Lesson 23

People become quite illogical when they try to decide what can be eaten and what cannot be eaten.
当人们尝试决定什么可以吃、什么不能吃时，会变得相当不合逻辑。
If you lived in the Mediterranean, for instance, you would consider octopus a great delicacy.
如果你居住在地中海，例如，你会认为章鱼是一种极大的美味。
You would not be able to understand why some people find it repulsive.
你将无法理解为什么有些人会觉得它令人厌恶。
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.
另一方面，一想到用动物油炸土豆——这种在许多北方国家通常被接受的做法，你就会感到恶心。
The sad truth is that most of us have been brought up to eat certain foods and we stick to them all our lives.
悲哀的事实是，我们中的大多数人从小就被培养去吃某些食物，并且我们一生都固守它们。
No creature has received more praise and abuse than the common garden snail.
没有哪种生物比普通的庭院蜗牛受到过更多的赞美和谩骂了。
Cooked in wine, snails are a great luxury in various parts of the world.
用酒烹调的蜗牛是世界各地的顶级美食。
There are countless people who, ever since their early years, have learned to associate snails with food.
有无数的人，从早年起就学会了将蜗牛与食物联系在一起。
My friend, Robert, lives in a country where snails are despised.
我的朋友罗伯特住在一个蜗牛被鄙视的国家。
As his flat is in a large town, he has no garden of his own.
由于他的公寓位于一个大城镇，他没有属于自己的花园。
For years he has been asking me to collect snails from my garden and take them to him.
多年来，他一直要求我从花园里收集蜗牛并带给他。
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.
这个想法从未对我产生多大吸引力，但有一天，在一场大雨之后，我碰巧在花园里散步，这时我注意到大量的蜗牛正爬在我的一些名贵植物上。
Acting on a sudden impulse, I collected several dozen, put them in a paper bag, and took them to Robert.
出于一时的冲动，我收集了几十个，把它们装进纸袋，并带给了罗伯特。
Robert was delighted to see me and equally pleased with my little gift.
罗伯特很高兴见到我，也同样喜欢我送的小礼物。
I left the bag in the hall and Robert and I went into the living room where we talked for a couple of hours.
我把包留在门厅，罗伯特和我走进客厅，在那里我们聊了几个小时。
I had forgotten all about the snails when Robert suddenly said that I must stay to dinner.
当罗伯特突然提出要我留下来吃晚饭时，我已经把那些蜗牛的事忘得一干二净了。
Snails would, of course, be the main dish.
蜗牛当然会是主菜。
I did not fancy the idea and I reluctantly followed Robert out of the room.
我不喜欢这个主意，于是我不情愿地跟着罗伯特走出了房间。
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!
令我们沮丧的是，我们看到到处都是蜗牛：它们从纸袋里逃了出来，并完全占领了大厅！
I have never been able to look at a snail since then.
从那以后，我再也无法直视蜗牛了。