当人们试图决定什么能吃、什么不能吃时，往往变得相当不合逻辑。
People become quite illogical when they try to decide what can be eaten and what cannot be eaten.
比如说，如果你住在地中海地区，你就会认为章鱼是一道极为珍贵的美食。
If you lived in the Mediterranean, for instance, you would consider octopus a great delicacy.
你将无法理解为什么有些人觉得它令人恶心。
You would not be able to understand why some people find it repulsive.
另一方面，一想到用动物脂肪炸土豆——这在许多北方国家是普遍接受的做法——你的胃就会翻腾不已。
On the other hand, your stomach would turn at the idea of frying potatoes in animal fat-the normally accepted practice in many northern countries.
可悲的事实是：我们大多数人从小就被教导吃某些特定的食物，并且一辈子都坚持吃这些食物。
The sad truth is that most of us have been brought up to eat certain foods and we stick to them all our lives.
没有哪种生物比普通花园蜗牛受到更多的赞扬与贬斥。
No creature has received more praise and abuse than the common garden snail.
用葡萄酒烹制的蜗牛，在世界许多地方是一种极为奢侈的美食。
Cooked in wine, snails are a great luxury in various parts of the world.
有无数的人，自童年起便已习得将蜗牛与食物联系在一起的观念。
There are countless people who, ever since their early years, have learned to associate snails with food.
我的朋友罗伯特住在一个蜗牛被人鄙视的国家。
My friend, Robert, lives in a country where snails are despised.
由于他的公寓在一个大城市里，他没有自己的花园。
As his flat is in a large town, he has no garden of his own.
多年来，他一直在请求我从我的花园里收集蜗牛并带给他。
For years he has been asking me to collect snails from my garden and take them to him.
这个主意从来没有特别吸引我，但有一天，一场大雨过后，我碰巧正在花园里散步，这时我注意到一大群蜗牛正在我的几株名贵植物上悠闲地爬行。
The idea never appealed to me very much, but one day, after a heavy shower, I happened to be walking in my garden when I noticed a huge number of snails taking a stroll on some of my prize plants.
一时冲动之下，我收集了几十只，把它们装进一个纸袋，带去给了罗伯特。
Acting on a sudden impulse, I collected several dozen, put them in a paper bag, and took them to Robert.
罗伯特见到我非常高兴，对我带来的小礼物同样感到满意。
Robert was delighted to see me and equally pleased with my little gift.
我把袋子留在了走廊里，罗伯特和我走进客厅，在那里聊了大约两个小时。
I left the bag in the hall and Robert and I went into the living room where we talked for a couple of hours.
我已经把蜗牛的事忘得一干二净，就在这时罗伯特突然说我必须留下来吃晚饭。
I had forgotten all about the snails when Robert suddenly said that I must stay to dinner.
蜗牛当然将是主菜。
Snails would, of course, be the main dish.
我并不喜欢这个主意，但还是不情愿地跟着罗伯特走出了房间。
I did not fancy the idea and I reluctantly followed Robert out of the room.
令我们沮丧的是，我们看到蜗牛无处不在：它们已从纸袋里逃出来，把整个走廊占领得严严实实！从那以后，我再也没能直视一只蜗牛。
To our dismay, we saw that there were snails everywhere: they had escaped from the paper bag and had taken complete possession of the hall! I have never be able to look at a snail since then.