Everybody loves Chinese food, and Australians are no exception. In the lovely city of Melbourne – which has just been voted the world's most liveable for the fourth consecutive year – you will be amazed at the sheer number of Chinese food places. The choices ranging from your everyday takeaway eateries, to the best in town: restaurants which have been awarded the prestigious “three hats” rating by Australia's Good Food Guide.

世人皆爱中餐，澳洲人也不例外。在风景秀丽的墨尔本——不久前连续第四年被评为世界最宜居城市——你会被中餐馆的数量所震惊。如果想吃中餐，你会有各种各样的选择，从每天可以外带的小饭馆，到城镇最好的餐厅——澳洲的“美食指南”网站为这些餐厅授予颇有声望的“三帽”荣誉。

If you expect truly authentic Chinese food every time, though, you might be disappointed: oftentimes restaurants tweak their dishes, making it more appealing to western customers. Interestingly, lots of the “Chinese favorites” nominated by Australians are not even available in China.

然而，如果你期望每次都能尝到地道的中餐，那你可能要失望了：很多情况下，他们都会调整菜谱，以迎合西方顾客的口味。有趣的是，很多澳洲人提名的“最爱中餐”，在中国甚至吃不到。

So how did these changes come about? Many Chinese immigrants had difficulties finding work; opening a restaurant for the Chinese population is an avenue many took to make a living. Gradually, with more and more of these restaurants opening up, Chinese cuisine made its way into the mainstream, and was slowly and subtly adapted along the way to reflect Western tastes and regional influences.

那么澳洲中餐是怎么演变的呢？很多中国移民在找工作时困难重重；所以很多人选择开中餐馆来谋生。久而久之，澳洲开了越来越多家中餐馆，中餐也成为了主流，其间逐渐受西方口味和地域特色的影响，菜谱有了调整。

In the cheap to modest price range, the food is a little strange to a typical Chinese’s liking. With “dim sim”, “eggroll”, and “fried tofu” forever on the menu, it’s hard for Australians, if they have never been to China and tried the real deal, not to think that these are Chinese people’s everyday staples. That would be ok if the food is well made, but unfortunately most places like this spare no effort to cut costs, using cheap meat and veggies, and paying minimum wages to workers. You get the picture: how “authentic” can the food be if it is churned out by under-paid kitchen hands?

对土生土长的中国人而言，澳洲中低档的中餐会显得有点怪异。由于菜单上永远有“点心”“蛋卷”“油炸豆腐”这几道菜，如果没有亲临中国尝过地道中餐的话，澳洲人势必会认为这些菜是中国人的日常主食。如果这些食物是精心烹制的也就罢了，然而，不幸的是，大多数中低档的中餐馆都不遗余力减少开销，使用廉价的肉类和蔬菜，给工人最低廉的工资。你可以想象：厨房里拿着低薪的人粗制滥造的食物怎么可能“地道”呢？

Now you are probably wondering: where can I find Chinese “Chinese food” then? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. The good news is, if you go to a few of the more upscale places, you will find the food very amenable to both Chinese and western palates.

现在，你可能内心充满了疑惑：我在哪里能找到地道中餐呢？不要担心，我们马上为你揭晓。好消息就是，如果你去一些稍微高档点的餐厅，你会发现那里的中餐，无论对于中国人还是西方人，都美味可口，经得起考验。

If you are like me, and have super spicy taste buds, then you are in for a treat in Melbourne. There are quite some really authentic Sichuan restaurants in Chinatown; since the majority of their customers are Chinese/Sichuanese, they go extra length to bring your all time favorite dishes – and of course, the mind-numbingly spicy chilies.

如果你像我一样非常爱吃辣，那么你一定会喜欢墨尔本。在唐人街有几家地道的四川餐馆；由于大部分顾客都是中国人，尤其是四川人，他们会尽全力提供你最钟爱的菜肴——当然，还有辣到让人精神麻木的辣椒。