Poor example

Question

Like everyone else, I find this lesson very confusing, and I think it is because it's using a very poor example of when to use articles. I believe the translation is incorrect.

Je n'aime ni le fromage ni le lait.
I like neither cheese nor milk.

If this example is talking about specific cheese and specific milk, then the English translation should be, "I like neither the cheese nor the milk." But that is not what you have here. The translation you give is general, not specific. It really makes the whole lesson contradictory and confusing.

Answer

I'm not sure, but I think the translation is correct. Some of the discussions in the Q&A seem wrong to me, and these add to the confusion. I believe there is a difference between aimer and manger, so you use the definite article with aimer but not manger. That is why you say:

Je n'aime ni le fromage ni le lait. I like neither cheese nor milk.

but

Je ne mange ni pommes ni poires. I eat neither apples nor pears.

In the (rarer) cases where you would use a definite article in English to refer to some specific cheese or apples, the sentence with aimer wouldn't change, but the second sentence would become:

Je ne mange ni les pommes ni les poires. I'm not eating either the apples or the pears.

I would like to see a native speaker comment on this.

Answer

I am late to the discussion on this lesson but re the questions concerning the example "Je n'aime ni le fromage ni le lait/I like neither cheese nor milk.

Are the articles indeed not only valid but necessary because an article MUST be used when the verb is expressing a strong personal taste/emotion.........…..like detester/preferer/adore...and aimer.

Re Bill's question ..it seems he used aimer when the verb being sought was manger.

Re Chris' example ...........heard it said it like this: l'élève n'a pas compris ni appris..............i am confused that this is a correct construct since the lesson seems to teach that ni..ni... must be used in multiples.