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. 如果大家对英国的文化，风俗人情有任何疑问，我们会尽量解答。

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

Zoë: 那Michelle 发给我们的问题是什么呢？

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 提到的是英国奶茶，她的问题是到底应该是先倒茶，再加牛奶，还是先加牛奶，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: 你认为应该是先加牛奶，再倒茶。

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

Zoë: 那你的观点和Mark 是一样的。

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，让我们来听听 Mark 的解释。大家要留意了，这和茶杯有着很大的关系。

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 解释是因为以前英国人用的茶杯是那种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: 这种英国瓷器价钱不便宜，所以用的时候要小心。如果直接把很烫的茶倒到杯子里去的话，瓷器可能就会被烫裂了。

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 的话说，如果你不想在柜子了陈列着一套伤痕累累的瓷器。

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

Zoë: chipped 就是有了缺口，被摔破了。如果要避免这种现象， 那就应该先在杯子里加点冷牛奶，再倒热茶。

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

Zoë: 这样凉牛奶可以起一个隔离，缓冲冷却的作用，这样就可以延长瓷器的寿命。

Helen: But not everyone follows this rule.

Zoë: 是的，不是所有人都记着先加牛奶，再倒茶。很多人正好是反着的。

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，不过是那种价格便宜，厚厚的陶土类的茶杯，

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

Zoë: 是啊。如果这种便宜的茶杯被烫坏了，大家也不会心疼，所以这个先加牛奶的习惯也渐渐被人淡忘了。

(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 说她泡茶的时候，就是最后再加牛奶。那为什么这么做，还是来听听她的解释吧。

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 认为如果是用杯子mug 直接泡茶的话, 要想让茶包里的

茶味出来的话.

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

Zoë: 就一定得现加热水,把茶包泡一会儿,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: 这下可够猛的，hit the teabags, 让热水哗的一下浇到茶包上。

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

Zoë: 其实我觉得现加奶，后加奶，都不是很重要的， 怎样泡茶主要是根据个人喜好。你说是不是, Helen.

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

(BBC Learning English)

Zoë: 好了，Ask About Britain 今天就到这儿。

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: 我们的网址是www.bbc.co.uk/china, 然后点击英语教学就可以了。

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

Zoë: Take care. Bye.