An Old Legend about Cheese

 

一个关于奶酪的古老传说

No one knows who made the first cheese,

没有人知道谁制成了第一块奶酪，

but an old legend says that it was an Arabian merchant.

但是一则古老的传奇故事说，一位阿拉伯商人制成了第一块奶酪。

He put his milk in a pouch made from a sheep's stomach

他把牛奶放在用羊胃做成的袋里，

and set off across the desert.

动身穿过沙漠。

The jouncing of his camel, the desert heat,

骆驼的摇动，沙漠的灼热，

and the chemicals in the pouch made the milk separate into curds and whey.

以及袋中的化学物质使牛奶离析成凝乳和乳清。

The thick part,or curd,was the first cheese.

这稠的部分，或者说凝乳，便是第一块奶酪。

Ancient records show that cheese has been eaten for more than four thousand years.

古老的记载表明，人们食用奶酪已有4000多年的历史了。

From earliest times it has been considered a very nourishing food.

从最远古的时代起，它就被看成是营养丰富的食品。

Americans eat less cheese than people in some countries do,

美国人比其他国家的人吃奶酪要少些，

yet they still consume eight to ten pounds a year per person.

然而，每人一年仍要消耗八到十镑奶酪。

Today cheese is made all over the world. Most cheese is made from cow's milk,

今天，世界各地都制造奶酪了，大部分奶酪是用牛奶做的。

but supply of this milk is greater throughout the world.

但是在全世界，这种奶酪的供应量较大。

Smaller quantities come from the milk of other animals--goats,sheep,camels and even reindeer.

少量的奶酪来自于动物的奶，如山羊，绵羊，骆驼，甚至驯鹿。