雙語勵志美文：教你度過一個吃得好過得爽花得少的夏天

　　摘錄：當我感覺又熱又累而不想做飯或吃飯時，我發現沙冰爽口又提神，而且做起來很容易。

　　雙語勵志美文：教你度過一個吃得好過得爽花得少的夏天

　　I wilt in the heat. Maybe it’s because I don’t live in very hot weather the majority of the year and my body doesn’t have much time to adjust. Regardless, this wilt-in-the-heat lady lives in a house now with no AC and very bad air-flow, which is an unfortunate combination.

　　天氣一熱，我就沒勁。也許是因為一年中有大把的時間我并沒有生活在炎熱的地方，所以身體沒有時間來適應它。再者，這位很怕熱的女士住在一棟沒有空調的房子里，加上空氣的對流又差，真是不走運。

　　It’s tempting to simply eat all of your meals out, but really that’s not in our budget, and it’s hard to find really good food out on a budget. So I put together some ideas on how to stay cool and eat well at the same time.

　　下館子吃飯很誘人，但是花銷卻不在我們的預算范圍里。要找到好吃的并且還要把花銷控制在預算內，這是件很難的事。在此我匯總了一些點子，這些點子能讓我們既能過得爽又能吃得好。

　　1. Take advantage of summer’s bounty

　　好好享受夏天帶來的恩賜

　　Much of summer’s produce is both cooling and hydrating. Think cold watermelon, juicy tomatoes, and refreshing berries. On a really hot day, stick the fruit in the freezer for a super-cooling treat that takes very little work! Cucumbers, greens, and other vegetables also can be delicious with no or little cooking when prepared in a yummy way, and really do seem to help keep you cool.

　　夏日里的多數產品是清涼又含水。想想冰鎮西瓜，多汁的西紅柿，清新可口的漿果。在炎熱的夏日，用小棒戳著從冰箱里拿出來的水果，美美地享受一頓涼爽之意，而這只要隨意動動手就好。不需多少材料和工夫，只需一點黃瓜、青菜及其它蔬菜就可以做成可口的美食，而且真的能讓你感覺涼爽。

　　2. Eat outdoors

　　到戶外吃

　　If you also don’t have AC, I’ve found that eating outdoors under the shade of a tree in a preferably foresty area is much more comfortable. One very hot day, I loaded up our lunch, snacks and lots of water, and headed to a nearby park that contained plenty of trees and shade. Not only is the shade cooling, but the type of natural plants that grew under the trees retain moisture, making it a cool place to be. We stayed there for four hours — a record for us! If you have a well-shaded backyard, then even easier! Picnics at parks, the beach or mountains can bring a welcome relief from the glare of the sun.

　　如果你沒裝空調，我認為到戶外用餐，比如在樹蔭下會舒服多了。有一次天很熱，我帶著午餐、零食和飲用水等到了附近有樹又有樹蔭遮陽的公園里。在樹蔭下很涼爽，而且那種生長在樹下的天然植物能鎖住水分，使得樹蔭成了一處涼爽的地方。我們在那里待了四個小時，對我們來說是一項紀錄了。如果你家后院樹蔭茂密，那就更容易了。在公園、海灘邊或山上野餐，會帶來一種愉悅的放松，讓我們免受了耀眼的陽光。

　　3. Eat your heavy meals earlier in the day

　　早一點吃大餐

　　While it’s important to continue to get good nutrition all year long, really warm weather can take away your appetite. Eating your heartier meals early in the day can really help ensure you are well nourished, plus it’s not so hot to work in your kitchen earlier in the day.

　　全年都能持續不斷地吸收良好的營養，這對我們的健康來說是很重要的。然而天氣炎熱卻會讓你食欲不振。在大清早吃得豐盛一些能保證營養的良好攝入，而且在大清早下廚也沒那么熱。

　　4. Use your slow cooker

　　文火慢燉

　　Putting a meal in the slow cooker saves you from needing to heat up the kitchen later in the day. Put it in your basement or on the porch to keep it even cooler in the house.

　　用文火慢慢燉著，可以省去在傍晚時分到廚房里加熱。放在地下室或是在門廊上能讓它們涼的更快。

　　5. Make smoothies

　　做些沙冰

　　When I am too hot and tired to cook or eat, I’ve found making smoothies helpful in getting something in our stomachs, refreshing us, and they are simple to make.

　　當我感覺又熱又累而不想做飯或吃飯時，我發現沙冰爽口又提神，而且做起來很容易。

　　6. Just buy part of your meal out

　　叫些外賣

　　During our recent 90-degree-plus week, I sometimes grabbed a box of cooked organic white rice for the girls and then made a salad, and open a can of high-quality seafood for our dinner. Super simple and definitely not fancy, but certainly not as expensive as eating our whole meal out. Combining simple at-home recipes with a few “take-out” items could save you money, time, and make eating at home (preferably in the shade) more enjoyable.

　　在最近的高溫天氣里，有時我為女孩們備了有機大米蒸飯，做了一盤沙拉，開一罐品質優異的海鮮食品，這些就成了我們的晚飯。極其簡單，卻并不花哨，而且當然這沒有我們出去吃那么貴。幾盤家常小菜，配上幾道外賣，這樣的組合既節省了金錢和時間，又為在家吃飯(陰涼處更好)增添許多樂趣。

　　7. Sleep during the heat; eat dinner at 7 or later

　　在炎熱的時段里睡覺;在7點或7點以后吃晚飯

　　In some countries where it is common for it to be uncomfortably hot during the afternoon, they have long traditions of sleeping during the afternoon and then eating a late dinner once it has cooled down. While not all schedules would allow this, if you can swing it, a nap and a late dinner would be wonderful during the hot weeks.

　　下午炎熱又令人心神不安，這在某些國家是常見的現象，他們有一個由來已久的傳統，就是在下午這個時段睡覺，而吃晚飯的時間會晚一些，因為那時會稍微涼快一些。然而不是所有的行程都允許這樣進行，如果你能做些調整，中午打個盹，晚一點吃晚飯，這種過法在炎熱的日子里是很不錯的。