Measures needed to ensure people enjoy a good cup of tea
人们享受一杯好茶，需要相关措施的保驾护航
The inclusion of China's traditional tea processing techniques and their associated social practices in UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity late last year came to me as a surprise. Not because the techniques and practices are not part of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity but because, unlike many other heritages that are dying, tea is gaining in popularity in its birth place, China, as well as across the world.
中国传统制茶技艺及其相关习俗去年底被列入联合国教科文组织《人类非物质文化遗产代表作名录》。这让我很惊讶，不是因为这些技艺和习俗不属于人类非物质文化遗产，而是因为与许多其他正在失传的遗产不同，茶在其发源地中国以及全球范围内正变得越来越受欢迎。
Tea making and drinking is China's 44th entry into UNESCO's representative heritage list. Judging by the previous entries, it appears the heritages are ancient artistic forms or practices which are now rarely practiced or draw little audience.
茶的制作和饮用是中国在联合国教科文组织遗产代表作名录中的第44个项目。根据以往的项目来看，遗产是古老的艺术形式或习俗，几乎已经无人从事，而且鲜为人知。
Tea's inclusion, however, is an exception.
然而，茶的列入是个例外。
Written records show the ancestors of Chinese people began using tea leaves to treat wounds about 5,000 years ago. By the Tang Dynasty, the culture of tea making and drinking became systematic, especially among officials and the gentry as evident in the poems of the time.
文字记录显示，中国人的祖先大约在5000年前开始使用茶叶来治疗伤口。到了唐代，茶文化的制作和饮用变得系统化，特别是在当时达官显贵中，这在当时的诗歌中表现得非常明显。
While more than 60 countries grow tea today, China remains the biggest producer. It produced about 1.85 million tons of tea, about one-third of the world's total, last year. Statistics show China today has about 1.5 million tea-related farms and companies which employ more than 50 million people for planting, picking, processing and marketing tea.
尽管今天有60多个国家种植茶叶，但中国仍然是最大的生产国。去年，中国生产了约185万吨茶叶，约占世界总产量的三分之一。统计数据显示，中国拥有约150万个茶相关的农场和公司，这些企业为种植、采摘、加工和销售茶叶提供了超过5000万个就业岗位。
But danger looms behind the prosperity.
但欣欣向荣的背后也有危机蔓延。
Increasing planting hectares and higher output by using new technologies could soon lead to oversupply of tea in the Chinese market, which may eventually reduce the profits of tea growers. Also, tea exporters find the global competition getting fiercer. Last year, China exported nearly 400,000 tons of tea, earning an average of only $5.9 on each kilogram. To tea growers, that profit margin is very low considering the investment and workforce involved.
随着种植面积增加，新技术提高产量，中国市场茶叶很快就会供应过剩，最终可能会降低茶农的利润。此外，茶叶出口商面临的全球竞争正在变得愈加激烈。去年，中国出口了近40万吨茶叶，每公斤仅平均赚得5.9美元。对于茶农来说，考虑到投资和劳动力，这个利润率非常低。
Besides, tea has been a favorite gift for the Chinese people, but nowadays many people hesitate to gift tea to relatives and friends, because of the high prices of good tea. And the absence of tea-tasting institutions to determine the quality of tea has caused much disorder in the domestic tea market. You may spend 4,000 yuan ($557.82) to buy your friend a beautiful tea gift package. But he/she may throw it away because he/she may not have any idea about the quality of the tea or because the neighborhood tea shop may be selling a similar tea package for less than 100 yuan.
此外，茶一直是中国人的最爱礼物，但如今许多人被优质茶的高价劝退，犹豫要不要赠送茶叶给亲朋好友。而且由于缺乏品茶机构来鉴定茶叶的质量，国内茶叶市场鱼龙混杂。你可能花费4000元（557.82美元）为朋友购买了漂亮的茶叶礼盒，但他/她可能会把它扔掉，因为他/她不了解茶的质量，或者因为附近的茶叶店同款茶叶礼盒售价不到100元。
However, after the inclusion of traditional tea processing techniques and associated social practices in UNESCO's intangible heritage list, I hope relevant departments will take measures to address the challenges facing the tea industry and help us enjoy a good cup of tea.
然而，在中国传统制茶技艺及其相关习俗被列入列入联合国教科文组织《人类非物质文化遗产代表作名录》之后，我希望相关部门能采取措施解决茶产业面临的挑战，让我们能够享受美好的一杯茶。
