很多朋友都喜欢喝茶,对于英国人来说,更是痴迷茶饮。说到“茶”的英文,大家都知道是“tea”,但在英语文化中,如今的“tea”,可能不仅仅是“茶”这么简单了...
现在,“tea”在外国年轻人口中,还有一层含义:就是“八卦”。类似中文里的“瓜”。如果你在八卦一些事情,老外说“give me the tea”或者“tell me the tea”,意思就是他想听更多猛料。
如果你看到老外朋友在一块八卦,也可以说“What’s the tea?”
spill the tea
表示“爆料;泄露秘密”
释义:Spill the tea means to gossip, to tell the truth, to spread the rumour, give someone the details. It’s a very fun, casual term usual used with friends.
Spill the tea的意思是说闲话,说真话,散布谣言,告诉别人一些细节。这是一个非常有趣,经常用在朋友之间的随意用语
同样的用法还有:spill the beans
Who spilled the tea about her affair with David?
谁讲了她和David的闲话?
“low tea”和“high tea”又是什么?
“low tea”可不是“低级茶”?
提到下午茶,可能很多人都知道英文是“afternoon tea”。
afternoon tea: a small meal eaten in the late afternoon, usually including cake and a cup of tea
下午茶:(通常包括蛋糕和茶的)午后茶点
但是今天普特君主要想跟大家说的是“low tea”。看到这个“low tea”你的第一反应是什么?低级茶?低茶?其实,这个“low tea”是“afternoon tea”的另一种说法,我们也可以直接翻译成“下午茶”。
A selection of tea cakes sandwiches and scones is a true delight to any brit and many visitors to the rainy isle.
精选的茶点、蛋糕、三明治和烤饼是所有英国人和许多来这个多雨小岛的游客的真正乐趣。
Tea was brought into the living room and served on a low table. Plates of scones with jam and whipped cream, cupcakes and cookies were all set out. This experience of afternoon tea is synonymous with ’low tea.’ ’Low’ referring to the fact it was served on a low table and at early afternoon. So low tea is just another name Afternoon Tea.
茶水被端进客厅,放在一张低矮的桌子上。上面已经摆好一盘盘的果酱、生奶油烤饼、纸杯蛋糕和饼干。这种下午茶的体验就是“low tea”的代名词。Low(低)指的是它是在一张低矮的桌子上端上来的,享用的时间是下午早些时候。所以“low tea”是“afternoon tea”的另一种说法。
“high tea”也别翻译成“高级茶”?
除了“low tea”之外,还有“high tea”这种说法。“high tea”并不是下午茶。虽然有high这个词,但是和高级也没有关系。
Originally it was the tea time taken later in the day by the working class upon the arrival home from work, at around 5–6pm, since they did not have the luxury to stop at mid-afternoon. Virtually a main meal, it was the equivalent to what most of us would term ’dinner’ and included meat and vegetables.
“high tea”最初是工人阶级下班回家后,下午5-6点左右的下午茶休息时间,因为他们无法在下午三点左右休息。但这几乎是一顿主餐,相当于我们大多数人所说的“晚餐”,包括肉类和蔬菜。
Contrary to popular belief and the aristocratic sounding name, High Tea did not originate amongst upper classes. In fact, the opposite is true; High Tea is a predominantly working class meal that was traditionally taken between 5 and 7pm – the time that labourers would arrive home from their physically demanding jobs. It was called High Tea because, in contrast to the cakes and tea at low coffee tables of the upper class Low Tea, High Tea was enjoyed at a high table – the dining table.
与流行的看法和听起来贵族的名字相反,“high tea”并不是起源于上层阶级。事实上,正好相反;“high tea”是一种以工人阶级为主的晚餐,通常在下午5点至7点之间享用,这段时间是工人们从体力劳动中下班回家的时间。它之所以被称为“High Tea”,是因为与上层阶级在低矮的咖啡桌上享用蛋糕和茶不同,“High Tea”是在一张高一点的桌子——餐桌上享用的。
The foods enjoyed at High Tea were diametrically opposite to those at Low Tea. Instead of crustless cucumber sandwiches and petit fours, workers would dig in to meat pies, pickled salmon, cold cuts, bread and butter and jam. Tea, the beverage, was also drunk in copious quantities.
“High Tea”时享受的食物与下午茶(Low Tea)时所享受的食物完全相反。工人们不再吃无皮的黄瓜三明治和小蛋糕,而是吃肉饼、腌鲑鱼、冷切盘、面包、黄油和果酱。也大量地喝茶和饮料。
Low Tea - the high class and quintessentially British tradition that is also known as Afternoon Tea. It couldn’t sustain a working class labourer, but was enough to tide over the leisure-loving ladies of the upper classes until their evening meal.
“Low Tea”是贵族和经典的英国传统,也被称为下午茶。它不能让一个工人阶级的工人吃饱,但足以让那些爱好休闲的上流社会女士们撑到吃晚饭的时候。
The differences between High Tea and Low Tea reflect some of the differences between the classes. Working people didn’t have time to take leisurely afternoon meals, in the same way the non-working classes couldn’t face a heavy meal at five o’clock when dinner was served at eight. Even today, modern workers tend to have ’tea’ at around 6pm after work, with a biscuit and a cup of coffee to get them through the afternoon.
“high tea”和“low tea”的区别也反映了不同阶级之间的区别。工作的人没有时间悠闲地吃下午饭。同样,如果晚上8点吃晚饭,不工作的人也不能5点的时候吃一顿大餐。即使在今天,现代工作族也倾向于在下午6点左右下班后喝“茶”,外加一块饼干和一杯咖啡,让自己度过整个下午。
简单来说,“low tea”是用来消遣的甜点下午茶时光。而“high tea”则是类似于正餐,让人吃饱的食物。
最后,再跟大家分享几个关于“tea”的俚语表达:
not somebody’s cup of tea
表示“非某人所好;不合某人心意”
英文释义:not what somebody likes or is interested in
He’s nice enough but not really my cup of tea.
他真的很好,但不是我喜欢的类型。
not for all the tea in China
一句流行于维多利亚时代的俗语,表示“有天大的好处也不干”。
英文释义:not even for a great reward
I wouldn’t do your job. Not for all the tea in China!
无论如何,我都不会做你的工作。
a storm in a teacup
字面意思是 “茶杯里的一场风暴”,实际用来形容因为一件微不足道的小事而大惊小怪的行为。
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