Para 8 In a Chinese meal that has not been altered to conform to Western ideas of eating, everything is presented as a kind of buffet, the guest eating a little of this, a little of that. Individual portions as such are not provided. A properly planned dinner will include at least one fowl, one fish and one meat dish, and their presentation with appropriate vegetables is not just a matter of taste but also a question of harmonious colours. The eye must be pleased as well as the palate; if not, then a certain essentially Chinese element is missing, an element that links this cuisine with that most typical and yet elusive concept Tao. Emily Hahn, an American who has lived and worked in China, has a great appreciation both of Chinese cooking and the "way" that leads to morality and harmony. She insists that "there is moral excellence in good cooking", and adds that to the Chinese, traditionally, all life, all action and all knowledge are one. They may be chopped up and given parts with labels, such as "Cooking", "Health", "Character" and the like, but none is in reality separate from the other. The smooth harmonies and piquant contrasts in Chinese food are more than just the products of recipes and personal enterprise. They are an expression of basic assumptions about life itself.

中国的用餐方式并没有依照西方的饮食习惯而改变，中餐就像一种自助餐，客人可以根据自己的喜好每样菜品尝一点，而不是个人单独享受一份。一顿精心筹备的中餐至少包括一只家禽、一条鱼和一份肉制品，另外，蔬菜可不仅仅是味觉的事情，而且是菜色协调的问题。中餐要悦目，如若不然，则将失去中国之本质特点，这种特点将中国的餐饮文化与传统深邃的道教学说联系起来。艾米丽·哈恩是一位在中国生活、工作的美国人。她写过中国烹饪以及由此引出的道德规范与和谐统一的思想的评论文章。她坚持认为"高雅的饮食中包含着高尚的情操"，并将其与中国传统的人生理念、行为举止以及学识归为一体。这些也许会被归为不同的方面，如"饮食"、"健康"、"品质"诸如此类，而事实上它们是不可分割的。中式饮食所体现出的和谐统一和鲜明对比，已远远不止是菜谱和个人设计所结合的产物。它们所传达的，是生活的真谛。

[summary] The Chinese way of preparing, cooking, and serving food reflects the basic creed--- the harmony of all things in the world.

1. In a Chinese meal that has not been altered to conform to Western ideas of eating, everything is presented as a kind of buffet, the guest eating a little of this, a little of that.

[paraphrase] The Chinese have not changed their way of eating to follow the Western practice. In a Chinese meal, food is presented as a kind of buffet, with each person helping himself to the individual dishes, the guest can eat everything provided.

alter: to change 改变，变更，更改
She had to alter her clothes after losing weight.

conform (to / with sth.): to agree or be consistent with sth. 与某事物相符合或相一致； to keep to or comply with (generally accepted rules, standards, etc)符合或遵守（公认的规则、准则等）
His ideas do not conform with mine.
The building does not conform to safety regulations.

buffet: meal at which guests serve themselves from a number of dishes; food provided for this 自助餐
Dinner will be a cold buffet, not a sit-down meal.

2. Individual portions as such are not provided.

[paraphrase] Separate servings of food are not given to each person. Instead, people share a variety of dishes by sampling a taste.

as such: as the word is usually understood; in the strict sense of the word 按照某词通用的词义；根据某词严格的词义
The new job is not a promotion as such but it brings good prospects for the future.

3. The eye must be pleased as well as the palate; if not, then a certain essentially Chinese element is missing, an element that links this cuisine with that most typical and yet elusive concept Tao.

The eye must be pleased as well as the palate: Chinese food is pleasant to see as well as to taste.
palate: [usu. sing] 1) sense of taste, the ability of judg good foord or wine     2)favour, hobby, interest
He has a good palate for wine.
The little boy has no palate for doing homework.
That novel is not to our palate.

as well as sth. / sth.: in addition to sb. / sth. / doing sth.也，还，而且
She is a talented musician as well as being a photographer.

essentially: necessarily, basically 必要地，比不可少地
Essentially speaking, she is a kind-hearted woman.

link sth. / sb. with sth. / sb.: to make or suggest a connection between things or people 将物或人连接或联系起来
The newspaper has linked his name with hers.

elusive: adj. difficult to remember or understand 难以记忆的，难以理解的； tending to escape or disappear 逃避的，躲避的
I have found these remedies are elusive.
The criminal seems to be elusive.

4. Emily Hahn, an American who has lived and worked in China, has a great appreciation both of Chinese cooking and the "way" that leads to morality and harmony.

[knowledge] Emily Hahn is an American woman writer who married a Chinese and came to settle in China in the 1930s.

appreciation: [C]a written account of the worth of sth.评论文章；
                             [U] judgment, as of the quality, worth, or facts of sth.判断，评价，鉴定；
                             [U] the understanding of the good qualities or worth of sth.欣赏，赞赏
The pupil wrote an appreciation of the play he had just seen.
The teacher's appreciation of his pupil's chances of passing the examination was correct.
Their appreciation of the performance was expressed in loud cheers.

lead to sth.: to have sth. as its result 导致某种结果
This misprint led to great confusion.

5. She insists that "there is moral excellence in good cooking", and adds that to the Chinese, traditionally, all life, all action and all knowledge are one.

there is moral excellence in good cooking: there is a spiritual dimension to Chinese cooking in that when eating one participates in the ultimate unity and
interconnectedness of all life (food, animals, plants, fruits, human beings, water, etc) that is, participates in Tao---- the ultimate oneness and harmony of the universe.

6. The smooth harmonies and piquant contrasts in Chinese food are more than just the products of recipes and personal enterprise.

piquant: having a pleasantly sharp taste 辛辣而开胃的； pleasantly exciting and stimulating to the mind 刺激的，令人兴奋的
Bland vegetables are often served with a piquant sauce.
They often have a piquant gossip in the summer evening.