◎ByBruceKraig译/赵青奇
提起热狗，人们首先想到的就是美国。这一“面包夹香肠”的简单组合在这片自由的土地上衍生出各种不同的形态，如此普通，如此廉价，却又如此具有魔力，吸引着各个阶层的人。从某种意义上说，咬一口手中的热狗，你便品尝到了一点自由和平等的味道。
BetweenMemorialDay1)andLaborDay2),about7billionhotdogswillbeconsumedintheUnitedStates.OntheFourthofJulyalone,150millionwillbegobbled3)byAmericanscelebratingthebirthofthenation.NotthattheFoundingFatherspolishedoff4)batchesofthemafterputtingthefinaltouchesontheDeclarationofIndependence.Hotdogsasweknowthemtodaydidnotexistuntilnearly100yearslater.ButtheyreallyareanAmericancreation,andinawaytheproductofsocialandeconomicforcesthatthefoundersunleashed,wittingly5)orotherwise.
Whyhotdogs?Afterall,theyarejustsmallsausagesmadeofmeat(andotherthingsinthecheapestofthem)soldforaslowasadollarortwoapackage.MostAmericansthinkofthemascommon,cheapandsomewhatsuspect.Foodconnoisseurs6)ThomasJeffersonandBenjaminFranklinwouldhaveconsideredhotdogstobethelowestoffoods.
Butifthenation’sfoundersweretakentoaballgame7)todaywheretheycouldeathotdogs(pictureGeorgeWashingtonchomping8)downonacondiment9)-ladenonewithhis“wooden”teeth10)),theywouldsurelyrecognizethemeaninginherent11)inthem.Jeffersonprobablywouldbesuspiciousofamass-producedcommercialsausagesinceitwasnotmadeathomeorinasmallshopbyanartisan.AlexanderHamilton12)(notasigneroftheDeclarationofIndependencebutafoundernonetheless)wouldhavelikedtheindustrialproductionandcommerceasbuildersofthenation’swealth.Franklinnodoubtwouldhavebeenfascinatedbythescienceandtechnologyusedinthemanufacturingprocess.
HotdogscametobepartofAmericanpopularculturebecauseofhistoryandthesometimesmysteriousworkingsofpopularculture.Butasmuchasanything,hotdogsjustplaintastegood.Dressedinvarioustoppingsorevenrelativelyplainwithmustardandmaybeonions(butneverketchup),thecombinationofchewymeat,fat,saltandseasoningswithawhitebreadbunisirresistible.
SotheyseemedtoAmericanswhenGermanimmigrantsbroughttheirsausageculture(andbeer)inthemid-19thcentury.Later,German,EastEuropeanJewish,GreekandItalianvendorssoldthemonthestreetsandinthenewvenuesofaffordablemassentertainmentsuchasConeyIsland13)andbaseballparks.InthenewIndustrialAge,hotdogsseemedjustrighttoAmericans:cheap,meatyandservedfast.
Thefoundersalsowouldhaverecognizedsomeoftheiridealsforanewnationinthehotdogstory:Americanindividualism,can-do14)spiritandegalitarianism15).Althoughhotdogsaremass-produced,peoplehaveadaptedthemtotheirindividualtastesandthenintosomethingthatbecomesiconicversionsoftheircityorregion.
Asjustasampling,you’llfinda“gardenonabuninChicago16),”deep-friedrippers17)andItalianhotdogsinNewJersey,creamcheeseonesinSeattleandSonoranhotdogs18)inArizonaandacrosstheSouthwest.TheSonorandogsandLosAngeles’“dangerdogs”arebacon-wrappedandcookedongriddles19)withslightdifferencesintoppings.TheybothcomebywayofLatinoimmigrants,justastheoriginalversionswerefromGermanimmigrants.Allofthesearevariationscreatedbysmall-scalehotdoghawkers
20).Eventhedécor21)ofmanycartsandstandsoperatedbysmallentrepreneurswhohopetoriseeconomicallyreflectsthislibertytoexistandoperateinAmerica.
Asfood,hotdogsareasymbolandmeansofsocialintegration.Eatingonewithfellowenthusiastsfromallwalksoflifeisanactofcommunitysolidarity,especiallyataballparkwithfellowfans.AnditispartofthelovelymythofsocialequalitythatAmericansholddear.Asoneauthority,BeverleyPinkofPink’sHotDogs22)inLosAngeles,likestosay,customersfromacross-sectionofsociety—theminimum-wageworkerandthecelebrityinhisfancycar—allstandinlinetoordertheirfoodandgetthesamedish.
Jeffersonwouldhavelikedtheideaofsmallcommunitiesofequals(hisslavesexcepted)standinginline—hisWhiteHousedinnerswerelikethat.ButHamiltonwouldneverhavedescendedfromhisRolls-Royce.WhowasmoreAmericanandwhowouldhavelovedhotdogsmore?
从阵亡将士纪念日到劳动节这段时间，美国的热狗消费量将达70亿个。仅在7月4日这天，欢度国庆节的美国人就会吃掉1.5亿个热狗。这倒不是因为开国元勋们完成《独立宣言》最后的润色后对着一批热狗大快朵颐—我们今天所熟知的热狗是在近100年之后才出现的。不过，热狗确实是美国人的发明，从某种意义上说，它是开国元勋们解放的社会和经济力量有意无意催生的产物。
为什么偏偏是热狗呢？说到底，它们不过是肉做的小香肠(最便宜的热狗里，肉里会掺入其他东西)而已，售价低到一份只要一两美元。在大多数美国人眼里，热狗普通、廉价，吃着还有点不放心。若是在托马斯·杰斐逊和本杰明·富兰克林这样的美食行家看来，热狗估计是最低级的食品。