双语有声阅读：茶和交友(12)

A certain sense of importance invests the host, who fans the stove and watches the vapor¹ coming out from the kettle.

 

主人很郑重地煽着炉火，注视着水壶中的热气。

Methodically he arranges a small pot and four tiny cups, usually smaller than small coffee cups, in a tray.

他用一个茶盘，很整齐地装着一个小泥茶壶和四个比咖啡杯小一些的茶杯。

He sees that they are in order, moves the pewter-foil pot of tea leaves near the tray and keeps it in readiness, chatting along with his guests, but not so much that he forgets his duties.

再将贮茶叶的锡罐安放在茶盘的旁边，随口和来客谈着天，但并不忘了手中所应做的事。

He turns round to look at the stove, and from the time the kettle begins to sing, he never leaves it, but continues to fan the fire harder than before. Perhaps he stops to take the lid off and look at the tiny bubbles,

他时时顾看炉火，等到水壶中渐发沸声后，他就立在炉前不再离开，更加用力的煽火，还不时要揭开壶盖望一望。

technically² called "fish eyes" or "crab³ froth, " appearing on the bottom of the kettle, and puts the lid on a-gain. This is the " first boil."

那时壶底已有小泡，名为"鱼眼"或"蟹沫"，这就是"初滚"。

 

He listens carefully as the gentle singing increases in volume to that of a "gurgle, " with small bubbles coming up the sides of the kettle, technically called the "second boil."

 

他重新盖上壶盖，再煽上几扇，壶中的沸声渐大，水面也渐起泡，这名为"二滚"。

It is then that he watches most carefully the vapor emitted from the kettle spout⁴, and just shortly before the "third boil" is reached, when the water is brought up to a full boil, "like billowing waves, "he takes the kettle from the fire and scalds the pot inside and out with the boiling water, immediately adds the proper quantity of leaves and makes the infusion⁵.

这时已有热汽从壶口喷出来，主人也就格外注意。到将届"三滚"，壶水已经沸透之时，他就提起水壶，将小泥壶里外一浇，赶紧将茶叶加入泥壶，泡出茶来。

Tea of this kind, like the famous "Iron Goddess of Mercy, " drunk in Fukien, is made very thick.

这种茶如福建人所饮的"铁观音"，大都泡得很浓。

1 vapor   

n.蒸汽，雾气

参考例句：

• The cold wind condenses vapor into rain.冷风使水蒸气凝结成雨。
• This new machine sometimes transpires a lot of hot vapor.这部机器有时排出大量的热气。

2 technically   

adv.专门地，技术上地

参考例句：

• Technically it is the most advanced equipment ever.从技术上说，这是最先进的设备。
• The tomato is technically a fruit,although it is eaten as a vegetable.严格地说，西红柿是一种水果，尽管它是当作蔬菜吃的。

3 crab   

n.螃蟹，偏航，脾气乖戾的人，酸苹果；vi.捕蟹，偏航，发牢骚；vt.使偏航，发脾气

参考例句：

• I can't remember when I last had crab.我不记得上次吃蟹是什么时候了。
• The skin on my face felt as hard as a crab's back.我脸上的皮仿佛僵硬了，就象螃蟹的壳似的。

4 spout   

v.喷出，涌出；滔滔不绝地讲；n.喷管；水柱

参考例句：

• Implication in folk wealth creativity and undertaking vigor spout.蕴藏于民间的财富创造力和创业活力喷涌而出。
• This acts as a spout to drain off water during a rainstorm.在暴风雨季，这东西被用作喷管来排水。

5 infusion   

n.灌输

参考例句：

• Old families need an infusion of new blood from time to time.古老的家族需要不时地注入新鲜血液。
• Careful observation of the infusion site is necessary.必须仔细观察输液部位。