Sauerkraut is a German food: cabbage cut thin, packed with salt, and left until it turns sour. The sour taste is not mainly from pouring vinegar on at the start; the cabbage changes by itself in the salt, and that tang is the point.

Sauerkraut德式酸菜 is a German food是一種德國食物: cabbage cut thin把高麗菜切細, packed with salt用鹽醃起來, and而 left until it turns sour放到它變酸為止。 The sour taste is not mainly from pouring vinegar on at the start那股酸味主要不是一開始倒醋進去造成的; the cabbage changes by itself in the salt高麗菜是自己在鹽裡發酵變化的, and而 that tang is the point那股酸味正是重點所在。

People eat it with sausages, pork, or on a hot dog. English borrowed the German name and still uses it for this one dish, not for every sour cabbage on earth.

People eat it大家會配著 with sausages, pork, or on a hot dog香腸、豬肉，或夾在熱狗裡吃。 English borrowed the German name英文直接借用了這個德文名字 and而 still uses it for this one dish只用來指這一道菜, not for every sour cabbage on earth不是泛指世界上所有的酸高麗菜。

Though actually, kitchens nearby do similar things — Taiwan and Dongbei 酸菜, Korean kimchi — but those are different foods with different spices and methods, and English keeps a separate word for the German kind.

Though actually不過其實, kitchens nearby do similar things附近地區的廚房也做類似的東西 — Taiwan and Dongbei 酸菜像台灣和東北的酸菜, Korean kimchi或韓式泡菜 — but不過 those are different foods with different spices and methods這些都是用不同香料和做法做出來的不同食物, and而 English keeps a separate word for the German kind英文特地保留一個字專指德國這一種。

It can sound a little foreign in English; that is fine. Nobody uses it as a fancy metaphor much, except the odd joke about a sour mood.

It can sound a little foreign in English它在英文裡聽起來有點外國味; that is fine不過這樣也沒關係。 Nobody uses it as a fancy metaphor much沒什麼人會拿它當花俏的比喻用, except the odd joke about a sour mood頂多偶爾用來開個「心情很酸」的玩笑。