Fish and chips is an institution but despite that no one really knows where it originated!

炸鱼薯条早已成为英国的一种传统美食，但其起源却无人知晓。

Fish and chips became popular with the rapid development of trawl fishing in the North Sea in the second half of the nineteenth century. Before then, fishermen had used long lines to target only large, high-quality fish. Trawlers, on the other hand, landed a mixed catch of high-quality and cheaper fish. Most of the cheaper fish were initially thrown back into the water as no one wanted them! However, as railway charges fell, the cheaper fish could be transported inland, and fish become a mass-market commodity rather than a costly luxury.

19世纪下半叶，北海拖网捕鱼迅速发展，炸鱼薯条逐渐变得流行起来。此前，渔民使用长绳钓，目标只瞄准大型优质鱼类。而相反的，拖网捕捞在捕获高品质鱼的同时捕获廉价一些的鱼。起初，大多数小鱼因为不招人待见，而被渔民们扔回水中。然而，随着铁路运输成本下降，廉价的鱼可以被运到内陆，鱼不再是沿海地区昂贵的奢侈品，开始逐渐走向大众市场。

Deep-fired chips may have first appeared in about the same period, the earliest usage of “chips” in this sense was the mention in Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities (published in 1859): “Husky chips of potatoes, fried with some reluctant drops of oil”.

最早的炸薯条可能出现于大约同一时期，“薯条”早在狄更斯1859年出版的著作《双城记》中就有提到：“几滴心不甘情不愿的油炸出的的土豆片”。

The modern fish-and-chip shop originated in the United Kingdom, although outlets selling fried food occurred commonly throughout Europe. According to one story, fried-potato shops spreading south from Scotland merged with fried-fish shops spreading north from southern England. Early fish-and-chip shops had only very basic facilities. Usually these consisted principally of a large cauldron of cooking-fat, heated by a coal fire. Such shops also emitted a smell associated with frying, which led to the authorities classifying fish-and-chip supply as an “offensive trade”! The industry overcame this reputation because during World War II fish and chips remained one of the few foods in the United Kingdom not subject to rationing.

整个欧洲都有出售油炸食品的店铺，但现代的炸鱼薯条店却起源于英国。据故事记载，最初炸薯条店起源于苏格兰并逐渐向南部扩展，而炸鱼排店从英格兰南部逐渐北上。早期的炸鱼薯条店设施非常简陋，通常，主要是一大锅烹饪油，靠煤火加热。这类商店还散发出油炸气味，导致当局将鱼和薯条的供应归类为“厌恶性行业”。但在第二次世界大战期间，这类快餐店却一举摆脱恶名。因为在战时炸鱼排和薯条是少数不受配给限制的食品。

作者：ETTBL商务英语翻译考办