虎说百科｜英国人喝下午茶，居然是因为有了煤气灯

This quintessentially British custom, which began as a light afternoon snack, has evolved into an indulgent meal, winning fans worldwide. The classic afternoon tea is now being adapted to suit regional palates.

这种典型的英国风俗，始于一种在下午吃的清淡小食，现在已经演变成一种盛宴，风行世界。经典的下午茶现在正经历各种改良以适应各地口味。

The custom of afternoon tea came into practice in the 1840s, when gas-lighting was introduced in British upper class homes and it became possible, and fashionable, to take supper later in the evening. It was usual at the time to eat only two meals per day—breakfast and supper—so one influential aristocrat, the Duchess of Bedford, began to take tea with some light snacks at around 4pm to tide her over until supper. 

下午茶的习俗在 1840 年代开始流传，当时煤气灯被引入英国上流社会，使晚点吃饭成为可能，甚至是一种流行。那时的人通常一天只吃两顿饭：早餐和晚餐。于是，一位颇具影响力的贵族——贝德福德公爵夫人开始在下午 4 点左右喝点茶、吃点小食充饥，以熬到晚饭时间。

Over time, the Duchess began to invite her friends to take tea with her in her rooms at Woburn Abbey, Bedfordshire. Soon, this boudoir meal for aristocratic ladies evolved into a social custom practiced in drawing rooms throughout the country, as well as in the British colonies.

随着时间的推移，公爵夫人开始邀请她的朋友来到位于贝德福德郡沃本修道院的房间里跟她一起喝茶。很快，这种为贵族女士准备的闺中饮食，就演变成了一种在全英国各地客厅盛行的社会习俗，甚至风行英国殖民地。

Afternoon tea gave rise to increased demand for bone china tea sets and porcelain manufacturing all over the world thrived as a result. In North America, the custom reached its zenith in the 1950s, when Emily Post, an American author, wrote an essay on proper etiquette at tea.

下午茶的盛行刺激了对骨瓷茶具的需求，世界各地的制瓷业也因此蓬勃发展起来。在北美，喝下午茶的风俗在 1950 年代达到顶峰，当时一位美国作家 Emily Post 写了一篇关于饮茶礼仪的文章。

Traditionally enjoyed in the late afternoon, tea is now taken between 2pm and 5pm and can replace both lunch and dinner. In recent years, it has seen a resurgence in interest, with hotels, cafés, and tea shops around the world offering themed afternoon teas with sweets and savories.

传统下午茶在下午晚些时候开始，现如今从下午 2 点到 5 点之间都有人喝下午茶，并能用它替代午餐和晚餐。近年来，人们对下午茶兴趣重燃，世界各地的酒店、咖啡馆和茶馆都提供包含甜点和咸点的主题下午茶。

Afternoon tea is so ingrained in British culture that everyone has their own idea of what is correct. Among the points of debate are the right way to eat a scone—whether to slice it or break it at its natural splitting point; the order in which you spread the clotted cream—before the jam, as per Cornish custom, or after, as done in Devon; whether to pour milk into the tea, or the tea into the milk, and so on. 

由于下午茶在英国文化中根深蒂固，每个人对于正宗下午茶都有自己的看法。争论的焦点之一就是司康饼的正确吃法——有人认为应该切片，还有人认为应该从饼的自然裂口处掰开吃；还有关于涂抹凝脂奶油顺序的争议——是按照康沃尔郡的习俗，先抹奶油再抹果酱，还是按照德文郡的做法，先抹果酱再抹奶油；再有，是把牛奶倒进茶里，还是把茶倒进牛奶里，等等。

Traditionally, a rich black tea, such as Darjeeing or Assam is served for afternoon tea.  Afternoon blends and classic signature blends, such as Earl Grey, are also popular. Tea is always offered with a choice of milk or lemon and sugar. It is also customary to offer a variety of small crustless sandwiches, such as cucumber or smoked salmon with cream cheese, along with a sweet course of scones with jam and clotted cream, and pastries are served alongside the tea. 

传统上，下午茶供应的是浓郁的红茶，如大吉岭或阿萨姆。混合下午茶以及经典的招牌混合茶，如伯爵茶，也很受欢迎。喝茶搭配的伴侣，会有牛奶、柠檬或糖供选择。此外，下午茶通常还配有各种小块去皮三明治，比如黄瓜或烟熏三文鱼佐奶油芝士，以及抹有果酱和凝脂奶油的甜司康，茶旁边还配有糕点。