謝謝你蒼月煙！
Tea Research 茶的研究
1. The basics 基本問題
· 1.1. What is tea? 什么是茶
· 1.2. What are the different kinds of tea? 茶有哪些不同種類？】
· 1.2.1. What are some of the most popular varieties? 其中最流行的幾種茶都是什么
· 1.2.2. What about herbal teas? 中草藥茶怎么樣
· 1.3. Where does tea come from? 茶出自哪兒
· 1.3.1. Is any tea grown commercially in other regions? 在其他地區(qū)，不管種什么茶都是為了商業(yè)目的嗎？
· 1.3.2. Where did the name 'tea' come from? 茶的名稱是怎么來的
· 1.4. How is tea produced? 茶是怎么制作的
1.1. What is tea? 什么是茶
Tea is a drink made by infusing leaves of the tea plant (Camellia sinensis, or Thea sinensis) in hot water.
茶是一種用開水沖茶葉喝的飲料（山茶，或普洱茶），
The name 'tea' is also used to refer to the leaves themselves; and it is also the name of a mid- to late-afternoon meal in the British Isles and associated countries, at which tea (the drink) is served along with various foods.
茶這個(gè)名詞用用來指茶葉本身，在英國(guó)和一些與其相關(guān)的國(guó)家，它也指午飯后晚飯前之間的一頓加餐，這頓加餐中，人們一邊吃各種食物的同時(shí)，一邊喝茶。
1.2. What are the different kinds of tea? 茶有哪些不同種類？
The three main categories are green, black, and oolong. All three kinds are made from the same plant species.
最主要的三大種茶分別是綠茶，紅茶，和烏龍茶。這三種茶都是出自同種植物種。
The major differences between them are a result of the different processing methods they undergo. Black teas undergo several hours of oxidation in their preparation for market; oolongs receive less oxidation, and green teas are not oxidized at all.
它們之間之所以不同是因?yàn)樗鼈兊闹谱鞴に嚥煌?。紅茶在上市之前需要經(jīng)過幾小時(shí)的氧化作用。烏龍茶需要氧化的時(shí)間短一些，而綠茶根本就不需要被氧化。
There are, of course, many different varieties within these three main categories.
當(dāng)然了，這三大種茶中還要細(xì)分出很多種類的茶。
1.2.2. What about herbal teas?中草藥茶是怎么回事
Hundreds of different herbs have been used in beverages. These are sometimes called herbal teas. Tea professionals and connoisseurs usually prefer to restrict the name 'tea' to real tea, so you may see the following names used as well:
成百種不同的中草藥被用來當(dāng)茶喝。這些中草藥有時(shí)被稱為中草藥茶。而一些種茶人和茶道專家則會(huì)嚴(yán)格茶的定義，因此你或許會(huì)看到這些名稱：
A) 'Herbal infusion', which simply means a drink made by steeping an herb in hot water. (Tea itself is an infusion of tea leaves.)
泡草藥，這意味著你泡的只是草藥（茶本身就是泡茶葉的）
B) 'Tisane' [pronounced tee-ZAHN], which in French means any herbal drink.
煎藥（其發(fā)音是tee-ZAHN），在法國(guó)這意味著任何的草藥飲料
Some common herbs that are used as tisanes are peppermint, chamomile, rose hips, verbena, and fennel. A number of companies specialize in producing herbal blends. Many tea companies also sell tisanes.
一些用來煎藥的普通草藥有薄荷，甘菊，野玫瑰果，檸檬，茴香。一些公司專長(zhǎng)于制造混和的草藥。一些制茶公司也賣一些煎藥。
Some exaggerated claims have been made for the medicinal properties of herbal infusions. Even so, some herbs do have generally recognized benefits.
有些言辭夸大了這些草藥茶的藥用性能。即使如此，一些草藥對(duì)人體確實(shí)是有一些公認(rèn)的益處的。
For instance, rose hips contain vitamin C; chamomile helps many people relax; and peppermint has a noticeable soothing effect on the stomach. Herbs can also cause problems. Chamomile, for example, can cause allergic reactions in people who are allergic to ragweed.
例如，野玫瑰果含維生素C，甘菊有助于人們進(jìn)行放松，薄荷對(duì)胃的好外是顯而易見的。但草藥也會(huì)引發(fā)問題。例如，如果有人對(duì)豚草類植物過敏，飲用甘菊可能就會(huì)引起過敏。