What you've giving away for free has merely been the appetizer.

你试图免费赠送的仅仅是道开胃小菜。

youdao

There’s still quite a bit of publishing going on, but that seems almost an afterthought, the appetizer before the main course.

当然现在仍有一些网络出版物，但这些似乎都是没有经过深思熟虑的事后想法罢了。 （它不过是上主菜之前的开胃菜，美味还在后头呢。）

youdao

But in this case, the audience mainly sees the human stories as the appetizer, and details about the food as the real beef.

在这种情况下，观众就把人们的故事当作开胃菜，把对食物的详细介绍当作主菜。

youdao

For lunch, try the appetizer of wild mushrooms and, for a main course, grilled tuna salad.

FORBES: Fact and Comment

Your dining companion swats away your hand, scolding you for touching the appetizer before she could take a photo.

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At two other shows, dance is the appetizer before the choice of two main courses: circus acts or cheerleading.

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