揭秘：泰坦尼克號上“最后的晚餐”菜單

　　On the evening of April 14，1912 a number of first-class passengers on the Titanic revelled in a privately hosted feast in the first-class á la carte restaurant.At the same time in the first-class dining saloon other first class passengers some who had paid the equivalent of $124，000 in today’s dollars for the ocean voyage settled in for a sumptuous，if over-filling，ten-course extravaganza.Meanwhile，in the second-class dining saloon，second-class passengers ate a less elaborate but beautifully served dinner.And third-class passengers ate simply prepared，hearty meals served in their own spartan dining saloon.

　　1912年4月14日晚上，泰坦尼克號頭等艙的部分乘客來到高級自助餐廳參加一個私人宴請。這些享受至尊服務的人，花了相當于今日12.4萬美元的價錢才登上這艘巨輪。同一時間，在晚宴沙龍還有另一群頭等艙的客人，準備享用10道菜組成的奢華盛宴。而在二等艙餐廳里，雖然乘客享用的菜式?jīng)]有那么精致，卻也不失水準。至于三等艙里的人們，只有簡單地填飽肚子而已了。

　　Several hours later，in the early morning of April 15th，the Titanic sank taking 1581 passengers and crew many well fed and lubricated to their untimely deaths.

　　幾個小時以后，也就是15日凌晨，泰坦尼克號帶著1581名乘客和船員(很多人已經(jīng)酒足飯飽)沉入冰冷的北大西洋。

　　What is the fascination with“l(fā)ast meals”？Last meals of executed criminals are usually reported in the media：“For his last meal he ordered fried chicken，a Caesar salad and apple pie á la mode.”None of these meals would appeal to the gourmet but for some reason they hold our interest.

　　為什么人們會癡迷于“最后的晚餐”？媒體常會報道一些臨刑罪犯的最后一餐：“最后一餐他點了炸雞、凱撒沙拉和淋了冰激淋的蘋果派”。其實這些菜單會吸引美食家，但因為某些原因，我們還是會關注和感興趣。

　　What sets the last meal on the Titanic apart？Is it that so many died’together，at one time，and that for the first-class passengers at least，their“l(fā)ast meals”were glorious feasts，brilliantly prepared and flawlessly served in an atmosphere of elegance and luxury with death waiting in the wings？Or is it that the last meal provides a touchstone to the sinking that is accessible to each of us in gustatory terms we all understand？Or is it that the“l(fā)ast dinner”on the Titanic is simply a metaphor for seizing each moment as if it's the last.

　　我們每個人都會有最后一餐，那泰坦尼克號最后的晚餐又有不同？也許是因為1581名乘客和船員一起殞命，而就在頭等艙乘客在優(yōu)雅奢華的氛圍中享受菜式精致的盛大晚宴時，窒息的死亡正在一旁伺機而動；也許頭等艙的完美味覺盛宴正是死神發(fā)出的沉船信號；也許泰坦尼克號上的最后晚餐只是在告訴我們，要緊緊抓住生命中的每個時刻。

　　There were only two menus recovered from the Titanic for the night of the 14th.One of these the first-class menu is reproduced below.

　　泰坦尼克號沉沒當晚的菜單只有兩份得以還原，下面就是頭等艙最后晚餐的菜單：

　　The First-Class Menu As served in the first-class dining saloon of the R.M.S.Titanic on April 14，1912