丰子恺从前听人说：中国人人人具有三种博士的资：拿筷子博士、吹煤头纸博士、吃瓜子博士。拿筷子，吹煤头纸，吃瓜子，的确是中国人独得的技术。其纯熟深造，想起了可以使人吃惊。这里精通拿筷子法的人，有了一双筷，可抵刀锯叉瓢一切器具之用，爬罗剔抉，无所不精。这两根毛竹仿佛是身体上的一部分，手指的延长，或者一对取食的触手。用时好像变戏法者的一种演技，熟能生巧，巧极通神。不必说西洋了，就是我们自己看了，也可惊叹。至于精通吹煤头纸法的人，首推几位一天到晚捧水烟筒的老先生和老太太。他们的“要有火”比上帝还容易，只消向煤头纸上轻轻一吹，火便来了。他们不必出数元乃至数十元的代价去买打火机，只要有一张纸，便可临时在膝上卷起煤头纸来，向铜火炉盖的小孔内一插，拔出来一吹，火便来了。我小时候看见我们染坊店里的管账先生，有种种吹煤头纸的特技。我把煤头纸高举在他的额旁边了，他会把下唇伸出来，使风向上吹；我把煤头纸放在他的胸前了，他会把上唇伸出来，使风向下吹；我把煤头纸放在他的耳旁了，他会把嘴歪转来，使风向左右吹；我用手按住了他的嘴，他会用鼻孔吹，都是吹一两下就着火的。中国人对于吹煤头纸技术造诣之深，于此可以窥见。所可惜者，自从卷烟和火柴输人中国而盛行之后，水烟这种“国烟”竟被冷落，吹煤头纸这种“国技”也很不发达了。生长在都会里的小孩子，有的竟不会吹，或者连煤头纸这东西也不曾见过。在努力保存国粹的人看来，这也是一种可虑的现象。近来国内有不少人努力于国粹保存。国医、国药、国术、国乐，都有人在那里提倡。也许水烟和煤头纸这种国粹，将来也有人起来提倡，使之复兴。但我以为这三种技术中最进步最发达的，要算吃瓜子。近来瓜子大王的畅销，便是其老大的证据。据关心此事的人说，瓜子大王一类的装纸袋的瓜子，最近市上流行的有许多牌子。最初是某大药房“用科学方法”创制的，后来有什么“好吃来公司”、“顶好吃公司”……等种种出品陆续产出。到现在差不多无论哪个穷乡僻处的糖食摊上，都有纸袋装的瓜子陈列而倾销着了。现代中国人的精通吃瓜子术，由此盖可想见。我对于此道，一向非常短拙，说出来有伤于中国人的体面，但对自家人不妨谈谈。我从来不曾自动地找求或买瓜子来吃。但到人家作客，受人劝诱时；或者在酒席上、杭州的茶楼上，看见桌上现成放着瓜子盆时，也便拿起来咬。我必须注意选择，选那较大、较厚、而形状平整的瓜子，放进口里，用臼齿“格”地一咬；再吐出来，用手指去剥。幸而咬得恰好，两瓣瓜子壳各向两旁扩张而破裂，瓜仁没有咬碎，剥起来就较为省力。若用力不得其法，两瓣瓜子壳和瓜仁叠在一起而折断了，吐出来的时候我就担忧。那瓜子已纵断为两半，两半瓣的瓜仁紧紧地装塞在两半瓣的瓜子壳中，好像日本版的洋装书，套在很紧的厚纸函中，不容易取它出来。这种洋装书的取出法，现在都已从日本人那里学得，不要把指头塞进厚纸函中去力挖，只要使函口向下，两手扶着函，上下振动数次，洋装书自会脱壳而出。然而半瓣瓜子的形状太小了，不能应用这个方法，我只得用指爪细细地剥取。有时因为练习弹琴，两手的指爪都剪平，和尚头一般的手指对它简直毫无办法。我只得乘人不见把它抛弃了。在痛感困难的时候，我本拟不再吃瓜子了。但抛弃了之后，觉得口中有一种非甜非咸的香味，会引逗我再吃。我便不由地伸起手来，另选一粒，再送交臼齿去咬。不幸而这瓜子太燥，我的用力又太猛，“格”地一响，玉石不分，咬成了无数的碎块，事体就更糟了。我只得把粘着唾液的碎块尽行吐出在手心里，用心挑选，剔去壳的碎块，然后用舌尖甜食瓜仁的碎块。然而这挑选颇不容易，因为壳的碎块的一面也是白色的，与瓜仁无异，我误认为全是瓜仁而舐进口中去嚼，其味虽非嚼蜡，却等于嚼砂。壳的碎片紧紧地嵌进牙齿缝里，找不到牙签就无法取出。碰到这种钉子的时候，我就下个决心，从此戒绝瓜子。戒绝之法，大抵是喝一口茶来漱一漱口，点起一支香烟，或者把瓜子盆推开些，把身体换个方向坐了，以示不再对它发生关系。然而过了几分钟，与别人谈了几句话，不知不觉之间，会跟了别人而伸手向盆中摸瓜子来咬。等到自己觉察破戒的时候，往往是已经咬过好几粒了。这样，吃了非戒不可，戒了非吃不可；吃而复戒，戒而复吃，我为它受尽苦痛。这使我现在想起了瓜子觉得害怕。但我看别人，精通此技的很多。我以为中国人的三种博士才能中，咬瓜子的才能最可叹佩。常见闲散的少爷们，一只手指间夹着一支香烟，一只手握着一把瓜子，且吸且咬，且咬且吃，且吃且谈，且谈且笑。从容自由，真是“交关写意！”他们不须拣选瓜子，也不须用手指去剥。一粒瓜子塞进了口里，只消“格”地一咬，“呸”地一吐，早已把所有的壳吐出，而在那里嚼食瓜子的肉了。那嘴巴真像一具精巧灵敏的机器，不绝地塞进瓜子去，不绝地“格，“呸”，“格”，“呸”，……全不费力，可以永无罢休。女人们、小姐们的咬瓜子，态度尤加来得美妙；她们用兰花似的手指摘住瓜子的圆端，把瓜子垂直地塞在门牙中间，而用门牙去咬它的尖端。“的，的”两响，两瓣壳的尖头便向左右绽裂。然后那手敏捷地转个方向，同时头也帮着了微微地一侧，使瓜子水平地放在门牙口，用上下两门牙把两瓣壳分别拨开，咬住了瓜子肉的尖端而抽它出来吃。这吃法不但“的，的”的声音清脆可听，那手和头的转侧的姿势窈窕得很，有些儿抚媚动人。连丢去的瓜子壳也模样姣好，有如朵朵兰花。由此看来，咬瓜子是中国少爷们的专长，而尤其是中国小姐、太太们的拿手戏。在酒席上、茶楼上，我看见过无数咬瓜子的圣手。近来瓜子大王畅销，我国的小孩子们也都学会了咬瓜子的绝技。我的技术，在国内不如小孩子们远甚，只能在外国人面前占胜。记得从前我在赴横滨的轮船中，与一个日本人同舱。偶检行箧，发见亲友所赠的一罐瓜子。旅途寂寥，我就打开来和日本人共吃。这是他平生没有吃过的东西，他觉得非常珍奇。在这时候，我便老实不客气地装出内行的模样，把吃法教导他，并且示范地吃给他看。托祖国的福，这示范没有失败。但看那日本人的练习，真是可怜的很！他如法将瓜子塞进口中，“格”地一咬，然而咬时不得其法，将唾液把瓜子的外壳完全部浸湿，拿在手里剥的时候，滑来滑去，无从下手，终于滑落在地上，无处寻找了。他空咽一口唾液，再选一粒来咬。这回他剥时非常小心，把咬碎了的瓜子陈列在舱中的食桌上，俯伏了头，细细地剥，好像修理钟表的样子。约莫一二分钟之后，好容易剥得了些瓜仁的碎片，郑重地塞进口里去吃。我问他滋味如何，他点点头连称umami, umami！(好吃，好吃！）我不禁笑了出来。我看他那阔大的嘴里放进一些瓜仁的碎屑，犹如沧海中投以一粟，亏他辨出umami的滋味来。但我的笑不仅为这点滑稽，本由于骄矜自夸的心理。我想，这毕竟是中国人独得的技术，像我这样对于此道最拙劣的人，也能在外国人面前占胜，何况国内无数精通此道的少爷、小姐们呢？发明吃瓜子的人，真是一个了不起的天才！这是一种最有效的“消闲”法。要“消磨岁月”，除了抽鸦片以外，没有比吃瓜子更好的方法了。其所以最有效者，为了它具备三个条件：一、吃不厌；二、吃不饱；三、要剥壳。俗语形容瓜子吃不厌，叫做“勿完勿歇”。为了它有一种非甜非咸的香味，能引逗人不断地要吃。想再吃一粒不吃了，但是嚼完吞下之后，口中余香不绝,不由你不再伸手向盆中或纸包里去摸。我们吃东西，凡一味甜的，或一味咸的,往往易于吃厌。只有非甜非咸的，可以久吃不厌。瓜子的百吃不厌，便是为此。有一位老于应酬的朋友告诉我一段吃瓜子的趣话：说他已养成了见瓜子就吃的习惯。有一次同了朋友到戏馆里看戏，坐定之后，看见茶壶的旁边放着一包打开的瓜子，便随手向包里掏取几粒，一面咬着，一面看戏。咬完了再取，取了再咬。如是数次，发现邻席的不相识的观剧者也来掏取，方才想起了这包瓜子的所有权。低声问他的朋友：“这包瓜子是你买来的么？”那朋友说：“不，”他才知道刚才是擅吃了人家的东西，便向邻座的人道歉。邻座的人很漂亮，付之一笑，索性正式地把瓜子请客了。由此可知瓜子这样东西，对中国人有非常的吸引力，不管三七二十一，见了瓜子就吃。俗语形容瓜子吃不饱，叫做“吃三日三夜，长个屎尖头。”因为这东西分量微小，无论如何也吃不饱，连吃三日三夜，也不过多排泄一粒屎尖头。为消闲计，这是很重要的一个条件。倘分量大了，一吃就饱，时间就无法消磨。这与赈饥的粮食目的完全相反。赈饥的粮食求其吃得饱，消闲的粮食求其吃不饱。最好只尝滋味而不吞物质。最好越吃越饿，像罗马亡国之前所流行的“吐剂”一样，则开筵大嚼，醉饱之后，咬一下瓜子可以再来开筵大嚼。一直把时间消磨下去。要剥壳也是消闲食品的一个必要条件。倘没有壳，吃起来太便当，容易饱,时间就不能多多消磨了。一定要剥，而且剥的技术要有声有色，使它不像一种苦工，而像一种游戏，方才适合于有闲阶级的生活，可让他们愉快地把时间消磨下去。具足以上三个利于消磨时间的条件的，在世间一切食物之中，想来想去，只有瓜子。所以我说发明吃瓜子的人是了不起的天才。而能尽量地享用瓜子的中国人，在消闲一道上，真是了不起的积极的实行家！试看粮食店、南货店里的瓜子的畅销，试看茶楼、酒店、家庭中满地的瓜子壳，便可想见中国人在“格，呸”、“的，的”的声音中消磨去的时间，每年统计起来为数一定可惊。将来此道发展起来，恐怕是全中国也可消灭在“格，呸”、“的、的”的声音中呢。我本来见瓜子害怕，写到这里，觉得更加害怕了。吃瓜子丰子恺Eating Melon Seeds—By Feng Zikai🎈瓜子 melon seed瓜子难道不是人们如今最爱嗑的那种瓜子（也就是向日葵的种子——葵花子）吗？并不是这样的，葵花子是瓜子的一种，但此处瓜子可以简单从字面意思理解，指瓜类除去瓜瓤之后所剩下的种子，如南瓜子、西瓜子等。从前听人说：中国人人人具有三种博士的资：拿筷子博士、吹煤头纸博士、吃瓜子博士。I was once told that all the Chinese are entitled to three PhD titles: Doctor of Chopsticks, Doctor of Paper Spills, and Doctor of Melon Seeds.🎈entitle sb. to do表示「使某人享有权利、使符合资格」，常用被动态。例句Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion.人人都有权发表自己的意见。🎈煤头纸：用以引火的小纸卷。吹煤头纸：是过去的一种事物。过去做饭烧煤，而煤不是纸那么容易就点燃的，所以烧煤时要用纸来引燃，把点燃的纸放到煤块的缝隙里，再向里吹风加快空气流通速度，使纸充分燃烧，借以点燃煤块。拿筷子，吹煤头纸，吃瓜子，的确是中国人独得的技术。其纯熟深造，想起了可以使人吃惊。Using chopsticks, blowing on spills, and cracking melon seeds are indeed skills unique to the Chinese, and their consummate abilities may take bystanders by surprise.🎈吃瓜子可以说eat melon seeds，但不如crack melon seeds（嗑瓜子）传神。🎈让某人感到意外/措手不及 take/catch sb. by surprise例句Dumbledore’s abrupt departure took Harry completely by surprise.邓布利多的突然离去使哈利感到十分意外。But this visit did catch other countries by surprise.但这次访问确实出乎其他国家的意料。这里精通拿筷子法的人，有了一双筷，可抵刀锯叉瓢一切器具之用，爬罗剔抉，无所不精。这两根毛竹仿佛是身体上的一部分，手指的延长，或者一对取食的触手。For those adept in the art, a pair of chopsticks can replace a knife, fork, ladle and similar utensils. The Chinese can skillfully use their chopsticks to gather and select from a wealth of ingredients as if the two bamboo sticks became a part of the body like tentacles for seizing food, almost as extensions of their forefingers.🎈For those adept in the art：those后接定语的六种情况1、+形容词（短语），此时通常可视为一个省略的定语从句（即定语从句省略了“用作主语关系代词+系动词be）例句There was public outcry from those opposed to abortion. 反堕胎人士公开大声抗议。2、+现在分词（短语），此时those与其后动词是主谓关系。例句All those appearing on the register must notify the authorities of any change of address. 登记簿上的地址变更必须通知相关机构。3、+过去分词，此时those与其后动词是被动关系。例句The church service is a memorial to those killed in the war. 教堂里举行的仪式是为纪念战争中牺牲的人们。4、+不定式短语，此时those后动词表示将要发生的情况。例句I’m going to sort these old books into those to be kept and those to be thrown away. 我打算把这些旧书分成要留下的和要扔掉的两类。5、+介词短语，此时通常可视为一个省略的定语从句（即定语从句省略了“用作主语关系代词+系动词be）例句There is no alternative for those with no car of their own. 没有私家车的人就没有选择余地。6、+定语从句，此时分人（who）、物（which），有时也可用that、whose、in which等引导。例句The disease is more likely to strike those whose immune systems are already below par. 这种病更容易对那些免疫系统低于正常水平的人构成威胁。🎈形近词adept, adopt, adapt1、adept adj. 熟练的，内行的在…方面很熟练be adept at / in …2、adopt v. 领养；采取，采用；正式批准领养一个孤儿adopt an orphan养子adopted son养父母adoptive parents / foster-parents采用一个新主意adopt a new idea采用一种新技术adopt a new techniqueadoption n. 领养；采纳，采用3、adapt v.（使）适应；改编例句She quickly adapted to the new climate.她很快便适应了新的气候。The movie was adapted from a novel.这部电影改编自一部小说。🎈很多的、大量的 a wealth of…例句There’s a wealth of books in the library.这个图书馆藏书丰富。🎈触手，触角 tentacle天线 antenna用时好像变戏法者的一种演技，熟能生巧，巧极通神。不必说西洋了，就是我们自己看了，也可惊叹。They can manipulate chopsticks just like a magician conjuring tricks; their superb skill, which comes from practice, can even leave other Chinese spellbound, not to mention Westerners.🎈魔法师 magician变戏法，变魔术 conjure tricks操纵 manipulate🎈熟能生巧 Practice makes perfect.🎈高超技巧 superb skill英语中有一小部分形容词，表示绝对的含义，因此是没有比较级和最高级形式的。常见的这些词如下：dead 死的，无感觉的 empty 空的；空洞的absolute 完全的，绝对的 alone 单独的，独一无二的equal 平等的 eternal 永恒的，不变的final 最终的，决定性的 horizontal 水平的perfect 完美的 primary 第一位的single 单一的 square 正方形的pregnant 怀孕的；丰富的 round 圆的，球形的unique 唯一的，独特的 unanimous 意见一致的，无异议的straight 直的 supreme 最高的，至高的 superb极佳的，杰出的至于精通吹煤头纸法的人，首推几位一天到晚捧水烟筒的老先生和老太太。他们的“要有火”比上帝还容易，只消向煤头纸上轻轻一吹，火便来了。As for those adept in the art of blowing on spills, no one can emulate the old gentlemen and ladies who cradle a water pipe all day long. It’s easier for them to create flames than God. They need only to blow on the spill and the flames magically appear.🎈一天到晚，一整天 all day long🎈捧水烟筒cradle a water pipe1、cradle除去最常见的名词用法“摇篮”，也可作动词，指“抱着，捧着”。例句I cradled her in my arms.我把她轻轻地抱在怀里。He was sitting at the big table cradling a large bowl of milky coffee.他坐在一张大桌子旁，手里捧着一大碗加了牛奶的咖啡。2、水烟筒，俗称大碌竹，是民众吸烟的常用工具。长约70厘米，直径7厘米，竹筒中部插一小铜管或小竹管，是点烟丝的地方，竹筒内装着水，上部开口处 用于吸烟。据说，这样吸烟，烟要先经过水的过滤，少了许多毒素，故而比吸旱烟科学。Anyway, please remember anytime that smoking is detrimental to your health吸水烟是中国传统的吸烟方式之一。水烟可以通过水烟袋的水烟筒吸食。水烟袋和水烟筒都是通过袋和筒里的清水，用嘴吸，使里面产生负压，而使烟气通过水吸入口中的，吸食时发出 “咕……咕”的声音。在云南吸水烟筒至今还可看到，而水烟袋则比较少见了。他们不必出数元乃至数十元的代价去买打火机，只要有一张纸，便可临时在膝上卷起煤头纸来，向铜火炉盖的小孔内一插，拔出来一吹，火便来了。No need for them to pay several dollars for a lighter! So long as they have a piece of paper, they can turn it into a spill whenever needed. Then the paper is thrust into one of the holes in the bronze brazier’s lid, pulled out and blown upon. Observe the flames!🎈打火机 lighter闪电 lightning🎈把…扎进… thrust… into…一头扎进人群 thrust one’s way into the crowd我小时候看见我们染坊店里的管账先生，有种种吹煤头纸的特技。As a child, I often saw our dyeing shop’s bookkeeper perform all sorts of blowing stunts.🎈染坊店the dyeing shop裁缝铺 the tailor shop /the tailor’s理发店 the babershop/the hairdresser’s🎈特技 stunt特技男演员stunt man 特技女演员stunt woman我把煤头纸高举在他的额旁边了，他会把下唇伸出来，使风向上吹；我把煤头纸放在他的胸前了，他会把上唇伸出来，使风向下吹；我把煤头纸放在他的耳旁了，他会把嘴歪转来，使风向左右吹；我用手按住了他的嘴，他会用鼻孔吹，都是吹一两下就着火的。When I held the spill above his forehead, he would stick out his lower lip to blow upward; if I put the spill before his chest, he would stretch his upper lip to blow downward; if I placed the spill beside his ears, he would twist his mouth to blow either right or left; if I pressed his mouth with a hand, he would blow with his nostrils. There was no stopping him from blowing the spill into flames in no more than two attempts.🎈blow either right or left中right和left是副词，分别表示on or to the right/left左右张望 look left and right🎈There was no stopping him from blowing the spill into flames…是There is no doing结构，表示「不(可)能…，很难…」例句There is no saying such words．不可能讲这样的话。There is no knowing what he will think up next．谁也不知道他下次会想出什么。中国人对于吹煤头纸技术造诣之深，于此可以窥见。The Chinese people’s high achievement in blowing on spills can be seen from these wonderful skills demonstrated by our venerable book-keeper.🎈「于此可以窥见」即「于（我们染坊店里的）管账先生可以窥见」，book-keeper指簿记员，记账员。所可惜者，自从卷烟和火柴输人中国而盛行之后，水烟这种“国烟”竟被冷落，吹煤头纸这种“国技”也很不发达了。Alas! After cigarettes and matches found their way into China and became prevalent, the ‘national tobacco’ for the water pipe was left out in the cold and so the ‘national art’ of blowing a spill was almost forgotten.🎈冷落，排斥 leave sb./sth. out in the cold例句Developing countries might be left out in the cold in current world trade talks.在目前的世界贸易洽谈中，发展中国家可能会受到冷落。生长在都会里的小孩子，有的竟不会吹，或者连煤头纸这东西也不曾见过。在努力保存国粹的人看来，这也是一种可虑的现象。Much to my surprise, some city-bred children have no idea how to blow on a spill, and some have never even seen it done. Those striving to preserve the essence of Chinese culture should be worried about this grim situation.🎈city-bred是合成形容词，形式为“名词+现在/过去分词”，例如state-owned/backed（国有的）、epoch-making（划时代的）🎈this grim situationgrim adj.令人不快的，令人沮丧的（英义unpleasant and depressing）face the grim prospect of still higher unemployment 面临失业率进一步上升的暗淡前景近来国内有不少人努力于国粹保存。国医、国药、国术、国乐，都有人在那里提倡。也许水烟和煤头纸这种国粹，将来也有人起来提倡，使之复兴。In recent years, many famous people have dedicated themselves to the preservation of the quintessence of Chinese culture, such as Chinese medical science, Chinese herbal medicine, Chinese martial arts, and Chinese music. Probably the water pipe and paper spill will be advocated and revived in the future.🎈献身、把（时间、精力等）用于… dedicate…to…例句But you decide to dedicate your entire day to finish it.但是你决定要花一整天来完成它。🎈国粹 quintessence of Chinese culture中国的四大国粹分别指的是中国京剧、中国武术（martial arts）、中国医学（medical science）和中国书法。🎈借尸还魂 revive in a new guise中华民族伟大复兴 China’s national rejuvenation但我以为这三种技术中最进步最发达的，要算吃瓜子。近来瓜子大王的畅销，便是其老大的证据。Of the three skills under discussion, I think that of cracking melon seeds is the most developed. Recently, the booming sales of ‘Melon Seed Baron’ have demonstrated its dominance in the marketplace.🎈that of cracking melon seeds中that指代skill。🎈畅销 the booming sales(销售额)/ a boom in sales/ sell like hot cakes例句安澜德通信已出了好几个单行本，都畅销一时。Landers’ letters, later appearing in several collections, have been selling like hot cakes.据关心此事的人说，瓜子大王一类的装纸袋的瓜子，最近市上流行的有许多牌子。Those who have closely followed this trend would have seen that quite a few other brands of melon seeds have also been thriving on the market. 🎈「关心此事」更倾向于八卦性质的打听，而非「关心」最初是某大药房“用科学方法”创制的，后来有什么“好吃来公司”、“顶好吃公司”……等种种出品陆续产出。到现在差不多无论哪个穷乡僻处的糖食摊上，都有纸袋装的瓜子陈列而倾销着了。First, a large company claimed that they had their melon seeds scientifically prepared, and then it was followed by a host of other delicacy companies who launched their products one after another. Today at any sweetmeats stall in the backwoods, melon seeds are displayed in paper bags and sold at moderate prices.🎈had their melon seeds prepared是have sth. done的结构。have在这个搭配里是使役动词 意为使…让…，比如have my bicycle repaired意思是使我的自行车被修理，其实就是说修我的自行车。又，此处“半透明”译作了“transparent（透明的）”，而非translucent（半透明的），是因为专门找此种性质的瓶子就是为了观察蟋蟀，故不选用translucent（指光能投过去，但影像不一定清晰）。🎈at any sweetmeats stall in the backwoods：糖果在美国英语中叫candy，在英国英语中叫sweet。sweetmeat （尤）指（特殊的）甜食、糖果、果脯。backwoods指未开垦的荒地或偏僻的森林地带。现代中国人的精通吃瓜子术，由此盖可想见。This proves the adeptness of the Chinese in cracking melon seeds throughout the country.🎈全国 all over/ through/ across the country我对于此道，一向非常短拙，说出来有伤于中国人的体面，但对自家人不妨谈谈。Honestly, I am clumsy at the art, but if I were to admit this to Westerners, I would lose face with my countrymen. However, I don’t think it will hurt to tell this to my fellow Chinese.🎈虚拟语气：If + S. + did / were … , S. + would / should / could / might + do …。原文中的would+ V原表示一种虚拟语气，是一种与现在事实相反的假设。我从来不曾自动地找求或买瓜子来吃。但到人家作客，受人劝诱时；或者在酒席上、杭州的茶楼上，看见桌上现成放着瓜子盆时，也便拿起来咬。I have never looked for seeds nor purchased any before on my own. However, when I am urged to eat seeds at a relative’s place or when I spy some on a try at a banquet or in a teahouse, I always take some and bite into them.🎈既没有…也没有（来做某事… have neither… nor…(to do…)neither可换成其他含否定意义的词与nor搭配我必须注意选择，选那较大、较厚、而形状平整的瓜子，放进口里，用臼齿“格”地一咬；再吐出来，用手指去剥。I keep my eyes open looking for the bigger, fatter and more evenly shaped seeds, and then slip one onto my back teeth and crack it open, then take it out of my mouth and remove the shell with my fingers.🎈平均分配/分开evenly distributed/divided势均力敌 evenly matched以四厘米的间隔均匀分布evenly spaced at four cm apart🎈臼齿 back teeth/molar大臼齿，简称臼齿，俗称磨牙（客语：撞牙），是人类和其它哺乳动物的一种牙齿。大臼齿位于口腔后方，因上端扁平而且主要用来研磨和咀嚼食物而得名。臼齿由于随使用而被磨损，可以被用来判定生物个体或其遗骸的年龄。幸而咬得恰好，两瓣瓜子壳各向两旁扩张而破裂，瓜仁没有咬碎，剥起来就较为省力。若用力不得其法，两瓣瓜子壳和瓜仁叠在一起而折断了，吐出来的时候我就担忧。If I bite it in the right place, the seed will split in half without breaking the kernel and this makes the shelling easy. If I bite too hard, the seed will break and each half of the kernel will be jammed in the shell. This will create misery for me.🎈kernel是仁，可吃可做种，如花生仁，玉米粒；core是核，位于中心，如苹果核，梨核🎈给瓜子剥皮 shell v.给香蕉等等剥皮 peel v.给动物剥皮 skin v.🎈说枪卡壳、瓜子卡壳、阀门零件等卡住，都可以用jam这个动词。例句There’s a loose part that keeps jamming the mechanism.有个零件松了经常卡住机器。那瓜子已纵断为两半，两半瓣的瓜仁紧紧地装塞在两半瓣的瓜子壳中，好像日本版的洋装书，套在很紧的厚纸函中，不容易取它出来。The seed is vertically broken into two and each half of the kernel is embedded in its own half shell, just as the Japanese bind their books with the pages tightly crammed into thick, open-ended cases. To get them out is such a problem!🎈with the pages tightly crammed into thick是with复合结构。with复合结构在句中表状态或说明背景情况，常做伴随、方式、原因、条件等状语。常见形式有七种，with+名词/代词+介词短语（形容词/副词/名词/done/-ing分词/to do）🎈把…塞进… cram… into…梁实秋《时间即生命》我父亲买了一套同文石印的前四史，塞满了我的行箧的一半空间。Chinese history books are equally important. When I was leaving China to study abroad, father bought a set of the Tong Wen lithographic edition of the First Four Books of History, and crammed them into my travelling box, taking up half of its space.这种洋装书的取出法，现在都已从日本人那里学得，不要把指头塞进厚纸函中去力挖，只要使函口向下，两手扶着函，上下振动数次，洋装书自会脱壳而出。But now I have learned some tricks from the Japanese. Instead of digging the pages out with my fingers, I hold the case downward with both hands and shake it up and down a couple of times, allowing the books to fall out of their case by themselves.🎈trick可以指“技巧、窍门”或者“花招，计谋”。比如万圣节前夜（On october31st）这天孩子们会穿好装束，挨家挨户的说不给糖就捣蛋，人们会给他们一些糖果（children all over the country will don costumes and go house to house saying the words “trick or treat” so people will give them candy）🎈复习大王之前文章中反复出现的知识点：走来走去（尤指由于烦躁、焦虑等） pace up and down自上而下地打量某人 eye/look sb. up and down尾巴一翘一翘with its tail waving up and down来回；往复up and down/back and forth例句She was pacing up and down in front of her desk.她在办公桌前踱来踱去。🎈「往来不绝」译作zooming up and down，其中zoom意为「快速移动」zoom in放大zoom out缩小zoom off迅速离开然而半瓣瓜子的形状太小了，不能应用这个方法，我只得用指爪细细地剥取。However, this method is not applicable to the cracking of melon seeds because the half kernel of seed is too small, and so I have to pick at the shell carefully with my fingernails.🎈pick at sth.1. （反复地）揪，扯例句He tried to undo the knot by picking at it with his fingers.他用手指不停地扯，想把绳结解开。2. 少量地吃；吃一点点例句Sarah picked at a plate of cheese for supper, but she wasn’t really hungry.萨拉晚餐时只吃一盘奶酪，但她并没有真觉得饿。有时因为练习弹琴，两手的指爪都剪平，和尚头一般的手指对它简直毫无办法。我只得乘人不见把它抛弃了。But since I play the piano occasionally, I keep my fingernails cropped as close as a monk’s head. In this case there is nothing I can do about the kernel and I have to throw it away when no one is looking.🎈“和尚头一般的手指”就是说指甲剪得太秃了。很多修理人员都会留一定长度的指甲，方便工作。在痛感困难的时候，我本拟不再吃瓜子了。但抛弃了之后，觉得口中有一种非甜非咸的香味，会引逗我再吃。我便不由地伸起手来，另选一粒，再送交臼齿去咬。When frustration sets in, I decide not to crack melon seeds any more. Yet after I give them up, I feel a fragrant taste neither sweet nor salty lingering in my mouth, enticing me to eat on. I cannot help reaching for another seed, and commit it to my molars for a bite.🎈（不好的事情）产生，开始，到来，恶化 set in例句Then disappointment sets in as they see the magic is no longer there…当他们发现魔力已失的时候，失望的情绪开始蔓延。🎈lingering adj.持久的色彩不浓，回味不永lack strong colour and lingering flavour🎈把…交给… commit… to…例句She had not committed anything to paper about this matter.关于这件事她未曾写下只言片语。🎈molar n. 臼齿；磨牙英义any of the twelve large teeth at the back of the mouth used for crushing and chewing food不幸而这瓜子太燥，我的用力又太猛，“格”地一响，玉石不分，咬成了无数的碎块，事体就更糟了。If the seed is too dry and the bite too violent, the shell and kernel will crack into untold pieces, just as jade and stone are tossed together.🎈If the seed is too dry and the bite (is) too violent省略了并列结构中的第二个be动词。🎈玉石俱焚：比喻好的和坏的一同毁掉。瓜子仁为“玉”，壳为“石”。我只得把粘着唾液的碎块尽行吐出在手心里，用心挑选，剔去壳的碎块，然后用舌尖甜食瓜仁的碎块。When this happens, I have no choice but to spit out the remnants, already wet with saliva, into my palm, dispose of the crushed shell, and then lick up the bits of kernel with the tip of my tongue.🎈saliva n.口水，唾液larva n.幼虫🎈口误 a slip of tongue例句A slip of the tongue at the conference resulted in a big loss.会议上的一个口误导致了一笔重大的损失。🎈get rid of … = dispose of …1打发走（讨厌的人）；2消灭，杀死例句It took me over half an hour to get rid of him.我花了半个多小时才把他打发走。I used weedkiller to get rid of the weeds in the garden.我用除草剂除去花园里的杂草。然而这挑选颇不容易，因为壳的碎块的一面也是白色的，与瓜仁无异，我误认为全是瓜仁而舐进口中去嚼，其味虽非嚼蜡，却等于嚼砂。Again, the screening is by no means easy, for the inside of the cracked shell is as white as the bits of kernel and often I lick and chew it by mistake. The taste is not as bad as chewing wax, but it is no better than chewing grit.🎈句中所说的场景和生活中把姜误认为土豆或肉食用一样让人抓狂。the bits of kernel中的bit作可数名词，指（事物的）一部分例句The best bit of the holiday was seeing the Grand Canyon.假期中最精彩的片段是参观大峡谷。壳的碎片紧紧地嵌进牙齿缝里，找不到牙签就无法取出。碰到这种钉子的时候，我就下个决心，从此戒绝瓜子。If bits of shell get stuck between my teeth and toothpicks are not available nearby, there is nothing I can do to get them out. Whenever I meet with such setbacks, I resolve never to touch melon seeds again.🎈牙签 toothpick牙签 dental floss电动牙刷 electric toothbrush漱口水 mouthwash牙膏 toothpaste漱口 rinse my mouth🎈resolve v.1解决 2决定解决问题/争端resolve a problem / dispute决定… resolve to do … / that … = decide to do … / that …戒绝之法，大抵是喝一口茶来漱一漱口，点起一支香烟，或者把瓜子盆推开些，把身体换个方向坐了，以示不再对它发生关系。My attempt to abstain consists of nothing more than drinking some tea to rinse my mouth, or having a cigarette, or pushing the plate out of reach, or looking away from the seeds in an attempt to show my disinterest.🎈企图或试图做某事 attempt to do引诱某人… tempt sb. to…然而过了几分钟，与别人谈了几句话，不知不觉之间，会跟了别人而伸手向盆中摸瓜子来咬。等到自己觉察破戒的时候，往往是已经咬过好几粒了。However, after talking with the other guests for a few minutes, I find myself forgetfully reaching out like the others and taking another bite of melon seed. Before I realize it, I have broken my vow to abstain and have already eaten quite a few. 🎈破戒，违背誓言 break one’s vow例句Now you want me to break another sacred vow.您现在又要我违背神圣的誓言。这样，吃了非戒不可，戒了非吃不可；吃而复戒，戒而复吃，我为它受尽苦痛。这使我现在想起了瓜子觉得害怕。So, after eating I vow to abstain and after abstaining I continue to eat. This endless cycle repeats itself again and again. I have endured my share of afflictions and the mere thought of melon seeds still fills me with fright even today.🎈one’s share of指某人应得/做的一份。巴金《朋友》这些不要报答的慷慨的施舍，使我的生活里也有了温暖，有了幸福。It is due to their bountiful free gifts that I also have my share of warmth and happiness in my life.但我看别人，精通此技的很多。Yet many people are well versed in this art.🎈关于「精通」对某物很熟悉be familiar with sth.在…方面很精通/熟练be adept at / in …be versed in…be proficient in…be very good at…be skillful at…excel in…master…我以为中国人的三种博士才能中，咬瓜子的才能最可叹佩。Of the three traditional Chinese skills, I think the talent of eating melon seeds is the most admirable.🎈is the most admirable：形容词最高级作表语前通常用the，例如：You are the best.常见闲散的少爷们，一只手指间夹着一支香烟，一只手握着一把瓜子，且吸且咬，且咬且吃，且吃且谈，且谈且笑。从容自由，真是“交关写意！”Often I’ve noticed idle young gentlemen holding their cigarette in one hand while holding a handful of melon seeds in the other, eating, smoking, laughing and talking. What a free and easy life they enjoy!🎈while holding a handful of melon seeds in the other也可替换成with a handful of melon seeds in the other (hand).🎈「交关写意」应是方言音译。交关，是相当、非常。按方言，写意与惬意同音，如此「惬意、畅快」解，方通。他们不须拣选瓜子，也不须用手指去剥。一粒瓜子塞进了口里，只消“格”地一咬，“呸”地一吐，早已把所有的壳吐出，而在那里嚼食瓜子的肉了。They do not have to pick and choose seeds, nor shell them with their fingers. After they throw a seed into their mouth and bite it with a click, they will spit out the shell with a plop and begin to chew the kernel.🎈plop n.啪嗒声英义：A plopping sound or movement.那嘴巴真像一具精巧灵敏的机器，不绝地塞进瓜子去，不绝地“格，“呸”，“格”，“呸”，……全不费力，可以永无罢休。Their mouths are like exquisite, sensitive machines, constantly taking in melon seeds, uttering sounds of Click, Plop, Click, Plop… effortlessly and nonstop.🎈不停歇nonstop= without making a single stop on the way 女人们、小姐们的咬瓜子，态度尤加来得美妙；她们用兰花似的手指摘住瓜子的圆端，把瓜子垂直地塞在门牙中间，而用门牙去咬它的尖端。“的，的”两响，两瓣壳的尖头便向左右绽裂。Young ladies crack melon seeds with even more gusto and grace. With their slender fingers they hold the round end of the seed, then place the seed vertically between their front teeth, and then and bite at the pointed end. With two ‘cracks’, it splits toward both sides.🎈「态度尤加来得美妙」既说兴致gusto（态度）也说姿态grace（美妙）🎈尖端 the pointed end圆端 the round end🎈竖直地vertically水平地 horizonatlly🎈门牙 front teeth然后那手敏捷地转个方向，同时头也帮着了微微地一侧，使瓜子水平地放在门牙口，用上下两门牙把两瓣壳分别拨开，咬住了瓜子肉的尖端而抽它出来吃。Nimbly, they turn their fingers and at the same time tilt their heads so that the seed is placed horizontally between their front teeth. They pry open the shell with their front teeth, then grasp the end of the kernel and pull it out to bite.🎈 nimble adj.灵活的；敏捷的nibble v.啃咬numb adj.麻木的🎈pry open the shell（撬开壳）也可写作pry the shell open。何为《照片上的同年》经人指引，我登上石阶，推开虚掩的门扉。At the direction of someone, I found my way to the house and ascended its stone steps. Its gate was left unlatched, so I pushed it open.其中push it open即指push the door open，相当于push open the door。但所接宾语为代词时，需将其放在v.和open中间，以push…open的形式出现。这吃法不但“的，的”的声音清脆可听，那手和头的转侧的姿势窈窕得很，有些儿抚媚动人。连丢去的瓜子壳也模样姣好，有如朵朵兰花。How crisp it sounds! And how graceful and seductive the way a young lady can turn her hand and head! Even the discarded shells look pretty, like so many lovely orchids.🎈 the way后可接1、in which2、that（此时that是关系副词，而不是关系代词，相当于in which）3、/（什么也不接）同样的还有：the time+ when或at which或that或 / ；the day + when或on which或that或 / 由此看来，咬瓜子是中国少爷们的专长，而尤其是中国小姐、太太们的拿手戏。As can be seen, cracking melon seeds is an accomplishment of young Chinese people, and particularly a specialty of young Chinese ladies.🎈As can be seen是定语从句，as关系代词作从句的主语，代指整个主句。在酒席上、茶楼上，我看见过无数咬瓜子的圣手。At banquets and in the teahouses, I have seen innumerable great masters of this skill of cracking seeds.🎈无数的 untold/ innumerable🎈圣手master：指技艺高超的人，是对擅长某种技能并有突出成就者的尊称。近来瓜子大王畅销，我国的小孩子们也都学会了咬瓜子的绝技。我的技术，在国内不如小孩子们远甚，只能在外国人面前占胜。Now, with the recent boom in the sales of ‘Melon Seed Baron’, many Chinese children have also acquired the skill. In terms of ability, I am far inferior to the children, but stand a head above foreigners.🎈 baron n. 巨头，大王，大亨例句the British press barons 英国新闻业巨子🎈得到某物obtain. sth.= get / lay one’s hands on sth. 例句I would read any book I could get / lay my hands on.🎈远不如某人 be far inferior to sb.still、far、even等可以修饰比较级，意为「还要、更加」例句Tom’s handwriting is far better than yours.汤姆的字比你的好得多。It is still colder today than yesterday.今天比昨天还冷。记得从前我在赴横滨的轮船中，与一个日本人同舱。偶检行箧，发见亲友所赠的一罐瓜子。I remember once sharing a cabin with a Japanese traveler on a ship bound for Yokohama. When looking through my bags, I discovered a tin of melon seeds that a relative of mine had given to me.🎈要到…去；驶往… be bound for…例句The ship was bound for Italy.这艘船驶向意大利。bound亦可构成复合词，如：homeward bound (= going home)在回家途中Paris-bound前往巴黎的northbound/southbound/eastbound/westbound向北/向南/向东/向西行进的旅途寂寥，我就打开来和日本人共吃。这是他平生没有吃过的东西，他觉得非常珍奇。To relieve the tedium of the voyage, I opened the box and offered some to my travelling companion. Since he had never eaten them before, he found them unique and challenging.🎈此处since引导原因状语从句。在这时候，我便老实不客气地装出内行的模样，把吃法教导他，并且示范地吃给他看。托祖国的福，这示范没有失败。但看那日本人的练习，真是可怜的很！On this occasion, I brazened it out and pretended to be an expert, instructing him on the method and providing a demonstration. Thank Heaven it did not fail. Just imagine the miserable, awkward Japanese!🎈厚着脸皮，硬着头皮以示不觉羞愧 brazen it out例句If you are caught, simply argue that ‘everyone does it’ and brazen it out…要是被逮住了，你就说“大家都这样干”，然后硬着头皮挺下去。他如法将瓜子塞进口中，“格”地一咬，然而咬时不得其法，将唾液把瓜子的外壳完全部浸湿，拿在手里剥的时候，滑来滑去，无从下手，终于滑落在地上，无处寻找了。He put the seed into his mouth as instructed and bit with a ‘click’, but because he did not bite it the right way, the whole husk of the seed was all wet with saliva. When he tried to shell it, it slipped back and forth in his hands and nothing could be done about it. Unexpectedly, it fell to the ground and was nowhere to be found.🎈壳 shell/huskuexpect v.期望，预料except v.不包括expectation n. 期待；期望；预期exception n.例外他空咽一口唾液，再选一粒来咬。这回他剥时非常小心，把咬碎了的瓜子陈列在舱中的食桌上，俯伏了头，细细地剥，好像修理钟表的样子。He swallowed his saliva and then picked up another seed. This time he did it with utmost care. He laid pieces of crushed melon seed on the table, and then bent his head to pick at the meat carefully as if he were repairing a clock.🎈meat （flesh taken from a dead animal that people cook and eat）用在这里指代瓜子仁怪别扭的。pulp 果肉（the soft part inside the skin of fruit or vegetables）flesh 果肉（[U] the soft part of fruit and vegetables, especially when it is eaten）kernel 仁，核（[C] the part inside the shell of a nut）补充：pip（某些水果的）种子，籽 （the small hard seed that is found in some types of fruit）nutlet 果核（the stone or pit of certain fruits such as the peach or cherry）stone 果核（the large hard seed in the middle of a plum, cherry, or other fruit）【in AM, usually use ‘pit’】约莫一二分钟之后，好容易剥得了些瓜仁的碎片，郑重地塞进口里去吃。我问他滋味如何，他点点头连称umami, umami!(好吃，好吃！）About two minutes later, he selected some pieces of kernel with much difficulty and solemnly thrust them into his mouth. I asked him how it tasted, and he nodded constantly and replied umami, umami (wonderful)!🎈うまい发音umami，指食物好吃。补充：基本五味：酸、甜、苦、咸、鲜 ！古话有云，“羊大为美，鱼羊为鲜”， “咸中有味淡中鲜”等，尽管中国人念叨果蔬之鲜、鱼虾之鲜的历史有很长，袁枚的《随园食单》更是孜孜不倦于“鲜味”，但并没有在科学上真正解释出什么是鲜，真正在世界范围内定义了鲜味的，还是擅长各种稀奇古怪研究的日本人。对于拥有几千年的美食大国，站在全球饮食鄙视链顶端的中国人来说，可谓是一种遗憾。鲜味的发现是100多年前的事情。1908 年，原东京帝国大学（现东京大学）池田菊苗博士发现昆布能让高汤鲜美，对其研究后从昆布中成功提取出了谷氨酸，将这种味道命名为「うま味・Umami」、即鲜味。多年来，科学家一直争论鲜味是否确实是一种基本味道，直到1985 年在夏威夷首个鲜味国际讨论会中，「うま味・UMAMI」一词获官方认可为学术用词，被人们认知为一种基本味觉，用来描述谷氨酸及核苷酸的味道。现如今，其已被广泛接受为第五种基本味觉——鲜味。鲜味在世界所有的主要语言中被称作 「UMAMI」，这种写法是由池田菊苗教授组合「うまい・Umai」与「味・Mi」这两个日语的罗马拼音的略写而定的。 我不禁笑了出来。我看他那阔大的嘴里放进一些瓜仁的碎屑，犹如沧海中投以一粟，亏他辨出umami的滋味来。但我的笑不仅为这点滑稽，本由于骄矜自夸的心理。The crumbs in his big mouth seemed like mere chestnuts in an ocean—I wondered how he could find the umami taste. Both his clumsy performance and my superiority complex were amusing.🎈沧海一粟 mere chestnuts in an ocean🎈优越心理 superiority complex其中complex是名词，是一种a mental state。to suffer from a guilt complex蒙受负罪感之苦我想，这毕竟是中国人独得的技术，像我这样对于此道最拙劣的人，也能在外国人面前占胜，何况国内无数精通此道的少爷、小姐们呢？After all, this is a unique skill of the Chinese. I am most awkward with melon seeds, but I am at least ahead of the Japanese, though not as highly skilled as the young ladies and gentlemen.发明吃瓜子的人，真是一个了不起的天才！这是一种最有效的“消闲”法。要“消磨岁月”，除了抽鸦片以外，没有比吃瓜子更好的方法了。The first eater of melon seeds must have been an amazing genius! There is no more effective way of relieving boredom than cracking seeds. If killing time is your object, nothing short of smoking opium can rival it.🎈天才 genius/prodigyA genius is a highly talented, creative, or intelligent person.A prodigy is someone young who has a great natural ability for something such as music, mathematics, or sport.（类似于“神童”）从释义上看，genius比prodigy更合适。🎈消磨岁月→打发时间 while away the time/ relieve the tedium/ relieve boredom/ kill time其所以最有效者，为了它具备三个条件：一、吃不厌；二、吃不饱；三、要剥壳。俗语形容瓜子吃不厌，叫做“勿完勿歇”。 It is most effective because it meets the following three conditions: you never get tired of the taste, you never get full from eating, and you have to shell them. You never tire of cracking melon seeds, or in other words, you cannot stop eating until they are all gone. 🎈厌烦… be/get tired of…或tire of…为了它有一种非甜非咸的香味，能引逗人不断地要吃。想再吃一粒不吃了，但是嚼完吞下之后，口中余香不绝，不由你不再伸手向盆中或纸包里去摸。Their fragrance and taste, neither sweet nor salty, tempts you to eat more and more. You might think that you will just have one and then stop, yet after you chew it up and swallow it, its lingering fragrant smell and taste will entice you to reach into the plate or paper bag time and again.🎈fragrant adj.香的fragrance n.香气flagrant adj. 骇人听闻的；罪恶昭彰的；公然的flagrance n. 恶名昭彰；罪大恶极🎈诱使某人做某事 tempt/entice sb. to do sth.例句Retailers have tried almost everything to entice shoppers through their doors.零售商们几乎尝试了所有办法以吸引购物者进入商店。🎈屡次，一次又一次，一再 time after time/ time and (time) again例句You will get a perfect result time after time if you follow these instructions.如果你遵循这些用法说明，每次都会得到最佳的效果。我们吃东西，凡一味甜的，或一味咸的，往往易于吃厌。只有非甜非咸的，可以久吃不厌。瓜子的百吃不厌，便是为此。Usually, if a certain food were either sweet or salty, you would quickly be fed up, but if they are neither you will never get satiated. The perpetual appeal of melon seeds probably results from their peculiar flavour.🎈feed up有两种意思厌烦 be fed up with…=get/be satiated [usually passive. ‘satiate sb.’ means to give sb。so much of sth. that they do not feel they want any more](也有“满足的意思”)把…喂胖 feed sb. up例句She is too thin. Feed her up a bit.她太瘦了，把她养胖点。有一位老于应酬的朋友告诉我一段吃瓜子的趣话：说他已养成了见瓜子就吃的习惯。A friend of mine, who is an old hand at socializing, told me a funny story related to his habit of eating melon seeds whenever he sees them.🎈老手；经验丰富的人 old hand例句An old hand at photography, Tim has been shooting wildlife as a hobby for the last 13 years.蒂姆摄影经验丰富，在过去13年里一直以拍摄野生生物为业余爱好。🎈讲述 tell/relate例句She related her tale of living rough.她讲述了自己艰苦谋生的故事。有一次同了朋友到戏馆里看戏，坐定之后，看见茶壶的旁边放着一包打开的瓜子，便随手向包里掏取几粒，一面咬着，一面看戏。One day he went to the theatre with a friend of his and, after taking his seat, saw an opened packet of seeds by his teapot. He reached into the packet and casually fished out some, and ate them while he enjoyed the play. 🎈就坐 take one’s seat🎈（从 … 中）取出，拿出，拖出fish out sth. (of sth.)/ fish sth. out (of sth.)例句She fished a piece of paper out of the pile on her desk.她从桌上一大堆纸中抽出了一张。咬完了再取，取了再咬。如是数次，发现邻席的不相识的观剧者也来掏取，方才想起了这包瓜子的所有权。After finishing what he had in his hand, he took some more and continued to eat. Later, he noticed a woman audience sitting next to him also take seeds from the bag. Not until then did he wonder who the real owner was.🎈直到那时我才… Not until then did I…否定词及含有否定意义的词在句首，句子要部分倒装。低声问他的朋友：“这包瓜子是你买来的么？”那朋友说：“不，”他才知道刚才是擅吃了人家的东西，便向邻座的人道歉。邻座的人很漂亮，付之一笑，索性正式地把瓜子请客了。So he asked his friend under his breath, ‘‘Did you buy the seeds?” The man said “No”. Immediately he realized that he had eaten their neighbour’s seeds without asking her permission and so immediately apologized. The neighbour, who was pretty, dismissed it with a smile and simply treated the men to the seeds.🎈用某物招待某人 treat sb. to sth. （注意表达中sb和sth的位置，不要前后颠倒）例句She was always treating him to ice cream.她总是请他吃冰激凌。由此可知瓜子这样东西，对中国人有非常的吸引力，不管三七二十一，见了瓜子就吃。It proves that melon seeds have a strong magnetic power. Come what may, we Chinese eat whatever seeds come into view.🎈尽管是这样 Be that as it may = However that may be= Despite that无论发生什么Come what may = Whatever may happen无论刮风还是下雨Come wind or rain = whether wind or rain comes俗语形容瓜子吃不饱，叫做“吃三日三夜，长个屎尖头。”因为这东西分量微小，无论如何也吃不饱，连吃三日三夜，也不过多排泄一粒屎尖头。There is an old saying about eating melon seeds—if you eat them for three days and nights, only a tiny drop of stool will result. Since the melon seed is so small, no matter how many you eat, you will never fill your stomach. Even if you eat for three running days and nights, you will only excrete one more drop of stool.🎈stool作名词指大便。a tiny drop of stool挺适合用来译“羊屎蛋”这个词。为消闲计，这是很重要的一个条件。倘分量大了，一吃就饱，时间就无法消磨。这与赈饥的粮食目的完全相反。赈饥的粮食求其吃得饱，消闲的粮食求其吃不饱。To kill time, this is an essential condition. If they were larger and could easily make you full, then time could not be killed. This is completely contrary to the aim of food for famine relief. Relief food aims to fill the stomach while leisure food aims to do otherwise.🎈与…完全相反 be completely contrary to…🎈赈饥 famine relief救灾 disaster relief🎈吃饱 be full/fill the stomach最好只尝滋味而不吞物质。最好越吃越饿，像罗马亡国之前所流行的“吐剂”一样，则开筵大嚼，醉饱之后，咬一下瓜子可以再来开筵大嚼。一直把时间消磨下去。Ideally, you should get the taste alone without swallowing the substance, and the more you eat, the hungrier you become. Before a banquet, you can enjoy melon seeds like the Romans chewed up their “regurgitant” in the last days of the Empire. Then, after you have eaten and drunk your fill, you can eat some melon seeds before returning to the banquet table again. And so the time is killed.🎈减肥（开玩笑 身体健康第一 小仙女们是最棒的）的黑话可以这样子说：过嘴不过胃get the taste alone without swallowing the substance。🎈吃饱喝足 eat and drink one’s fill要剥壳也是消闲食品的一个必要条件。倘没有壳，吃起来太便当，容易饱，时间就不能多多消磨了。The need to shell is another prerequisite for leisure food. If there were no shell, the eating would be convenient and the satiety would result. If so, you cannot kill the time as you wish.🎈satiate v.使满足，使餍足satiety n.[U] 饱足；餍足；满足一定要剥，而且剥的技术要有声有色，使它不像一种苦工，而像一种游戏，方才适合于有闲阶级的生活，可让他们愉快地把时间消磨下去。You must shell the food, shell it with enthusiasm, and make it go like an interesting game instead of hard labor. Only so can it serve the purpose of the leisure class to kill their time with delight.🎈only+状语位于句首，句子要部分倒装。比如我们在英语作文结尾进行呼吁时常用的句式：Only in this way/ Only so can we……具足以上三个利于消磨时间的条件的，在世间一切食物之中，想来想去，只有瓜子。所以我说发明吃瓜子的人是了不起的天才。而能尽量地享用瓜子的中国人，在消闲一道上，真是了不起的积极的实行家！After much thought, I found that among all the foods in the world, only melon seeds can meet the above conditions. That is why I insist that the first eater of melon seeds in the world was a veritable genius. The Chinese, who frequently enjoy melon seeds to their hearts’ content, are really fantastic practitioners of the art of killing time.🎈veritable adj.名副其实的“是了不起的天才”也可译作was literally a genius。🎈尽情地 to one’s hearts content《“孺子马”》爸爸现在正做饭，哪有工夫陪你玩？等吃完饭一定让你骑个够，撒谎是小狗。I’m now preparing dinner. I’ll let you ride on me to your heart’s content after dinner. Is that okay? If I don’t keep my word, I’ll be damned! 试看粮食店、南货店里的瓜子的畅销，试看茶楼、酒店、家庭中满地的瓜子壳，便可想见中国人在“格，呸”、“的，的”的声音中消磨去的时间，每年统计起来为数一定可惊。The evidence is in the booming sales of melon seeds from delicacies stores and in the shells scattered all over the floors of teahouses, restaurants and homes, and you can imagine the astonishing sum of time killed amid the sounds of “Click, Plop, Crack” each year.🎈南货店：南方所产的货物，与“北货”相对。后多特指南方所产的食物。“粮食店、南货店”可以同意理解为美食店。将来此道发展起来，恐怕是全中国也可消灭在“格，呸”、“的、的”的声音中呢。我本来见瓜子害怕，写到这里，觉得更加害怕了。If the practice becomes more popular, I am afraid the whole country will be inundated by the sounds of “Click, Plop, and Crack.” The sight of melon seeds used to perturb me. Now I feel even worse.🎈inundate1 v.使应接不暇；使不胜负荷 （与with搭配）例句Her office was inundated with requests for tickets.她所在的售票处收到铺天盖地的购票请求。They have inundated me with fan letters.他们转给我的粉丝来信让我应接不暇。2 v.淹没，泛滥例句Their neighbourhood is being inundated by the rising waters of the Colorado River.他们的街区正被科罗拉多河上涨的河水淹没。🎈【词根】“turb” = disturb 搅乱turbulence n. 汹涌而不稳定（的水流/气流）；动荡，骚乱turbid a.浑浊的turbine n.涡轮机perturb v.使不安imperturbable a.沉着的，镇定的，不惊慌的🔥重点表达嗑瓜子crack melon seeds使某人享有权利、使符合资格entitle sb. to do很多的、大量的 a wealth of…变戏法，变魔术 conjure tricks高超技巧 superb skill一天到晚，一整天 all day long把…扎进… thrust… into…染坊店the dyeing shop冷落，排斥 leave sb./sth. out in the cold献身、把（时间、精力等）用于… dedicate…to…畅销 the booming sales(销售额)/ a boom in sales/ sell like hot cakes平均分配/分开evenly distributed/divided臼齿 back teeth/molar把…塞进… cram… into…来回；往复up and down/back and forth（反复地）揪，扯pick at sth. （不好的事情）产生，开始，到来，恶化 set in把…交给… commit… to…决定… resolve to do … / that …破戒，违背誓言 break one’s vow尖端 the pointed end圆端 the round end门牙 front teeth远不如某人 be far inferior to sb.要到…去；驶往… be bound for…厚着脸皮，硬着头皮以示不觉羞愧 brazen it out沧海一粟 mere chestnuts in an ocean优越心理 superiority complex厌烦… be/get tired of…或tire of…屡次，一次又一次，一再 time after time/ time and (time) again诱使某人做某事 tempt/entice sb. to do sth.厌烦 be fed up with…老手；经验丰富的人 old hand（从 … 中）取出，拿出，拖出fish out sth. (of sth.)/ fish sth. out (of sth.)直到那时我才… Not until then did I…用某物招待某人 treat sb. to sth. 无论发生什么Come what may = Whatever may happen与…完全相反 be completely contrary to…吃饱 be full/fill the stomach吃饱喝足 eat and drink one’s fill尽情地 to one’s hearts content
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爱是一颗心遇到另一颗心（出处+配图） 
