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(单词翻译)
Healthy snacks in Japan
日本健康零食
The joy of soy
黄豆欢歌
Defying Western food imperialism1
小黄豆不畏西餐帝国主义
If you want to learn how to live longer, look at the people of Okinawa, a string of islands in south-western Japan. Raised on a diet of fish and soyabeans, their life expectancy2 is among the highest on Earth. There is a natural control group; many Okinawans fled to Brazil and Hawaii after the second world war, where they switched to a meatier diet of steaks and burgers. All have been studied regularly by Japanese researchers over the past three decades to prove that a soya-rich diet can prolong life. Now it is time for the taste test: can a healthy bag of soya nibbles3 sweep the fatty potato snack off the table?
想知道延缓衰老的秘籍,不妨学学冲绳岛的原住民。冲绳岛群岛位于日本西南部,岛上居民自古以鱼和大豆为食,平均期望寿命居全球之首。二战结束后,许多冲绳人逃亡至巴西和夏威夷,饮食习惯也入乡随俗,改为以牛排和汉堡为主的肉食;这些冲绳人便成了天然的对照组。日本研究学家为证明富含黄豆的饮食能延缓衰老,在过去的30年里一直对两组人群做定期研究。如今到了测试口味的时候:健康小黄豆是否能取代高脂土豆零食,成为桌上新宠?
Kaoru Yamada, a young food specialist at Otsuka Pharmaecutical, a Japanese drug company, has risen to the challenge. She dislikes the taste of soya, so she invented a lightly baked soya pastry4 that tastes of cheese, is crispy, has soyabeans rattling5 inside it and can sit on a desk—or even on a bar—for months without going soggy. Called SoyCarat, her creation went on sale in Japan this month. Otsuka, which also produces a big-selling health drink called Pocari Sweat, sees it as part of a counter-offensive against Western snacks that are making Asians fatter.
日本大塚制药株式会社的青年食物专家山田薰已着手应战。山田小姐因为不喜欢黄豆的味道,故特意研发出了一款奶酪味黄豆酥。这款名为SoyCarat的黄豆酥经低温烘焙而成,内含嘎吱黄豆,口感松脆。在台面或柜台上存放数月也不会受潮变软。山田小姐的新发明将于本月在日本上市。亚洲人在西式零食的影响下日趋肥胖,生产热销运动饮料宝矿力的大塚制药则将SoyCarat视作西式零食大反攻行动的一部分。
The science is compelling: research, albeit6 part-sponsored by Otsuka, suggests that eating soya protein quickly lowers blood pressure, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. The company notes that the average American eats less soya in a year than the average Japanese eats in a day. Otsuka is not alone in Japan in trying to use science to sell consumer products: for instance, Uniqlo, a clothes retailer7, sells hi-tech underwear that it says makes sweat dry quicker.
科学研究显示,摄入大豆蛋白能迅速降低血压、减少心血管疾病发病率。虽然大塚制药是该研究发起人之一,但科学研究总能令人信服。公司指出,日本人日均大豆食用量高于美国人年均摄入量。在日本,利用科学研究推销产品的公司大有人在,大塚制药绝非独家——服装零售商优衣库就在推销一款号称能超速吸汗的高科技内衣。
But the marketing8 may be a problem. Sophisticated diners insist that soya is scrumptious, but others vehemently9 disagree. Gary Larson, a cartoonist, once drew three disgusted lionesses spitting out the wobbly flesh of “a tofudebeest—one of the Serengeti’s obnoxious10 health antelopes”. It struck a chord.
然而,将新产品推向市场或将不会一帆风顺。精明的食客们坚称豆制品美味至极,但其他人却强烈反对。漫画家加里.拉尔森(Gary Larson)画过这样一幅漫画:三头母狮们厌恶的相继吐出口中摇晃着的块块鲜肉,因为它们捕到的是“塞伦盖蒂最令人作呕的健康羚羊——豆腐羚”。该漫画引发了公众的强烈共鸣。
SoyCarat’s brand name is tricky11: whatever the spelling, it evokes12 the idea of two things children shun13 and adults munch14 only reluctantly. Perhaps it should be portrayed15 as something laid back and Okinawan instead, like a bar snack. After all, what could be better than a life-enhancing glass of Orion beer in one hand, and a life-extending bag of soya snacks in the other?
SoyCarat这个品牌名本身就很复杂——无论soy和carat怎样组合,总会让人想起“黄豆”和“克拉”这两种小孩避而远之,大人勉强食之的东西。或许应该将它描述成具有冲绳风情,在酒吧吃的那种休闲小零食。毕竟,还有什么能比一杯增加生命宽度的Orion啤酒,一袋增加生命长度的黄豆小食更惬意的呢?
1 imperialism | |
n.帝国主义,帝国主义政策 | |
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2 expectancy | |
n.期望,预期,(根据概率统计求得)预期数额 | |
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3 nibbles | |
vt.& vi.啃,一点一点地咬(nibble的第三人称单数形式) | |
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4 pastry | |
n.油酥面团,酥皮糕点 | |
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5 rattling | |
adj. 格格作响的, 活泼的, 很好的 adv. 极其, 很, 非常 动词rattle的现在分词 | |
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6 albeit | |
conj.即使;纵使;虽然 | |
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7 retailer | |
n.零售商(人) | |
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8 marketing | |
n.行销,在市场的买卖,买东西 | |
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9 vehemently | |
adv. 热烈地 | |
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10 obnoxious | |
adj.极恼人的,讨人厌的,可憎的 | |
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11 tricky | |
adj.狡猾的,奸诈的;(工作等)棘手的,微妙的 | |
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12 evokes | |
产生,引起,唤起( evoke的第三人称单数 ) | |
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13 shun | |
vt.避开,回避,避免 | |
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14 munch | |
v.用力嚼,大声咀嚼 | |
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15 portrayed | |
v.画像( portray的过去式和过去分词 );描述;描绘;描画 | |
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