Feifei: Hello everybody. This is Authentic Real English from BBC Learning English. I’m Feifei.

Diarmuid: Hello I’m Diarmuid.

Feifei: 在地道英语里你会学到英国人日常生活中常用到，而且通常在字典和课本里找不到的单词和短语。 You’re looking very pleased and contented today, Diarmuid.

Diarmuid: I am very happy today Feifei. Why? Because I had my breakfast at my local greasy spoon this morning.

Feifei: Greasy spoon? 油腻的勺子？这是什么意思， I don’t understand. How could you have breakfast at a greasy spoon?

Diarmuid: Because greasy spoon is a slang phrase.

Feifei: Slang 俚语。 Greasy spoon 是一个俚语短语。

Diarmuid: Yes, greasy spoon is slang.

Feifei: So what does it mean?

Diarmuid: A greasy spoon is a name for a café that serves cheap meals.

Feifei: 我明白了，原来 a greasy spoon is a café 就是一个廉价便利小吃店，这个小店里的吃的要比一般饭馆儿的价钱便宜很多。 I have seen lots of these kinds of cafés around Britain but I didn’t know they were called greasy spoons.

Diarmuid: Yes, greasy spoons are very common in the UK. You can find them everywhere.

Feifei: But why are they called greasy spoons? 用这个名字来形容一个小吃店好像有点儿不妥吧？

Diarmuid: People probably call these cafés greasy spoons because the food they serve there is nearly always fried food.

Feifei: 油炸食品 fried food.

Diarmuid: Yes, I suppose it’s a kind of joke. The fried food served in the café is so oily, or greasy, that even the spoons are greasy.

Example

A: Where shall we go for lunch? There’s a new health-food restaurant near here.

B: I don’t really want to eat salad and vegetables.

A: Ok, let’s go to the greasy spoon for a fry-up.

B: Mmm, that sounds great. I’m going to have sausage and chips.

Feifei: You know, eating at a greasy spoon doesn’t sound very healthy to me.

Diarmuid: I think you’re probably right there. You shouldn’t eat at a greasy spoon every day.


Feifei: 每天都吃油炸食品对身体是非常不好的。

Diarmuid: Mmm, the problem is the food from a greasy spoon tastes good to me.

Feifei: I know. Why does unhealthy food always taste so good?

Diarmuid: That’s a question for another day Feifei. For now it’s time to go.

Feifei: If you want to learn more Authentic Real English, just visit our website.

Diarmuid: That’s www.bbcchina.com.cn. Drop by often, there are new programmes every day.

Feifei: Bye.

Diarmuid: Goodbye.