中英文對照：離別的茶味

宋代詩人說：「味濃香永，醉鄉路，成佳境。恰如燈下故人，萬里歸來對影。口不能言，心下快活自省」。

The taste is rich and the aroma lasts forever.
The way leading to intoxication
Is the most enjoyable state,
Just like an old friend returning home
From thousands of miles away --
Sitting face to face under a lamp,
Seeing the shadows close up,
No words,
Only happiness known in both hearts.

茶是清心凝神的飲品，融合了各地的風土、水文與 山靈的神韻。茶是好友相會時，知心共醉的心靈之水。我一向只知茶的膚澤、茶的姿態、茶的神韻與茶的妙趣，其實還不是個懂得茶心的人。茶好比人，也有喜怒哀 樂、也有種種執著；茶好比一面明鏡，人的情緒與思緒無不真實地反映在茶味上。

The above is a poem from the Song dynasty. Tea is a beverage that clears hearts and minds and improves concentration. It integrates the essences of customs, water systems, and the mountains of a specific locale. Tea is the water of the soul that one shares with close friends. I know the luster of tea, the customs, the charm, and the subtlety of tea. Actually, I don’t really know the soul of tea. Like human beings, tea also has sentiments like happiness, anger, sadness, and joy as well as many attachments. Tea is like a mirror; the taste of tea can reflect people’s emotions and thoughts.

我寫下：「昨夜歸來人不見，獨飲佳茗茶似酒，酒入愁腸摧心肺，茶到別離苦更多。」這是一個靈敏的茶心，在清心神靜的時分，照見情感似煙雲般逐漸化去。茶心就是覺察的心，看見自己的心，就看見茶的生命。離別的茶味裡，我領悟了更深一層的茶心。

Reflecting on tea inspired me to write:

Returning home last night,
The expected one absent,
I drank my good tea alone
And found it tasted like wine.
While wine can wreck your heart
When filled with sadness,
Tea tastes more bitter
When friends are absent.

A sensitive heart tastes the soul of the tea. When drinking tea with a clean and quiet heart, the tea reflects the gradual disappearance of sentiments. The soul of tea is the heart of discovery. If you see your heart, you see the life of the tea. Tasting tea during a time of separation, I understood the soul of tea more deeply.

您 也可以看看自己的內心，那裡有你自己的東西。茶道的深層涵義也就是「察道」，藉著茶道精神，人們彼此檢查自己的內心，這也就是一種修煉的形式了。心純淨 了，茶的滋味也就純正了，再以一顆善心，泡一壺茶與來者分享，讓對方也靜下心來向內心察一察，這也就是一種很好的文明形式。

You may also look inward at your heart where you store your private thoughts. The deeper meaning of the tea ceremony is 「discovering the Dao.」 Through the spirit of the tea ceremony, people detect their inner souls. This is also a way of cultivation. If the soul is clear, the taste of the tea is pure. Make a pot of tea with a compassionate heart, offer it to your guests, and let them check their inner hearts. This is civilization at its best.

茶在中國能夠流傳幾千年，並不光是靠現代人所說的健康美容或是閑情雅緻而已，其中蘊藏的深刻道理才是使茶道源遠流長的主因。

Tea culture has lasted several thousands years in China. Modern people know tea for its healthful properties and beauty, its peacefulness and lovely mood. However, the profound meaning of the tea ceremony is the main reason for its longevity.