英国学生科学读本：Cocoa可可

Posted 2021-04-30 世纪高教英语

You have all, no doubt, drunk a cup of cocoa, and you have also eaten part of a cocoanut. Perhaps you thought that cocoa was made from the cocoanut, but the two things are really quite different from each other.

毫无疑问，你肯定喝过可可并且吃过椰子。也许你会认为，可可就是由椰子制成的，实际上，它们有着很大的区别。

The cocoanut is the fruit of a tall palm-tree; but the cocoa which we drink is prepared from these seeds of an evergreen tree whose proper name is the cacao-tree. We ought to speak of "cacao" and not cocoa; but the former name has been changed into the latter, because this is easier to pronounce, I suppose.

椰子是一种高大的棕榈科树木结出的果实，而我们平常喝的可可则来自名为可可树的常绿树。我们本应该称之为“cacao”，而不是“cocoa”，也许是出于发音的方便，我们现在都叫它cocoa（可可）。

The cacao-tree needs a warm climate, and grows best in the West Indies and in Central and South America. It is about the size of a cherry-tree, and the leaves are of much the same shape. The flowers are white, and grow in clusters.

可可树喜欢温暖的环境，西印度群岛、中美及南美是它们的理想居所。可可树的高度及叶子形状都与樱桃树相仿，花朵为白色，成簇生长。

As each flower drops off, its place is taken by a brown pod, which grows to the size of a short thick cucumber. When ripe, the pods are gathered and broken open. Each pod contains about fifty brown seeds, or "cocoa-beans", as they are called.

花朵凋谢之后，原来的位置上就会长出一个棕色的果荚，随后继续发育，直到大小跟一个粗短的黄瓜相似。成熟之后，人们把所有的果荚都收集起来敲碎。每个果荚里面大概含有五十个棕色种子, 也就是人们所说的“可可豆”。

In preparing cocoa, these seeds are first dried, and then roasted and crushed. Each seed has a thin, hard husk, which is removed after the crushing. The crushed kernels are called cocoa nibs.

在制作可可时，人们首先将这些种子晒干，然后烘烤并碾碎。每颗种子都带有一个很薄的硬壳，种子被碾碎之后，这层硬壳也就脱落了下来，而粉碎的果仁则被称作可可粒。

About one-half of the kernel is made of a kind of oil or fat, called "cocoa butter", which is often used for making candles and soap.

果仁中有一半成分都是油脂, 即“可可脂”,它们经常用于制造蜡烛与香皂。

Some people like to make their cocoa by boiling the nibs in water. When this is done, a layer of cocoa butter is formed on the top of the cocoa.

有些人喜欢用水来煮可可粒，这样一来，可可的上面就会形成一层可可脂。

But most people do not like so much oil in their cocoa, so a great part of it is squeezed out by pressing the kernels under heavy weights. The pressed mass of kernels may then be cut into thin slices, and this is called "flaked cocoa". 

但是，大部分人并不愿意看到自己的可可里掺杂油脂。因此，人们通过重压将果仁中的大部分油脂挤压出来。这些挤压过的果仁还可以被切成碎片, 称为“可可碎片”。

The pressed kernels are often ground to a fine powder, which is known as "essence of cocoa". By mixing the cocoa-powder with a little starch, we get what is called "soluble cocoa". 

经过挤压的果仁一般会被碾磨成细粉，这也就是人们所说的“可可精”。将可可粉与淀粉混合之后就获得了“可溶可可”。

When boiling water is poured over cocoa essence or soluble cocoa, an excellent drink is obtained, which is much more nourishing than either tea or coffee. 

当我们将开水倒在可可精或可溶可可上面时，一杯香浓的饮料便诞生了，它的营养远非茶水或咖啡可以比拟。

The boiling water dissolves the nourishing matters which are contained in the cocoa, and we then get all the strength of the cocoa in the hot water.

开水能够溶解可可中的营养物质，于是，通过一杯热水，我们就能够吸收可可中的能量。

Soluble cocoa is also mixed with sugar, and made into a paste called chocolate. When you go for very long walks, you should put some chocolate drops or "creams" in your pocket. Chocolate is very nourishing, and keeps up the strength of the body very well.

可溶可可还可以与糖混合，从而形成一种名为巧克力的粘稠物质。如果你需要长途跋涉，最好带上一些巧克力豆或者“奶油夹心巧克力”。因为巧克力非常有营养，能够很好地补充体力。

When you drink cocoa, you should always mix plenty of milk with it. I hope that you are fond of cocoa. It is a much better drink than either tea or coffee, especially for young people, and it will help you to grow big and strong.

当你饮用可可时，记得放入大量牛奶进行搭配。希望你会喜欢可可，它比茶水或咖啡要好很多。对于青少年来说更是如此，可可能够让你长得更高、更壮。

You Look Twenty Years Younger

When I was 28, I was teaching English to high school freshmen in a school where occasionally the faculty and staff were allowed to dress down.

One of those days, I dressed in a sweatshirt and slacks. A student came in and his eyes widened. 

 "Wow!" he exclaimed. "You should wear clothes like that every day. You look twenty, maybe even thirty years younger!"

 ——《致用大学英语读写译教程2》UNIT 5 Cherishing Life