Beth
And I'm Beth. It seems people around the world are in love with snacks! From old favourites like popcorn and crisps to new inventions like the chocolate sandwich, snacks are big business, with an estimated $1.5 trillion a year spent globally on snacking.
我是贝丝。如今世界各地的人们似乎都对零食情有独钟！从爆米花、薯片这类经典零食，到巧克力三明治这样的新奇品类，零食行业的市场规模十分庞大——据估算，全球每年在零食上的花费高达1.5万亿美元。
Neil
Let's listen as British food historian Annie Gray and Argentinian chef Barbara Oievari tell BBC World Service programme The Food Chain what they like to snack on between meals:
让我们一起听听英国饮食历史学家安妮·格雷和阿根廷厨师芭芭拉·奥耶瓦里，在BBC国际频道《食物链》节目分享的她们钟爱的餐间零食：
Annie Gray
I like salted peanuts and I love a banana – preferably together, actually. I find that they hit the spot.
我喜欢咸味花生，也爱吃香蕉，而且更喜欢把它们搭配在一起吃，我觉得这样吃正恰到好处。
Barbara Oievari
My favourite snack is called 'chipa'. It's a small, round bun made with cassava, cheese, butter, milk and salt.
我最喜欢的零食叫“奇帕(chipa)”。它是一种用木薯粉、奶酪、黄油、牛奶和盐制作的小圆面包。
Beth
Barbara's favourite snack is a cheese bread called 'chipa', while for Annie, it's the combination of peanuts and banana that hits the spot – an idiom meaning that it's exactly what you want. Neil, what's your favourite snack?
芭芭拉最爱的零食是这种名为“奇帕”的奶酪面包，而对安妮来说，花生配香蕉的组合则“恰到好处(hit the spot)”——这是一个习语，意思是这正是你想要的东西。尼尔，你最喜欢的零食是什么呀？
Neil
Well, I want to say something healthy, but actually, you know, I really love a bag of crisps.
嗯，我想说点健康的，但其实，你知道，我真的爱吃一袋薯片。
Beth
Oh, me too! Yeah, crisps are good. Well, whatever you like to nibble on, in this episode we'll find out why we are so in love with snack food. As usual, we'll learn some useful new words and phrases.
哦，我也是！是的，薯片很好吃。不管你喜欢吃什么零食，在这一集中，我们会找出为什么我们如此喜爱零食。像往常一样，我们还会学到一些实用的单词和短语。
Neil
OK. But first I have a question for you, Beth. According to a recent YouGov survey, which of the following snacks is most popular among Brits? Is it: a) crisps, b) confectionary and chocolate, or c) savoury snacks and biscuits?
好的。但首先，我有个问题要问你，贝丝。根据最近的一项YouGov调查，以下哪种零食最受英国人欢迎？是 a) 薯片，b) 甜食和巧克力，还是 c) 咸味零食和饼干？
Beth
Well, we both just said crisps so I'm going to say crisps.
我们俩刚刚都提到了薯片，所以我选薯片。
Neil
Well, we'll find out the answer later in the programme. Someone with a professional interest in snacking is Christine Cochran, president of SNAC International, the trade association for the industry. Here, Christine shares her ideas about why we love to snack with BBC World Service programme The Food Chain:
我们稍后会在节目中揭晓答案。克里斯汀·科克伦对零食有着专业兴趣，她是零食行业贸易协会“国际零食协会”（SNAC International）的会。在这里，克里斯汀在BBC 世界服务节目《食品链》中分享了她对为什么我们喜爱零食的看法：
Christine Cochran
A snack is an affordable luxury, so if you've had a bad day or money is tight, this is something that you can turn to, and I think that is why you see it as so popular. Consumers, especially in the United States, are looking for smaller, more convenient portions. They're not always going to be able to sit down and have three meals a day, right? So, they're eating on the go.
零食是一种价格实惠的享受，因此如果你今天过得不顺心或是手头紧张，零食就成了你的慰藉，我认为这就是它如此受欢迎的原因。消费者，尤其是美国消费者，正在寻找更小份、更便捷的食品。他们并不总能坐下来吃三顿正餐，对吧？所以他们是在路上吃东西。
And the other thing that you see is this desire for very specific functional ingredients, right? So, mental clarity, gut health, muscle development, these sorts of things. Again, they're nicely packaged in snack sizes.
另一个趋势是对特定功能性成分的需求，比如头脑清晰、肠道健康、肌肉发育等等。这些功能同样以精美的小包装得以实现。这些成分都被巧妙地包装在零食大小的包装里。
Beth
Snacks are often seen as a little luxury, but to be successful, a snack must also be affordable – an adjective meaning not expensive.
零食通常被视为一种小享受，但成功的零食还必须是“实惠的(affordable)”——这个形容词的意思是不贵。
Neil
Snacks which are cheap enough for most people to buy will sell even if money is tight – a phrase used to describe a situation where there's only just enough money to live on.
即使“手头紧张(money is tight)”，足够便宜的、大多数人都买得起的零食依然会有销路——这个短语用来描述钱只够维持生计的状况。
Beth
Thanks to snacks, today fewer people sit down to eat a proper meal. Instead, they eat on the go. If you do something on the go, you do it while you're busy travelling or moving around, rather than at home.
正因零食的存在，如今越来越少的人会坐下来好好吃一顿正餐了。相反，他们会在路上吃。如果你“在路上（on the go）”做某事，意思就是在忙碌奔波时做这件事，而不是在家里。
Neil
Many modern snacks target a specific function. For example, an energy drink might claim to improve your gut health or your mental clarity – a term describing a state of mind which is focused and engaged, not dull or foggy.
许多现代零食都针对特定的功能。比如，某款能量饮料可能会声称能改善你的肠道健康或提升“头脑清晰度(mental clarity)”——这是术语描述的是一种思维专注且投入的状态、而非迟钝或迷糊。
Beth
But not everyone is a fan of modern packaged snacks, such as the bags of crisps and chocolate bars which fill our shops. Originally from Argentina, Barbara Oievari, now lives in Florida, USA. Here, Barbara tells BBC World Service's The Food Chain how she encourages her 9-year-old son to choose more natural snacks:
但并不是每个人都喜欢现代包装的零食，比如商店里摆满的薯片袋和巧克力棒。原籍阿根廷、现居美国佛罗里达州的芭芭拉·奥耶瓦里，在BBC 世界服务节目中讲述了她如何鼓励自己9岁的儿子选择更天然的零食：
Barbara Oievari
Personally, I enjoy cooking and eating more natural, simpler snacks, but of course I can't swim against the current, and if my 9-year-old wants to eat the little baked snacks that have cheddar… ironically, it is something baked with cheese in it, which is similar to what I enjoy – it's just the modern twist.
我个人喜欢烹饪和食用更天然、更简约的零食，但当然，我也不能太逆潮流，如果我9岁的孩子想吃那些含有切达干酪的烤制小零食，那也没办法……讽刺的是，这种用奶酪烤制的零食，其实和我喜欢的东西类似——只是现代的变体。
Neil
Barbara wants her son to eat healthy, homemade food, although he prefers modern, packaged snacks. Barbara complains she can't swim against the current. The idiom swim against the current means to act differently from other people, often because you do not mind being different.
芭芭拉希望儿子能吃健康的自制食物，但她的儿子却更喜欢现代包装零食。芭芭拉抱怨自己不能“逆潮流行事(swim against the current)”。这个习语的意思是行为与他人不同，通常指不介意和别人不一样。
Beth
Well, Neil, all those snacks have made me hungry! Now, isn't it time to reveal the answer to your question?
好了，尼尔，所有这些零食都让我听饿了！现在，是不是该揭晓你问题的答案了？
Neil
Yes, it is. I asked, "According to a recent YouGov survey, which of the following snacks is the most popular amongst Brits? Crisps, confectionery and chocolate, or savoury snacks and biscuits." And the answer was… b) confectionery and chocolate, which 45% of Britons indulge in weekly, according to that survey.
是的，该揭晓了。我问的是：“根据最近的一项YouGov调查，以下哪种零食最受英国人欢迎？薯片、糖果和巧克力，还是咸味零食和饼干？”答案是……b) 糖果和巧克力，根据这项调查，45%的英国人每周都会享用这种零食。
OK. Let's recap the vocabulary we've learned, starting with the phrase hits the spot, which describes something which is exactly what you want or need.
好了，让我们回顾一下我们学到的词汇，从短语“恰到好处(hit the spot)”开始，它用来形容某样东西正是你想要或需要的。
Beth
If something is affordable, it's cheap enough that most people have enough money to buy it.
如果某样东西是“实惠的(affordable)”，那就意味着它足够便宜，大多数人都有足够的钱购买。
Neil
The phrase money is tight means you only have just enough money to live.
短语“手头紧张(money is tight)”意味着你只有刚好够维持生计的钱。
Beth
The idiom on the go means doing things while you are busy travelling or moving around.
习语“在路上(on the go)”意味着在忙碌奔波时做事情。
Neil
Mental clarity is a state in which your mind is fully focused and active, not dull or foggy.
“头脑清晰(mental clarity)”是一种思维高度专注且活跃的状态，而非迟钝或迷糊。
Beth
And finally, people who swim against the current, or the tide, do or say things differently from most other people. Once again, our six minutes are up. See you again soon!
最后，“逆潮流行事(swim against the current/tide)”的人，指行为或言论与大多数人不同的人。好了，我们的六分钟时间又到了。下次再见！
Neil
Goodbye!
再见！
hit the spot 恰到好处，正合心意，正合口味
affordable [əˈfɔːdəbl] 实惠的，付得起的，买得起的
money is tight 手头紧张，资金紧张
on the go 在路上，忙碌奔波时
mental clarity [ˈmentl ˈklærəti] 头脑清晰，思维清晰
swim against the current [ˈkʌrənt] 逆潮流行事，背道而驰
snack [snæk] 零食，小吃，点心；吃零食
popcorn [ˈpɒpkɔːn] 爆米花
crisp [krɪsp] 薯片（英式表达，美式常用chip）
chocolate sandwich [ˈtʃɒklət ˈsændwɪtʃ] 巧克力三明治
salted peanut [ˈsɔːltɪd ˈpiːnʌt] 咸味花生，盐焗花生
chipa [ˈtʃipa] 奇帕（阿根廷传统奶酪面包，用木薯粉制作）
round bun [bʌn] 圆面包
cassava [kəˈsɑːvə] 木薯；木薯粉
nibble on [ˈnɪbl] 轻咬，啃，小口吃（食物）
Brit [brɪt] 英国人
confectionery [kənˈfekʃənəri] 甜食（糖果、巧克力等）
savoury snack [ˈseɪvəri] 咸味零食，咸味小吃
trade association [əˌsəʊsiˈeɪʃn] 行业协会，贸易协会
luxury [ˈlʌkʃəri] 难得的享受；奢侈，奢望
functional ingredient [ˈfʌŋkʃənl ɪnˈɡriːdiənt] 功能性成分（指食品中具有特定健康作用的成分）
gut health [ɡʌt] 肠道健康
muscle development 肌肉发育，肌肉生长
engaged [ɪnˈɡeɪdʒd] 专注的，投入的
dull [dʌl] 迟钝的，呆滞的
foggy [ˈfɒɡi] 迷糊的，模糊的
packaged snack [ˈpækɪdʒd snæk] 包装零食
chocolate bar [ˈtʃɒklət bɑː(r)] 巧克力棒，巧克力条
cheddar [ˈtʃedə(r)] 切达干酪（原产于英国的黄色硬质奶酪）
ironically [aɪˈrɒnɪkli] 讽刺地，反讽地
be baked with [beɪkt] 用…烘焙而成，用…烤制
modern twist [twɪst] 现代变体，现代改良
indulge in [ɪnˈdʌldʒ] 尽情享用，沉溺于
