Peng Chang-kuei (彭长贵), who created General Tso's Chicken, one of the US's most famous mystery dishes, died in Taipei this week (Nov. 30) following a bout of pneumonia at the age of 98, according to Taiwanese media reports.

　　据台湾媒体报道，本周(11月30日)98岁的彭长贵——美国最著名的一道谜之菜品“左宗棠鸡”的创始人——因肺炎发作逝世于台北。

　　The dish, omnipresent on fluorescent take-out menus across the US, is a beguiling cultural touchstone that still enchants the American public and all but ensures chef Peng's unlikely imprint on the history of how we eat. In creating it, Peng became an unwitting poster child in the art of ubiquity.

　　这道菜品遍布全美亮闪闪的外卖菜单，作为一块令人着迷的文化试金石，依然为美国公众所青睐，而且几乎确保彭大厨在我们的饮食历史上留下了难以置信的印迹。在创制这道菜品的过程中，彭先生已不知不觉变成了大众艺术的代言人。

　　His off-hand achievement is a decidedly skewed window into traditional Chinese cuisine that was embraced by an American public eager to gorge on it, a drippy-sweetness slathered and fried into the golden, crunchy chicken dish ordered today as much in middle America as in the coastal cities.

　　毫无疑问，彭先生出乎意料之外的成就为渴望大块朵颐品尝传统中式菜品的美国人开了一扇斜窗。今天，这道由粘稠甜浆包裹金黄脆片炸鸡块制成的菜品在美国中部地区和沿海城市点得一样多。

　　Peng came of age in the Hunan Province of south-central China, dining on a chili-pepper-infused regional cuisine that's often compared to the hot and numbing staples of Sichuan dishes (though Hunanese food is known more for its dry heat).

　　彭长贵是在中国中南部的湖南省长大的，那里主要吃一种放很多辣椒的地方菜，常常和以麻辣为主的川菜相提并论(尽管湖南湘菜更偏干辣口味)。

　　In interviews with the Chinese press, Peng recalled a moment in 1952, after World War II, when he was charged with serving food during a four-day visit by the US Seventh Fleet commander, admiral Arthur Radford. Following three days of traditional Chinese dishes, Peng said he wanted to try something different.

　　在接受中国媒体采访时，彭长贵回忆道：1952年，第二次世界大战结束之后，美国第七舰队指挥官亚瑟·雷德福上将来华访问4天，彭长贵就负责这4天的宴请菜品。连做了3天传统中餐之后，彭长贵说他想尝试做些不一样的食品。

　　He chopped his chicken and tossed it into a pan—a dash of sauce and spices; a bit of sugar. It fried into gold and made its way before the naval officers. With no name immediately in mind, Peng on the spot called it General Tso's Chicken.

　　他把鸡肉剁成小块，在油锅中翻炒一下，然后迅速淋上酱汁和调料，再加上一点糖。鸡块被炸成金黄色后，端到了海军军官们面前。因为临时起意，新菜品没有名字，彭长贵就即兴将其命名为“左宗棠鸡”。

　　It was a hit.

　　这道菜火了。

　　Peng went on to move to the United States, and in 1972 opened a restaurant in New York, where the dish captured the attention of the American palate. He served intellectual luminaries such as former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger, earning him media attention that spotlighted the dish and inspired other Chinese-American restaurateurs to offer their own versions.

　　后来，彭长贵移居美国，并于1972年在纽约开了一家餐馆，这道“左宗棠鸡”就在那里受到了美国美食界的关注。他为很多充满智慧的名人服务过，包括前国务卿亨利·基辛格，这让他受到了媒体的关注，他的“左宗棠鸡”也走到了聚光灯下，并启发其它美国中餐馆陆续推出了不同口味的“左宗棠鸡”。

　　"I think what’s interesting is that it helped contribute to US citizens thinking positively about the cuisines of China," said Johanna Mendelson Forman, an adjunct professor and researcher of gastrodiplomacy at American University. "In recent years, Chinese regional foods and food waves havebecome a great interest in Chinese cultural diplomacy."

　　美国大学美食外交专业的一位副教授、研究员约翰娜·门德尔松·福曼说：“我认为，很有意思的一点是它帮助美国人获得了对中餐的正面认知。最近几年，中国的地方菜和饮食潮流已经成为中国文化外交的一大热点。”

（编辑：何莹莹）