Lecture: The History of Tea

Today I'd like to look at how tea became one of the world's most popular drinks.

今天我想探讨一下茶是如何成为世界上最受欢迎的饮品之一的。

Tea was originally consumed in China, where it was valued primarily as a medicine.

茶最初在中国被饮用，在那里它主要被视为一种药物。

By the eighth century, it had become an important part of everyday social life.

到了8世纪，茶已成为日常社交生活的重要组成部分。

Traders later carried it along overland routes into Central Asia and beyond.

后来，商人们沿着陆上通道把茶带到了中亚及更远的地方。

European merchants began importing tea in significant quantities in the seventeenth century.

17世纪，欧洲商人开始大量进口茶叶。

Initially, it was so expensive that only wealthy households could afford it.

起初它非常昂贵，只有富裕家庭才买得起。

As prices fell, tea gradually became a staple of working-class diets as well.

随着价格下降，茶也逐渐成为工人阶层饮食中的必需品。

Next week, we'll consider the environmental impact of large-scale tea plantations.

下周，我们将探讨大规模茶园对环境的影响。