谁沏的第一杯茶：白开水里的落叶

　　传说中，茶的历史是从公元前2737年的中国神农氏开始的。一片树叶碰巧掉入神农氏煮沸的开水里，第一杯茶就在巧合中诞生了……　

Our story begins over four and a half thousand years ago. According to Chinese mythology, in 2737 BC the Chinese Emperor, Shen Nung, scholar and herbalist, was sitting beneath a tree while his servant boiled drinking water. A leaf from the tree dropped into the water and Shen Nung decided to try the brew. The tree was a wild tea tree.

There are many authentic and supposed references to tea in the centuries before Christ, according to the Chinese dictionary dated circa 350 AD. The Chinese t'u was often used to describe shrubs other than tea, hence the confusion when Confucius allegedly referred to tea or t'u when writing about the "sow thistle" plant in the Book of Odes.

重点词汇

herbalist n. 草药医生

brew v. 酿造，酝酿

authentic a. 可信的

shrub n. 灌木，灌木丛

allegedly adv. 依其申述，据说

thistle n. （植）蓟

sow v. 播种，散布

ode n. 颂诗，赋

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