Dialogue
饮食禁忌
Dietary Taboos in China
yǐnshí jìn jì
Dialogue 1
A
您好，请问您对中国的饮食禁忌了解多少？
nín hǎo，qǐng wèn nín duì zhōngguó de yǐnshí jìn jì liǎojiě duōshao？
Hello, how much do you know about Chinese dietary taboos?
B
不太了解，只知道不能在饭桌上谈论一些不吉利的话题。
bù tài liǎojiě，zhǐ zhīdào bù néng zài fànzhuō shang tánlùn yīxiē bù jílì de huàtí。
Not much, I only know that you shouldn't discuss unlucky topics at the dinner table.
A
是的，这只是其中一部分。在中国，很多食物都有其背后的文化含义和象征意义，有些食物在特定场合下是不能吃的，例如狗肉，在一些地区是忌讳的。
shì de，zhè zhǐshì qízhōng yībùfen。zài zhōngguó，hěn duō shíwù dōu yǒu qí bèihòu de wénhuà hànyì hé xiàngzhēng yìyì，yǒuxiē shíwù zài tèdìng chǎnghé xià shì bù néng chī de，lìrú gǒuròu，zài yīxiē dìqū shì jìhuì de。
Yes, that's only part of it. In China, many foods have cultural meanings and symbolism behind them, and some foods cannot be eaten on specific occasions. For example, dog meat is taboo in some areas.
B
哦，我明白了。还有其他的禁忌吗？
ó，wǒ míngbái le。hái yǒu qítā de jìn jì ma？
Oh, I see. Are there any other taboos?
A
还有，有些食物在某些节日里不能吃，比如端午节不吃冷食，初一十五不吃荤。有些地方有不能吃某种动物的习俗，例如有些地方不能吃蛇肉，有些地方不能吃兔肉。
hái yǒu，yǒuxiē shíwù zài mǒuxiē jiérì lǐ bù néng chī，bǐrú duānwǔ jié bù chī lěngshí，chū yī shíwǔ bù chī hūn。yǒuxiē dìfang yǒu bù néng chī mǒuzhǒng dòngwù de xísú，lìrú yǒuxiē dìfang bù néng chī shé ròu，yǒuxiē dìfang bù néng chī tù ròu。
Yes, some foods cannot be eaten on certain holidays, such as not eating cold food during the Dragon Boat Festival, and not eating meat on the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month. Some places have customs of not eating certain animals, such as snakes in some places and rabbits in others.
B
这些禁忌背后的原因是什么呢？
zhèxiē jìn jì bèihòu de yuányīn shì shénme ne？
What are the reasons behind these taboos?
A
这与中国的传统文化和习俗密切相关，很多禁忌都与风水、运气、吉祥等有关，目的都是为了趋吉避凶。了解这些禁忌，才能更好地融入中国文化。
zhè yǔ zhōngguó de chuántǒng wénhuà hé xísú mìqiè xiāngguān，hěn duō jìn jì dōu yǔ fēngshuǐ，yùnqì，jíxiáng děng yǒuguān，mùdì dōu shì wèile qū jí bì xiōng。liǎojiě zhèxiē jìn jì，cái néng gèng hǎo de róngrù zhōngguó wénhuà。
This is closely related to Chinese traditional culture and customs. Many taboos are related to feng shui, luck, and auspiciousness, with the purpose of avoiding misfortune and attracting good fortune. Understanding these taboos can help you better integrate into Chinese culture.