…………………………………………..Music………………………………………………… A: Hey, Elsie. 你喜不喜欢喝茶啊？
B: Of course. 我最喜欢喝绿茶了。How about you, Echo? A: I prefer black tea. Anyway, we are both lovers of tea.
B: Yeah. Since both of us love tea, do you know where it came from and who invented it?
A: It’s our ancestor who invented tea. 这我怎么能不知道呢，当然是我们的祖先发明的茶啦！ B: Yes! But there are also other places that are considered as the birthplace of tea, such as India and Africa.
A: Really? I have no idea. How do you get it?
B: Well, I find that there are so many differences between our tea culture and western tea culture. So, I looked up some literature yesterday. A: And? Did you find something interesting?
B: Yeah! Actually, western tea didn’t come from China. British tea, for example, came from India. Maybe it is the reason why we, East and West, have different ideas about tea. By the way, tea has a really long history. Do you know when our ancestor invented it and when tea was brought to Britain?
A: Um…well, don’t tell me. Let me guess. I think tea has been a part of our life for thousands of years. And it must be hundreds of years ago when tea was brought to Britain. Because I heard that in the Victorian era, Duchess Anna prepared tea and snacks and invited her friends every afternoon. And that is exactly the origin of “afternoon tea”.我听说，早在维多利亚时代，安娜公爵夫人就每天下午都让侍女制作点心和面包，配上茶，邀请好友一起来享受下午时光。而这就是“下午茶”的起源。
B：That’s right! And British people are particular about the tea set but we don’t.英国人喝茶最讲究茶具的精致，而我们却更讲究内涵。像以茶会友，以茶作诗，以茶示礼等等，都是我们老祖宗留下的好传统。
A：I couldn’t agree more. Tea does play an important role in our civilization.
B: Yeah, and guess what? In Britain, time for tea drinking is also cared much. They drink tea for four times a day for normal. They are called “early morning tea”, “eleven’s”, “afternoon tea” and “night tea”.
A: Wow, it’s quite different from our tea habit. We Chinese just drink tea all the time when we feel thirsty. There is not so many time rules.
B: After all, different tradition varies with different nation. By the way, there are not only differences but also something in common about the tea culture between East and West.
A: Yeah, I know. Tea is regarded as a manner in East as well as in West. In China, we usually serve tea if we have visitors. And in Britain, it seems to be connected with the royalty. It can show politeness and grace.不管是在西方还是东方，茶都被当做一种礼节来对待，而在英国，似乎更有了有一种皇室气息。
B：But for now, it appears that coffee is becoming more popular than tea. I’m so concerned about the prospect of tea.
A: Don’t be worried! I believe that as one of the most superb parts in our tradition, tea will never be taken place. B: That’s for sure!
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