“你要茶还是咖啡?”是用餐人常被问到的问题。

许多西方人会选咖啡，而中国人则会选茶。

相传，中国的一位帝王于五千年前发现了茶，并用来治病，在明清(The Qing Dynasties)期间，茶馆遍布全国，饮茶在六世纪传到日本，但直到18世纪才传到欧美。

如今，茶是世界上最流行的饮料(beverage)之一，茶是中国的民族饮品，也是中国传统和文化的重要组成部分。

“Would you like tea or coffee?” This is a question frequently asked in the restaurant. Most westerners tend to choose coffee, while the Chinese usually choose tea. There is a legend that one Chinese emperor found tea 5,000 years ago and used it to cure illnesses. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, tea houses were widespread throughout China. Tea-drinking was spread to Japan in the 6th century but it was not until the 18th century that it came to Europe and America. Nowadays, tea is one of the most popular beverages in the world. Being the national beverage, tea is also the key component of Chinese tradition and culture.很多人喜欢中餐，在中国，烹饪不仅被视为一种技能，而且也被视为一种艺术。

精心准备的中餐既可口又好看。

烹饪技术和配料在中国各地差别很大。

但好的烹饪都有一个共同点，总是要考虑到颜色、味道、口感和营养（nutrition）。

由于食物对健康至关重要，好的厨师总是努力在谷物，肉类和蔬菜之间取得平衡。

所以中餐美味又健康。

Many people like Chinese food. In China, cooking is regarded as not only a skill but also an art. The well-prepared Chinese food is both delicious and good-looking. Although cooking methods and food ingredient vary wildly/a lot in different regions of China, it is common for good cuisine to take color, flavor, taste and nutrition into account. Since food is crucial to health, a good chef is always trying to seek balance between cereal, meat and vegetables, and accordingly Chinese food is delicious as well as healthy。

中西方饮食习惯存在极大的差异。

不同于西方那种每人一盘的饮食习惯，在中国，菜肴是被放在桌子上让大家共同分享的。

如果你在中国主人家做客，就要做好有一大桌食物的心理准备。

中国人对于自己的烹饪文化(culture of cuisine)感到非常自豪，而且会尽全力去展示自己的好客(hospitality)。

而且有时候，中国主人会用他们的筷子把食物夹到你的碗里或盘子中。

这是礼貌的体现。

There are great differences between Chinese and Western eating habits. Unlike the West, where everyone has their own plate of food, in China the dishes are placed on the table and everybody shares. If you are being treated by a Chinese host, be prepared for a table of food. Chinese are very proud of their culture of cuisine and will do their best to show their hospitality.And sometimes the Chinese hosts use their chopsticks to put food in your bowl or plat. This is a sign of politeness.在中国，小孩儿的满月酒和抓周仪式独具特色。

刺绣（Embroidery）是中国艺术的一颗璀璨明珠，在秦汉时期就已达到较高的水平。

它是一门传统工艺，有各种样式，广泛分布于中国的各个地区。

有些精致（elaborate）绣品需要花费几位熟练技工数月甚至数年才能完成。

在服饰文化中，刺绣工艺占有重要地位。

它不仅是中国传统艺术和手工艺的瑰宝，也是中华文化的重要组成部分。

它代表了中国人民的智慧。

Embroidery which had already reached a high level in the Qin and Han dynasties is a brilliant pearl in Chinese art. Embroidery is a traditional craft found in many styles in different parts of China. Some elaborate pieces require months or even years to be finished and call on the skills of several experienced craftspeople. In the costume culture, it occupies an important position in the treasure of the Chinese traditional arts and crafts, and is also an important part of Chinese culture. It represents the wisdom of Chinese people.唐朝（Tang Dynasty）被历史学家认为是中国文明最辉煌的时期。

唐朝的首都在长安。

在与印度和中东（the Middle East）的交流中，在他们的促进下，唐朝在许多领域里得到了长足的发展。

唐朝是文学和艺术的黄金时期。

唐朝通过科举制度（civil service examinations）在全国选出优秀的儒家文人（Confucian literati）为政府效力，而唐朝的政府体系在儒学官僚（Confucian bureaucratic）的支持下也日臻完善。

公元8世纪中期，唐朝势力开始衰落。

Tang Dynasty, whose capital is Chang’an, is regarded by historians as a high point in Chinese civilization. Stimulated by the contact with India and the Middle East, the empire saw a great development in many fields. The Tang period was the golden age of literature and art. Served by a large class of Confucian literati selected through civil service examinations, the government system of Tang Dynasty was gradually perfected under the support of Confucian bureaucratic. By the middle of the eighth century A. D., the power of Tang Dynasty began to ebb.传统中国绘画是一门独特的艺术，无论是风格还是技巧都与世界其他艺术门类迥然不同。

传统的日本绘画可能算是例外，但是不要忘了，它是深受中国文化影响的。

中国绘画采用毛笔（brush）蘸墨汁或颜色，灵巧地挥洒（wield）在纸上。

画家用深、浅、浓、淡的点和线构成一幅图画。

在优秀画家的手里，毛笔和墨汁不仅是绘画的工具，也是画家艺术追求的象征。

Traditional Chinese paintings constitute a unique school of art, a school that, in style and techniques is widely different from any other art school in the world. Traditional Japanese art may be the only exception, but it has to be remembered that it has been heavily influenced by the Chinese culture. The Chinese do paintings with brushes, dipping their brushes in ink or paint and then skillfully wielding them. Painters produce on the paper pictures with lines and dots-some heavy, and some light, and some deep, and some pale. In the hands of a good painter, brushes and ink are not only tools for drawing pictures, but also the symbol of his or her artistic pursuit.二十四节气（solar terms）的划分起源于黄河流域一带（Yellow River area），是中国古代历法（calendar）特有的重要组成部分和独特创造。