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Zhao: in China at least, coffee is often associated with an exotic, well-to-do bourgeois lifestyle. Coffee is often considered a hobby of the well-educated, middle-class people.
在中国,说起咖啡,人们往往会想到异国情调,小资的优越生活方式.喝咖啡通常被认为是有修养的中产阶级的习惯.
Tony: maybe that's why some young chaps often spend a whole afternoon in a coffee bar, surfing the net or just typewriting something with laptop. While they are savoring a coffee at a leisured pace, they are actually showing off!
也许,这便是有些年轻人动不动就花一整个下午泡在咖啡吧,摆开笔记本电脑,上上网,或者只是打打文件的原因吧.他们悠闲地品着咖啡,其实也是在炫耀自己.
Z: yes. Behind a lifestyle, there is a culture. Young people easily become blind worshippers of a Westernized life. While they may not really life coffee, they think it desirable and enviable to be lavish with money in those high-consumption places.
嗯.生活方式背后就是文化.年轻人很容易就迷信西式生活.他们也一定喜欢咖啡,但坚信,在那些高消费场所花钱至少令人羡慕.
T: then what about tea? We need to bear in mind in the first place that tea, rather than coffee, has been the most popular drink for the Chinese people.
那你说喝茶怎么样?要知道,中国人最喜欢的饮料不是咖啡,而是茶.
Z: well. Tea reprements another facet of popular culture. While a coffee bar is usually quiet and resonates with soft, elegant music, a teahouse is often a noisy, crowded, public space. People visit teahouses to associate with others, playing chess, chatting, or simply listening to operas.
嗯,茶大概是代表了大众文化的另一个侧面.咖啡吧是那种安静,高雅,余音缭绕的地方,茶馆则往往是嘈杂,拥挤的公共空间.人们去茶馆是想跟人说说话,下下棋,或者只是听听戏.
T: what a pity that the traditional teahouses, as depicted Lao She, keep fading away so quickly in this metroplis. It is not easy to find an old-fashioned teahouse that suits the ordinary people's spending power either. Teahouses of today all feature a cozy, comfortable environment, and high-quality services, but can easily cost you a good deal—just like a coffee bar.
可惜啊,在北京这个大都市,老舍笔下那种传统茶馆正在迅速地销声匿迹.普通人去的起的那种老茶馆再也难找到了.如今的茶馆都是那种舒适,惬意的环境,还有高档的服务,但是太贵了,跟咖啡厅几乎不相上下.
Z: well, that's true. In a sense, it is not so much what you drink that really counts, as where and how you drink.
这是实话,在某种意义上,重要的仿佛不再是喝什么了,而是在哪儿喝,怎么喝.
生词集锦
bourgeois: belonging to the middle class 中产阶级的
a traditional bourgeois family 一个传统的中产阶级家庭
well-to-do: having a lot of money; rich 有钱的;富有的;富裕的
a well-to-do family 富裕家庭
They're very well-to-do. 他们很阔绰.
Savor: to enjoy the full taste or flavour of something, especially by eating or drinking it slowly 品味;细品;享用
He ate his meal slowly, savoring every mouthful. 他细嚼慢咽地吃着饭，一口一口地品味。
show off: to try to impress others by talking about your abilities, possessions, etc. 炫耀自己;卖弄自己
He's just showing off because that girl he likes is here. 他不过是在表现自己，因为他喜欢的那个姑娘在场。
Worshipper: a person who worships God or a god 崇拜上帝(或神)的人;做礼拜的人;敬神者;拜神者
regular worshippers at St Andrew's Church 经常到圣安德肋教堂做礼拜的人
sun worshippers lying on the beach 躺在海滩上晒太阳的人们 figurative
lavish: large in amount, or impressive, and usually costing a lot of money 大量的;给人印象深刻的;耗资巨大的
lavish gifts/costumes/celebrations 丰厚的礼品;昂贵的服装;规模盛大的庆典
They lived a very lavish lifestyle. 他们过着挥霍无度的生活.
Bear in mind: 记住
Bear in mind that you'll have to practice economy. 记住要厉行节约.
in the first place: used at the end of a sentence to talk about why something was done or whether it should have been done or not (用于句尾,谈论某事为何或是否应该做)究竟,到底,当初
I still don't understand why you chose that name in the first place. 我仍不明白,你究竟为什么取了这么个名字.
I should never have taken that job in the first place. 我当初就不该接受那份工作.
Resonate: (of a voice, an instrument, etc. 嗓音、乐器等) to make a deep, clear sound that continues for a long time 产生共鸣;发出回响;回荡
Her voice resonated through the theatre. 她的声音在剧院里回荡。
Depict: to describe something in words, or give an impression of something in words or with a picture 描写;描述;刻画
The novel depicts French society in the 1930s. 这部小说描述了 20 世纪 30 年代的法国社会。
The advertisements depict smoking as glamorous and attractive. 这些广告把吸烟描绘得充满刺激和富有吸引力。
Fade away: 逐渐减弱,逐渐消失
Memories of my sister faded away after many years.
过了多年以后,对我姐姐的记忆渐渐淡化了.
In a sense: 就某种意义来说
You are right in a sense. 就某种意义来说你是对的。
