OnTranslationofChineseDishNamesintoEnglish

毕业论文（设计）But civilized man can not live without cooks."The poem by Athenaeus strongly suggests that food is indispensable to life.Italso illuminates the pleasurable experience food might bring us."Eating is the utmost important thing in human life",Confucius,a WarringStates-period philosopher in Ancient China also once stated(王文锦，2003：3l)."Food is for many the most sensitive and important expression of nationalculture"(Newmark,2001:97).Culture may sometimes be defined as a way of life.Ifso,can we think of anything more fundamental to a culture than eating and drinking?It is especially the case in China.As a country enjoying thousands of years of culturewith much emphasis on food,China's various dish names not only reflect its amazingvariety of ingredients,cooking skills,seasonings,and ways of cutting,but also delivermuch aesthetic values and cultural elements,including folklores,legends,poeticimages,etc.Nowadays,China plays an increasingly important role on the global stage.Moreand more people from other countries want to have a better understanding of China,especially this Oriental Lion's culture.Since China's reform and opening up to theoutside world,foreigners are given more opportunities to personally step on thissplendid land to enjoy its scenery and kinds of national culture.Chinese cuisine haslong enjoyed a reputation of delicate,extravagant food throughout the world.Moreover,Chinese catering culture takes up a significant position in the Chinesecultural system.To introduce our catering culture to the coming visitors and to theAthenaeus.Deipnosophists.Volume 1,Harvard Press,1969,p.vii.Cooks in the last sentence has also themeaning of outcome in food of their practices,at least in my interpretation.2