| 释义 |
bento, n.
Brit. |ˈbɛntəʊ|, U.S. |ˈbɛnˌtoʊ|
Plural unchanged, -s
[‹ Japanese bentō lunch package (1603 as bentǒ in Vocabulario da Lingoa de Iapam; earlier as bentau), perhaps ‹ Middle Chinese elements meaning ‘to divide, distribute’ and ‘to appropriate’ or ‘shelves, pigeonholes’, or perhaps alteration of or influenced by Japanese mentsū lunch basket ‹ men- face + -tsū, variant of -tō tub, bucket (both elements ‹ Middle Chinese; compare modern Chinese miàntǒng tub used for washing the face).]
A Japanese or Japanese-style packed lunch traditionally consisting of rice, vegetables, and Japanese specialities such as sashimi and teriyaki, and served in a lacquered or decorated wooden box. Freq. attrib., esp. in bento box; also, the box itself. Cf. obento n.
1616R. Cocks Diary 23 Nov. (1883) I. 211 Echero Dono..brought me a present of a bento, or box for 5 persons to eate in. 1895Harper's New Monthly Mag. Apr. 772 My heart was filled with covetousness as I saw the fine old lacquer bento boxes which they produced after carefully removing many silk wrappings. 1934Discovery June 174/2 The bento, consisting of a box of cooked rice and another of oddments of fish and vegetables,..takes the place of the luncheon basket for the Japanese. 1947J. Bertram Shadow of War 192 We..broke open the bento of cold sweet potatoes. 1969Monumenta Nipponica 24 328 He removed the lid from his bentō box and put it on the table. 1988Courier-Mail (Brisbane) 14 Sept. 20/7 Mr Parker said the average Aussie Bento was not the average bento (lunch) found in Japan. 2002T. Shimoda Fourth Treasure (2003) 238 He bought a bento boxed lunch that actually tasted good, not stale. |