从某种意义上讲，报刊评论家的工作是轻松的。我们不用承担什么风险，摆出一种不容质疑的优越感，去对这些厨师的作品和人格评头论足。我们仅仅只要做到，多写一些读起来有趣，同时带着印象深刻的尖刻评论。因为我们的读者更容易对这些新闻感兴趣，同时也更能体现出我们高人一等的见解。然而我们这些评论家都知道，我们那些评论相对于即使是最普通的菜肴仅仅只是毫无意义的一纸空谈。
非常可悲的是，作为一个评论家真正的冒险，反而是他发现了一个非常有潜力的新秀，他试图去赞美和提携这位年轻人。因为我们这个世界总是对于一个年轻的天才，一项新颖的创造或者一个需要被鼓励的新需求总是充满了怀疑和不懈。
昨晚，我从一个并不出名的厨师那里尝到了一道新的超乎寻常的美味，这道美味和制作它的厨师都颠覆了在这之前我对美食那些现在看来有些极端，甚至肤浅的看法。可以说他改变了我对美食的认知。
以往，我曾对食神古斯特的名句“人人都是厨神”毫不加掩饰的施以轻蔑和嘲讽。但是现在，我才真正明白他这句话真正的含义：并不是所有从事某一行的人都能最终成为伟大的艺术家，但是一个伟大的艺术家却能够来自于从事与这一行业的任何地方，很难想象现在在古斯特饭店里掌勺的大厨，可以好不客气的说，是我见过的，巴黎最好的大厨，他竟然有着那么卑微的身世。
我还将重返古斯特饭店，带着更多的期待和一副饥肠。
In a way the workof a critic is easy.We risk us little and we have pleasure evaluating with superiority the ones that submit us your work and reputation we win fame with negative criticisms which are fun of write and to read.But the hard reality that we critical should face it is just that in the picture general in excess simple filth perhaps be more significant than our criticism.
But times a critic it risks in fact something as when it defends and it discovers a novelty.The world is used to be hostileto the new talents,the new creations,the new needs to be encouraged
Yesterday by night I tried something newan extraordinary dish of an unexpectedly singular source.Tell that both the dish and who did itthey defy my perception about gastronomy is extremely superficial.They managed to shake my structure.
In the past I did not do secrethow much my disdain by the famous slogan of the boss Gusteau Anyone it can cook.But I realize that only now I comprehend really what he meant: Neither all of them they can become great artists,But a great artist can come of anywhere!
It is difficult to imagine the humblest origin of this genius that now cooks in the Gusteau’s Which is in the opinion of this critic nothing less than the best boss of France.
I will come back to Gusteau’s,soon with much hunger.
———————–补充
Great cooking is not for the faint of heart.
胆小的人做不出精湛的美食
* You must be imaginative,
strong hearted.
只要有想像力,还要有决心
* You must try things that may not work.
千万不要怕失败
And you must not let anyone define your limits because of where you come from.
也不要因为出身低就让别人限制了你发展的机会
Your only limit is your soul.
你的成败在于你的心
What I say is true. Anyone can cook.But only the fearless can be great.
我说的是真话 任何人都可以烹饪.但是只有勇者才会成功
In many ways, the work of a critic is easy.
就很多方面来说评论家的工作很轻松
We risk very little, yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment.
我们冒的风险小却位高权重,人们必须奉上自己和作品供我们评论
We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read.
我们以负面评论见称,因为读写皆饶富趣味
But the bitter truth we critics must face is that in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is probably more meaningful than our criticism designating it so.
* 可是,我们评论家必须面对一个难堪的事实 :以价值而言, 被评论家批评为平庸之物的同时我们的评论也许比他更为平庸
But there are times when a critic truly risks something and that is in the discovery and defense of the new.
可是有时候评论家真的得冒险去发现并且捍卫新的事物
The world is often unkind to new talent, new creations.
这个世界对待新秀、新的创作非常苛刻,
The new needs friends.
新人及新作需要朋友
Last night, I experienced something new, an extraordinary meal from a singularly unexpected source.
昨晚我有个全新的经验,奇妙的一餐来自令人意想不到的出处
To say that both the meal and its maker have challenged my preconceptions about fine cooking is a gross understatement.
如果说那一餐和它的创造者挑战了我对精致美食先入为主的观念, 这仍只是轻描淡写的说法
They have rocked me to my core.
他们彻底震撼了我
In the past, I have made no secret of my disdain for Chef Gusteau’s famous motto,
“Anyone can cook.”
过去我公开对食神古斯多的著名格言“料理非难事”表示不屑
But I realize only now do I truly understand what he meant.
但是我发觉现在我才真正了解他的意思
* Not everyone can become a great artist,
并非任何人都能成为伟大的艺术家
but a great artist can come from anywhere.
但是伟大的艺术家可能来自任何地方
It is difficult to imagine more humble origins than those of the genius now cooking at Gusteau’s, who is, in this critic’s opinion, nothing less than the finest chef in France.
现今在食神餐厅掌厨的天才出身之低微令人难以想像,依在下之见, 他是法国最好的厨师
I will be returning to Gusteau’s soon, hungry for more.
我很快会再光顾食神餐厅,满足我的口腹之欲
* It was a great night. The happiest of my life.
那是美好的一晚,我生命中最快乐的一夜