雙語散文:Chinese Tea Culture 中國茶文化
【英文譯文】
摘要：中國人飲茶，注重一個“品”字。“品茶”不但是鑑別茶的優劣，也帶有神思遐想和領略飲茶情趣之意。
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. Snatching a bit of leisure from a busy schedule, making a kettle of strong tea, securing a serene space, and serving and drinking tea by yourself can help banish fatigue and frustration, improve your thinking ability and inspire you with enthusiasm. You may also imbibe it slowly in small sips to appreciate the subtle allure of tea-drinking, until your spirits soar up and up into a sublime aesthetic realm. Buildings, gardens, ornaments and tea sets are the elements that form the ambience for savoring tea. A tranquil, refreshing, comfortable and neat locale is certainly desirable for drinking tea. Chinese gardens are well known in the world and beautiful Chinese landscapes are too numerous to count. Teahouses tucked away in gardens and nestled beside the natural beauty of mountains and rivers are enchanting places of repose for people to rest and recreate themselves.
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. Before serving tea, you may ask them for their preferences as to what kind of tea they fancy and serve them the tea in the most appropriate teacups. 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. Snacks, sweets and other dishes may be served at tea time to complement the fragrance of the tea and to allay one's hunger.
【中文原文】
中國人飲茶，注重一個“品”字。“品茶”不但是鑑別茶的優劣，也帶有神思遐想和領略飲茶情趣之意。在百忙之中泡上一壺濃茶，擇雅靜之處，自斟自飲，可以消除疲勞、滌煩益思、振奮精神，也可以細啜慢飲，達到美的享受，使精神世界昇華到高尚的藝術境界。品茶的環境一般由建築物、園林、擺設、茶具等因素組成。飲茶要求安靜、清新、舒適、乾淨。中國園林世界聞名，山水風景更是不可勝數。利用園林或自然山水間，搭設茶室，讓人們小憩，意趣盎然。
中國是文明古國，禮儀之邦，很重禮節。凡來了客人，沏茶、敬茶的禮儀是必不可少的。當有客來訪，可徵求意見，選用最合來客口味的茶葉和最佳茶具待客。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後一致，水溫適宜。在飲茶時也可適當佐以茶食、糖果、菜餚等，達到調節口味和點心之功效。
【重點講解】
1. 神思遐想：reverie。
2. 領略飲茶情趣：take delight in tea-drinking。
3. 在百忙之中泡上一壺濃茶……: 這個句子較長，譯者根據其意思的層次， 把它分成了兩個完整的句子來翻譯，這樣就有較大的自由度來遣詞造句。
4. 擇靜雅之處：securing a serene space。
5.細啜慢飲：imbibe slowly in small sips。
6.達到美的享受：即“享受到飲茶之美”。allure這裏是名詞，意爲“迷人之處”，也可用beauty。
7. 使精神世界昇華到高尚的藝術境界：until your spirits soar up and up into a sublime aesthetic realm。
8. 利用園林或自然山水間，搭設茶室：翻譯時用了tucked away和nestled， 比用built要形象、優美得多。
9. 讓人們小憩，意趣盎然: 意思是“（茶室）是讓人們休息、娛樂的迷人場所。”
10. 禮儀之邦: 即是“一個很講究禮儀的地方”，“很重禮節”爲重複，不譯。
11. 當有客來訪：是“凡來了客人”的重複，可不譯。根據下文的內容，加上before serving tea，使上下銜接貼切自然。
12. 徵求意見，選用最合來客口味的茶葉和最佳茶具待客：可理解爲“詢問來客他們最喜歡什麼茶葉，然後用最合適的茶具給客人敬茶”。
13. 主人在陪伴客人飲茶時：譯爲in the course of serving tea, 與前面before serving tea 相呼應。
14. 主人在陪伴客人飲茶時 …… 水溫適宜：這句話較長，譯者同樣根據其意思的層次， 把它分成了兩個完整的句子來翻譯。
15. 隨喝隨添： and thus the cup is kept filled 或者 and in this way the cup is kept filled。
16. 茶食：意思爲“點心、小吃”。
17. 達到調節口味和點心之功效：“點心”爲方言“點飢、充飢”的意思。
