44.High School English Listening

Have you ever wondered why some cuisines, like Indian and Thai, are so spicy and others, like English, are so bland?
Let's see,India and Thailand are very hot countries,while England is cold and damp.
So the answer has something to do with the climate associated with each cuisine?
Yes,it sure does.
The first one is spices mask spoilage, and in a country with a hot climate and without refrigeration, that can come in handy.
Some scientists suggest that the spices in hot cuisines help protect humans from certain kinds of bacteria found in food.
In fact, the hotter the country, the more likely it is that its recipes will use the kind of spices that slow down the growth of bacteria.
You mean some ingredients can slow down the growth of bacteria?
That's right.
For example, onion, garlic, oregano and all spice alone all kill or inhibit up to twenty-nine different kinds food-borne bacteria.
In fact, most spices inhibit bacteria to some extent.
And if you think about it, this makes sense.
As plants evolved, they had to learn to fight off parasites and bacteria in order to survive.
That's how they got their distinctive flavoring in the first place.
译文：
你有没有想过，为什么有些菜系，如印度和泰国，如此辛辣，而其他菜系，如英国，如此平淡？
让我们看看，印度和泰国是非常热的国家，而英国则是寒冷和潮湿的。
所以答案是与每种菜肴的气候有关？
是的，确实如此。
首先是香料可以掩盖腐败，在一个气候炎热且没有冷藏设备的国家，这一点可以派上用场。
一些科学家认为，炎热菜肴中的香料有助于保护人类免受食物中某些种类的细菌侵害。
事实上，越是炎热的国家，其食谱就越有可能使用那种能减缓细菌生长的香料。
你是说有些成分可以减缓细菌的生长？
那是对的。
例如，仅洋葱、大蒜、牛至和所有香料都能杀死或抑制多达二十九种不同的食源性细菌。
事实上，大多数香料在某种程度上都能抑制细菌。
如果你仔细想想，这是有道理的。
随着植物的进化，它们必须学会抵御寄生虫和细菌，以便生存。
这就是它们最初如何获得独特的调味品的。
重点词汇：
associated with 与…有关 ; 参加 ; 与…相联系
come in handy 派上用场
kinds of 各种各样的 ; 不同种类 ; 是很多种
In fact 事实上 ; 其实 ; 准确地说
more likely 适当的 ; 有希望的 ; 很可能的 ; 很像真事的 ; 多半
slow down 慢点 ; 放慢 ; 减速 ; 身心松弛 ; 放松