23 · 各有所爱
One Man's Meat is Another Man's Poison
读懂长句与段落衔接，分清事实、推断和观点，再连贯复述或说明。
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People become quite illogical when they try to decide what can be eaten and what cannot be eaten. If you lived in the Mediterranean, for instance, you would consider octopus a great delicacy. You would not be able to understand why some people find it repulsive. On the other hand, your stomach would turn at the idea of frying potatoes in animal fat—the normally accepted practice in many northern countries. The sad truth is that most of us have been brought up to eat certain foods and we stick to them all our lives.
No creature has received more praise and abuse than the common garden snail. Cooked in wine, snails are a great luxury in various parts of the world. There are countless people who, ever since their early years, have learned to associate snails with food. My friend, Robert, lives in a country where snails are despised. As his flat is in a large town, he has no garden of his own. For years he has been asking me to collect snails from my garden and take them to him. The idea never appealed to me very much, but one day, after a heavy shower, I happened to be walking in my garden when I noticed a huge number of snails taking a stroll on some of my prize plants. Acting on a sudden impulse, I collected several dozen, put them in a paper bag, and took them to Robert. Robert was delighted to see me and equally pleased with my little gift. I left the bag in the hall and Robert and I went into the living room where we talked for a couple of hours. I had forgotten all about the snails when Robert suddenly said that I must stay to dinner. Snails would, of course, be the main dish. I did not fancy the idea and I reluctantly followed Robert out of the room. To our dismay, we saw that there were snails everywhere: they had escaped from the paper bag and had taken complete possession of the hall! I have never been able to look at a snail since then.
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整篇课文
People become quite illogical when they try to decide what can be eaten and what cannot be eaten. If you lived in the Mediterranean, for instance, you would consider octopus a great delicacy. You would not be able to understand why some people find it repulsive. On the other hand, your stomach would turn at the idea of frying potatoes in animal fat—the normally accepted practice in many northern countries. The sad truth is that most of us have been brought up to eat certain foods and we stick to them all our lives.
No creature has received more praise and abuse than the common garden snail. Cooked in wine, snails are a great luxury in various parts of the world. There are countless people who, ever since their early years, have learned to associate snails with food. My friend, Robert, lives in a country where snails are despised. As his flat is in a large town, he has no garden of his own. For years he has been asking me to collect snails from my garden and take them to him. The idea never appealed to me very much, but one day, after a heavy shower, I happened to be walking in my garden when I noticed a huge number of snails taking a stroll on some of my prize plants. Acting on a sudden impulse, I collected several dozen, put them in a paper bag, and took them to Robert. Robert was delighted to see me and equally pleased with my little gift. I left the bag in the hall and Robert and I went into the living room where we talked for a couple of hours. I had forgotten all about the snails when Robert suddenly said that I must stay to dinner. Snails would, of course, be the main dish. I did not fancy the idea and I reluctantly followed Robert out of the room. To our dismay, we saw that there were snails everywhere: they had escaped from the paper bag and had taken complete possession of the hall! I have never been able to look at a snail since then.
人们在判断什么能吃、什么不能吃时，往往很不讲道理。比如，如果你生活在地中海地区，就会把章鱼当作美味，也很难理解为什么有人一看见它就反胃。反过来，你可能一想到用动物油脂炸土豆就觉得恶心，可这在许多北方国家却是再平常不过的做法。遗憾的是，我们大多数人从小就习惯了某些食物，此后一辈子也不肯改变。
普通的花园蜗牛，恐怕是最能让人褒贬两极的动物了。在世界许多地方，葡萄酒煮蜗牛是昂贵的佳肴。无数人从小就知道，蜗牛是可以吃的。我的朋友罗伯特，却住在一个人们厌恶蜗牛的国家。他的公寓位于一座大城市，没有自己的花园，多年来一直央求我从花园里收集些蜗牛带给他。我对这个主意一直没多大兴趣。可有一天，大雨刚过，我恰好在花园散步，发现一大群蜗牛正悠闲地爬在我几株珍爱的植物上。我一时兴起，捉了几十只，装进纸袋，带去给罗伯特。他见我来很高兴，对这份小礼物也同样满意。我把纸袋留在门厅，和他进了客厅，一聊就是好几个小时。蜗牛早已被我忘得一干二净，这时罗伯特突然坚持要留我吃晚饭，主菜当然就是蜗牛。我实在不想吃，只好勉强跟着他走出客厅。眼前的景象让我们大惊失色：到处都是蜗牛！它们已经从纸袋里逃了出来，彻底占领了整个门厅。从那以后，我再也没法面对蜗牛了。
学完这一课
换一个地区或成长背景，设想食物习惯可能怎样改变。
译文依据整理稿，由本站按中文表达重新校订；解析据吴应时、何景霖整理资料及首轮审校稿；词伙与练习提示为本站学习设计。原PDF第79—81页，2022年2月第3版。