咖啡文化——五彩缤纷

 　"Give me a decaf triple vente, 2 pump vanilla¹, non-fatm extra hot, stirred, no foam² caramel macchiato with whip cream and caramel sauce top and bottom."

　　“给我一杯热的、无咖啡因和泡沫的香草糖浆脱脂加奶油浓缩式焦糖玛奇朵咖啡。”

　　If you happen to be standing³ in one of the ubiquitous Starbucks or Coffee Bean chains in the US, chances are pretty good you might hear someone order something like this. The advent⁴ of big business coffee powerhouses like Starbucks has transformed coffee-drinking into an extremely popular and profitable industry that is quickly spreading across the globe. Like other successful consumer-oriented businesses with a stranglehold on modern culture (iPod and Google come to mindbig), coffeehouse businesses have made their product increasingly user-friendly, highly customizable, and readily accessible to people all around the world.

　　如果你碰巧在随处可见的星巴克或者香啡缤之类的咖啡连锁店附近，你会经常听见有人这样点咖啡。像星巴克这样的大型商业咖啡连锁店的出现已经将传统的咖啡饮品转变成一种盈利的流行产业，并且在全世界范围内迅速发展。不同于其它的一些以消费者为导向的知名成功产业束缚了现代文化的发展（马上就想到了iPod和Google），大型商业咖啡连锁店使他们的产品更具亲和力、更适合消费者、更接近全球大众。

　　Coffee has a history dating back to at least the 9th century and has been a catalyst⁵ for social interaction across cultures and eras. Originally discovered in Ethiopia, coffee beans were brought into the Middle East by Arab traders, spreading to Egypt, Yemen, Persia, Turkey, and North Africa by the 15th century. Muslim merchants eventually brought the beans to the thriving port city of Venice, where they sold them to wealthy Italian buyers. Soon, the Dutch began importing and growing coffee in places like Java and Ceylon (largely through slave labor), and the British East India Trading Company was popularizing the beverage⁶ in England. Coffee spread across Europe and even reached America.

　　咖啡的历史可以追溯到9世纪，并被看成是一种超越文化和时代限制、促进社会交往的催化剂。最初埃塞俄比亚人发现了咖啡豆，阿拉伯商人将其带往中东地区，并在15世纪传播到埃及、也门、波斯、土耳其和北非。接着穆斯林商人把这些豆子带往繁荣的港口城市威尼斯，并将其卖给富有的意大利商人。很快，荷兰引进咖啡豆并在爪哇、锡兰（大多是奴隶劳动）等地开始种植。大不列颠东印度贸易公司将这种饮料在英国普及开来。经过这一系列的不断传播和发展，咖啡遍及欧洲，并最终来到美国。

　　Where there has been coffee, there has been the coffeehouse. From the 15th century Middle Eastern establishments where men gathered to listen to music, play chess, and hear recitations from works of literature, to Paris' Cafe le Procope where luminaries⁷ of the French Enlightenment such as Voltaire, Rousseau, and Diderot came to enjoy a hot cup of joe， coffeehouses have traditionally served as centers of social interaction, places where people can come to relax,chat and exchange ideas.

　　哪里有咖啡，哪里就有咖啡屋。从15世纪人们聚集在一起听歌、下棋、讲述文学作品的中东地区，到法国启蒙运动中的文化名人聚集的巴黎普洛各普咖啡馆，比如伏尔泰、卢梭、狄德罗就曾经来这里品尝热咖啡，咖啡馆自古以来就是一个供人们休息、聊天、交流思想和进行社会交往的中心。

　　The modern coffee shop is modeled on the espresso and pastry-centered Italian coffeehouses that arose with the establishment of Italian-American immigrant communities in major US cities such as New York City's Little Italy and Greenwich Village, Boston's North End, and San Francisco's North Beach. New York coffee shops were often frequented by the Beats in the 1950's. It wasn't long before Seattle and other parts of the Pacific Northwest were developing coffee shops as part of a thriving counterculture scene. The Seattle-based Starbucks took this model and brought it into mainstream⁸ culture.

　　现代咖啡馆借鉴意大利咖啡馆的浓缩咖啡和圆心馅饼模式，以至于在很多美国的大城市出现了一系列意大利裔移民聚集区，比如纽约的小意大利、格林威治村、波士顿北极、旧金山北滩。在20世纪50年代，“垮掉派”也是咖啡馆的常客。不久在西雅图和太平洋西北部的城市也出现了越来越多的咖啡馆，并且迅速发展成为了反传统文化的中心。源自西雅图的星巴克利用这种模式，并将其带入主流文化。

　　Although coffeehouses today continue to serve their traditional purpose as lively social hubs in many communities, they have noticeably adapted to the times. Rediscovering their purpose as centers of information exchange and communication, many coffee shops now provide their customers with internet access and newspapers. It has become extremely common to see someone sitting at a Starbucks listening to music or surfing the web on his or her laptop. Coffee stores today also maintain a fairly identifiable, yet unique aesthetic⁹: wooden furniture and plush couches, paintings and murals drawn¹⁰ on walls, and soft-lighting combine to give coffee shops the cozy¹¹ feeling of a home away from home.

　　尽管今天的咖啡馆仍然像过去一样, 在很多地方扮演着社会活动中心的角色, 最显著的特点是它们的时间适应性。重新作为信息交换和谈论的中心，咖啡馆为客人提供上网的途径和报刊杂志。在星巴克看见有人听歌或用笔记本上网是极为平常的事情。直到今天咖啡馆仍然保持其清晰独特的审美品味：木制的家具、舒适的沙发、以及墙上的彩绘和壁画。所有的一切包括柔和的灯光，都给咖啡馆营造了一种舒适安逸的氛围，仿佛置身于自己的另一个家中。

　　Today, big business retail¹² coffee shops are expanding quickly all over the world. Starbucks alone has stores in over 40 countries and plans to add more. Despite its popularity, Starbucks has been criticized and labeled by many as a blood-sucking corporate¹³ machine, driving smaller coffee shops out of business through unfair practices. This has even spawned¹⁴ an anti-corporate coffee counterculture, with those subscribing¹⁵ to this culture boycotting¹⁶ big business coffee chains. Increasingly popular coffee stores such as The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf are also giving Starbucks some stiff competition. In any case, it seems pretty clear that coffee has weaved itself into the fabric¹⁷ of our consumer-oriented culture.

　　今天，大型商业咖啡零售店在全球迅速发展。仅仅是星巴克就已经遍及全球40多个国家并且还在不断扩展中。尽管受欢迎，但星巴克还是被有些人指责或标榜为“吸血鬼机器”，因为它的垄断使得许多小型咖啡企业破产。甚至造成了一种反企业垄断的非主流文化和与其相呼应的抵制大型商业咖啡连锁店活动。像香啡缤这样的咖啡馆的兴起也增加了星巴克的竞争压力。无论如何，可以肯定的是，咖啡已经将自己置身于以消费者为导向的文化结构中。

　　Coffee, it would seem, is more than just a drink. From early on after its inception¹⁸, coffee has been tied closely with cultural trends and has been indicative of important periods in history. It was poured into the cups of the giants of the French Enlightenment as they changed the course of human thought, it was placed on the backs of Brazilian slaves in the era of Imperialism¹⁹, it's fragrance²⁰ was in the air as Beat poets like Kerouac and Ginsberg wrote of their alienation²¹, and it is here now as the world continues to change in this era of technology and globalization. So the next time you enjoy your latte or your ice-cold caramel frappuccino, appreciate the fact that you are connected to countless²² numbers of people spanning many different cultures and eras through your love of that wondrous²³ beverage: coffee.

　　可以说，咖啡已经不仅仅是一种饮料。自始至终，它都和文化发展紧密相联并且成为历史重要时期的象征。咖啡在改变了人类思想进程的法国启蒙运动巨人们的杯中缓缓流动；咖啡是帝国主义时代巴西奴隶肩上沉重的负担；咖啡在“垮掉派诗人”凯鲁亚克和金斯堡描写孤独寂寥的空气中肆意飘香。到了今天，它依旧在这个科技和全球化的时代里随着世界不断地发展和改变。所以下次，在你享受热铁拿或冰卡布奇诺时，可以想象一下，你正在穿越文化和时空的界限与无数的伟人进行思维的交流和碰撞，都是由于对这种美味饮料的热爱：咖啡。

1 vanilla   

n.香子兰，香草

参考例句：

• He used to love milk flavoured with vanilla.他过去常爱喝带香草味的牛奶。
• I added a dollop of vanilla ice-cream to the pie.我在馅饼里加了一块香草冰激凌。

2 foam   

v./n.泡沫，起泡沫

参考例句：

• The glass of beer was mostly foam.这杯啤酒大部分是泡沫。
• The surface of the water is full of foam.水面都是泡沫。

3 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

4 advent   

n.(重要事件等的)到来，来临

参考例句：

• Swallows come by groups at the advent of spring. 春天来临时燕子成群飞来。
• The advent of the Euro will redefine Europe.欧元的出现将重新定义欧洲。

5 catalyst   

n.催化剂，造成变化的人或事

参考例句：

• A catalyst is a substance which speeds up a chemical reaction.催化剂是一种能加速化学反应的物质。
• The workers'demand for better conditions was a catalyst for social change.工人们要求改善工作条件促进了社会变革。

6 beverage   

n.(水，酒等之外的)饮料

参考例句：

• The beverage is often colored with caramel.这种饮料常用焦糖染色。
• Beer is a beverage of the remotest time.啤酒是一种最古老的饮料。

7 luminaries   

n.杰出人物，名人（luminary的复数形式）

参考例句：

• In that day there will be no light; the luminaries will dwindle. 亚14:6那日、必没有光．三光必退缩。 来自互联网
• Includes household filament light bulbs & luminaries. 包括家用的白炙灯泡和光源。 来自互联网

8 mainstream   

n.（思想或行为的）主流；adj.主流的

参考例句：

• Their views lie outside the mainstream of current medical opinion.他们的观点不属于当今医学界观点的主流。
• Polls are still largely reflects the mainstream sentiment.民调还在很大程度上反映了社会主流情绪。

9 aesthetic   

adj.美学的，审美的，有美感

参考例句：

• My aesthetic standards are quite different from his.我的审美标准与他的大不相同。
• The professor advanced a new aesthetic theory.那位教授提出了新的美学理论。

10 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

11 cozy   

adj.亲如手足的，密切的，暖和舒服的

参考例句：

• I like blankets because they are cozy.我喜欢毛毯，因为他们是舒适的。
• We spent a cozy evening chatting by the fire.我们在炉火旁聊天度过了一个舒适的晚上。

12 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

13 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

14 spawned   

（鱼、蛙等）大量产（卵）( spawn的过去式和过去分词 )； 大量生产

参考例句：

• The band's album spawned a string of hit singles. 这支乐队的专辑繁衍出一连串走红的单曲唱片。
• The computer industry has spawned a lot of new companies. 由于电脑工业的发展，许多新公司纷纷成立。

15 subscribing   

v.捐助( subscribe的现在分词 )；签署，题词；订阅；同意

参考例句：

• I am subscribing for some of the books of a book club. 我预订了几本这家书刊俱乐部出版的书。 来自辞典例句
• I am glad to have such a pleasant opportunity of subscribing myself. 今后益望努力前途，为国效力。 来自互联网

16 boycotting   

抵制，拒绝参加( boycott的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• They're boycotting the shop because the people there are on strike. 他们抵制那家商店，因为那里的店员在罢工。
• The main opposition parties are boycotting the elections. 主要反对党都抵制此次选举。

17 fabric   

n.织物，织品，布；构造，结构，组织

参考例句：

• The fabric will spot easily.这种织品很容易玷污。
• I don't like the pattern on the fabric.我不喜欢那块布料上的图案。

18 inception   

n.开端，开始，取得学位

参考例句：

• The programme has been successful since its inception.这个方案自开始实施以来一直卓有成效。
• Julia's worked for that company from its inception.自从那家公司开办以来，朱莉娅一直在那儿工作。

19 imperialism   

n.帝国主义，帝国主义政策

参考例句：

• They held the imperialism in contempt.他们鄙视帝国主义。
• Imperialism has not been able to subjugate China.帝国主义不能征服中国。

20 fragrance   

n.芬芳，香味，香气

参考例句：

• The apple blossoms filled the air with their fragrance.苹果花使空气充满香味。
• The fragrance of lavender filled the room.房间里充满了薰衣草的香味。

21 alienation   

n.疏远；离间；异化

参考例句：

• The new policy resulted in the alienation of many voters.新政策导致许多选民疏远了。
• As almost every conceivable contact between human beings gets automated,the alienation index goes up.随着人与人之间几乎一切能想到的接触方式的自动化，感情疏远指数在不断上升。

22 countless   

adj.无数的，多得不计其数的

参考例句：

• In the war countless innocent people lost their lives.在这场战争中无数无辜的人丧失了性命。
• I've told you countless times.我已经告诉你无数遍了。

23 wondrous   

adj.令人惊奇的，奇妙的；adv.惊人地；异乎寻常地；令人惊叹地

参考例句：

• The internal structure of the Department is wondrous to behold.看一下国务院的内部结构是很有意思的。
• We were driven across this wondrous vast land of lakes and forests.我们乘车穿越这片有着湖泊及森林的广袤而神奇的土地。