英闻天下——575 China Fights Food Waste

 　　Chinese netizens have launched an online campaign against wasting food and called on people to take their leftovers¹ home after banquets as well as other measures to curb² such waste.

 

　　Dubbed³ "eating up your dishes," the move not only echoes the central government's calls for putting an end to extravagant⁴ official banquets, but also reflects citizens' awareness⁵ of wasted food.

 

　　Many netizens have been outraged⁶ by a photo posted by Xinhua News Agency of extravagant banquets where untouched food was tossed into garbage cans in the south China metropolis⁷ of Guangzhou.

 

　　A report on CCTV showed a dish worth almost 700 yuan left untouched after a business dinner in a restaurant in central Beijing. A chef at the restaurant said on average, half of the food consumed was eaten and half ended up in the trash.

 

　　Recently, nearly 750 restaurants in Beijing have joined the campaign by offering smaller dishes.

 

　　The restaurants are also encouraging diners to take their leftovers home.

 

　　Now let's take a listen to what bloggers have to say about food waste.

 

　　"It will be a time for curbing⁸ banquet waste. Not letting food go to waste will be the most fashionable way to celebrate the festival this year."

 

　　"It seems that wasting food is not a big deal. But if everybody is indifferent to it, then it could be a disaster. At many parties and banquets, the food ordered is much more than the amount that can be eaten. It has something to do with Chinese people's eating tradition and culture. They think others will look down upon them if they don't order a lot of food or take home the leftovers."

 

　　"Well, I think most people won't waste food if they spend their own money. Food waste happens quite often during business banquets. Usually during these banquets, people are busy drinking wine and talking with their business counterparts or leaders. So they actually have no time to eat the dishes."

1 leftovers   

n.剩余物，残留物，剩菜

参考例句：

• He can do miracles with a few kitchen leftovers.他能用厨房里几样剩饭做出一顿美餐。
• She made supper from leftovers she had thrown together.她用吃剩的食物拼凑成一顿晚饭。

2 curb   

n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制

参考例句：

• I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
• You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。

3 dubbed   

v.给…起绰号( dub的过去式和过去分词 )；把…称为；配音；复制

参考例句：

• Mathematics was once dubbed the handmaiden of the sciences. 数学曾一度被视为各门科学的基础。
• Is the movie dubbed or does it have subtitles? 这部电影是配音的还是打字幕的？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 extravagant   

adj.奢侈的；过分的；(言行等)放肆的

参考例句：

• They tried to please him with fulsome compliments and extravagant gifts.他们想用溢美之词和奢华的礼品来取悦他。
• He is extravagant in behaviour.他行为放肆。

5 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

6 outraged   

a.震惊的，义愤填膺的

参考例句：

• Members of Parliament were outraged by the news of the assassination. 议会议员们被这暗杀的消息激怒了。
• He was outraged by their behavior. 他们的行为使他感到愤慨。

7 metropolis   

n.首府；大城市

参考例句：

• Shanghai is a metropolis in China.上海是中国的大都市。
• He was dazzled by the gaiety and splendour of the metropolis.大都市的花花世界使他感到眼花缭乱。

8 curbing   

n.边石，边石的材料v.限制，克制，抑制( curb的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Progress has been made in curbing inflation. 在控制通货膨胀方面已取得了进展。
• A range of policies have been introduced aimed at curbing inflation. 为了抑制通货膨胀实施了一系列的政策。