【英语时差8,16】菠萝-“水果之王”（上）

If you want to make a jelled salad with pineapple, you’d better not use fresh pineapple, or you’ll end up with a soupy mess. On the other hand, only fresh pineapple will work as a meat tenderizer. Five hundred years ago, Christopher Columbus found Indians in the Caribbean using pineapple juice to soften¹ their skin, clean their wounds, remove body-hair, and to cure upset stomach. The secret of the pineapple is an enzyme² called “bromelain,” which is similar to the enzymes³ that our own digestive system uses to break down protein. When you marinate meat in fresh pineapple juice, the bromelain begins breaking down the proteins so that by the time the meat gets to your mouth, the digestion⁴ is already begun.

1 soften   

v.(使)变柔软；(使)变柔和

参考例句：

• Plastics will soften when exposed to heat.塑料适当加热就可以软化。
• This special cream will help to soften up our skin.这种特殊的护肤霜有助于使皮肤变得柔软。

2 enzyme   

n.酵素，酶

参考例句：

• Above a certain temperature,the enzyme molecule will become unfolded.超过一定温度，酶分子将会展开。
• An enzyme that dissolves the fibrin of blood clots.能溶解血凝块中的纤维的酶。

3 enzymes   

n. 酶，酵素

参考例句：

• It was said that washing powders containing enzymes remove stains more efficiently. 据说加酶洗衣粉除污更有效。
• Among the enzymes which are particularly effective are pepsin, papain. 在酶当中特别有效的是胃朊酶、木瓜酶。

4 digestion   

n.消化，吸收

参考例句：

• This kind of tea acts as an aid to digestion.这种茶可助消化。
• This food is easy of digestion.这食物容易消化。