| [00:01.080] |
--- lesson 23 One man's meat is another man's poison |
| [00:07.880] |
--- Listen to the tape then answer the question below. |
| [00:13.400] |
--- What was it about snails that made the writer collect them for his friend on that day in particular? |
| [00:21.720] |
People become quite illogical when they try to decide what can be eaten and what cannot be eaten. |
| [00:29.440] |
If you lived in the Mediterranean, for instance, you would consider octopus a great delicacy. |
| [00:36.320] |
You would not be able to understand why some people find it repulsive. |
| [00:41.320] |
On the other hand, your stomach would turn at the idea of frying potatoes in animal fat -- the normally accepted practice in many northern countries. |
| [00:51.360] |
The sad truth is that most of us have been brought up to eat certain foods and we stick to them all our lives. |
| [00:59.680] |
No creature has received more praise and abuse than the common garden snail. |
| [01:05.800] |
Cooked in wine, snails are a great luxury in various parts of the world. |
| [01:12.000] |
There are countless people who, ever since their early years, have learned to associate snails with food. |
| [01:19.080] |
My friend, Robert, lives in a country where snails are despised. |
| [01:25.240] |
As his flat is in a large town, he has no garden of his own. |
| [01:30.520] |
For years he has been asking me to collect snails from my garden and take them to him. |
| [01:36.960] |
The idea never appealed to me very much, |
| [01:39.760] |
but one day, after heavy shower, |
| [01:42.440] |
I happened to be walking in my garden when I noticed a huge number of snails taking a stroll on some of my prize plants. |
| [01:50.800] |
Acting on a sudden impulse, I collected several dozen, put them in a paper bag, and took them to Robert. |
| [01:59.000] |
Robert was delighted to see me and equally pleased with my little gift. |
| [02:03.960] |
I left the bag in the hall and Robert and I went into the living room where we talked for a couple of hours. |
| [02:11.040] |
I had forgotten all about the snails when Robert suddenly said that I must stay to dinner. |
| [02:17.240] |
Snails would, of course, be the main dish. |
| [02:21.000] |
I did not fancy the idea and I reluctantly followed Robert out of the room. |
| [02:26.600] |
To our dismay, we saw that there were snails everywhere: |
| [02:30.960] |
they had escaped from the paper bag and had taken complete possession of the hall! |
| [02:36.440] |
I have never been able to look at a snail since then. |
