The Glory of Cheese

　　延展不尽的美味：漫谈起司点滴

　　Ever since early man let a bowl of milk sit out too long, people have been in love with cheese. From pizza to cheesecake, cheese is the main ingredient in a multitude of dishes. But where does this delicious treat come from? How can milk gone bad1 taste so good?

　　All cheese comes from curdled milk. Curdling occurs when milk turns sour and forms solid2 chunks. These chunks then separate from the liquid. This process creates cottage cheese, the same cheese ancient people ate.

　　The production of hard cheese was made possible by the discovery of rennet. This chemical is extracted from cows' stomachs, and makes the chunks form in milk more quickly. After adding rennet, cheese makers use various3 techniques4 to create different kinds of cheese.

　　Cheese makers use bacteria to alter the cheese's texture and develop flavors. Herbs and spices can also be added. The final stage involves5 aging6 the cheese, which can take anywhere from two weeks to seven years. Temperature, humidity, and how long the cheese is aged will all play a part in the final flavor.

　　自从古早有人将一碗牛奶放太久而发酵开始，人们便爱上了起司的味道。从披萨到起司蛋糕等，许多餐点皆以起司为主要原料。然而，这么好吃的东西究竟从何而来？发酵的牛奶又怎会如此美味呢？

　　所有的起司都是由凝乳制成的。凝乳即牛奶发酸后形成的固体凝块。牛奶结成凝块后再将水份去除，这道程序可制造出茅屋起司（编者按：即未经熟成、风味较淡的松软白乳酪），也就是古时候人们常吃的起司种类。

　　硬质干酪则是在发现凝乳畴素后才制成的。这种化学成分粹取自乳牛胃壁，可以加快牛奶凝结成块的速度。在加入凝乳畴素以后，酪农便运用各种技术来制造不同种类的起司。

　　酪农使用菌种来改变起司的质地，并增添其风味，此外还可加入药草和香料。最后的步骤包含长期存放起司（好让其风味变醇），时期从两星期到七年不等。气温、湿度、存放时间长短等，对起司最后的味道都有重大影响。

　　Vocabulary

　　1. go bad v. phr. to become too old to eat; to spoil 变质；腐坏

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　　These eggs have gone bad, so we'd better throw them away.

　　这些鸡蛋坏了，最好赶紧丢掉。

　　2. solid adj. firm; not in liquid or gas form 固体的

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　　Newborn babies can't eat solid food because they don't have teeth yet.

　　刚出生的婴儿还没长牙齿，不能吃固体的食物。

　　 3. various adj. of several different kinds 各式各样的

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　　Due to various problems, the new shopping center's grand opening was delayed by one week.

　　基于种种原因，那家新购物中心的盛大开幕式将延后一周。

　　 4. technique n. a special way of doing sth. 技术；技巧

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　　Michael experimented with different paints and brushes while developing his painting technique.

　　麦克以不同的颜料与画笔作试验，逐步增进绘画的技巧。

　　5. involve v. to include; to make sb./sth. a part of sth. else 包括；　要（使…成为必要条件）

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　　Starting a new company involves hiring employees and creating a product people want.

　　成立新公司需要聘请员工，以及开发出迎合大众的产品。

　　6. age v. to improve the taste of sth. by keeping it for a long time 长期存放（食物或酒）使风味变醇


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　　Frederick opened a bottle of red wine that had been aging in his wine cellar for ten years.

　　费德列克打开一瓶在酒窖存放了十年的葡萄陈酒。