Part 5 Love for Good Eating

 

第五部分 热爱美食

At supper Johnson talked of good eating with uncommon satisfaction. "Some people," said he, "have a foolish way of not minding, or pretending not to mind, what they eat. For my part, I mind my belly very studiously, and very carefully; for I look upon it, that he who does not mind his belly will hardly mind anything else,"He was, for the moment, not only serious but vehement. Yet I have heard him, upon other occasions, talk with great contempt of people who were anxious to gratify their palates; and the 206th number of his Rambler is a masterly essay against gulosity. His practice, indeed, I must acknowledge, may be considered as casting the balance of his different opinions upon this subject; for I never knew any man who relished good eating more than he did.

晚餐时约翰逊谈起了美食，满意之情异乎寻常。他说："有些人不介意，或者假装不介意他们吃的食物，这是愚蠢的表现。对我来说，我非常细心和认真地为我的肚子考虑。我认为，一个不在意肚子的人几乎不会在意任何其他的事情。"此刻，他不仅神情严肃，而且感情激烈。然而，在其他一些时候，我曾听到他对那些急于满足自己食欲的人又嗤之以鼻。并且他的《漫步者》一书中的第206篇就是一则反对贪食的散文佳作。我必须承认，他的行为确实可以被认为是在平衡有关同一话题的不同观点，因为我从未碰到过比他还要更热衷于美食的人。

When at table, he was totally absorbed in the business of the moment; his looks seemed riveted to his plate; nor would he, unless when in very high company, say one word, or even pay the least attention to what was said by others, till he had satisfied his appetite, which was so fierce, and indulged with such intenseness，that while in the act of eating, the veins of his forehead swelled, and generally a strong perspiration was visible. To those whose sensations were delicate, this could not but be disgusting; and it was doubtless not very suitable to the character of a philosopher, who should be distinguished by self-command. But it must be owned, that Johnson, though he could be rigidly ABSTEMIOUS, was not a TEMPERATE man either in eating or drinking. He could refrain, but he could not use moderately.

在饭桌边，他完完全全被眼前的食物所吸引，他的脸似乎牢牢地贴在了盘子上，除非宾客众多，他都一言不发，甚至一点也不留意其他人的言谈，直到他强烈的食欲得以满足，神情专注地暴饮暴食完毕为止。吃饭时，他前额青筋爆出，通常还能看见额头上大滴大滴的汗珠。对那些感觉敏感的人而言，这副吃相绝对令人作呕；毫无疑问，这和一位哲学家的品质太不相称了，哲学家应以严于律己而得名。但是，必须指出的是，尽管约翰逊可能是一个严格约束自己的人，但是在饮食上他没有节制。他可以克制，但真正吃喝起来就不能自拔了。

He told me, that he had fasted two days without inconvenience, and that he had never been hungry. They who beheld with wonder how much he eat upon all occasions when his dinner was to his taste, could not easily conceive what he must have meant by hunger.

他告诉我，他巳经顺利斋戒两天了，并且从来没有感到过饥饿。但是一旦餐点合他的胃口，他便狼吞虎咽起来，每次目睹他这副吃相的朋友们都深感惊奇，想不出他所谓的饥饿到底意指何意。

And not only was he remarkable for the extraordinary quantity which he eat, but he was, or affected to be, a man of very nice discernment in the science of cookery. He used to descant critically on the dishes which had been at table where he had dined or supped, and to recollect very minutely what he had liked. I remember, when he was in Scotland, his praising "Gordon's palates，" (a dish of palates at the Honourable Alexander Gordon's) with a warmth of expression which might have done honour to more important subjects. "As for Maclaurin's imitation of a MADE DISH, it was a wretched attempt." He about the same time was so much displeased with the performances of a nobleman's French cook, that he exclaimed with vehemence, "I'd throw such a rascal into the river"，and he then proceeded to alarm a lady at whose house he was to sup, by the following manifesto of his skill: "I，Madam, who live at a variety of good tables, am a much better judge of cookery, than any person who has a very tolerable cook, but lives much at home; for his palate is gradually adapted to the taste of his cook; whereas, Madam, in trying by a wider range, I can more exquisitely judge." When invited to dine, even with an intimate friend, he was not pleased if something better than a plain dinner was not prepared for him. I have heard him say on such an occasion, "This was a good dinner enough, to be sure; but it was not a dinner to ASK a man to." On the other hand, he was wont to express, with great glee, his satisfaction when he had been entertained quite to his mind.

约翰逊不仅因食量惊人而引人注目，而且他还是，或者假装是鉴赏烹饪技艺的能手。他过去常常在餐桌边详细地评论刚刚品尝或饮用过的菜肴，非常细致地回味他喜爱的食物。我记得在苏格兰的时候，他称赞"高登阁下府邸的饮食味道"（尊敬的亚历山大·高登阁下）时，言辞激动热烈，而这本该是在探讨更重要的话题时才应有的情感和语气。"至于麦克劳林仿效的拼盘，真是一次恶劣的尝试。"当时他对一位贵族的法国厨师的表现极为不悦，甚至义愤填鹰地说："我要把这个恶棍扔进河里。"之后他继续警示一位女士，不久他要去女士家进餐，他对自己的美食技艺发表了如下宣言："夫人，我生活在各式各样的美食桌旁，更是一个美食行家，评判能力远远胜过长期居家、有优秀厨师备餐的任何人，因为这样的人往往会逐渐适应厨师的口味。但是，夫人，我尝过的饭菜种类繁多，能够更加细致地作出判断。"只要有人邀他进餐，即使是亲密的朋友，如果招待他的只是家常便饭，没有配备更为精美的饭菜，他就会面露不悦的神色。一次我听他提起："这顿饭很不错，那是肯定的，但是这不是款待客人的食物。"另一方面，如果款待他的饭菜正合他心意，他常常会兴高采烈地表达他的满足感。