请将下面这段话翻译成英文：
早在公元前200年中国人就开始食用面条，它在中国饮食中占据重要的地位，种类繁多，如鸡蛋面、米粉(rice noodles)，绿豆(mung bean )面和小麦面。在中 国北方地区，小麦面条作为主食(staple food)比人米吃得多。米粉则在南方地区更普遍。中国面条有不同的宽度和厚度，似通常都较长，因为中国人认为这象征着长寿，因此面条经常出现在生日庆祝活动中，被称为长寿面(longevity noodles)。
参考答案:
Noodles were eaten by Chinese as early as 200 BC and occupy an important position in Chinese food. It has many kinds, such as egg noodles, rice noodles, mung bean noodles and wheat noodles. In the northern regions of China, wheat noodles are the staple food and eaten more than rice. Rice noodles are more commonly consumed in southern China. Chinese noodles are of varying width and thickness, but they are usually long because they symbolize long life for Chinese, which is why noodles are commonly served at birthday celebrations and called longevity noodles.
1.早在公元前200年中国人就开始食用面条，它在中国饮食中占据着重要的地位，种类繁多，如鸡蛋面、米粉、绿豆面和小麦面：此长句可分译为两个句子；其中“占据着重要的地位”可译为occupy an important position。
2.小麦面条作为主食比大米吃得多：“主食”可译为staple food; “到食”即 non-staple food。
3.中国面条有不同的宽度和厚度，但通常都较长，因为中国人认为这象征着长寿, 因此面条经常出现在生日庆祝活动中，被称为长寿面：后半句可译为which引导 的非限制性定语从句，修饰“这象征着长寿”，即：which is why noodles are commonly served...; “不同的宽度和厚度”可译为 varying width and thickness; “长寿面”可译为longevity noodles；需注意noodles这个词通常使用复数。
