Helen: Hello, I'm Helen. Welcome to "On the Town" from BBC Learning¹ English.

Sun Chen: Hi 大家好，欢迎收听 BBC Learning English 为您制作的都市掠影.我是孙晨。

Helen: In this programme, we take you around interesting places in London.

Sun Chen: 那么今天我们有什么好地方可以给大家介绍介绍呢？

Helen: How about somewhere we can get a really nice Chinese meal?

Sun Chen: 吃中餐最棒的地方，那可得去伦敦唐人街了。

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London's Chinatown is located in central London. The main street is Gerrard Street. Developed and improved since the 1950s, it has become one of the city's best known tourist spots and cultural focal points for the Chinese community of London.

Sun Chen: 伦敦唐人街的地理位置就在市中心的黄金地段，所以交通非常方便。

Helen: It's right in the middle of the West End and it's very easy to get to on the public transport system, but driving there would be a nightmare².

Sun Chen: I wouldn’t even dream of doing that. 在伦敦还是坐地铁最快。那么唐人街最主要的马路是 Gerrard Street, 我们中国人就把它取名叫爵士街。

Helen: In Chinatown, when you see the street signs on the side of buildings, they usually have Chinese characters on them as well.

Sun Chen: 唐人街的街名牌上有英文，也有中文，比如说 Lisle Street, 就是丽人街，不过如果问路的话，最好还是记住英文街名，不然英国人是听不懂的。

Helen: That's a very sensible³ tip. You know the British are very bad at learning foreign languages.

Sun Chen: Well, everyone in China is learning English, so no worries for Brits visiting China. Anyway, 伦敦的唐人街大概是在1950年左右成立的。

Helen: And the site has remained more or less the same for the past 50 years.

Sun Chen: 总的来说，这里不是很大，大概走15 分钟就可以把整个唐人街兜一圈。

Helen: Hello, you are listening to 'On The Town' from BBC Learning English, and today we are introducing Chinatown.

Sun Chen: 唐人街最吸引人的地方是这里的中餐馆。

Helen: On Friday evenings, every restaurant is filled with customers and on the weekends, the queues for dim⁴ sum are really long.

Sun Chen: 虽然唐人街占地面积不是很大，可是这里密密麻麻的也有100 多家餐馆，星期五晚上和周末是最忙的时候。

Helen: Personally, I try to avoid the weekends if I can.

Sun Chen: Why's that?

Helen: Well, you know the chefs are going to be rushed off their feet when the restaurant is full and usually the food and service are not as good.

Sun Chen: 忙得晕头转向 rushed off their feet， 如果在餐馆最忙的时候去吃饭，有时候做的菜还有服务可能就跟不上了。所以看来上馆子还得算准了时间。What sort Chinese food could you get in Chinatown then?

Helen: Let's find out from some of the regular visitors.

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I love dim sum; you know the little Chinese dumplings?

I’m into hot and spicy⁵ food. Sichuan hotpot with lots of chilli, that’s my favourite.

I eat aromatic⁶ crispy duck every time I go out for a Chinese. Also I like sweet and sour pork.

Sun Chen: 唐人街这十年来可是变化不小，以前主要是以西化了的粤菜为主，现在能吃到川菜，东北菜还有上海菜。

Helen: At lunch time, many restaurants offer delicious dim sum and they are very good value for money.

Sun Chen: 广式早茶 dim sum 也是很多英国人喜欢吃的， 而且价廉物美 value for money.

Helen: Another popular dish is crispy aromatic duck with pancakes, usually as a starter.

Sun Chen: 香酥烤鸭 aromatic duck, 是很多人的 starter 头盘第一选择。 What else?

Helen+Sun Chen: Other common choices included sweet and sour pork, （糖醋猪肉），chicken in black bean sauce (黑椒炒鸡丁)， spring rolls (春卷) and wonton soup （馄饨汤）and the list goes on and on.

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I love dim sum; you know the little Chinese dumplings?

I’m into hot and spicy food. Sichuan hotpot with lots of chilli, that’s my favourite.

I eat aromatic crispy duck every time I go out for a Chinese. Also I like sweet and sour pork.

(BBC Learning English)

Sun Chen: 好了，我们今天的唐人街之行就到这儿。

Helen: Chinatown in London, one of the best places in town for a proper Chinese meal. I hope you’ll visit it some day.

Sun Chen: 如果您对我们的节目有什么建议， 可以通过我们的网站和我们联系。我们的网址是 www.bbc.co.uk/china, 然后点击英语教学。

Helen: So until next time, it’s goodbye from both of us at BBC Learning English.

Sun Chen: Bye.

Helen: Bye bye.