Peng Chang-kuei (彭長貴), who created General Tso's Chicken, one of the US's most famous mystery dishes, died in Taipei this week (Nov. 30) following a bout of pneumonia at the age of 98, according to Taiwanese media reports.
據(jù)臺灣媒體報(bào)道，本周（11月30日）98歲的彭長貴——美國最著名的一道謎之菜品“左宗棠雞”的創(chuàng)始人——因肺炎發(fā)作逝世于臺北。

The dish, omnipresent on fluorescent take-out menus across the US, is a beguiling cultural touchstone that still enchants the American public and all but ensures chef Peng's unlikely imprint on the history of how we eat. In creating it, Peng became an unwitting poster child in the art of ubiquity.
這道菜品遍布全美亮閃閃的外賣菜單，作為一塊令人著迷的文化試金石，依然為美國公眾所青睞，而且?guī)缀醮_保彭大廚在我們的飲食歷史上留下了難以置信的印跡。在創(chuàng)制這道菜品的過程中，彭先生已不知不覺變成了大眾藝術(shù)的代言人。

His off-hand achievement is a decidedly skewed window into traditional Chinese cuisine that was embraced by an American public eager to gorge on it, a drippy-sweetness slathered and fried into the golden, crunchy chicken dish ordered today as much in middle America as in the coastal cities.
毫無疑問，彭先生出乎意料之外的成就為渴望大塊朵頤品嘗傳統(tǒng)中式菜品的美國人開了一扇斜窗。今天，這道由粘稠甜漿包裹金黃脆片炸雞塊制成的菜品在美國中部地區(qū)和沿海城市點(diǎn)得一樣多。

Peng came of age in the Hunan Province of south-central China, dining on a chili-pepper-infused regional cuisine that's often compared to the hot and numbing staples of Sichuan dishes (though Hunanese food is known more for its dry heat).
彭長貴是在中國中南部的湖南省長大的，那里主要吃一種放很多辣椒的地方菜，常常和以麻辣為主的川菜相提并論（盡管湖南湘菜更偏干辣口味）。

In interviews with the Chinese press, Peng recalled a moment in 1952, after World War II, when he was charged with serving food during a four-day visit by the US Seventh Fleet commander, admiral Arthur Radford. Following three days of traditional Chinese dishes, Peng said he wanted to try something different.
在接受中國媒體采訪時(shí)，彭長貴回憶道：1952年，第二次世界大戰(zhàn)結(jié)束之后，美國第七艦隊(duì)指揮官亞瑟·雷德福上將來華訪問4天，彭長貴就負(fù)責(zé)這4天的宴請菜品。連做了3天傳統(tǒng)中餐之后，彭長貴說他想嘗試做些不一樣的食品。

He chopped his chicken and tossed it into a pan—a dash of sauce and spices; a bit of sugar. It fried into gold and made its way before the naval officers. With no name immediately in mind, Peng on the spot called it General Tso's Chicken.
他把雞肉剁成小塊，在油鍋中翻炒一下，然后迅速淋上醬汁和調(diào)料，再加上一點(diǎn)糖。雞塊被炸成金黃色后，端到了海軍軍官們面前。因?yàn)榕R時(shí)起意，新菜品沒有名字，彭長貴就即興將其命名為“左宗棠雞”。

It was a hit.
這道菜火了。

Peng went on to move to the United States, and in 1972 opened a restaurant in New York, where the dish captured the attention of the American palate. He served intellectual luminaries such as former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger, earning him media attention that spotlighted the dish and inspired other Chinese-American restaurateurs to offer their own versions.
后來，彭長貴移居美國，并于1972年在紐約開了一家餐館，這道“左宗棠雞”就在那里受到了美國美食界的關(guān)注。他為很多充滿智慧的名人服務(wù)過，包括前國務(wù)卿亨利·基辛格，這讓他受到了媒體的關(guān)注，他的“左宗棠雞”也走到了聚光燈下，并啟發(fā)其它美國中餐館陸續(xù)推出了不同口味的“左宗棠雞”。

"I think what’s interesting is that it helped contribute to US citizens thinking positively about the cuisines of China," said Johanna Mendelson Forman, an adjunct professor and researcher of gastrodiplomacy at American University. "In recent years, Chinese regional foods and food waves have become a great interest in Chinese cultural diplomacy."
美國大學(xué)美食外交專業(yè)的一位副教授、研究員約翰娜·門德爾松·福曼說：“我認(rèn)為，很有意思的一點(diǎn)是它幫助美國人獲得了對中餐的正面認(rèn)知。最近幾年，中國的地方菜和飲食潮流已經(jīng)成為中國文化外交的一大熱點(diǎn)?！?/div>

聲明：本雙語文章的中文翻譯系滬江英語原創(chuàng)內(nèi)容，轉(zhuǎn)載請注明出處。中文翻譯僅代表譯者個(gè)人觀點(diǎn)，僅供參考。如有不妥之處，歡迎指正。