Lesson 23
One man's meat is another man's poison
各有所爱
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1Lesson 23
2One man's meat is another man's poison
3What was it about snails that made the writer collect them for his friend on that day in particular?
4People become quite illogical when they try to decide what can be eaten and what cannot be eaten.
5If you lived in the Mediterranean, for instance, you would consider octopus a great delicacy.
6You would not be able to understand why some people find it repulsive.
7On the other hand, your stomach would turn at the idea of frying potatoes in animal fat - the normally accepted practice in many northern countries.
8The sad truth is that most of us have been brought up to eat certain foods and we stick to them all our lives.
9No creature has received more praise and abuse than the common garden snail.
10Cooked in wine, snails are a great luxury in various parts of the world.
11There are countless people who, ever since their early years, have learned to associate snails with food.
12My friend, Robert, lives in a country where snails are despised.
13As his flat is in a large town, he has no garden of his own.
14For years he has been asking me to collect snails from my garden and take them to him.
15The 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.
16Acting on a sudden impulse, I collected several dozen, put them in a paper bag, and took them to Robert.
17Robert was delighted to see me and equally pleased with my little gift.
18I left the bag in the hall and Robert and I went into the living room where we talked for a couple of hours.
19I had forgotten all about the snails when Robert suddenly said that I must stay to dinner.
20Snails would, of course, be the main dish.
21I did not fancy the idea and I reluctantly followed Robert out of the room.
22To our dismay,
23we saw that there were snails everywhere:
24they had escaped from the paper bag
25and had taken complete possession of the hall
26I have never been able to look at a snail since then.