Could eating from a hot pot be like sipping from the Fountain of Youth? A 73-year-old waiter who daily serves up this Northwestern Chinese specialty is living proof that this connection may indeed exist.吃火锅和喝不老泉水相当吗?一个每天上这道中国西北特色火锅的73岁服务员就是活的证明,吃火锅和长寿也许的确有关系。
Born in Tianjin, Wang Fuchang worked in textile factories from his youth until he retired at age 60. Although he loves to drink and play mahjong, these hobbies weren’t enough to keep this active senior from feeling bored. At last several Hui nationality friends suggested he try working part time at a Muslim restaurant. For eight years, Wang has happily waited tables at YiLiDe.
王福常出生在天津,从年轻时在棉纺厂一直工作到60岁退休。虽然他很喜欢喝酒,打麻将,但是对这个充满活力的老人来说,这些爱好不够刺激。最后,一些回民朋友建议他可以试着在一家穆斯林火锅饭馆工作。结果,王先生在义利德饭店愉快地当了八年服务员。
Wang regrets that he is illiterate but has learned to write down customers’ orders. Fortunately YiLiDe’s menu is a simple two-page affair. Hot pots restaurants usually serve shaved, frozen meat. For nearly 20 years, YiLiDe has featured fresh lamb, beef, chicken and seafood, thinly sliced to order behind glass on the scrupulously clean, pleasant premises. Wang recommended ordering seasoned, minced fish, lamb, and beef so we could roll our own meat balls. Our Chinese tasters rated the wanzi (meatballs) excellent; two laowai families found them delicious and fun to catch with chopsticks.
王先生很遗憾他是文盲。不过,他已经学会记下客人点了什么。还好,义利德的菜单很简单,只有两页。火锅酒店一般都有冷冻肉片。近20年来,这家饭馆的特色是提供新鲜的牛羊鸡肉和海鲜;在又干净气氛又好的店内,按照客人的要求,厨师在玻璃窗后边把肉切成薄片。王先生建议我们点肉馅,自己可以做成丸子—又好吃又好玩!
Wang credits his superb energy and stamina to healthy routine. He wakes at 6:00 a.m., breakfasts at 7:00 a.m. and practices taiqijuan at a park until 8:30 a.m. At 10:45 the spry senior boards a bus for the intersection at Pukoudao and Huchang Lu and begins work when YiLiDe opens at 11:00 a.m. “Uncle Wang is our supervisor,” the young waiters joke. While mopping the floor after the lunch crowd, they insist the aged waiter rest upstairs. He naps and watches TV from 2:30 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. After the crew eats together at 10:00 p.m., but before the restaurant’s final cleanup at midnight, Wang heads for home.
王先生认为他充沛的精力来自健康的生活习惯。他上午6点起床,7点吃早饭,再在公园打太极拳打到8点半。差一刻11点时,这个精力充沛的老人乘车前往位于浦口道和南昌路交口的饭馆。他11点开始工作,饭馆同时开门。“王叔叔是我们的老板,”年轻的服务员开玩笑地说。午饭后,他们拖地的时候,让老服务员在楼上休息。从下午2:30点到5:30点他看电视、睡觉。10点钟和同事们一起吃饭后,王先生回家,而其他服务员打扫到深夜。
Every Friday morning, Wang worships at the mosque on Shaoxing Dao and Guangdong Lu. By 1:30 p.m. he is back at work. Since Muslims do not accept cremation, Wang’s greatest concern is his future burial. Because Wang and his wife live with their three sons, and he earns over 1000Ұ monthly, this devout elder soon plans to realize his dream– buying a burial plot in Beichen district. Wang Fuchang hopes to continue serving until he passes away, so we may yet long enjoy his charming smile and service.
每个星期五上午,王先生在附近的清真寺做礼拜。下午1点半他回去工作。穆斯林不想被火葬,因此王先生最关心的事情是他将来埋在哪。因为王先生和他的妻子跟他们三个儿子住在一起,而且每月他赚1000多块钱,这个虔诚的老人很快会实现他的梦想,在北辰买一块墓地。王先生希望继续当服务员,我们还有机会享受他独具魅力的微笑与服务。
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