外國人最想和你聊的文化話題：茶

　Realize Tea Culture　認識茶文化

     1　世界各地茶文化
     Tea culture is defined by the way tea is made and consumed; by the way the people interact with tea, and by the aesthetics surrounding tea drinking.
     Tea is commonly consumed at social events, and many cultures have created intricate formal ceremonies for these events. Western examples of these are afternoon tea and the tea party. In the east, tea ceremonies differ among countries, Japan's complex, formal and serene one being the most known. Other examples are the Korean tea ceremony or some traditional ways of brewing tea in Chinese tea culture. In Tibet, tea is commonly brewed with salt and butter. Tea also plays an important role in some countries.
     The British Empire spread its own interpretation of tea to its dominions and colonies including regions that today comprise the states of India, Hong Kong, and Pakistan which had existing tea customs, as well as, regions such as East Africa (modern day Kenya. Tanzania, and Uganda), which did not have existing tea customs.
     While France is well-known for its coffee drinking, afternoon tea has long been a social habit of the upper middle class, famously illustrated, for example, by Marcel Proust's novels. Mariage Frères is a famous high-end tea shop from Paris, active since 1854.
     While Germany is a mainly coffee drinking country, the region of East Friesland is noted for its consumption of tea and its tea culture. Strong Assam tea is served whenever there are visitors to an East Frisian home or other gathering, as well as with breakfast, mid-afternoon, and mid-evening.
     Different regions also favor different varieties of tea, black, green, or oolong, and use different flavourings, such as milk, sugar or herbs. The temperature and strength of the tea likewise varies widely.
     2　茶葉種類的表達方式
     （1）Six basic kinds of tea 六大基本茶類
     China has the largest and complete teas in the world. In the long history of tea development, there was created varieties of teas. With the advances of tea scientific knowledge and the innovative of craft, there are many hundreds of teas. Teas can be classified into different kinds according to their wide variety of flavors, scents, and intensity levels. So it is hard to have a standard to classification about it. Teas picked in different seasons, may cater to their different moods. There are generally six basic kinds of tea, and in each kind, there is a variety of different tea.
     Green tea　　　　　　　綠茶
     Black tea　　　　　　　紅茶
     Dark tea　　　　　　　 黑茶
     Oolong tea　　　　　　 烏龍茶
     White tea　　　　　　　白茶
     Yellow tea　　　　　　 黃茶
     （2）Processed tea　　 再加工茶
     Green brick tea　　　　緊壓茶
     Scented tea　　　　　　花茶
     中國的茶葉品種是非常多的，幾乎世界上所有的茶種類中國都有。茶的名稱也非常得多。不同種類的茶葉，命名的方法五花八門，有的根據(jù)形狀不同而命名，如形似瓜子片并名，如形似瓜子片的安徽"六安瓜片"。有的結(jié)合產(chǎn)地的山川名勝命名，如"西湖龍井"。有的根據(jù)采摘時間和季節(jié)而命名，如"明前茶"、"雨前茶"、"春茶"等。每一類茶都有許多不同的茶，如綠茶就有：西湖龍井；惠明茶；洞庭碧螺春；顧渚紫茶；午子仙毫；黃山毛峰；云霧毛尖；曾侯銀劍；信陽毛尖；寶洪茶；上饒白眉；徑山茶等許許多多的茶。
Part 2　Key words ＆ Sentences　關(guān)鍵詞語全知道
     A Famous Anglo-American writer Henry James once said, "There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea."
     一位著名的英裔美國作家Henry James 曾經(jīng)說過："一生中只有幾個小時能比喝下午茶還要高興。"
     The British are the second largest per capita tea consumers in the world, with each person consuming on average 2.1 kg per year.
     英國是世界上人均消費茶的第二大國，人均每年消費2.1千克。
     In fact, afternoon tea is more than just a drink-sometimes it's a complete meal.
     事實上，下午茶對于英國人來說，遠遠不止是一種飲品，有時候那便是一頓完整的餐飯。
     Because of the climate and the Germanic origins of many of its early people, the UK has been a traditionally beer drinking rather than a wine drinking country. Over Britain as a whole, however, the traditional drink is tea.
     由于氣候和日耳曼起源，英國人在傳統(tǒng)上一直是喝啤酒，而不是葡萄酒的飲用國。然而從總體而言，英國的傳統(tǒng)飲品卻是茶。
     The custom of taking afternoon tea is believed to have been first introduced in England in 1840 by Anna, the Seventh Duchess of Bedford.
     一般認為，英國下午茶的傳統(tǒng)是維多利亞女王時代1840年時由第7代貝德芙公爵夫人安娜女士所開創(chuàng)的。
     The occasion became more and more elaborate with the use of elegant tea ware, lace and embroidered table linen, bone chellona tea services, cake stands, tea canisters and blending bowls.
     下午茶變得更為精致。典雅的茶壺，蕾絲或繡花臺布，骨瓷杯，餅架，茶罐均為下午茶加多了一份雅致。
     In American, tea is usually black tea served with milk (never cream) and sometimes with sugar.
     在美國，人們通常喝紅茶加上牛奶（或奶昔），有時候也加糖。
     Tea is one of the greatest cultural treasures of Chinese civilization.
     茶是中華文明最寶貴的文化財富之一。
     Regions famous for Chinese tea in the south have produced much of the world's tea.
     因中國茶葉而聞名的中國南部生產(chǎn)出了世界上大部分的茶葉。
     Tea remained in Chinese hands for centuries, before foreign explorers brought this to an enthusiastic public in Europe and other places.
     早在外國探險家把茶帶給歐洲和其他地方熱情的民眾之前，茶已在中國流傳了幾個世紀。
     China for centuries has been acting as the first nation of tea because of its outstanding products. Today, Chinese tea must compete against foreign teas from many other places in the world.
     中國幾個世紀以來因其優(yōu)質(zhì)的茶產(chǎn)品一直扮演著世界第一茶葉大國的角色?，F(xiàn)在中國的茶葉必須和來自世界其他地區(qū)的茶葉競爭。
     Rituals have even appeared in the preparing and drinking of tea.
     在中國，在泡茶和品茶的過程中出現(xiàn)了茶道。
     This tea culture places emphasis on the taste and color of the tea as well as on the presentation of the tea set.
     這種茶文化注重茶的味與色以及茶具的擺放。
     The Chinese people, in their drinking of tea, place much significance on the act of "savoring". "Savoring tea" is not only a way to discern good tea from mediocre tea, but also how people take delight in their reverie and in tea-drinking itself.
     中國人飲茶， 注重一個"品"字。"品茶"不但是鑒別茶的優(yōu)劣，也帶有神思遐想和領(lǐng)略飲茶情趣之意。
     Buildings, gardens, ornaments and tea sets are the elements that form the ambience for savoring tea.
     品茶的環(huán)境一般由建筑物、園林、擺設(shè)、茶具等因素組成。
     A tranquil, refreshing, comfortable and neat locale is certainly desirable for drinking tea.
     飲茶要求安靜、清新、舒適、干凈。
     China is a country with a time-honored civilization and a land of ceremony and decorum. Whenever guests visit, it is necessary to make and serve tea to them.
     中國是文明古國，禮儀之邦，很重禮節(jié)。凡來了客人，沏茶、敬茶的禮儀是必不可少的。
     In the course of serving tea, the host should take careful note of how much water is remaining in the cups and in the kettle. Usually, if the tea is made in a teacup, boiling water should be added after half of the cup has been consumed; and thus the cup is kept filled so that the tea retains the same bouquet and remains pleasantly warm throughout the entire course of tea-drinking.
     主人在陪伴客人飲茶時，要注意客人杯、壺中的茶水殘留量。一般用茶杯泡茶，如已喝去一半，就要添加開水，隨喝隨添，使茶水濃度基本保持前后一致，水溫適宜。
     Snacks, sweets and other dishes may be served at tea time to complement the fragrance of the tea and to allay one's hunger.
     在飲茶時也可適當佐以茶食、糖果、菜肴等，達到調(diào)節(jié)口味和點心之功效。
     Green tea is the predominant tea beverage consumed throughout Japan today. There are many kinds available.
     日式煎茶占全部制茶量的8成，是日本國內(nèi)生產(chǎn)量最多，也是最受歡迎的綠茶之一。
     While France is well-known for its coffee drinking, afternoon tea has long been a social habit of the upper middle class.
     法國，以喝咖啡聞名，然而下午茶作為中上階層的社會習慣由來已久。