It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way。 这是最好的时代，这是最坏的时代;这是智慧的时代，这是愚蠢的时代;这是信仰的时期，这是怀疑的时期;这是光明的季节，这是黑暗的季节;这是希望之春，这是失望之冬;人们面前有着各样事物，人们面前一无所有;人们正在直登天堂，人们正在直下地狱。
——狄更斯《双城记》
The mankind, at the top of food chain, is by nature omnivorous（ 人类，站在食物链的顶端，是一种杂食动物）。但出于某种原因，很多人皈依了素食主义。
Vegetarianism can be adopted for different reasons. Many object to eating meat out of respect for sentient life. Such ethical motivations have been codified under various religious beliefs, along with animal rights. Other motivations for vegetarianism are health-related, political, environmental, cultural, aesthetic or economic. There are varieties of the diet as well: an ovo-vegetarian diet includes eggs but not dairy products, a lacto-vegetarian diet includes dairy products but not eggs, and an ovo-lacto vegetarian diet includes both eggs and dairy products. A vegan diet excludes allanimal products, including eggs, dairy, beeswax and honey. Some vegans also avoid animal products such as leather (and possibly silk) for clothing and goose-fat for shoe polish.
很多人反对食肉，是出于对有感知能力的动物的尊重。这种比较原始的道德上的动机渐渐内化为很多宗教信仰的教义，也演化为动物权益的主张。还有人出于健康方面的，政治上的，环境方面的，文化上，经济上的考虑。
但是，素食主义可是有很多种。 ovo-vegetarianism能吃肉，不喝奶；lacto-vegetarianism能喝奶，不吃肉；ovo-lacto vegetarianism则肉奶皆可；比较严格意义的素食主义用veganism表达。当然还有更为夸张的raw veganism ，只吃新鲜的，未经cooked的fruit, nuts, seeds, and vegetables（蔬菜是允许加热到一定温度）。Fruitarianism只吃通过对植物无伤地方式收集的fruit, nuts, seeds, and vegetables（所以，面对满枝的苹果，你得等到它自己掉下来，再gather，然后食用。）。
Semi-vegetarian diets consist largely of vegetarian foods, but may include fish or poultry, or sometimes other meats, on an infrequent basis.
想起了马拉松比赛为了更好的参与性而出现的半程马拉松，和10公里马拉松。素食也有semi-vegetarianism，可以偶尔吃鱼类，家禽喝其他肉类。
西方社会的肥胖问题，已经是一种pandemic的级别的状况了。但似乎，这就是一种富贵病。想想世界上还有那么多饥饿的人，再想想肯德基的食物政策（每天没有售完的已经加工好的鸡块之类的，必须作为垃圾处理掉）。It's really a cruel world.
