n. A piece of dough¹² stuffed with potato, meat, or cheese and baked or fried. 以肉,乳酪,水果为馅的炸饼

1 buffet   

n.自助餐；饮食柜台；餐台

参考例句：

• Are you having a sit-down meal or a buffet at the wedding?你想在婚礼中摆桌宴还是搞自助餐？
• Could you tell me what specialties you have for the buffet?你能告诉我你们的自助餐有什么特色菜吗？

2 assorted   

adj.各种各样的，各色俱备的

参考例句：

• There's a bag of assorted sweets on the table.桌子上有一袋什锦糖果。
• He has always assorted with men of his age.他总是与和他年令相仿的人交往。

3 curry   

n.咖哩粉，咖哩饭菜；v.用咖哩粉调味，用马栉梳，制革

参考例句：

• Rice makes an excellent complement to a curry dish.有咖喱的菜配米饭最棒。
• Add a teaspoonful of curry powder.加一茶匙咖喱粉。

4 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。

5 straightforward   

adj.正直的，坦率的；易懂的，简单的

参考例句：

• A straightforward talk is better than a flowery speech.巧言不如直说。
• I must insist on your giving me a straightforward answer.我一定要你给我一个直截了当的回答。

6 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

7 dungeons   

n.地牢( dungeon的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The captured rebels were consigned to the dungeons. 抓到的叛乱分子被送进了地牢。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He saw a boy in fetters in the dungeons. 他在地牢里看见一个戴着脚镣的男孩。 来自辞典例句

8 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

9 abstains   

戒（尤指酒），戒除( abstain的第三人称单数 )； 弃权（不投票）

参考例句：

• She eats only vegetables and abstains from eating meat. 她光吃青菜，不吃肉。
• He abstains from smoking for his heavy cough recently. 他近来咳嗽地非常厉害，于是他把烟戒了。

10 alcoholic   

adj.（含）酒精的，由酒精引起的；n.酗酒者

参考例句：

• The alcoholic strength of brandy far exceeds that of wine.白兰地的酒精浓度远远超过葡萄酒。
• Alcoholic drinks act as a poison to a child.酒精饮料对小孩犹如毒药。

11 beverages   

n.饮料( beverage的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• laws governing the sale of alcoholic beverages 控制酒类销售的法规
• regulations governing the sale of alcoholic beverages 含酒精饮料的销售管理条例

12 dough   

n.生面团；钱，现款

参考例句：

• She formed the dough into squares.她把生面团捏成四方块。
• The baker is kneading dough.那位面包师在揉面。