◎ByBruceKraig譯/趙青奇
提起熱狗，人們首先想到的就是美國。這一“面包夾香腸”的簡單組合在這片自由的土地上衍生出各種不同的形态，如此普通，如此廉價，卻又如此具有魔力，吸引着各個階層的人。從某種意義上說，咬一口手中的熱狗，你便品嘗到了一點自由和平等的味道。
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?
從陣亡将士紀念日到勞動節這段時間，美國的熱狗消費量将達70億個。僅在7月4日這天，歡度國慶節的美國人就會吃掉1.5億個熱狗。這倒不是因為開國元勳們完成《獨立宣言》最後的潤色後對着一批熱狗大快朵頤—我們今天所熟知的熱狗是在近100年之後才出現的。不過，熱狗确實是美國人的發明，從某種意義上說，它是開國元勳們解放的社會和經濟力量有意無意催生的産物。
為什麼偏偏是熱狗呢？說到底，它們不過是肉做的小香腸(最便宜的熱狗裡，肉裡會摻入其他東西)而已，售價低到一份隻要一兩美元。在大多數美國人眼裡，熱狗普通、廉價，吃着還有點不放心。若是在托馬斯·傑斐遜和本傑明·富蘭克林這樣的美食行家看來，熱狗估計是最低級的食品。