英式奶茶

(BBC Learning English)

Helen: Hello, welcome to Ask About Britain from BBC Learning English. I’m Helen.

Zoë: And I’m Zoë.

Helen: This is the programme where we want you to ask us any questions about the UK.

Zoë: That’s right, any questions you can think of. 如果大家對英國的文化，風(fēng)俗人情有任何疑問，我們會盡量解答。

Helen: And today, I’ve chosen a question from Michelle, who emailed us a few days ago.

Zoë: 那Michelle 發(fā)給我們的問題是什么呢？

Insert. Michelle

Most people like drinking teas. My question is if I want to drink the tea, should I add the milk first or last?

Zoë: Michelle 提到的是英國奶茶，她的問題是到底應(yīng)該是先倒茶，再加牛奶，還是先加牛奶，再倒茶。Milk first or tea first?

Helen: People have always argued over this, but personally I think you should put the milk in first.

Zoë: 你認為應(yīng)該是先加牛奶，再倒茶。

Helen: That’s right. I’ve always made my tea that way.

Zoë: 那你的觀點和Mark 是一樣的。

Helen: Yes. Mark drinks quite a lot of tea and he believes thatthere is a good reason why you should add milk before

you add tea.

Zoë: 那好吧，讓我們來聽聽 Mark 的解釋。大家要留意了，這和茶杯有著很大的關(guān)系。

Insert Mark

Traditionally, one should add milk to the cup first, and then hot tea. The reason for that is that, fine bone china will crack if you add very hot liquids to it. So in order to avoid a cupboard full of chipped fine bone china cups, you add the milk first. Unfortunately, nowadays it’s quite common for people to just use any old mugs of not very fine quality, and tea will be often added before milk, which is quite incorrect.

Zoë: Mark 解釋是因為以前英國人用的茶杯是那種很容易打碎的瓷器杯子.

Helen: The cups are made from fine bone china which usually means white, translucent, delicate china.

Zoë: 這種英國瓷器價錢不便宜，所以用的時候要小心。如果直接把很燙的茶倒到杯子里去的話，瓷器可能就會被燙裂了。

Helen: Exactly, if you add hot liquid to fine bone china cups, then the cups could crack and you wouldn’t want to show your guests cracked tea cups, would you。

Zoë: Definitely not. 所以按Mark 的話說，如果你不想在柜子了陳列著一套傷痕累累的瓷器。

Helen: A cupboard full of chipped fine bone china cups.

Zoë: chipped 就是有了缺口，被摔破了。如果要避免這種現(xiàn)象， 那就應(yīng)該先在杯子里加點冷牛奶，再倒熱茶。

Helen: This way, the milk acts as a protective barrier between the cup and the hot tea.

Zoë: 這樣涼牛奶可以起一個隔離，緩沖冷卻的作用，這樣就可以延長瓷器的壽命。

Helen: But not everyone follows this rule.

Zoë: 是的，不是所有人都記著先加牛奶，再倒茶。很多人正好是反著的。

Helen: That’s probably because we don’t really use fine bone China cups any more, we have mugs.

Zoë: mug 也是杯子，不過是那種價格便宜，厚厚的陶土類的茶杯，

Helen: If the mug is cracked, we just get another one.

Zoë: 是啊。如果這種便宜的茶杯被燙壞了，大家也不會心疼，所以這個先加牛奶的習(xí)慣也漸漸被人淡忘了。

(BBC Learning English)

Helen: As we’ve just heard from Mark, although traditionally milk is added to the cup first, nowadays, many people

make their tea the other way around.

Zoë: Claire 說她泡茶的時候，就是最后再加牛奶。那為什么這么做，還是來聽聽她的解釋吧。

Insert Claire

If you make tea in a pot, then you can put the milk in first and then the tea, but if you are making tea in a cup, and if you put the milk in with the tea bag and then put in hot water, that doesn’t work at all, because you need the hot water to hit the teabags if you were to release all of the flavour and to get nice tasting tea. So if making it in a mug, then definitely hot water first, then milk.

Zoë: Claire 認為如果是用杯子mug 直接泡茶的話, 要想讓茶包里的

茶味出來的話.

Helen: To release all the nice flavours in the tea.

Zoë: 就一定得現(xiàn)加熱水,把茶包泡一會兒,再加牛奶.

Helen: It was quite dramatic the way Claire described the process. You need the hot water to hit the teabags.

Zoë: 這下可夠猛的，hit the teabags, 讓熱水嘩的一下澆到茶包上。

Helen: So if you are making tea in a mug, then add in hot water first and then milk.

Zoë: 其實我覺得現(xiàn)加奶，后加奶，都不是很重要的， 怎樣泡茶主要是根據(jù)個人喜好。你說是不是, Helen.

Helen: I think you are right; it’s entirely a personal choice.

(BBC Learning English)

Zoë: 好了，Ask About Britain 今天就到這兒。

Helen: If you would like to have a copy of this programme, or if you have questions for us, do get in touch via our website.

Zoë: 我們的網(wǎng)址是www.bbc.co.uk/china, 然后點擊英語教學(xué)就可以了。

Helen: Until next time, it’s goodbye from me and Zoë at BBC Learning English.

Zoë: Take care. Bye.