A Touch of Class 午茶飨宴
- 详细资料
- 创建于 2003年10月27日
- 最后更新于 2024年5月25日
- 发布于 2011年6月08日
- 作者：Mike Lee
- 点击数：444
课文朗读
课文讲解
High tea is a British tradition that connoisseurs of finer things in life have long enjoyed. However, you don’t have to be an aristocrat to revel in the playground of toothsome sweets and light savory dished that comprise this meal.
喝下午茶长久以来是英国精致生活鉴赏家极为爱好的一项传统。不过你无须是贵族，也可以享受到一顿丰盛下午茶的可口甜点和清爽的开胃小菜。
High tea first became popular in seventeenth-century English as a mid-sized meal to tide people over until dinner. The name “high tea” comes from how the food was originally eaten: Diners sat atop high stools in tea shops.
下午茶最早在17世纪的英国受到观迎，当时约中等份量的一顿餐帮人捱到晚餐时刻的来临。而下午茶的英文字「high tea」，源自于最初吃东西的方式：用餐的人都坐在茶馆里的高脚椅子上。
High tea has evolved from a practical afternoon meal into a relaxing, refined event. Indeed with its sophisticated air, high tea is sometimes even a substitute for business lunches. A typical high tea includes sweets, such as jams, cakes, and tarts, and savories, such as cheeses, cold meats, and pate. Other favorites include seasoned cheese melted on toast, known as Welsh rabbit, and cold salmon with lemon.
下午茶已经从原先一顿纯为填肚子的餐食，演变成为如今轻松而精致的活动。的确如此，下午茶的气氛精致高雅，有时甚至取代了商业午餐。正统的下午茶内容包括有甜点类，像是果酱、蛋糕、蛋塔类等，和各式开胃小菜，譬如起司、冷的肉食、与馅饼制品。其他受欢迎的小点还包括抹上调味起司酱的吐司，一般称做韦尔斯兔子，和柠檬冷鲑鱼。
This elegant dining experience tickles the palate, but must be presented properly. Fine china, fresh flowers, and classical music (or pleasant jazz for the modernists) are de rigueur at any high tea. Last but certainly not least, hosts must also provide a rich variety of teas to accompany the victuals.
这种精致高雅的餐点让人食指大动，但是必须要搭配得宜。精致的高级瓷器、鲜花、古典音乐（或是迎合现代人的悦耳爵士音乐），都是下午茶礼仪上所必须顾到的。最后一点，但是一样重要的是，主人还必须提供多种茶水，以搭配这些美好的食物。
Vocabulary
单词发音
high tea【主英】傍晚茶（傍晚用的茶点，常有肉食、糕饼和茶等）
connoisseur [͵kɑnəˋsɝ] n.（尤指艺术品的）鉴赏家，行家
aristocrat [æˋrɪstə͵kræt] n. 贵族（指个人）
revel [ˋrɛv!] v. 着迷，陶醉[（+in）]
toothsome [ˋtuθsəm] adj. 美味的，可口的
savory [ˋsevərɪ] adj. 美味可口的；芳香开胃的 n.【英】（餐前的）开胃菜
comprise [kəmˋpraɪz] v. 包含，包括
tide over 度过; 克服
stool [stul] n. 凳子；搁脚凳
sophisticated [səˋfɪstɪ͵ketɪd] adj. 精致的; 高雅时髦的
jam [dʒæm] n. 果酱
tart [tɑrt] n.【英】水果馅饼
pate [pet] n.〔可涂抹在面包上的〕肉酱; 鱼酱
seasoned [ˋsiznd] adj. 调过味的
tickle [ˋtɪk!] v. 唤起，激起
palate [ˋpælɪt] n. 味觉
modernist [ˋmɑdɚnɪst] n. 现代主义者，现代派
Sentence of the Day
You haven't lived until you take high tea.
若还没有享受过下午茶，你的生活经验就不算真正完整。
课文讲解
Kitty, an American, and Albert, her British husband, are planning a social event: 姬蒂是美国人，和她的英国先生艾伯特正在准备一场社交活动：
K: High tea will be a great way to entertain my folks.
用下午茶款待我的父母和家人，这方法很棒。
A: Indeed. Got to do one’s best to please the in-laws.
的确。要讨好诸位姻亲大人总得费些心思。
K: They’re arriving at three o’clock, right?
他们是三点钟到达，对吧？
A: Certainly. A little while after lunch, but well before dinner. If taken at any other time, it wouldn’t be high tea.
是的。这样离午餐已略有一段时间了，但是离晚餐时间还久。如果订的是其他时刻，就不是标准的下午茶了。
K: OK, Mr. Traditionalist. How about the sweets and savouries?
是的，传统先生。那甜点和小菜怎么样？
A: For savouries, let’s prepare chilled ham and duck, and for sweets, we’ll have scones and cream puffs.
开胃小菜呢，我们用冰镇火腿肉和鸭肉，甜点则是烤饼和奶油泡芙。
K: Let’s not forget the cucumber sandwiches, pickles, fine mustards, chutney, and –
我们可别忘了黄瓜三明治、泡菜、芥末酱、酸甜酱和──
A: And most importantly: the tea!
还有一样最重要的东西：茶！
K: I was thinking of serving herbal or fruit-infused tea.
我想用青草茶或水果茶。
A: Blimey, Kitty! Such beverages have no place at the high tea table.
拜托，姬蒂！正式的下午茶里不使用这些饮料的。
K: Sorry, I guess those teas aren’t very traditional. Let’s just stick to Orange Pekoe, and some Formosa Oolong.
抱歉，我想这些饮料大概不够传统。那我们就还是用印度红茶和宝岛乌龙茶吧。
A: Much better. I’m even going to offer a taste of my ultrafine Silvertip white tea. But we’ve got to take care not to steep that tea for too long and spoil its flavor.
这样安排好多了。我还想让他们尝尝看我的特等白毫呢。不过我们必须小心别让茶浸泡得太久，反而会破坏它的风味。
K: And we mustn’t forget the lacy napkins and doilies, and our best silverware.
而且不能忘记要有蕾丝的餐巾与小布垫，还有我们最好的银器。
A: I’d say our high tea is going to be a high time indeed!
我敢说我们的下午茶一定会宾主尽欢。
－by Patrick M. O’Boyle
Vocabulary
单词发音
entertain [͵ɛntɚˋten] v. 招待，款待
folk [fok] n.【口】家属，亲属；双亲
in-laws [ˋɪn͵lɔz] n. 姻亲（尤指岳父母或公婆）
scone [skon] n.【英】烤饼；司康
puff [pʌf] n.（奶油）松饼；泡芙
pickle [ˋpɪk!] n. 腌渍食品；腌菜，泡菜
mustard [ˋmʌstɚd] n. 芥末；芥子
chutney [ˋtʃʌtnɪ] n.（印度）甜酸的调味料（由葡萄干、芒果、糖、柠檬汁或醋做成）
infuse [ɪnˋfjuz] v. 泡（茶等）；浸渍
blimey [`blaɪmɪ] 感叹词，感叹语【英口】哎呀！天啊！〔表示惊愕〕
beverage [ˋbɛvərɪdʒ] n. 饮料
Orange Pekoe 橙黄白毫 A grade of black tea consisting of the long thin leaves near the end of the shoot, sometimes including the bud.
steep [stip] v. 泡，浸泡；浸透
lacy [ˋlesɪ] adj. 有花边的；有带子的
doily [ˋdɔɪlɪ] n.〔衬在盘中蛋糕等点心下面的刻花纸或布做的〕圆形垫子
Sentence of the Day
High tea is their cup of tea.
享用下午茶是他们喜欢做的事
someone’s cup of tea 某人喜爱之物