马卡龙精致可爱的外形、柔美缤纷的色彩和甜蜜的香气挑动着人们的味蕾，让无数人对其一见倾心，法国人更是对其爱到无以复加。原来如此诱人的小物是法国传统的殿堂级甜点，有着悠久的历史。今天，让我们听听马卡龙讲述自己的故事吧。
Let me tell you a bit about myself. My name is "Macaron" or "Gerbet1)", but between the two of us, I prefer to be called "Macaron". I am round and tempting to the eye. I am made primarily of almond flour, sugar and egg whites.
让我跟你简单说说我自己。我的名字叫“马卡龙”或者“热尔贝”，但这里偷偷告诉你，我更喜欢被称作“马卡龙”。我体态圆润，长相诱人，主要由杏仁粉、白砂糖和蛋白制作而成。
Throughout the years, very little has changed in terms of my components. I have always had a very classic flavor and my colors have always been very mellow2), but recently, two renowned3) chefs have experimented with me by giving me countless colors and flavors beyond your wildest imagination. Over the years many have experimented with my shape, but whenever possible, I prefer my classic round form.
这么些年来，我的成分几乎没怎么变过。我一直保持着非常经典的口味，颜色也一直相当柔美。不过，最近有两位挺有名气的主厨在我身上做实验，让我变得五颜六色，还赋予了我不同的口味，颜色和口味多到不可思议。这些年以来，许多人都在我的外形上做过实验，不过只要有可能，我还是喜欢我经典的圆形。
I have become the most coveted4) cookie in France, particularly in Paris. I am a bit of a trendy item for people to serve, the favorite sweet of children, the ideal breakfast treat, the beloved cookie of Parisian tea salons, the fashionable gift to give, and the ideal cookie for holidays such as Valentine's Day and Mother's Day, and finally, without sounding pretentious5), I am a bit of a "Star".
在法国，特别是在巴黎，我已经成为最令人垂涎的甜点了。我可以算得上是人们用来待客的潮品、孩子们最喜欢的甜食、理想的早餐佳肴、巴黎特色茶沙龙钟爱的饼干、时髦的馈赠佳品、适合情人节和母亲节等节日享用的完美点心。最后，毫不矫情地说，我多少也算是个“明星”呢。
Despite my popularity in Europeand France in particular, I have not had much success yet here in the United States. Although it is possible for you to find me here, more often than not it is at extremely expensive prices. Even when I am sold at reasonable prices, perhaps I am not as crunchy6) outside or as creamy inside as I should be, or perhaps I am too dry, or made with poor ingredients.
尽管我在欧洲特别是法国很受欢迎，但在美国，我还算不上太成功。虽然你没准也能在这里找到我，但价格通常都贵得要死。即使我的售价较合理时，口感可能也不像本来应有的那样外酥里嫩，抑或吃着太干或是用料欠佳。
Presently, two distinguished pastry7) chefs are planning to make me a "Star" in New York and the United States. These chefs are Florien Bellanger and Ludovic Augendre. They understand me and love me, and you will too.
目前，两位著名的糕点师正计划把我打造成纽约乃至全美的“明星”。这两位厨师是弗洛里恩·贝朗热和卢多维克·奥让德尔，他们懂我，爱我，将来你也会的。
注释
1. Gerbet: 热尔贝，有一种说法是一位名叫Claude Gerbet的巴黎厨师发明了马卡龙。
2. mellow [ˈmeləʊ] adj. (颜色)柔美的
3. renowned [rɪˈnaʊnd] adj. 著名的
4. covet [ˈkʌvət] vt. 垂涎
5. pretentious [prɪˈtenʃəs] adj. 矫饰的；做作的
6. crunchy [ˈkrʌntʃi] adj. 松脆的
7. pastry [ˈpeɪstri] n. 各式烘烤糕点(如蛋糕、小甜面包等)
History 我的历史
The Macaron cookie was born in Italy, introduced by the chef of Catherine de Medicis in 1533 at the time of her marriage to the Duc d'Orleans who became king of France in 1547 as Henry II. The term "macaron" has the same origin as the word "macaroni"—both mean "fine dough8)".
马卡龙甜点诞生于意大利，1533年在凯瑟琳·德·美第奇(编注：意大利公主)与奥尔良公爵的婚礼上，经由凯瑟琳的厨师被引入了法国——奥尔良公爵于1547年登基成为法国国王亨利二世。“马卡龙”一词与“通心粉”一词同源，二者都指“ 美味的面团”。
The first Macarons were simple cookies, made of almond powder, sugar and egg whites. Many towns throughout France have their own prized tale surrounding this delicacy9). In Nancy, the granddaughter of Catherine de Medicis was supposedly saved from starvation by eating Macarons. In Saint-Jean-de-Luz, the macaron of Chef Adam regaled10) Louis XIV and Marie-Therese at their wedding celebration in 1660.
早期的马卡龙只是简简单单的饼干，由杏仁粉、白砂糖和蛋白制成。围绕这一美食，法国各个城镇都有各自珍视的故事。在南锡市，凯瑟琳·德·美第奇的孙女据说是靠吃马卡龙才免于挨饿。在1660年的圣让-德吕兹，亚当大厨的马卡龙让路易十四和玛丽-泰蕾兹在其结婚典礼上吃得心满意足。
Only at the beginning of the 20th century did the Macaron become a "double-decker11)" affair. Pierre Desfontaines, the grandson of Louis Ernest Laduree (the founder of Laduree pastry and salon in Paris) had the idea to fill them with a "chocolate panache12)" and to stick them together.
直到20世纪初期，马卡龙才变成了“双层夹心”甜点。(巴黎拉杜丽甜品店的创始人)路易斯·埃内斯特·拉杜丽的孙子皮埃尔·德方丹斯想到了在两块饼干间填满“羽毛状的黏稠巧克力”并将它们黏在一起的主意。
Since then, French Macaron cookies have been nationally acclaimed in France and remain the best-selling cookie in pastry retail stores.
自那以后，法国的马卡龙甜点在法国全境都赢得了赞誉，也一直是糕点零售商店里最畅销的甜点。
注释
8. dough [dəʊ] n. (用以做糕点、饼干等的)生面团
9. delicacy [ˈdelɪkəsi] n. (尤指稀有、昂贵的)美食，美味，佳肴
10. regale [rɪˈɡeɪl] vt. 使快乐，使喜悦
