【导读】茶起源于中国，盛行于世界，迩来已历千年。从古代丝绸之路、茶马古道、茶船古道，到今天丝绸之路经济带、21世纪海上丝绸之路，茶从中国出发，穿越历史、跨越国界，越来越受到世界各国人民喜爱。而联合国还将每年的5月21日定为国际茶日。
Tea is a big part of many cultures around the world. QIANTU
English playwright Arthur Wing Pinero said, “Where there’s tea, there’s hope.” Similarly, a Chinese saying goes that “Firewood, rice, cooking oil, salt, sauce, vinegar and tea are the seven necessities to begin a day.”
英国剧作家阿瑟·温·皮内罗曾说：“有茶就有希望。”同样，中国也有句俗语：“早晨起来七件事，柴米油盐酱醋茶。”
Tea is, without doubt, welcomed all over the world. According to Statista, a German online portal for statistics, global tea production reached approximately 5.8 million tons in 2018. It has become the most consumed beverage in the world – after water, of course.
毫无疑问，茶受到了全世界的欢迎。据德国数据分析网站Statista显示，2018年全球茶叶产量约为580万吨。茶成为世界上饮用人数最多的饮品 —— 当然，除了水以外。
In order to celebrate the popular drink, the United Nations General Assembly has designatedMay 21as International Tea Day.
为夸赞这一大众饮品，联合国大会将5月21日定为国际茶日。
According to the UN, tea is much more than just a hot drink. It’s a big part of many cultures around the world.
联合国认为，茶不仅仅是一杯热饮。它是全球众多文化的重要组成部分。
You probably know that people in China use top-grade tea to show respect when receiving important guests. Meanwhile, the British tradition of afternoon tea is an important part of that country’s identity. Making Malaysia’s pulled tea has become a sort of art form, where drinkers take pride in its entertainment aspects. As an expression of Moroccan hospitality and tradition, mint tea – a mix of green tea, spearmint leaves and sugar – is served during gatherings and negotiations.
你或许知道，中国人会用顶级茶叶招待贵客，以示敬意。与此同时，英国的下午茶传统也是该国身份认同的重要一环。马来西亚的拉茶制作已经成为了一种艺术形式，品茶者以茶带来的乐趣为傲。薄荷茶则体现了摩洛哥人热情好客与传统，在聚会和会谈中，他们会用这种以绿茶、绿薄荷叶和糖泡成的茶汤款待客人。
Apart from its cultural significance, tea is also a medicine, used from ancient times to modern day. “Tea is cold and lowers the fire,” Chinese Ming Dynasty herbalist Li Shizhen once said. The health benefits of tea are still being discovered today: preventing heart disease, obesity and cancer have all been linked to drinking green tea, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information in the US. The mania for healthy tea products continues into a new decade as it’s used in moisturizers, lip balms and other beauty products.
除了文化意义以外，茶从古至今都被用作一种药材。“茶性寒，能降火，”明代草药学家李时珍曾如此说道。茶的保健功效如今仍在不断地被发现：美国国家生物技术信息中心认为，喝绿茶能够预防心脏病、肥胖和癌症。人们对于健康茶产品的热衷持续到了下一个十年，润肤霜、润唇膏以及其他美妆产品中也都添加了茶成分。
Hot or cold, bagged or loose-leaf, tea is more than a drink – it’s a social custom and also a magic medicine, a link to the past and a way of life.
不论热饮冷饮，袋装散装，茶都不仅仅是一种饮品 —— 它是一种社会习俗、一种灵药、一种与过去的纽带，一种生活方式。
