林语堂在《生活的艺术》一书中这样写道:“Our lives are not in the lap of the gods, but in the lap of our cook, because so much of the enjoyment of life lies within his power to give or to take away as he sees fit. ”(我们的生命不是在神的掌握之中,而是在厨子的掌握之中,因为我们享受生活的权利很大才程度上掌握在他的手中,在于他认为适时地给予还是拿走。)