A common saying goes,“If you respect each other, drink up your wine; if you don’t respect less, just sip (感情深，一口闷；感情浅，舔一舔).”As the host drinks first, sometimes he will turn his cup upside down to show there’s no wine in his cup. After this, the guests will also finish the wine in their cups. The more the guests drink, the happier the host is, so refusing to drink is regarded as impolite unless you have a good reason such as high blood pressure, an upset stomach, etc. In this case, joining the toast with water or soft drink is acceptable. Another popular way of limiting the amount you drink is not to fill your cup or glass to the top.
Notes：1）enhance增加；2）atmosphere气氛；3）drunkenness酒醉；4）rouse惊醒；5）disapproval不赞同；6）sip小口喝；7）bottom up干杯；8）follow suit跟着做；9）prowess非凡的能力
11.饮酒有哪些独特的方式？
Are there any unique ways of alcoholic drinking?
劝酒Persuade Others to Drink More
Chinese hosts always want their guests to drink more. On special occasions, like a dinner banquet or feast, they repeatedly invite their guests for toasts in a hospitable attempt to overwhelm the guests with alcoholic beverages. The more the guests drink, the happier the host is. It is not a guest’s job to drink himself or herself to the point of discomfort. But if the guest drinks too little, this may also upset the host.
文敬A Toast in a Gentle Way
As the beginning of a dinner party, a host makes the first toast after giving a short opening speech. Sometimes he will turn his cup upside down to show no liquor is left in the glass. While this happens, guests stand up and usually drink their liquor off. During the party, the host often leaves his seat and goes to each table to clink the glasses to each guest and then drink a toast to them.
回敬Drink a Toast in Return
As a host toasts, guests will respond. Even if the host or some other participants propose a“sip”toast, everyone in the party should do a“bottom up.”Generally guests should graciously accept these gestures. Towards the end of the meal, the senior guest should give a return speech of gratitude for the hospitality and propose an appropriate toast.
互敬Toasts among Guests
These toasts may involve guests at the table. Usually the one who proposes the toast will give various excuses or reasons, which sound so convincing that it is hard to reject a“bottom up.”Throughout toast exchanges, participants at a table continue talking with each other.
代饮A Substitute Toast Drinker
Toasts are used not only to express interest or pleasure in the event, but also sometimes to demonstrate drinking prowess. So when a host or a guest is the“object”of numerous toasts, it is acceptable to have a substitute to drink on his behalf, since sometimes joining the toast with water or a soft drink is not desirable. For example, at the wedding party, a bridesmaid and bridegroom-bestman usually serve as ideal substitutes to drink wine on behalf of the bride and bridegroom.
Notes：1）repeatedly反复地；2）upset打乱，搅乱；3）additional另外的；4）graciously和蔼地，殷勤地；5）gesture手势；6）appropriate适当的；7）reject拒绝；8）prowess非凡的能力；9）acceptable可接受的；10）substitute代替；11）bridesmaid伴娘；12）bridegroom新郎
12.饮酒时做什么游戏？
What drinking games do people play?
Chinese people sometimes play drinking games with friends. The goal of the game is not to get drunk; drunkenness is the penalty for the loser.
Common drinking games include the Rock-Paper-Scissors. According to this game, the rock beats the scissor, the scissor cuts the paper, and the paper wraps up the rock. Two players throw out the signs of either object, and if both players show the same sign, they continue the game until one player loses and has to drink.
The Finger Guessing Game is also well known. Two players give a sign for a number using their right hands while shouting out a number from zero to ten. The numbers from each player’s hands are added together. If the sum matches either player’s announced number, he/she wins. The player who loses has to drink.
The Food Chain is yet another two-player game. Each player begins by banging chopsticks on the table. The two players then touch chopsticks and call out one of the following: stick, tiger, rooster, or worm. According to the game’s rules, the stick beats the tiger, the tiger eats the rooster, the rooster eats the worm, and the worm eats through the stick. If the two players say the same item, they keep chanting the items until someone loses and has to drink.
Fajiu (罚酒), literally meaning“drinking as a punishment,”occurs when someone arrives late to a feast or banquet. The latecomer usually takes three cups of liquor as a lighthearted penalty.
Notes：1）penalty惩罚；2）chant反复（单调）地唱；3）light-hearted随便的
13.你能告诉我几句李白写的饮酒诗吗？
Would you please introduce some poems written by Li Bai on wine drinking?
Ancient Chinese men of letters might write poems or monographs after tasting liquor. The Tang Poet Li Bai (李白) is one of the greatest poets in Chinese history. It is said that he enjoyed drinking very much, and some of his poems describe the pleasure he felt before or after drinking. Below are extracts from such a poem.
For the moment, drinking wine(《将进酒》)
Happiness is to be savored to the full.The golden cup must not face the moon untouched.Heaven born, my talents will find a place;A fortune spent in gold will come back again.So roast the sheep and kill the cattle,And down three hundred cupfuls in a single breath For the moment’s pleasure.Inquiring of the moon, wine cup in hand.
Notes：1）monograph专题论文；2）literature文学；3）savor品尝
14.你能告诉我几句杜甫写的饮酒诗吗？
Would you please introduce some poems written by Du Fu on wine drinking?
Du Fu (杜甫) was another well-known poet of the Tang Dynasty. He frequently used his poetry to expose social injustice and voice the suffering of the people. He came to Chengdu in 759, where he lived in peace and composed over two hundred poems. Some of these are associated with wine drinking.
A Friend Visits(《客至》)
So far from town, the food is very plain.And all we have to drink is this home brew.
If you like, I’ll call across the fence to my old neighbor To enjoy with us to finish off the last few drops!
Notes：1）expose揭露；2）injustice非正义
15.你能告诉我几句苏东坡写的饮酒诗吗？