我们的口味由什么决定？ ⏲️ 6分钟英语：英语精读讲义

6 Minute English from bbclearningenglish.com.

bbclearningenglish.com 上的 6 分钟英语。

Hello, this is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English.

你好，这里是来自 BBC Learning English 的 6 分钟英语。

I'm Phil.

我是 Phil。

And I'm Beth.

我是 Beth。

Now, let's talk about food.

现在，让我们谈谈食物。

Okay.

好的。

What food do you love?

你最喜欢的食物是什么？

What food do you hate?

你讨厌的食物是什么？

If you ask around, 短語動詞

如果你四处问问，

you'll soon see there's no right or wrong answer. 短語搭配

你很快就会发现没有对或错的答案。

It's all a question of taste. 短語搭配

这完全是一个口味问题。

But our taste, it turns out, 表達脈絡

但事实证明，我们的口味，

isn't simply a matter of opinion. 短語搭配

并不只是一个主观看法的问题。

Rather, scientists have discovered that taste is influenced by our genes and DNA. 語法

相反，科学家们发现口味受我们的基因和 DNA 的影响。

So, in this program, we'll be asking,

所以，在这个节目中，我们将探讨，

what is taste?

什么是口味？

Why can't we agree on it?

为什么我们在这一点上无法达成共识？

And is it worth listening to experts 短語搭配

以及是否值得听取专家们的意见，

whose job is to tell us what to eat and drink?

他们的工作是告诉我们该吃什么和喝什么？

And as usual,

像往常一样，

we'll be learning some useful new vocabulary as well.

我们也会学到一些有用的新词汇。

Great.

太棒了。

But first, I have a question for you, Beth.

但首先，我有一个问题要问你，Beth。

A good way of finding out about British tastes 短語動詞

了解英国人口味的一个好方法

is with the nation's best-loved snack, crisps. 短語搭配

就是通过这个国家最受欢迎的零食——薯片。

So,

那么，

what is the most popular flavor of crisps in the UK? 文化背景

在英国最受欢迎的薯片口味是什么？

Is it A, salt and vinegar?

是 A，盐和醋味？

B, cheese and onion?

B，奶酪和洋葱味？

Or C, prawn cocktail?

还是 C，大虾鸡尾酒味？

Hmm, I'm going to guess cheese and onion.

嗯，我猜是奶酪和洋葱味。

Okay, Beth.

好的，Beth。

I'll reveal the answer later in the program. 表達脈絡

我将在节目的后面揭晓答案。

Science's understanding of how taste works started only 25 years ago 語法

科学界对味觉工作原理的理解仅始于 25 年前

with the discovery of taste receptors, 用詞

随着味觉受体的发现，

cells located in the taste buds on your tongue. 用詞

这些细胞位于你舌头上的味蕾中。

But people's taste is unique to them. 短語搭配

但每个人的口味都是独一无二的。

What tastes sweet to me 語法

对我来说尝起来很甜的东西

might taste sour or salty to someone else.

对别人来说可能尝起来是酸的或咸的。

And this is because of differences in the receptors we're born with. 短語搭配

这是由于我们与生俱来的味觉受体存在差异。

In other words, 表達脈絡

换言之，

taste is partly genetic.

口味在一定程度上是遗传的。

Here's Danielle Reid,

这是 Danielle Reid，

researcher at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia,

费城 Monell Chemical Senses Center 的研究员，

explaining more to BBC World Service program, The Food Chain.

在向 BBC 国际频道节目 The Food Chain 进行详细解释。

When we first started doing genetic studies,

当我们刚开始进行基因研究时，

we really just confined ourselves 短語搭配

我们实际上只是将研究范围局限于

to looking at a few Europeans, people of European ancestry. 用詞

观察少数欧洲人，即具有欧洲血统的人。

And so,

因此，

our understanding of the broad diversity of humans on the planet 短語搭配

我们对地球上人类广泛多样性的了解

was extremely limited.

极其有限。

We are broadening our horizons 習語

我们正在开阔眼界，

and studying people of Asian and African ancestry,

并研究具有亚洲和非洲血统的人，

and that has really opened up the knowledge 短語動詞

这确实让我们认识到

that people are much more diverse than we ever realized. 語法

人类的多样性远超我们的想象。

And what you're saying is, 語氣意圖

所以你的意思是，

no, taste isn't a matter of opinion,

不，口味不是意见的问题，

it's a matter of biology.

这是一个生物学的问题。

Exactly.

完全正确。

And we wouldn't,

并且我们不会，

you know, for our friends who are colorblind,

你知道，对于我们色盲的朋友，

we wouldn't chastise them for not being able to see red 用詞

我们不会因为他们看不到红色

or for dressing in colors we don't appreciate.

或者穿着我们不欣赏的颜色而责备他们。

But we feel very free to criticize our friends' sense of taste. 語氣意圖

但我们却随意批评朋友们的口味。

It was only when scientists looked outside Europe, 語法

只有当科学家们把目光投向欧洲以外，

to the rest of the world,

看向世界其他地方时，

that they realized the diversity of human taste.

他们才意识到人类口味的多样性。

Danielle says they broadened their horizons.

Danielle 说他们 broadened their horizons（开阔了眼界）。

They investigated something in a new way

他们以新的方式调查某事物

to increase their knowledge and understanding of it.

来增加他们对它的认识和理解。

Danielle compares taste to another genetically controlled condition, 短語搭配

Danielle 将味觉与另一种受基因控制的情况进行了比较，

being colorblind,

也就是色盲，

or unable to see the difference between certain colors like green and red. 短語搭配

或者无法分辨某些特定颜色，比如绿色和红色。

You wouldn't chastise,

你不会因为某人是色盲

criticize, or punish someone for being colorblind.

而去 chastise（责备）、批评或惩罚他们。

So, why criticize someone's taste? 表達脈絡

那么，为什么要批评别人的口味呢？

But if scientists are telling us taste is largely genetic,

但是，如果科学家告诉我们口味在很大程度上是遗传的，

what about restaurant critics and wine connoisseurs? 講解

那么餐厅评论家和葡萄酒鉴赏家呢？

People whose job it is to tell us what to eat and drink.

那些以告诉我们吃什么和喝什么为职业的人。

Are their opinions any better than our own?

他们的意见比我们自己的更好吗？

Here's David Kermode,

这是 David Kermode，

wine judge for the International Wine and Spirits Competition,

国际葡萄酒与烈酒大赛的葡萄酒评委，

speaking with Ruth Alexander

正在与 Ruth Alexander 交谈

for BBC World Service's The Food Chain.

代表 BBC 国际频道的 The Food Chain 节目。

Scientists have established that taste is individual

科学家们已经确认口味是因人而异的

and to a large extent actually genetic. 短語搭配

而且在很大程度上其实是遗传的。

So, I wonder,

所以，我想知道，

does that render the wine competition a pointless exercise? 語法

这是否使葡萄酒比赛成为一项毫无意义的活动？

No.

不。

I mean, I would say that, wouldn't I? 語氣意圖

我是说，我肯定会这么说，不是吗？

But of course,

但当然了，

individual taste is subjective. 用詞

个人口味是主观的。

We all have our own personal prejudices

我们都有自己的个人偏见

in whatever sphere of life you want to go into.

无论你想涉足生活中的哪个领域。

But we are encouraged,

但我们被鼓励，

I mean, ordered almost,

我是说，几乎是被命令，

to park those prejudices 習語

将这些偏见抛开

Since people's tastes are naturally different,

因为人们的口味天生不同，

Ruth asks if wine competitions are pointless,

Ruth 问葡萄酒比赛是否是 pointless（毫无意义的），

without purpose, and a waste of time. 短語搭配

没有目的，纯粹是浪费时间。

Being a wine judge, 語法

作为一名葡萄酒评委，

David of course disagrees,

David 当然不同意，

using the phrase,

并使用了这句话：

"But I would say that, wouldn't I?"

"But I would say that, wouldn't I?（但我肯定会这么说，不是吗？）"

This phrase means something like,

这句话的意思大致是：

"Of course, I would say that."

"我当然会这么说。"

It implies there's some reason

它暗示有某种理由

that what the speaker is saying is obviously biased towards them.

表明说话者所说的话显然偏向于他们自己。

David admits that taste is subjective,

David 承认口味是 subjective（主观的），

based on personal opinions and feelings rather than on facts. 短語搭配

是基于个人观点和感受，而非基于事实。

And I think it's time 短語搭配

我想是时候

to reveal the answer to your question, Phil.

揭晓你那个问题的答案了，Phil。

Right.

对的。

I asked for Britain's most popular flavor of crisp,

我问了英国最受欢迎的薯片口味，

and you said cheese and onion,

你说的是奶酪和洋葱味，

which was the correct answer.

那是正确答案。

Okay.

好的。

Let's recap the vocabulary we've learned in this program, 表達脈絡

让我们复习一下在这个节目中学到的词汇，

starting with the phrase to broaden or expand your horizons,

从短语 to broaden or expand your horizons 开始，

meaning to explore something in a new way

意思是以一种新的方式探索某事物

which increases your knowledge and understanding of it.

从而增加你对它的知识和理解。

To chastise means to strongly punish or criticize.

To chastise 意味着严厉惩罚或批评。

A colorblind person is unable to distinguish certain colors,

A colorblind person（色盲者）无法分辨特定颜色，

especially greens and reds.

尤其是绿色和红色。

Something which is pointless has no purpose or meaning

Something which is pointless 指某事没有目的或意义

and is a waste of time.

并且是浪费时间。

The phrase, "I would say that, wouldn't I?"

短语 "I would say that, wouldn't I?"

is a tag question meaning,

是一个附加疑问句，意思是，

"Of course, I would say that."

"我当然会这么说。"

And finally, if something is subjective,

最后，如果某件事是 subjective（主观的），

it's influenced by personal beliefs or feelings

它受个人的信仰或感情影响，

rather than based on facts.

而不是基于事实。

Once again, our 6 minutes are up. 短語搭配

我们的 6 分钟又到了。

Goodbye for now.

暂时再见了。

Bye.

再见。

6 Minute English from bbclearningenglish.com.

bbclearningenglish.com 上的 6 分钟英语。