又中又英｜hot topic

When you go to an expensive restaurant for dinner with your other half, do you both choose the exact same meal? This has become a hot topic in the US on social media, television shows, and in newspapers. Even British newspapers have made it a hot topic. Whether couples should choose the same meal in a restaurant is on everyone’s lips after US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden ordered the same meal last week. They went to the Red Hen, an expensive Italian restaurant in Washington DC. They ordered two plates of rigatoni, chicory salad, grilled bread and butter, and several glasses of Barbera wine.
The expression “other half” means a person’s husband or wife. When something is a hot topic, it means everyone is talking about it. It is similar to “on everyone’s lips” which means many people are talking about an issue. Rigatoni is a type of pasta. The dish the Bidens ordered had red sauce, sausages containing fennel (a seasoning), and grated cheese. Chicory is a type of plant. The leaves are used for salads. Nuts, other ingredients, and different types of salad dressings can be used in a chicory salad. Barbera is a type of Italian red wine.
The Red Hen’s owner said the rigatoni Biden and his wife ordered is a signature dish in his restaurant. A signature dish is a dish unique to the chef or restaurant but many food experts said the couple should have chosen different dishes to try and share. To me, couples ordering the same dish became a hot topic only because the US President and his wife did it.
 

当你跟你的另一半（other half）去一间昂贵的餐厅共进晚膳，你们二人会选一模一样的餐食吗？这在美国的社交媒体、电视节目以至报纸上成了热话（hot topic），就连英国的报章也将它变了做热门话题（hot topic）。上星期，当美国总统祖‧拜登和第一夫人吉尔‧拜登点了同一款餐食之后，人们就议论纷纷（on everyone’s lips），夫妇在餐厅应否选同一款餐食。他们去的是“红母鸡”，一间在华盛顿特区的贵价意大利餐厅。他们点了两碟长通心粉（rigatoni）、菊苣沙律（chicory salad）、烤面包和牛油，以及几杯巴贝拉红酒（Barbera wine）。
习语“other half”是指一个人的丈夫或妻子。当某事是个 hot topic，意即那是人人谈论的热话，这跟“on everyone’s lips”类近，就是许多人也在议论着同一个话题。Rigatoni是意大利面食的一种。拜登夫妇点的一碟是红汁的长通粉，内有肉肠、茴香（fennel，一种调味料）以及碎干酪。Chicory是菊苣，是一种植物，它的叶可制成沙律。在菊苣沙律（chicory salad）里，可以加上果仁、其他食材，以及不同种类的沙律酱。Barbera是一种意大利红酒。
“红母鸡”的东主说，拜登和妻子点的那道长通粉（rigatoni），是他店的 signature dish——一个厨师或餐厅的 signature dish就是其独家招牌菜。然而许多饮食专家却说，一对夫妇应该选不同的菜去试食和分享。对我来说，是否该点同一味菜足以成为热话

（hot topic），仅仅因为他们是美国总统先生夫人罢了。

mickchug@gmail.com
Michael Chugani褚简宁
中译：七刻