该把盘子吃光吗

今天做了鱼、红烧肉、青菜，还有一个汤，你们多吃一点。

Today I made fish, braised pork, greens, and a soup. Eat plenty, you two.

婆婆做的菜真好吃，我今天一定要光盘，一点都不留。

Your cooking is really delicious, Mom. Today I'm definitely cleaning my plate, not leaving a thing.

别都吃光，留一点在盘子里吧。

Don't finish it all. Leave a little on the plate.

为什么要留？菜这么好吃，留着不吃不是很浪费吗？

Why leave any? The food is this good, isn't leaving it uneaten just wasteful?

我从小家里就是这样教的。客人把盘子吃得太干净，主人会觉得自己准备得不够多，客人还没吃饱。

That's how my family taught me from childhood. If a guest cleans the plate too thoroughly, the host will feel they didn't prepare enough and the guest is still hungry.

可是我们学校从小就教光盘行动，说浪费粮食不对，最好一点都不剩。

But our school taught the Clean Plate Campaign from childhood, that wasting food is wrong, and it's best to leave nothing at all.

光盘行动我也知道，是对的，我不是说浪费好。我是说，吃饭的时候留一点在盘子里，是尊重主人的心意，让主人知道，她做的菜够多，够好。

I know about the Clean Plate Campaign too, it's right, I'm not saying wasting is good. What I mean is, leaving a little on the plate while eating shows respect for the host's effort, letting her know the food she made was plenty and good.

可是婆婆这么辛苦做了这么多菜，我们吃光才是尊重她的用心吧？留着不吃，好像是说这道菜不够好吃。

But Mom worked so hard making all this food. Isn't finishing it what really shows respect for her effort? Leaving it uneaten seems like saying the dish wasn't good enough.

这个道理我也懂，你说的也有点道理。我从来没有这样想过。

I understand that logic too. What you're saying makes some sense as well. I'd never thought of it this way.

你们两个说的都有道理。我做菜，是想让你们吃饱，也想让你们高兴。

Both of you make sense. When I cook, I want you to eat your fill, and I want you both to be happy.

以前的人觉得，桌子上还有菜，才说明主人准备得够多。现在时代不一样了，大家都知道，浪费粮食不好。

People used to think that food still on the table showed the host had prepared enough. Times are different now, everyone knows wasting food is not good.

那婆婆是站在我这边了？

So Mom, are you on my side then?

我谁的边都不站。我的办法是，做菜的时候少做一点，吃不完的，打包带回家，明天热一热还能吃。这样你们两个都不用担心了。

I'm not on anyone's side. My method is, cook a little less to begin with, and whatever's left over, box it up to take home, tomorrow reheat it and it's still good. That way neither of you has to worry.

这个办法好。桌子上还留着一点菜，也不用真的倒掉。

That's a good method. There's still a bit of food left on the table, but it doesn't actually get thrown away.

对，打包带回家，也是一点都不浪费。

Right, boxing it up to take home is also not wasting anything at all.

那你们两个，还要不要再吵这个问题？

So you two, do you still want to keep arguing about this?

不用吵了，我们吃饭吧！这个鱼还很热呢。

No need to argue anymore. Let's eat! This fish is still hot.

好，等一下吃不完的菜，别忘了打包。

Good. Whatever we don't finish later, don't forget to box it up.