I do not think that, considered from the point of view of human culture and happiness, there have been more significant inventions in the history of mankind, more vitally important and more directly contributing to our enjoyment of leisure, friendship, sociability and conversation, than the inventions of smoking, drinking and tea.

 

我以为从人类文化和快乐的观点论起来，人类历史中的杰出新发明，其能直接有力地有助于我们的享受空闲、友谊、社交和谈天者，莫过于吸烟、饮酒、饮茶的发明。

All three have several characteristics in common:

这三件事有几样共同的特质：

first of all, that they contribute toward our sociability；

第一，它们有助于我们的社交；

secondly, that they do not fill our stomach as food does, and therefore can be enjoyed between meals；

第二，这几件 东西不至于一吃就饱，可以在吃饭的中间随时吸饮；

and thirdly, that they are all to be enjoyed through the nostrils by acting on our sense of smell.

第三，都是可以藉嗅觉去享受的东西。

So great are their influences upon culture that we have smoking cars besides dining cars, and we have wine restaurants or taverns and tea houses.

它们对于文化的影响极大，所以餐车之外另有吸烟车，饭店之外另有酒店和茶馆，

In China and England at least, drinking tea has become a social institution.

至少在中国和英国，饮茶已经成为社交上一种不可少的制度。烟酒茶的适当享受，只能在空闲、友谊和乐于招待之中发展出来。

The proper enjoyment of tobacco, drink and tea can only be developed in an atmosphere of leisure，friendship and sociability. For it is only with men gifted with the sense of comradeship, extremely select in the matter of forming friends and endowed with a natural love of the leisurely life, that the full enjoyment of tobacco and drink and tea becomes possible.

因为只有富于交友心，择友极慎，天然喜爱闲适生活的人士，方有圆满享受烟酒茶的机会。

Take away the element of sociability, and these things have no meaning.

如将乐于招待心除去， 这三种东西便成毫无意义。