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上期說到BBC龍蝦年一文的上半部分，今期再來看下半部分。
Like other Maine lobster companies, Nadeau's business is ticking up because Chinese lobster eaters are looking abroad to revive old traditions in new ways. Spiny lobsters used to abound in the South China Sea, but overfishing has destroyed their Chinese habitat and driven up prices. Even though they've logged more air miles, US lobsters are a bargain in China.
像其他的緬因州龍蝦公司，納多的企業時鐘正在滴答滴答作響，因為中國龍蝦的食客正在從國外以新方式尋回復古舊傳統 。多刺的龍蝦曾經在中國南海處處皆是，但過度捕撈已經摧毀了牠們的中國棲息地，價格隨之上揚。 即使加上他們的空運費用，美國龍蝦到中國後仍很便宜。
"Our Maine lobsters are filling the middle-class void," Nadeau says. "We're working around the clock to get lobsters into China for the holiday."
「我們的緬因州龍蝦填補了中產階級空虛。」納多說︰「我們正在日以繼夜地工作，務使龍蝦加入中國的節日。」
Maine lobster offer softer meat and a finer flavour than their spiny cousins and allow Chinese consumers to return to old recipes - lobster is often steamed and dipped in wasabi and soy sauce, or eaten with noodles in a garlic sauce.
緬因州龍蝦擁有較嫩肉質，再者牠及比牠們多刺的堂兄弟姐妹有更細膩的味道，讓中國消費者可重拾古食方。龍蝦通常是清蒸並蘸以山葵和醬油，或作為蒜蓉麵的伴菜。
Maine lobster is often called "Boston Lobster" on Chinese menus. Nadeau, a native Mainer, says she doesn't mind being upstaged by her metropolitan neighbour to the south - as long as the orders keep coming in.
在中國人的菜譜上，緬因州龍蝦通常被稱為「波士頓龍蝦」。不過只要訂單不斷有進賬，納多( 一個緬因州原居民）並不介意風頭被他們的南方相鄰大都市搶走。
Aside from providing the perfect combination of flavour, value and US cachet, Nadeau says that Maine lobster - possibly the most typically New England food after clam chowder - has one decisive advantage in China.
除了提供風味、價值和美國特色的完美結合，納多說，緬因州龍蝦可能是繼周打蜆湯後最典型的新英格蘭食品，在中國（它）有一個作為有決定性的優勢。
"They like ours because they look like a dragon," she adds.「他們喜歡我們的（產品），因為它們看起來像一條龍。」她補充。
也許，這文是講述飲食文化的潮流，文中所述的中國人是迷信（superstition）、無知（ignorance）及羊群心理（herd behavior）。筆者感到這文說得好聽一點中國人就是吃貨（國內的流行語，英文為gourmet），貼切一點，這文形容到較富裕的中國新一代不是暴發戶（parvenu, upstart, or a person who suddenly rich），便是炫富子弟（bon vivant or playboy），含沙射影地鄙視中國人（to make innuendoes against Chinese）。筆者極之憤怒（furious or irritated），同時我們也應作一個反省（introspection）。希望來年各讀者在新年時不只跟從網羅堪輿學家（fortunate tellers）的指引，也為國家想想，也許可作點貢獻（dedication），成為一位愛國者（patriot）。■林健根 會計師
星期五見報
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