Classic English Curio
少鹽飲食對健康有顯著益處,能有效降低高血壓、心臟病及中風的風險。現代飲食中常含過量的隱藏鹽分,導致健康問題日益增加。減少鹽的攝取有助於維持心血管系統健康,並且促進更均衡的味覺習慣。透過選擇新鮮食材、使用天然香料取代鹽調味,便能輕鬆實現「少鹽更健康」的生活方式。一起來聽聽 BBC 6 分鐘英語對這個話題的討論。
Less salt, better health 少鹽更健康
BBC 6 分鐘英語在 2024 年 9 月 5 日播出的節目 中討論的是飲食中的鹽分問題。
我們是否都吃太多鹽了?BBC 6 分鐘英語的主持人尼爾和喬治將討論這個問題。同時和往常一樣,節目主持人也會教導聽眾一些相關詞彙與表達方式。
本周的問題
以下哪種日常食物含鹽最多?
a) 肉類?
b) 麵包?
c) 義大利麵?
詞彙
preserve (food) 保存(食物)
處理食物以防止腐爛,以便儲存和日後進食
nomads 遊牧民族
從一個地方到另一個地方旅行的人,通常帶著牲畜,而不是一直住在一個地方。
dairy products 乳製品
由牛奶製成的食物,例如黃油、起司或酸乳酪
take a step back 退一步
暫時抽離某個情境,以便更冷靜地思考
look at the bigger picture 顧全大局
考慮事情的整體意義,而非具體細節
premature 過早
發生得太快或在適當的時間之前
中英文稿謄本
點此看英文原稿
Neil
Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Neil.
Georgie
And I'm Georgie. Do you know the five tastes which give food its flavour, Neil? There's sweet…
Neil
Yes… and er, sour, bitter…
Georgie
And salty! Everyone knows that salt makes food taste better by enhancing the flavours of the ingredients. There's even a phrase you'll see in many recipes – 'add a pinch of salt'.
Neil
But exactly how much salt makes a 'pinch' of salt? The World Health Organisation, or WHO, recommends a daily salt intake of less than 5g, about the same as a teaspoon. In fact, the human body needs salt - at least 1g a day to survive. But most of us eat far too much, increasing the risk of high blood pressure and heart disease. In this programme, we'll be asking: how much salt is too much? And, as usual, we'll be learning some useful new vocabulary as well.
Georgie
Great! But first I have a question for you, Neil. The reason it's difficult to know how much salt you consume is that it's hidden in food, especially processed food. So, which of the following everyday foods do you think contains most salt? Is it:
a) meat?
b) bread? or,
c) pasta?
Neil
Well, I'm going to guess that meat is the saltiest of those foods.
Georgie
OK Neil, I'll reveal the answer later in the programme. Marian Sumbiva lives in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, a country where people eat, on average, 17g of salt a day. That's more than three times the amount recommended by the WHO. Here, Marian explains some of the reasons behind this to BBC World Service programme, 'The Food Chain':
Marian Sumbiva
We consume lots of salt, which is due to historical heritage, because when we were nomads, for centuries and centuries we travelled and wandered across the steppes, and here, we had to carry lots of meat which could be preserved only adding salt. And even the milk products, the dairy products, are also very much salty for the same reasons.
Neil
Besides improving its flavour, salt can be used to preserve food, to stop it from going bad. Traditionally, people in Kazakhstan were nomads, they travelled from place to place with their animals, rather than living in one place all the time. Treating food with salt gave them enough to eat during the long winter months. They even did it with dairy products, foods which are made from milk, such as cheese and butter.
Georgie
So, salt has a long, and useful, history. But there's a big difference between traditional Kazakh nomads and the health problems associated with modern processed food. When we eat too much salt, the body dilutes it by retaining water. And as a result, the heart works harder to pump liquid around the body. This causes high blood pressure which, over time, can lead to heart disease.
Neil
Globally, governments are fighting this health risk in different ways. The Australian government reduced its recommended salt intake to 6g a day, while the British government has passed laws forcing food companies to reduce the amount of salt they use, and now recommends just 5g of salt per day.
Georgie
Clare Collins is professor of nutrition at the University of Newcastle in Australia. Here, she explains more about these salt recommendations to BBC World Service programme, 'The Food Chain':
Prof Clare Collins
I think you just gotta take a step back, and look at the bigger picture, like arguing whether it should be 5g or 6g… The issue is that around the world, salt intakes are very high, contributing to high blood pressure, contributing to premature strokes, premature mortality, and we need to address it in a way that's culturally appropriate for each country.
Georgie
Instead of arguing over grams of salt, Professor Collins thinks we should take a step back and look at the bigger picture. She uses two idioms: take a step back,which means to temporarily withdraw from a situation in order to think about it more calmly, and look at the bigger picture - to consider the overall meaning of something, not just the details.
Neil
Yes, the problem remains that overconsumption of salt is causing premature health problems, problems which are happening sooner than they should. By limiting salt and processed food, most people can enjoy long, healthy lives. And if you don't like your food unsalted, try adding herbs and spices instead.
Georgie
Well, speaking of salty foods, I think it's time to reveal the answer to my question, Neil. If you remember, I asked you which everyday food contains most salt.
Neil
And I guessed it was meat…
Georgie
Which was… the correct answer! Meat contains the highest amount of salt - around 19% - followed by bread with 14%, and pasta with 7%. OK, let's recap the vocabulary we've learned in this programme starting with the verb 'to preserve food', meaning to do something to stop it rotting so it can be eaten later.
Neil
Nomads are people who travel from one place to another, often with animal livestock, rather than living in one place all the time.
Georgie
Dairy products are foods such as cheese and butter, which are made from milk.
Neil
If you take a step back, you temporarily remove yourself from a situation in order to reevaluate it.
Georgie
The idiom 'to look at the bigger picture' means to consider the overall meaning of something rather than the specific details.
Neil
And finally, the adjective premature describes something which happens too soon or before the proper time. Once again, our six minutes are up. Goodbye for now!
Georgie
Bye!
Correction: In the programme we say that meat contains 19% salt, making it the saltiest type of everyday food. In fact it’s some processed meat and meat dishes that contains 19% salt, according to the British Heart Foundation.
廣播原稿中文翻譯有兩個目的。首先是幫助聽力有困難的讀者能夠快速了解原文的意思。而更重要的原因是,提供給練習英語口語表達的讀者訓練的素材。
由於每個人的知識範疇各不相同,因此碰到超出自己專長的領域,常常會啞口無言,無話可說。這對練習英語表達是一項非常難以克服的障礙。所以參考 6 分鐘英語的對白稿,既可以讓自我練習英語對話時有貼切適當的素材,同時也能順便學些道地的表達方式,實是一舉數得。
使用上,可以在聽完一、兩次原始廣播之後,試著一邊看中文謄本,一邊流利、正確地用英語說出文中的內容。多次練習之後,未來自然能夠在碰到同樣主題時與人侃侃而談。
點此看中文翻譯
尼爾
您好。這裡是 BBC 學習英語的六分鐘英語。我是尼爾。
喬治
我是喬治。你知道賦予食物味道的五種味道嗎,尼爾?有甜的...
尼爾
是的... 還有酸味、苦味...
喬治
還有鹹。每個人都知道鹽能增強食材的味道,讓食物更美味。在許多食譜中甚至可以看到這樣的詞語 ——「加一小匙鹽」。
尼爾
但是到底多少鹽才算是一「小撮」鹽呢?世界衛生組織 (WHO) 建議每天的鹽攝取量應少於 5 克,大約等於一茶匙。事實上,人體需要鹽分——每天至少 1 克才能存活。但我們大多數人都吃得太多,增加了罹患高血壓和心臟病的風險。在本節目中,我們將問:多少鹽才算多?和往常一樣,我們也將學習一些有用的新詞彙。
喬治
好極了!不過我首先要問您一個問題,尼爾。我們很難知道自己攝入了多少鹽,原因是鹽被隱藏在食物中,尤其是加工食品。那麼,您認為以下哪種日常食物含鹽最多?是
a) 肉類?
b) 麵包?
c) 義大利麵?
尼爾
好吧,我猜肉是這些食物中最鹹的。
喬治
好的 尼爾,我稍後會在節目中揭曉答案。Marian Sumbiva 住在哈薩克斯坦的首都阿斯塔納,這個國家的人平均每天吃 17 克鹽。這是世界衛生組織建議量的三倍多。在這裡,Marian 向 BBC World Service 節目「食物鏈」解釋了背後的一些原因:
Marian Sumbiva
我們消耗大量的鹽,這是由於歷史遺產,因為當我們還是遊牧民族時,幾個世紀以來,我們在大草原上遊蕩,在這裡,我們必須攜帶大量的肉類,而這些肉類只有加鹽才能保存。基於同樣的原因,即使是牛奶製品、乳製品也非常鹹。
尼爾
除了改善味道之外,鹽也可以用來保存食物,防止食物變壞。傳統上,哈薩克斯坦人是遊牧民族,他們帶著牲畜從一個地方到另一個地方,而不是一直住在一個地方。用鹽處理食物可以讓他們在漫長的冬季有足夠的食物。他們甚至連乳製品(由牛奶製成的食品,如乳酪和牛油)也要用鹽來處理。
喬治
因此,鹽有著悠久且有用的歷史。但傳統的哈薩克游牧民族與現代加工食品所帶來的健康問題有很大的不同。當我們吃太多鹽時,身體會藉由保留水分來稀釋鹽分。因此,心臟會更努力地將液體泵出以循環全身。這會造成高血壓,久而久之會導致心臟疾病。
內爾
全球各地的政府正以不同的方式對抗這種健康風險。澳洲政府將建議鹽的攝取量降至每天 6 克,而英國政府則通過法律強制食品公司減少鹽的使用量,現在建議每天只攝取 5 克鹽。
喬治
克萊爾柯林斯是澳洲紐卡素大學的營養學教授。在此,她向 BBC World Service 節目「食物鏈」解釋了更多有關鹽的建議:
柯林斯教授
我認為您必須退一步, 從更大的層面來看,就像爭論應該是 5 克還是 6 克......問題是在世界各地,鹽的攝取量都非常高,導致高血壓、過早中風、過早死亡,我們需要以適合每個國家文化的方式來解決這個問題。
喬治
柯林斯教授認為,與其爭論鹽的克數,我們應該退一步來 看大局。她使用了兩個成語:take a step back,意思是暫時抽離某個情境,以便更冷靜地思考;look at the bigger picture,意思是考慮某件事情的整體意義,而不只是細節。
尼爾
是的,問題仍然是過度攝取鹽分造成過早的健康問題,這些問題發生得比它們應該發生的還要早。透過限制鹽分和加工食品,大多數人都能享有健康長壽的生活。如果您不喜歡不加鹽的食物,可以嘗試加入香草和香料。
喬治
好了,說到鹹的食物,我想是時候揭曉我的問題的答案了,尼爾。如果您還記得的話,我問您哪種日常食物含鹽量最高。
尼爾
我猜是肉類...
喬治
這是 ... 正確的答案。肉類含鹽量最高,約為 19%,其次是麵包,約為 14%,義大利麵約為 7%。好了,讓我們從動詞「保存食物」開始,重溫一下本節目學到的詞彙,意思是做一些事情來阻止食物腐爛,以便日後能夠食用。
尼爾
遊牧民族是指從一個地方到另一個地方旅行的人,通常會帶著牲畜,而不是一直住在一個地方。
喬治
乳製品是由牛奶製成的食物,例如起司和牛油。
尼爾
如果您退一步 ,您會暫時從某個情境中抽離,以便重新評估。
喬治
成語 'to look at the bigger picture' 的意思是考慮事情的整體意義,而非具體細節。
尼爾
最後,形容詞 premature形容事情發生得太快或在適當的時間之前。再一次,我們的六分鐘時間到了。再見!
喬治
再見。
更正:在節目中,我們說肉類含有 19% 的鹽分,使其成為最鹹的日常食物。事實上,根據英國心臟基金會(British Heart Foundation)的資料,一些加工肉類和肉類菜餚才含有 19% 的鹽分。
About the author
化工博士卻因強烈興趣而投身英語教學,累積超過 30 年的經驗,謝忠理以理工思維突破英語教學迷思,研發專門針對華人的教學方法,自成體系,主攻字彙、文法、閱讀、寫作。教學科目涵蓋 GRE, GMAT, TOEFL, IELTS, SAT, ACT 及實力養成課程,強調實力與分數並進。上課認真嚴肅,下課和藹可親,思緒周密,喜論理,如其名。
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