| Most people know that chocolate is made from cocoa and that the origins of chocolate can be traced back to Central and South America. 大多数人都知道巧克力由可可制成，它起源于中南美洲。 For centuries, the natives there regarded cocoa as a gift from the gods. 几个世纪以来，当地的居民把可可看作神的恩赐。 But how did chocolate go from being the food of the gods to being the food of love? 但巧克力是怎样从神的食品变成了爱情食品的呢？ Around A.D. 600, the Mayas were the main aboriginal group in Central America. 公元600年左右，玛雅人是中美洲主要的土著居民。 They established the first cocoa plantations and used the cocoa bean as the main ingredient in a dark, bitter drink that we would call “chocolate.” 他们建立了第一座可可种植园，并用可可豆为主要原料，制成了一种又黑又苦的饮料，我们叫“巧克力”。 The Mayas believed that chocolate had mystical properties---but cocoa also had commercial value. 玛雅人相信巧克力具有神秘的特性，也具有商业价值。 In fact, cocoa beans were used as a form of currency that was worth its weight in gold! 实际上，可可豆曾经被当作一种与金子等值的货币形式！ |
