英国新闻听力 世界最贵火腿开始在英国发售

We all like to eat well, and sometimes it's worth spending that little bit extra in order to get the best food available, but how many of us would consider spending nearly ￡2,000 (22,000 yuan) for a pig's leg?

British gourmets¹ with money to burn are licking their lips at the thought of a Spanish ham that has gone on sale this week at shop in London.

The 7kg leg of Iberico ham costs ￡1,800 (19,800 yuan) and even comes with its own DNA² certificate to guarantee authenticity³.

Cured ham has long been enjoyed as an expensive delicacy⁴ around the world but the hefty price tag attached to these hams sets them apart from other similar products.

The reason they are so costly⁵ is because they come from a group of only 50 black Iberian pigs personally selected and reared by a third-generation Iberian pig farmer and curer.

Each pig has been fed on a special diet of acorns⁶ and roots to give the ham its distinctive⁷ flavour, and given a pasture of ten hectares each to live in.

After, what is by pig standards, an idyllic⁸ life of roaming oak groves⁹ and feeding naturally, the pigs are slaughtered¹⁰ and the curing process begins.

To make jamon iberico, as it is called in Spanish, the hams are salted and left to dry for two weeks, then they are rinsed¹¹ and dried for another four to six weeks.

The dry hams are then hung in a cool, dry place for between 12 and 36 months before being made available to the public.

These kinds of ham are served raw in very thin slices and usually eaten as an appetiser. According to the London store selling the world's most expensive ham, the taste more than justifies¹² the price tag.

"Connoisseurs¹³ will appreciate the melt-in-the-mouth texture¹⁴ of this truly amazing Spanish ham," said a spokesman.

我们都喜欢吃好一点，有时为了吃到最好的食物，多花一点钱也是值得的。但是有多少人会考虑花费接近2,000英镑(22,000元)来买一条猪腿呢？

一想到伦敦一家商店即将出售的西班牙火腿，英国有花不完的钱的美食家们就垂涎三尺。

伊比利(Iberico)火腿每条重达7千克，每条高达1,800英镑，每条都有DNA证书证明其真实性。

火腿一直被世界各地誉为昂贵的美味佳肴，但是这些火腿上面昂贵的价格标签将它们与其他类似产品区别开来。

这些火腿如此昂贵是因为，它们来自第三代伊比利养猪专家亲自挑选并饲养的仅有的50头猪。

每头猪都用特别的橡果和树根制成的特别膳食饲养，使火腿具有特别的风味，而且每头猪都有10公顷牧场的活动范围。

按照猪的标准，经过在橡树丛中徜徉和自然喂养的田园诗般的生活之后，这些猪被屠宰，开始了腌制的过程。

为了制成伊比利火腿，这些火腿用盐腌制，悬挂两周的时间来风干，随后用水冲洗，再风干4至6周的时间。

随后将风干的火腿悬挂在干燥凉爽的环境下12至36周到时间，之后才会推向市场。

这种火腿都是切成薄片生着提供，通常是作为开胃菜。据出售这种世界最贵火腿的伦敦商场所说，这种火腿的风味绝对可以证明这个价格是合理的。

“行家会喜欢这种令人惊叹的西班牙火腿入口即化的感觉。”一名发言人说。

1 gourmets   

讲究吃喝的人，美食家( gourmet的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The food here satisfies gourmands rather than gourmets. 这里的食物可以管饱却不讲究品质。
• Here is another example: "Western gourmets are sold on Peking Duck." 这里再举一个例子：“西方美食家已对北京烤鸭极有兴趣。”

2 DNA   

(缩)deoxyribonucleic acid 脱氧核糖核酸

参考例句：

• DNA is stored in the nucleus of a cell.脱氧核糖核酸储存于细胞的细胞核里。
• Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code.基因突变是指DNA密码的改变。

3 authenticity   

n.真实性

参考例句：

• There has been some debate over the authenticity of his will. 对于他的遗嘱的真实性一直有争论。
• The museum is seeking an expert opinion on the authenticity of the painting. 博物馆在请专家鉴定那幅画的真伪。

4 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。

5 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

6 acorns   

n.橡子，栎实( acorn的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Great oaks from little acorns grow. 万丈高楼平地起。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Welcome to my new website!It may not look much at the moment, but great oaks from little acorns grow! 欢迎来到我的新网站。它现在可能微不足道，不过万丈高楼平地起嘛。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 distinctive   

adj.特别的，有特色的，与众不同的

参考例句：

• She has a very distinctive way of walking.她走路的样子与别人很不相同。
• This bird has several distinctive features.这个鸟具有几种突出的特征。

8 idyllic   

adj.质朴宜人的，田园风光的

参考例句：

• These scenes had an idyllic air.这种情景多少有点田园气氛。
• Many people living in big cities yearn for an idyllic country life.现在的很多都市人向往那种田园化的生活。

9 groves   

树丛，小树林( grove的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The early sun shone serenely on embrowned groves and still green fields. 朝阳宁静地照耀着已经发黄的树丛和还是一片绿色的田地。
• The trees grew more and more in groves and dotted with old yews. 那里的树木越来越多地长成了一簇簇的小丛林，还点缀着几棵老紫杉树。

10 slaughtered   

v.屠杀，杀戮，屠宰( slaughter的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The invading army slaughtered a lot of people. 侵略军杀了许多人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Hundreds of innocent civilians were cruelly slaughtered. 数百名无辜平民遭残杀。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 rinsed   

v.漂洗( rinse的过去式和过去分词 )；冲洗；用清水漂洗掉（肥皂泡等）；（用清水）冲掉

参考例句：

• She rinsed out the sea water from her swimming-costume. 她把游泳衣里的海水冲洗掉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The clothes have been rinsed three times. 衣服已经洗了三和。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

12 justifies   

证明…有理( justify的第三人称单数 )； 为…辩护； 对…作出解释； 为…辩解（或辩护）

参考例句：

• Their frequency of use both justifies and requires the memorization. 频繁的使用需要记忆，也促进了记忆。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
• In my judgement the present end justifies the means. 照我的意见，只要目的正当，手段是可以不计较的。

13 connoisseurs   

n.鉴赏家，鉴定家，行家( connoisseur的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Let us go, before we offend the connoisseurs. 咱们走吧，免得我们惹恼了收藏家。 来自辞典例句
• The connoisseurs often associate it with a blackcurrant flavor. 葡萄酒鉴赏家们通常会将它跟黑醋栗口味联系起来。 来自互联网

14 texture   

n.(织物)质地；(材料)构造；结构；肌理

参考例句：

• We could feel the smooth texture of silk.我们能感觉出丝绸的光滑质地。
• Her skin has a fine texture.她的皮肤细腻。