英语畅谈中国文化50主题 26

　　26 The Fashion of tea-drinking
A: there are a lot of Chinese expressions that link tea with food. For example, “firewood, rice, oil, soy sauce, vinegar and tea are the seven daily necessities.”
B: the purpose of tea and food is totally different though. People eat to fill their stomach. But, tea-drinking can help a person achieve an elevated state of mind. Tea-drinking is said to have originated with the advent¹ of Buddhism². Monks³ drank tea to keep themselves awake and help their concentration. Ordinary people were tempted⁴ by the tranquility of the monasteries⁵ and began to imitate the monks. So tea-drinking is considered an elegant pastime.
A: has tea-drinking become fashionable?
B: a few years ago It was fashionable to drink lipton tea whit⁶ milk and sugar to emulate⁷ a western lifestyle. Later it was green tea. Fruit tea was also popular for a while.
A: I heard that pu’er tea is very popular in japan and Taiwan. People think it can help them lose weight and control their blood pressure.
B: it is also popular in china’s mainland. Pu’er tea looks and smells more like French red wine than tea. Plus, its rumored⁸ function is to reduce weight. Pu’er tea-drinking has been very fashionable. Green tea is good for longevity⁹ and combating cancer. Red tea is good for keeping the stomach warm.
A: many tea houses have been opened. Usually tea houses are where ordinary people like to hang around. But, some tea houses are destinations for high-brow cocial life.
B: tea houses have even changed the way people do business. It used to be over meals. The saying now is “at a table of spirits, the more you talk, the more muddled¹⁰ things become. But at a tea table of tea, the more you talk, the clearer things become.”
A: tea parties also seem to have become popular.
B: the represents thriftiness¹¹ and cleanliness. Government agencies like to host tea parties to celebrate public holidays. It serves the purposes of both socializing and saving money.
A: a cup of tea, not only serves social and economic purposes, but also political purposes as well. No wonder tea is always with food in Chinese culture.

1 advent   

n.(重要事件等的)到来，来临

参考例句：

• Swallows come by groups at the advent of spring. 春天来临时燕子成群飞来。
• The advent of the Euro will redefine Europe.欧元的出现将重新定义欧洲。

2 Buddhism   

n.佛教（教义）

参考例句：

• Buddhism was introduced into China about 67 AD.佛教是在公元67年左右传入中国的。
• Many people willingly converted to Buddhism.很多人情愿皈依佛教。

3 monks   

n.修道士，僧侣( monk的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The monks lived a very ascetic life. 僧侣过着很清苦的生活。
• He had been trained rigorously by the monks. 他接受过修道士的严格训练。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 tempted   

v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词）

参考例句：

• I was sorely tempted to complain, but I didn't. 我极想发牢骚，但还是没开口。
• I was tempted by the dessert menu. 甜食菜单馋得我垂涎欲滴。

5 monasteries   

修道院( monastery的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• In ancient China, there were lots of monasteries. 在古时候，中国有许多寺院。
• The Negev became a religious center with many monasteries and churches. 内格夫成为许多庙宇和教堂的宗教中心。

6 whit   

n.一点，丝毫

参考例句：

• There's not a whit of truth in the statement.这声明里没有丝毫的真实性。
• He did not seem a whit concerned.他看来毫不在乎。

7 emulate   

v.努力赶上或超越，与…竞争；效仿

参考例句：

• You must work hard to emulate your sister.你必须努力工作，赶上你姐姐。
• You must look at the film and try to emulate his behavior.你们必须观看这部电影，并尽力模仿他的动作。

8 rumored   

adj.传说的，谣传的v.传闻( rumor的过去式和过去分词 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷

参考例句：

• It is rumored that he cheats on his wife. 据传他对他老婆不忠。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• It was rumored that the white officer had been a Swede. 传说那个白人军官是个瑞典人。 来自辞典例句

9 longevity   

n.长命；长寿

参考例句：

• Good habits promote longevity.良好的习惯能增长寿命。
• Human longevity runs in families.人类的长寿具有家族遗传性。

10 muddled   

adj.混乱的；糊涂的；头脑昏昏然的v.弄乱，弄糟( muddle的过去式)；使糊涂；对付，混日子

参考例句：

• He gets muddled when the teacher starts shouting. 老师一喊叫他就心烦意乱。
• I got muddled up and took the wrong turning. 我稀里糊涂地拐错了弯。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 thriftiness   

节俭，节约

参考例句：

• Taoism has always advocated thriftiness and plain life. 道教历来倡导节俭、朴素的生活。
• That's a positive feeling. Now I added only to my thriftiness but also independence and endurance. 通过这事，我不仅长了点经济头脑，也变得更加独立，更具忍耐力了。