SEtalk: Why We Should Eat Together

What did you eat for lunch yesterday?

你们昨天午饭吃了什么？

And here's a harder question: who did you eat with?

再来一个更难的问题：你们是和谁一起吃的？

If you're like many people, the answer is nobody.

如果你们和很多人一样，答案就是：没有人。

Today, I want to talk about the dinner table.

今天，我想聊聊餐桌。

Three years ago, I moved to Manchester for a new job.

3年前，我因为一份新工作搬到了Manchester。

I didn't know anyone there,

我在那里谁也不认识，

so I used to eat every meal at my desk.

所以我每顿饭都在办公桌前吃。

It was quick and easy, but it felt empty.

又快又方便，但总觉得空落落的。

One Sunday, my neighbour knocked on my door,

一个星期天，我的邻居来敲我的门，

and she was holding a big pot of soup!

她手里端着一大锅汤！

She always cooked too much, and she wanted to share.

她总是做得太多，想分给别人一点。

So, does eating together really make a difference?

那么，一起吃饭真的会带来改变吗？

In 2017, Oxford researchers asked two thousand adults about their meals.

2017年，Oxford的研究人员就用餐情况调查了2000名成年人。

People who often ate with others felt happier.

经常和别人一起吃饭的人，感觉更幸福。

They trusted people more, and they had more friends to rely on.

他们更信任别人，也有更多可以依靠的朋友。

They were also more involved in their local community!

他们还更积极地参与当地社区的活动！

Do you know where the word companion comes from?

你们知道“companion”这个词是从哪儿来的吗？

In Latin, it means someone you share bread with.

在拉丁语里，它的意思是“和你分享面包的人”。

For thousands of years, food has brought people together.

几千年来，食物一直把人们聚在一起。

We don't share meals only because we're hungry.

我们一起吃饭，不只是因为饿了。

We share them because we need each other.

我们一起吃饭，是因为我们需要彼此。

But today, more and more of us eat alone.

但如今，我们当中越来越多的人独自吃饭。

In America, almost half of adult meals and snacks are eaten alone.

在美国，成年人的正餐和零食几乎有一半是独自吃的。

We grab something quick, and we eat it at our desks.

我们随便买点吃的，就在办公桌前解决。

When life gets busy, shared meals are the first thing we lose.

生活一忙起来，最先失去的就是和别人一起吃的饭。

So I started something small that I called Soup Sundays.

于是我发起了一个小活动，叫作Soup Sundays。

Every Sunday at six, I make a big pot of soup,

每个星期天晚上6点，我会煮一大锅汤，

and anyone who wants to can come.

谁想来都可以来。

That first Sunday, only two people came, and I felt silly.

第一个星期天，只来了2个人，我觉得自己有点傻。

One of them was the woman with the soup!

其中一个，就是那位端汤来的女士！

Now there are usually twelve of us, and it's always loud!

现在通常有12个人，每次都热闹得不得了！

We've shared birthdays, bad days, and a lot of bread.

我们一起过生日，一起熬过糟糕的日子，也一起分享了好多面包。

Sharing a meal is never just about the food.

一起吃饭，从来都不只是为了食物。

So this week, invite someone you don't usually eat with.

所以这周，请你们邀请一位平时很少一起吃饭的人。

If you can't cook, don't worry.

如果你们不会做饭，别担心。

Just bring the bread!

带上面包就行！

Thank you, and enjoy your next meal together!

谢谢大家，下一顿饭，一起好好享受吧！