麦当劳已经在全球100多个国家开了店，而每次佳亚·萨歇娜来到一个新国家之后，她总是第一时间先去吃麦当劳。
In more than 100 countries, McDonald’s presence is felt. Every time Jaya Saxena travels to a new country, she would rush into a McDonald’s restaurant in no time.
听起来好像很雷？到一个新国家旅游却跑去吃麦当劳？旅游的一大乐趣难道不是尝尝本地的特色食物吗？
It must be quite shocking, right? Why even bothering to dine at McDonald’s since one of the greatest things for travelling is to try local food.
不过 Jaya 可是一位在美国小有名气的美食专栏作家，她这么做肯定是有奇妙的理由的。
However, as a gastronomic columnist receiving much attention in the U.S., Jaya does it for a fantastic reason:
而她的理由就是：麦当劳并不是一个特别有冒险精神的公司，它倾向于采用保守一点的策略。所以，它在每个国家推出的食物都是根据这个国家进行设计和改良的。
McDonald’s is not adventurous. What they put on their menu is what they know will sell, the most basic versions of whatever is popular locally, or standard McDonald's items but with a small local twist.
因为如此，麦当劳这个外来品牌实际上很能反应一个国家的饮食价值观，不光能反应这个国家的传统食物，有时还能反应这个国家现在流行些什么。
For that matter, through McDonald’s we can get a glimpse of what a country values in its people’s diet, get to know the country’s traditional food and sometimes find out what is catching on in the country right now.
例如它在印度会卖玛莎拉薯条。
For example, masala fries are sold at McDonald’s in India.
在爱尔兰卖的麦旋风里面有吉百利的脆脆棒。
McFlurry flavored with Cadbury Crunchie is sold in Ireland,
荷兰麦旋风里则有荷兰松饼。
with stroopwafel in Holland,
新加坡麦旋风里则有黑芝麻。
and with black sesame in Singapore.
而在中国的常驻单品则有米饭。
In China, rice is supplied at McDonald’s as a regular item.
所以说，对于一个外国人来讲，到一个新国家之后去一趟麦当劳是个很明智的选择。
Therefore, it is a wise choice for foreigners to have a meal at McDonald’s after their arrival in a new country.
因为，麦当劳不光能向你展现这个国家的饮食风格，而且它的点餐方式在全世界都一样，更不用说它的东西吃起来都很方便。
You can order some food in the way you do at any McDonald’s restaurant and then begin to experience the local dietary style with ease.
而这样做经常能遇到惊喜，比如 Jaya 就说在马来西亚的麦当劳有椰浆饭汉堡，和它配套的还有椰子派，以及万隆苏打水，那是一种玫瑰牛奶味的汽水。
By doing so, you are likely to find surprises. For example, Jaya said she had nasi lemak burgers, coconut pies and rose-and-milk-flavored Bandung soda at a Malaysian McDonald’s restaurant.
不仅如此，有时候一个国家的麦当劳还能向你展示更多的东西。
Furthermore, more things about the country can be found out at the local McDonald’s.
Jaya 曾听一位朋友介绍，当他第一次到以色列的时候，他在麦当劳里第一次接触了“犹太洁食”。
One of Jaya’s friends told her that he cut his teeth on “Kosher” at an Israeli McDonald’s restaurant
这里没有猪肉，也没有芝士汉堡。
where no pork or cheese burgers are served.
而且有的汉堡用的不是面包，而是皮塔饼。
Sometimes, pita is used as an alternative to bread for burgers.
另外，麦当劳还提供了一种便利。
Moreover, McDonald’s brings convenience to travelers.
当你来到一个新国家的时候，你很容易被扑面而来的文化差异搞得晕头转向。
In a new country, people probably find themselves perplexed by cultural differences.
而麦当劳恰好中和了这一点，你在这里可以吃到当地的特色，但也不会因为选择太复杂而无所适从。
However, at McDonald’s, you can taste local food without worrying to feel lost in a sea of options.
当然，有的人可能会说：不管怎样，这都不算是原汁原味的当地美食。换句话说，就是不够真实。
That said, some might argue that it’s not authentic local food anyway.
但是，Jaya 却觉得麦当劳这种国际连锁快餐厅恰好是在提供一种真实，因为它们往往是那些加班晚归的人会去吃饭的地方，也是很多上班族解决日常午饭的地方。
However, Jaya believes it is “authentic” in the sense that McDonald’s, like many international chained stores of fast food, is where overtime workers usually go for meals at night and a place that office workers frequent for lunch.
而这些，都是现代生活的常态。
All that is the normalcy of modern life.
完
来源：沪江商务英语（HJ_BizEnglish）
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