■悠然闲适尽在下午茶
Afternoon Tea

High tea, a term often confused with afternoon tea, usually takes the place of supper. During the Industrial Revolution, working class families would return home tired and exhausted. The table would be set with dinner foods like meat, bread, butter, potatoes, cheese and of course tea. It was termed “high tea” because it was eaten at a high dining table rather than a low tea table.

Afternoon tea（because it was usually taken in the late afternoon）is also called “low tea” as it is served at a low table. Since this wasn’t a meal, but rather like a late afternoon snack meant to stave off hunger, finger foods were the common fare. Tiny, dainty sandwiches, scones and pastries were served with afternoon tea. Finger foods afforded one the opportunity to take a petite bite and easily maintain a conversation. This is most important, as one is not merely taking tea to gain nourishment or satisfy hunger, but to take time to relax, converse and enjoy the company of dear friends. In England, the traditional time for tea was four o’clock or five o’clock in the afternoon and no one stayed after seven o’clock.

文化小课堂

上班族的午餐常常吃得太匆忙，一顿下午茶不仅能赶走瞌睡虫，还可以帮助人们保持充沛的精力直到晚餐。下午茶很是时髦。不同的地方，下午茶的习惯和茶点类别也不同。在世界许多地区下午茶由来已久，在国内则以广东和福建地区最为盛行。

“茶餐”的英文直译为“高茶”（high tea），不少人误以为是下午茶，但其实常常相当于晚餐。工业革命期间，工薪家庭的成员回到家时往往已经筋疲力尽，晚餐时就会摆上一桌子的肉、面包、黄油、土豆和奶酪，当然还有茶。之所以称之为“高茶”，是因为相对放置于低矮茶几上的普通茶点，“茶餐”通常要摆在高高的餐桌上享用。

“下午茶”通常是傍晚时分在低矮茶几上享用，故又称为“低茶”。“下午茶”不是正餐，而更像傍晚时分用来解饿的小吃，常常搭配美味的迷你三明治、司康饼和酥皮糕点这类手抓小点心。有了这些手抓小吃，人们就可以小口地品尝美食，也不用担心耽搁聊天了。这一点十分重要，因为人们喝茶的主要目的，并不是摄取营养或果腹充饥，而是为了偷得浮生半日闲，享受与亲朋好友相聚交谈的快乐时光。在英国，传统的下午茶时间是下午4、5点钟，7点之后便不会再有人喝下午茶了。

In 1662, King Charles II of England married the Portuguese princess Catherine of Braganza who brought with her, as part of her dowry, a small chest of tea. As the new queen, Catherine began the serving of tea to her friends at court.

Although there is mention of “five o’clock tea” in France in the 17th century, the credit for the invention of “Afternoon Tea” is given to Anna Russell, duchess of Bedford who, during the long gap between an early breakfast and very late dinner, experienced what she called “a sinking feeling” at about 4 or 5 in the afternoon. She asked her maid to bring her a pot of tea, a little bread and butter and cake in her room. She found this arrangement so agreeable that she began asking her friends to join her.

Give your spirit a holiday and listen to this world to your heart’s content, we can’t refuse the surprises offered by this world just because we have no reason to do so.

1662年，英格兰国王查理二世迎娶了葡萄牙布拉干萨王朝的凯瑟琳公主，她带来的嫁妆中就有一小箱茶叶。作为新任皇后，凯瑟琳开始在宫廷里和朋友一起享用下午茶。

尽管在17世纪的法国就有“五时茶”的说法，但“下午茶”的发明还是要归功于波德福公爵夫人安娜·拉塞尔。在早餐和晚餐之间的漫长时光里，按公爵夫人自己的话来说就是，在下午4、5点钟，她会有“一种下沉的感觉”。有一次，她命女仆送一壶茶、一点黄油面包和蛋糕到她的房间，享用完之后顿觉神清气爽，于是开始邀请朋友们一起前来享用。

给心灵一个假期，尽情地倾听这个世界，因为我们没有理由拒绝，也无法拒绝这个世界所给予我们的惊喜！