巧克力的战争 趣谈二战时期美军的口粮

The Chocolate War

巧克力的战争

There are three things universal to all wars: soldiers, weapons, and food - though not many tend to focus on the latter.

有三样东西通行于所有的战争：战士，武器和食品 - 虽然不是很多往往倾向于后者。（译者注：俗话说，人是铁饭是钢，一顿不吃饿得慌。）

The US military generally issued five different rations during World War Two: A-rations, B-rations. C-rations, K-rations, and D-rations. A-rations are fresh, refrigerated, or frozen food that is served to troops after being prepared by a field kitchen or transported from fixed facilities. B-rations are foods that come canned, preserved or pre-packaged and do not require the use of refrigeration. C-rations were individually issued rations that were pre-cooked and canned for soldiers out in the field where A-rations and B-rations were impractical, they were replaced in 1958 by the Meal Combat Individual (MCI), which was later replaced by the Meal, Ready-to-Eat (MRE) in 1981. K-rations were meant to be issued to mobile forces, such as paratroopers and the tank corps, for short durations, contained three boxed meals, the military declared it obsolete in 1948 due to inadequate caloric content. Finally, D-rations were meant for emergency situations and consisted of concentrated chocolate bars designed to provide maximum calories for soldiers in need.

：美军在第二次世界大战期间通常会派发五种不同的口粮：A-口粮，B-口粮，C-口粮，K-口粮，和D-口粮。 A-口粮是新鲜的、冷藏的、冷冻的食物，用于供应给那些正在准备野战厨房或从固定设施转移出的部队。 B-口粮的食物主要以罐头，腌制或预包装的为主，并且不需要使用制冷设备。 C-口粮是单独发放的、预先烹调好并罐装的，提供给那些在户外并且使用A-口粮和B-口粮都是不切实际的士兵，后来它们在1958年被膳食战斗个人（MCI）取代，在这之后又于1981年被Ready-to-Eat (MRE，即食)食品取代。K-口粮主要派发给机动部队，如伞兵和坦克兵，只持续了很短一段时间，其中包括了三个盒饭。由于卡路里含量不足，军方于1948年宣布它已经过时。最后介绍的是，D-口粮主要用于紧急情况和主要由浓巧克力制成，能够提供最大的热量满足士兵的需要。

Even before the start of World War Two, the United States was looking for a way to supplement soldiers' rations with a nutritious, lightweight food. In 1937, Captain Paul Logan of the U.S. Army Quartermaster General's office went to Hershey Chocolate Company President, William Murrie, about creating a chocolate bar to be included in military rations. The requirements presented to Hershey were simple, lightweight, high energy, and (in order to ensure consumption only in emergencies) tasting slightly better than a boiled potato.

即使在二战开始之前，美国也一直在寻找一种方式作为士兵口粮补给，它既要有营养又要轻巧。 1937年，美国陆军军需长办公室的上尉保罗·洛根去拜访了好时巧克力公司总裁威廉·莫里，（谈论）关于将一种巧克力棒列入军事口粮。他对好时的要求很简单，重量轻、能量高，并（为了确保在紧急情况下食用时）口感要比煮土豆略胜一筹。

D-Ration... Looks tasty? So palatable you need to eat it over the course of 30 minutes.

D-口粮......看起来好吃么？所以，适口性好，你需要30分钟才能吃完它。

The result was a viscous paste that had to be hand packed into molds. Called D-rations, the bar had to have pieces shaved off for consumption and possessed an extremely bitter taste. Soldiers called it “Hitler's Secret Weapon” and would often times throw them away as soon as they received them. Later, in 1943, the government would ask Hershey to design a new bar that could hold its shape for an hour in 120 degree heat and would have a somewhat improved taste, eventually resulting in the Tropical Chocolate bar.

其结果是一种粘稠的糊状物，（生产过程中）必须以手装入模子。所谓的D-口粮，巧克力棒不得不削成薄皮（食用），同时拥有极其苦涩的味道。士兵们把它称为“希特勒的秘密武器”，并很多时候他们一旦收到就会扔掉。后来在1943年，政府将要求好时设计一个新的巧克力棒，可以在120度的高温下保持其形状一小时，同时口感稍加改善，最终生产出了热情巧克力棒。

巧克力的战争 趣谈二战时期美军的口粮

Around the same time as this, Forrest Mars, son of the creator of the rival Milky Way bar, was working on developing a sugar-coated chocolate candy designed to resist heat, after having seen a similar sugar coated chocolate being eaten by soldiers in the Spanish Civil War. Unlike Hershey, Mars was trying to create a commercially available product in addition to a snack for servicemen. With this in mind, Mars approached William Murrie's son, Bruce, about a partnership. For a 20% stake in the product, Murrie secured a steady supply of chocolate from Hershey, which was in charge of U.S. sugar and chocolate rationing at the time. The product was named M&M's after Mars and Murrie. Though Mars would buy out Murries's share shortly after the war ended, the name would remain.

大约与此同时，福雷斯特·马斯，作为竞争对手——银河（巧克力）棒创造者的儿子，在看过西班牙内战期间士兵们吃了糖衣巧克力之后，开始研发一种耐热的糖衣巧克力设计。不像好时，马斯试图创造一种不仅能作为军用食品而且能作为市售产品的东西。考虑到这一点，马斯开始接近威廉·莫里的儿子-布鲁斯，以建立合作伙伴关系。为了获得产品20％的股份，莫里确保在负责供应美军糖和巧克力的同时，好时还能够提供稳定的巧克力供应（给马斯）。该产品在马斯和莫里合作之后被命名为M＆M。（译者注：说到这里想起来贱贱的M&M小豆人了么？）虽然在战争结束后不久马斯就购回了莫里家族的份额，但是产品名称依旧保持不变。

Shortly after release, the U.S. military became the exclusive customer for Mars' new product and would remain so for the duration of the war. Unlike the modified Hershey bar, M&M's were included in soldiers C rations in cardboard tubes and were intended for regular consumption, which allowed for a taste that didn't cause the troops to want to immediately throw them away. After the end of the war, as well as rationing, the newly returned soldiers continued buying M&M's and by 1954 M&M's were the number one candy in the United States. To this day, various chocolates are still included in soldiers' regular rations.

在产品发布后不久，美军就成为马斯新产品的专属客户，并在战争期间继续这样做。不像修改后的好时巧克力棒，M＆M公司被加入到士兵的C-口粮，并用纸板管包装，并作为一般消费品，这使得部队在就餐后没有必要立即扔掉它。这场真实的战争和巧克力战争结束后，新回来的战士们继续购买M＆M的产品，同时使得到1954年M＆M成为了美国的头号糖果品牌。时至今日，各种巧克力包含在士兵的配额口粮中。