Keywords: 大米

顺序：原文、自己的译文、参考译文、笔记

在西方人心目中，和中国联系最为密切的基本食物是大米。
In foreigners' mind, rice is the food that attached to China most.
In the eyes of the westerner, the basic food closest to China is rice.

在…心目中：in the eyes of sb.或in sb.'s eyes
西方：western，西方人：westerner
和…联系最为密切的：closest to ...

长期以来，大米在中国人的饮食中占据很重要的地位，以至于有谚语说“巧妇难为无米之炊”。
Since long long ago, the rice has played such a important role in Chinese's diet that there comes a saying that means even the best woman can't deal with a meal without rice.
Rice has long occupied so important a position in the diet of Chinese that there is a saying, " Even a clever housewife cannot cook a meal without rice."

占据很重要的地位：occupy a(n) important/significant position
长期以来：自己的译文翻的很烂，参考译文用long的adv.词性就解决了
巧妇难为无米之炊：Even a clever housewife cannot cook a meal without rice.
中国谚语、成语的翻译，直译就好了，约定俗成的搭配记不住也没办法

中国南方大多种植水稻，人们通常以大米为主食；而华北大部分地区因为过于寒冷或过于干燥，无法种植水稻。那里的主要作物是小麦。
In the south, people usually grow and feed on rice, while in most areas in north China, it's too cold or too dry for the rice to grow. Therefore the main grow is wheat.
Rice is grown mostly in southern China where people usually take rice as their principal food, while it cannot be planted in most areas of northern China because the climate there is either too cold or too dry for rice to grow. As a result, the main crop in the north is wheat.

而：while
以…为主食：take ... as their principal food
主食：principal food, staple food
作物：crop
中国南方／华南：southern China
中国北方：华北：northern China
“那里的主要作物是小麦”与前面句子关联性较弱，单独翻译成句

在中国，有些人用面粉做面包，但大多数人用面粉做馒头和面条。
In China, someone use wheat to make bread but the most use wheat to make 馒头 and noodles.
In China, some people make bread with flour, but most people make steamed buns and noodles with flour.

用面粉做面包：make bread with flour
面粉：flour
馒头：steamed buns
注意积累中国特有食品