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经济学人精读 | 成都火锅VS重庆火锅：到底谁才是火锅江湖的老大？
原文译文
Regional cuisine
地方菜
The gripes of broth
火锅汤的抱怨
Two cities tussle over who makes the tastiest Sichuan hotpot
两个城市争相认为自己做的火锅更好吃
Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, has an ancient rivalry with Chongqing, a city to its south-east. Residents of Chongqing accuse their Chengdu cousins of being pompous. The people of Chongqing are hotheads, Chengdu dwellers shoot back. Both cities share a love of spice-laden Sichuan cuisine, which in recent decades has conquered Chinese palates. But they are at war over which has the best Sichuan hotpot—a type of DIY-cooking that involves boiling vegetables and slices of meat in a communal broth with chilies and numbingpeppercorns.
四川省会成都与东南部城市重庆自古以来就在竞争。重庆人指责成都的兄弟们过于自负。重庆人是急性子，成都人则会回击。这两个城市都热爱辛辣的川菜，近几十年来，川菜已经征服了中国人的味觉。但是两个城市正在为哪家的四川火锅最好而争论不休。火锅是一种自己动手的烹调方式，将辣椒和带来酥麻口感的胡椒粒撒进汤里，汤开后将蔬菜和肉片等烫熟。
A private museum in Chongqing, opened several years ago, makes the case for Chongqing-style hotpot. It describes how it developed from a method used to make cheap offcuts of meat taste delicious. But Chengdu is playing catch-up. In January the city sold a plot of land on condition that the developer builds a hotpot museum on part of it. Suchpresumptuous behaviour will test the famous fiery tempers of Chongqing-ites. Chengdu may be the capital of Sichuan cuisine’s eponymous province, but Chongqing was part of Sichuan for long periods of history until 1997. It is now the capital of its own province-sized region, which is also called Chongqing.
几年前，重庆的一家私人博物馆对外开放，展示了重庆火锅的特色。博物馆展示了火锅从使便宜的边角肉尝起来美味的方法的演变历程。但成都正在迎头赶上。今年1月，成都出售了一块土地，条件是开发商在其中修建一座火锅博物馆。这种挑衅的行为将考验重庆人的火爆脾气。成都可能是川菜的代表，但在1997年以前重庆一直是四川的一部分。现在，重庆是省级行政区、直辖市。
The two cities are among many in China with their own styles of hotpot. The stories behind these dishes reveal how different regions like to see themselves. Chongqing’s is said to highlight the ingenuity of the proletariat. Other places describe their hotpots as the sophisticated food of emperors. Some say theirs have military origins: warriors on the march boiling scraps in their helmets. Hotpot contents are equally diverse. To keep warm in winter, Beijingers boil fatty lamb in a berry broth. Mint-suffused Yunnanese hotpot reflects the province’s links with South-East Asia.
这两个城市在中国众多火锅风格各异的城市中榜上有名。这些菜肴背后的故事揭示了不同地区是如何自我评价的。据说，重庆火锅彰显了无产阶级的创造力。其他地方把火锅描述为皇帝的精致食物。一些人说重庆火锅起源于军事：战士们在行军时在头盔里涮着可吃的食物。火锅的配料食材也呈现出多元化。为在冬天取暖，北京人用葱姜清汤涮肥美的羊肉。云南的薄荷火锅则反映出云南与东南亚的联系。
But Sichuan-style broths are the most commonly savored in China. In recent years their popularity has been booming. China has around 350,000 hotpot restaurants. About 40,000 of them are said to be in the Chongqing region alone. Hotpot restaurants in China are more profitable than other kinds, according to iiMedia, a consultancy. Haidilao, a well-known Sichuan-based hotpot chain, raised nearly $1bn when it was listed on the Hong Kong exchange in September. The company is taking its hotpot global. It expanded into Canada in December. Branches are set to open in London later this year.
但川味火锅汤在中国最受欢迎。近年来，受欢迎程度一再跃升。中国大约有35万家火锅店。仅重庆地区就有4万家火锅店。根据咨询公司iiMedia的数据，在中国，火锅店比其他类型的餐饮店利润更高。总部位于四川的知名火锅连锁企业海底捞去年9月在香港交易所上市时筹资近10亿美元。海底捞正将火锅带向全世界。去年12月，海底捞在加拿大开了第一家分店。今年晚些时候还将在伦敦开分店。
The more adventurous tastes of younger Chinese are fuelling demand. One-third of customers at hotpot restaurants in China are aged between 25 and 30, iiMedia says. They often have little time to cook at home and are unburdened by child-care duties. They like the social aspects of sharing hotpots. Round-the-clock restaurants are sprouting up to allow leisurely feasting.
中国年轻人敢于尝试新口味，这 *** 了火锅需求的增加。iiMedia表示，中国火锅店三分之一的顾客年龄在25岁至30岁之间。这些顾客通常很少在家里做饭，也没有照顾孩子的重担。他们喜欢一起吃火锅的社交功能。24小时营业的餐馆如雨后春笋般涌现出来，人们可以悠闲地享用美食。
While younger Chinese are increasingly health-conscious, they seem to brush offregular hotpot-hygiene scandals. A viral video of a pregnant woman fishing a rat from her broth caused a cooling in the shares of Xiabuxiabu, a chain restaurant named after a Japanese style of hotpot, but they heated up again a few days later. Haidilao even won plaudits when it admitted that rats had been found in some kitchens and vowed to clean up its act. News of other businesses reusing weeks-old oil in the broth is greeted with a shrug. The grubbiest hotpot joints are usually the best, young people often say with a grin.
中国的年轻人虽然越来越注重健康，但似乎对火锅卫生丑闻不以为意。呷哺呷哺是一家以日式火锅命名的连锁餐厅。近日，一段很火的视频中，一名孕妇在呷哺呷哺的火锅里夹出一只老鼠，此事导致呷哺呷哺股票大幅下跌，但几天后，股价再次回升。海底捞甚至承认在某些店的厨房里发现了老鼠，并承诺要整顿自己的行为，此举赢得称赞。有消息称，其他火锅店在汤里重复使用了几周的老油，人们对此只是耸耸肩。年轻人经常笑着说，最脏的火锅通常是最好吃的。
Not all Chinese warm to hotpot. Some older Sichuanese disown it altogether. They complain that it is causing an escalation of chilli-use in other dishes that drowns out subtle flavours. Chua Lam, a celebrity food critic based in Hong Kong, caused a stir in December when he wished hotpot would disappear from the face of the Earth. He di *** issed it as “the most uncultured form of cooking”, requiring no real culinary knowledge.
并非所有中国人都喜欢吃火锅。一些上了年纪的四川人声明并不钟情于火锅。他们抱怨火锅的流行导致其他菜肴辣椒的增多，掩盖了原来微妙的味道。去年12月，香港著名美食评论家蔡澜表示自己希望火锅从世上消失，语惊四座。他认为这是“最没有文化的烹饪方式”，不需要真正的烹饪知识。
But Chengdu’s plans for a museum suggest that Sichuan hotpot is not only growing in popularity, but is also becoming iconic. If it can set the West on fire, officials may hope it will become a delicious new source of Chinese soft power. There will be plenty of glory for both Chengdu and Chongqing to bask in if that happens.
但成都的博物馆计划表明，四川火锅不但越来越受欢迎，而且正在成为标志性的东西。如果它能点燃西方味蕾，当局可能希望火锅将成为中国软实力的一个美味新来源。如果能实现这一目标，成都和重庆都将获得无上荣光。
精读解析
篇章结构：
P1: 成都和重庆为哪家火锅更好争论不休。
P2: 成都重庆争相修建火锅博物馆。
P3：各地区的人对火锅的描述。
P4：川味火锅在各地最受欢迎。
P5：中国年轻人尝试新口味， *** 了火锅需求的增加。
P6：火锅的卫生问题。
P7：并非所有中国人都喜欢吃火锅。
P8：火锅有望成为中国软食了的一个代表。
重点词汇：
• gripe /graɪp/ n. 控制；发牢骚；肠绞痛 v. 绞痛；握紧；惹恼
【例句】
Her petty complaints really gripe me.
她唠叨的抱怨真的弄得我心烦
• pompous /pɒmpəs/ adj. 浮夸的；爱炫耀的；自大的；华而不实的
【例句】
His article is full of pompous words.
他的文章里充满了浮夸的言词。
• hothead /hɒthed/ n. 急性子的人; 鲁莽的人
【例句】
When office stress hits its peak, he knows the hothead to take out of the office.
当办公室压力高涨到顶峰的时候，他就知道该让办公室里性急的人出去透透气了。
• communal /kɒmjʊn(ə)l/ adj. 公共的；公社的
【例句】
A communal area is an area that is shared by a number of people.
公共区域就是很多人一起共享的区域。
• broth /brɒθ/ n. 肉汤；液体培养基
【例句】
Youre getting that hot stuff in my mild broth!
你把辣味都掺进我的清汤里了！
• peppercorn /pepəkɔːn/ n. 胡椒子,空有其名的地租
【例句】
peppercorns are sometimes mixed with other spices for a table condiment.
胡椒粒有时和其他香料拌和用作餐桌佐料。
• offcut /ɒfkʌt/ n. (木材等的)斜料;纸边
【例句】
That little offcut from the rose bush is beginning to take root..
那段从玫瑰花丛里剪下的枝条已经开始生根了。
• presumptuous /prɪzʌm(p)tʃʊəs/ adj. 自以为是的,专横的;冒失的n. 自以为是,专横;冒失
【例句】
It is too presumptuous of him to do so.
他这样做太放肆了。
• eponymous /iˈpɔniməs/ adj. 齐名的
【同根】
Eponym n. 齐名的人,名字被用于命名地方的人
【例句】
the eponymous hero of the novel.
与小说同名的主人公。
One day, though, Peter Higgs and his eponymous boson might outshine them all.
不过总有一天，彼得·希格斯和以他命名的玻色子可能会使这两人相形见绌。
• ingenuity /ˌɪndʒɪnjuːɪtɪ/ n. 足智多谋, 心灵手巧
【同根】
Ingenuous adj. 天真无邪的,朴实的；坦率的
【例句】
This movie is of great ingenuity.
这部影片很有独创性。
• proletariat /ˌprəʊlɪteərɪət/ n. (古罗马社会中的)最下层阶级,工人阶级,尤指无产阶级
【例句】
The urban working class proletariat still wanted better living and working conditions.
城市的工人阶级仍想要更好的生活和工作条件。
But in Europe you were born into the proletariat in most cases.
(另一方面)在欧洲很多人生下来就是无产阶级。
• consultancy /kənsʌlt(ə)nsɪ/ n. 顾问(工作)
【同根】
Consultant n. 顾问；高级顾问医生, 会诊医生
Consultation n. 磋商(会议),咨询,专家会诊
Consultative adj. 商议的,顾问的
【例句】
Dr. Gray has been appointed to a consultancy.
格雷医生就职于一家咨询公司。
• unburden /ʌnbɜːd(ə)n/ v. 卸去负荷；吐露心事, 消除(思想、心灵上的)负担
【搭配】
unburden oneself to *** .
对别人倾诉自己的心事
【例句】
They are unburdened by expectations of success.
他们不为期待成功而烦恼。
He unburdened a horse of its load.
他卸下马背上的货物。
• brush off 刷去；丢弃；脱落
【例句】
You have to like brush off all those fears and be ready to face anything.
要摒弃所有的恐惧心理，准备好面对一切。
• plaudit /plɔːdɪt/ n. 喝彩；赞美
【例句】
Businesses, keen for green plaudits, also leapt on the trend.
商业界渴望得到世界对其绿色行为的褒奖，同样也抓住时下潮流。
• grubby /grʌbɪ/ adj. 肮脏的；生蛆的；卑鄙的；[方]矮小的
【例句】
The hat hung limply in his hand, grubby and faded.
帽子软塌塌地悬在他手里，脏兮兮的，已经褪了色。
• disown /dɪsəʊn/ vt. 否认；脱离关系
【例句】
He disowned his parents and took off around the world.
他跟父母决裂然后就开始环游世界。
He disowned his reprobate son.
他声明与堕落的儿子脱离关系。
• escalation /ˌeskəleiʃən/ n. 扩大,增加
【同根】
escalate vt. & vi. (使)逐步升级; (使)逐步扩大；(使)更高, (使)更大
【例句】
The escalation is increasing very, very much.
紧张局势大幅增加。
The escalation in costs is certain to shake the confidence of private investors.
成本逐步上升一定会削弱私人投资者的信心。
• culinary /kʌlɪn(ə)rɪ/ adj. 厨房的, 烹饪的
【短语】
culinary arts烹饪艺术，厨艺
【例句】
She is studying culinary arts.
她正在学习烹调。
the herb has various culinary uses.
这种香草有多种烹饪用途。
• bask /bɑːsk/ v. [古]使…晒太阳；使暖和而舒适
【例句】
Bask in the glory.
回首我们的过往。
basking in the afterglow of victory.
沉浸在胜利后的快乐中。
She basked in her teachers praise.
她对老师的嘉许感到满足
• iconic /aɪkɒnɪk/ adj. [计]图标的，形象的
【同根】
iconicity n. 形象性 图像表示
【短语】
iconic memory图象记忆；映象记忆
iconic representation图像表示法；映像性表象；图象表示
iconic sign图像符号
【例句】
This world city is filled with iconic symbols.
这座世界城市充满代表性标志。
That was like a big iconic moment in all of our lives.
那是我们生命里 一个值得记住的时刻。
重点句子：
Haidilao, a well-known Sichuan-based hotpot chain, raised nearly $1bn when it was listed on the Hong Kong exchange in September.
这个句子的主干是：Haidilao raised nearly $1bn。后面的when引导的是一个时间状语从句，说明Haidilao raised nearly $1bn是发生在什么情况下的。中间的是a well-known Sichuan-based hotpot chain是一个插入语，修饰Haidilao。
