The empress enjoyed eating the bread, and so this kind of corn bread was later named xiao wowotou (小窝窝头， small steamed corn bread) and became one of the best known snacks from the imperial kitchen of the Qing Dynasty.
Notes：1）corn flour谷物面粉；2）curve曲线；3）anecdote轶事；4）fatigue疲劳；5）petal花瓣；6）osmanthus桂花
17.油条的由来有什么传说吗？
What is the legendary story about Deep-fried dough stick?
Deep-fried dough stick is a traditional snack for breakfast. The origin of this snack is associated with Qin Hui (秦桧) who served as prime minister during the reign of the Southern Song Dynasty Emperor Gao Zong (高宗).
In 1138, Emperor Gao Zong designated Hangzhou as a“temporary capital,”and signed a peace agreement with the Jin Kingdom (金国) in 1142. The previous year had seen the death of Yue Fei (岳飞), one of China’s most celebrated generals. However, the groundless accusation against Yue Fei was a snare secretly set up by Qin Hui and his wife. After hearing of Yue Fei’s death, common people in the capital were furious, and really came to hate Qin Hui and his wife.
At that time, there was an inn near where Yue Fei died that mainly sold oil-fried food. One day the boss of the inn was frying food when he heard of Yue Fei’s death. The terrible news caused him to lose control of himself, so he picked up a lump of flour dough from a basin and kneaded it into two small figures—a man and a woman. The boss pasted the two figures together back to back and dropped them into the oil pot while repeatedly shouting,“Come and eat deep-fried oil Qin Hui!”
Upon hearing his shouting, people around understood what he was referring to. Soon people gathered around the pot and ate the figures while shouting and helping the boss knead more figures. Other inns and restaurants in the same city quickly followed suit, frying dough in the“Qin Hui”way. This practice spreaded far and wide across the country and has continued through dynasties until the present time.
Today, people prefer to call this food the Deep-fried twisted dough stick (油条) rather than the oil-fried Qin Hui.
However, in some areas, local people still keep use the old name Deep-fried Hui (油炸烩) or Deep-fried Ghost (油炸鬼).
Notes：1）temporary暂时的；2）celebrate庆祝；3）groundless无根据的；5）accusation指控；6）snare圈套；7）lose control of失去对……的控制；8）basin盆；9）knead揉成
18.宴会的一般程序是什么？
What is the usual process of a banquet?
Banquet menus are quite different in composition from the daily meal at home. A standard banquet consists of four to six cold dishes, eight main dishes, one or two showpieces (such as a whole fish or chicken), along with soup, rice, pastries and fruit.
Cold dishes are normally served before the main dishes. Any number of cold-dish components may be combined into a single elaborate dish, beautifully shaped like a butterfly, phoenix, dragon, or a basket of flowers. The visual appeal is intended, however, to stimulate the appetite.
Each of the main dishes contains a different kind of food, some with meat or fish, some without. Rice or noodles are served last. Even at the end of a banquet, Chinese habitually eat a small bowl of rice or noodles.
19.在正式的宴会中，来宾和主人的座次应如何安排？
How are the guests and host seated for a formal dinner?
The host and chief guest are usually seated on opposite sides of the table, facing each other. The chief guest is seated at the head of the room, facing the door; the host with his or her back to the door. In most restaurant arrangements, the host is also closest to the door thus in a better position to give orders to the waiters as they come and go.
Other guests are seated to the left and right of the chief guest in descending order of rank or importance. This means that the two lowest ranking members in the party may end up seated to the immediate right and left of the host. This arrangement is just opposite of what Westerners might expect.
The thinking behind the Chinese-style seating arrangement is simple and logical. It assures that the host will have a direct view of the main guests and only slightly oblique views of other guests of importance.
Notes：1）logical合逻辑的；2）oblique斜的
20.怎样理解中国人的热情好客？
How do you understand the characteristics of Chinese hospitality?
When overseas travelers first visit China, they are often surprised to find themselves served what seems a lavish meal consisting of cold dishes, hot dishes, soup and rice. They consider this a lavish spread. However, this Chinese typical meal and especial dinner banquets are social occasions. Moreover, Chinese hosts repeatedly ask their guests to help themselves. They seem to overwhelm guests with food, but they are simply being hospitable. It is not a guest’s job to stuff himself to the point of discomfort, but eating too little may dismay the host. If your host serves you something that you don’t like, you may simply leave it uneaten on your plate. Traditionally, it is the host’s duty to ensure that guests are well served.
Notes：1）hospitality殷勤招待；2）hospitable好客的；3）lavish非常慷慨的；4）uneaten未吃的；5）overwhelm征服；6）ensure保证
21.筷子有什么特点？
What are the characteristics of chopsticks?
Chopsticks are made from a variety of materials ranging from plain wood, lacquered wood, bamboo, ebony and ivory, and they have been used in China for thousands of years.
Chopsticks are used to either grasp food or push it from the plate to the mouth and are considered sufficient for all purposes except soups or ice cream, for which spoons are provided. Chopsticks are normally used in China, but you need not hesitate to ask for a knife or fork if you are embarrassed about your ability to use them. However, your hosts will show indefinite patience with your attempts to master their use, and you will be surprised at how quickly you make the progress.
Notes：1）chopstick筷子；2）sufficient足够的；3）purpose目的；4）embarrassed尴尬的；5）indefinite不确定的；6）lacquered上漆的