英国下午茶的饮食文化

The custom of taking afternoon tea is believed to have been first introduced in England in 1840 by Anna, the Seventh Duchess of Bedford. At that time lunch was taken early and dinner was not served in the evening until about 9 pm. The Duchess apparently became hungry in the afternoon and asked for some tea, bread and butter and cake to be brought to her room. This soon became a habit and the Duchess started to invite friends round to join her.
一般认为，英国下午茶的传统是维多利亚女王时代1840年期间由贝德芙公爵夫人安娜女士所开创的。那时候，午餐开始得很早，而通常直到晚上9点人们才开始吃晚餐。公爵夫人每到下午便感到百无聊赖甚至饥肠辘辘，便让女仆准备一些差点，面包，黄油以及蛋糕送往她的房间。很快，喝下午茶便流行起来。公爵夫人也开始邀请她的朋友共饮下午茶。

Very quickly it became fashionable to take tea in the middle of the afternoon and the occasion became more and more elaborate with the use of elegant tea ware, lace and embroideredtable linen, bone china tea services, cake stands, tea canisters and blending bowls. During the 1880's upper-class and society women would change into long gowns, gloves and hats for their afternoon tea which was usually served in the drawing room between four and five o'clock.
很快，在午后时光，喝下午茶便蔚然成风。随后，下午茶变得更为精致。典雅的茶壶，蕾丝或绣花桌布，骨瓷杯，饼架，茶罐均为下午茶增添了一份高雅。19世纪80年代，每到下午4点或5点，贵族妇女便会穿上长袍，戴上手套以及帽子，前往休息室喝下午茶。

Traditional afternoon tea consists of a selection of daintysandwiches (including of course thinly sliced cucumber sandwiches), scones served with clotted cream and preserves. Cakes and pastries are also served.
传统的下午茶提供可口的三明治（当然也包括薄薄的黄瓜三明治），由奶油和果酱涂抹的烤饼。蛋糕和面粉糕饼也在下午茶上供应。

Nowadays however, in the average suburban home, afternoon tea is likely to be just a biscuit or small cake and a mug oftea, usually produced using a teabag. Sacrilege!
然而在如今，在大多数郊区居民的家中，下午茶更趋向于是简简单单的一块饼干，一小块蛋糕，以及一大杯由茶包冲泡的茶。真是可惜！

最后与大家一起分享一些名人对下午茶的看法：

"If you are cold, tea will warm you,
If you are too heated, it will cool you,
If you are depressed, it will cheer you,
If you are exhausted, it will calm you." ——by William Gladstone （liberal British statesman who served as prime minister four times (1809-1898)）

"Love and scandal are the best sweeteners of tea." ——by Henry Fielding