Garlic From early
times man has used garlic (大蒜). The Bible speaks of it. The Israelites
(古以色列人) were once far from home. They cried out to Moses, their leader, for the
foods they loved: leeks (韭菜), onions, and garlic. The Romans, like the
Israelites, loved to eat garlic. And they hung bags of garlic around their
necks. 1 They also thought it would
keep them from getting sick. A similar idea is still held. Many
people take garlic thinking it will prevent or cure disease. Most doctors say it
does no such thing. 2 Its smell may
force people to stay far apart. At least then they can’t pass germs on to each
other. 3 What if you’re in a play, for
instance Actors have been known to forget their lines because they couldn’t
stand the garlic smell on a fellow actor’s breath. Some have even made up new
lines and actions that kept them far away from the one who had eaten
garlic. Through the years man has tried to cope with the smell
of garlic. 4 We now know why. It’s been
found that the oils of the garlic do not stick to the teeth, tongue, or gums
(齿龈). They go into the lungs instead. From there they are breathed out. They
pass out through the skin too. Strange as it seems, food may
have a great deal of garlic in it without smelling or tasting strong. It all
depends on how it is cooked. French cooks make a good soup with whole cloves (瓣)
of garlic. They use more than thirty cloves in one bowl of soup. But they take
care not to crush them. And they cook them whole. 5
And as the cloves cook they change in some strange way. The soup
turns out to be delicious. It’s not strong at all. A. But no
medicine, mouthwash, chewing gum, or toothpaste seems to help much.
B. As a result, the strong oils stay in the cloves. C.
They say it may help in one way, though. D. Many people eat
garlic. E. But keeping your distance can be hard at
times. F. They hoped it would keep away the evil eye.