愛薇塔樂學英文

Sideways《杯酒人生》精講之三

影片對白

Miles: Let me showyou how this is done. First thing-- hold the glass up and examine the wine against the light. You're looking for color and clarity. Just get a sense of it. Okay?

Jack: Okay.

Miles: Thick? Thin? Watery? Syrupy? Okay?

Jack: Okay.

Miles: Now tip it. What you're doing here is checking for color density as it thins out towards the rim. That's gonna tell you how old it is, among other things. It's usually more important with reds. Okay?

Jack: Okay.

Miles: Now stick your nose in it.

Jack: Yeah?

Miles: Don't be shy. Really get your nose right in there. Really--Mmm. A little citrus. Maybe some strawberry. Mmm. Passion fruit. Mmm. And-- Ah, there's just, like, the faintest soupcon of like, uh, asparagus and--There's a--just a flutter of, like, a--like, a nutty Edam cheese.

Jack: Wow. Strawberries. Yeah.

Miles: Good.

Jack: Strawberries.

Miles: Yeah.

Jack: Not the cheese.

Miles: All right. Put your glass down. Get some, get some air into it. Oxygenating it opens it up. It unlocks the aromas, the flavors. Very important. Smell again. Ah. That's what you do with every one of 'em.

Jack: Wow. When do we drink it?

Miles: Now.

Jack: How would you rate this one, Miles?

Miles: Well, usually they start you on wines with learning disabilities but this one is pretty damn good. This is the new one. Right, Chris?

Chris: Just released about two months ago.

Miles: Nice job. We like it.

Jack: You could work in a wine store, Miles.

Miles: Mmm. Yeah. That'd be a good move. Are you chewing gum?

Jack: Do you think I'm making a mistake marrying Christine?

Miles: Whoa!

Jack: Do you think I'm doing the right thing, Miles? Tell me the truth. I mean, you've been there.

Miles: Well, you know, I-- I think that you waited for some good reason and that you proposed to Christine for some good reason so I think it's great. It's time. I mean, you gotta have your eyes open, that's all. I mean, look at me. I thought Victoria and I were set for life.

Jack: Christine's dad, he's really been talking to me about bringing me into his property business, showing me the ropes. Which is something, considering how long it took him to get over my not being Armenian. So I'm thinking about it. But I don't know. Might get a little incestuous. But Mike does great. A lot of high-end commercial stuff.

Miles: So you're gonna stop acting?

Jack: No way! No. This would just provide some stability. I could always squeeze in a commercial or an audition here, there. Keep myself in the game in case something really great came along. You know, we're not getting any younger, Miles.

Miles: No. No.

妙語佳句，活學活用

1. hold the glass up and examine the wine against the light

“舉起杯來，對著光察看紅酒”。這裡要表示“對著光”要用against the light，也可譯為“逆光”。

2. What you're doing here is checking for color density as it thins out towards the rim.

Thin out 這裡表示“使稀薄，使稀疏”，整句話的意思就是“你現在要做的就是檢查一下顏色，酒越接近杯子邊越稀薄。”關於thin out 的用法我們再來看個例子：Towards the end of town, the houses thinned out. 越到鎮子的盡頭，樹木越稀少。

3. usually they start you on wines with learning disabilities

Learning disability 是指“無學習能力”，這裡可以解釋為“沒什麼難度的”，這句話的意思就是“通常（學品酒）是從最好分辨的紅酒開始的”。

4. That'd be a good move.

“那將是個不錯的選擇。”Move 本來指“移動”，這裡指“換行，換工作”。

5. I thought Victoria and I were set for life.

“我本來以為維多利亞和我這輩子都不會有什麼麻煩的。”Set for life 的意思是“沒什麼問題，沒什麼麻煩”，比如：If I had a billion dollars I would be set for life. 如果有十億美元我這輩子就不用愁了。

6. Show one the ropes

這個片語的意思是“教 to teach”，比如：He showed me the ropes regarding Photoshop. 他教我用Photoshop。

7. Which is something

“這可不是件小事。”Something 有“非常特殊或者非常了不起的人或事”的意思，比如：She is something. 她很了不起。

8. high-end commercial

高度商業化運作的電影，商業大片。

文化面面觀

如何品嘗紅酒

在這個片段裡，Miles 教Jack 品酒，我們也一起來學習一下吧。

品紅酒的五個基本步驟是：看顏色、搖晃、聞酒、品嘗、回味。

(一)看顏色。

酒倒入杯中1/3，不多，不少，看好手，捉杯底，別握杯；將酒杯傾斜45度角，觀察色澤和透明度。隨著窖藏年度的增長，白葡萄酒會由麥秸稈色或稍帶綠色變成金色甚至棕色，紅葡萄酒會由紫紅色變成棕色。酒應該清澈、晶亮，而不是渾濁朦朧；想要看出葡萄酒的顏色，最好要有一個白色背景，並將酒杯放在它前面。

(二)搖晃。

輕輕搖晃酒杯，觀察酒水和高腳杯，瞭解酒的濃度、含糖度和新鮮度。為什麼要晃酒？為了讓氧氣進入酒內。搖晃還會使酯、醚和乙醛釋放出來，並和氧氣使酒產生香氣。

(三)聞酒。

現在可以用鼻子來嗅，深淺結合。利用嗅覺去感知氣味，這些氣味被分成幾大類，包括水果香味、鮮花香味、植物香味及焙烤氣味。鼻子比嘴更靈敏，所以這個過程不妨長一點，而且千萬莫忘了記下感覺。

(四)品嘗。

對大部分人來說，品酒指的是啜一口酒並快速吞下去。但這不叫品酒。品酒是一件用味蕾去從事的事情。記得讓它佈滿您口腔四周；舌頭兩側、舌背、舌尖，並延伸到喉頭底部。您如果像大部分人一樣牛飲葡萄酒的話，就忽略掉所有重要的品嘗味蕾了。

(五)回味。

當您有個機會品嘗過葡萄酒後，好好坐一會兒並回味所品的酒。（這也是為什麼Miles對Jack品完酒後就吃口香糖生氣。）想想看您方才的體驗再問問您自個兒下面的問題以協助您加深印象。酒是否：

⊙清淡，中度濃郁，或濃郁？

⊙白酒：酸度如何？極少，正好，或太酸？

⊙紅酒：單甯太強或太澀？令人感到愉快嗎？或沒有單寧了？

⊙餘味持續多久？

⊙最重要是您喜不喜歡這瓶酒？

⊙價錢值得嗎？

再來說說品酒的溫度。傳統上，飲用紅酒的溫度是清涼室溫，18至21攝氏度之間，在這溫度下，各種年份的紅酒都在最佳狀態下。一瓶經過冰鎮的紅酒，比清涼室溫下的紅酒丹寧特性會更為顯著，因而味道較澀。

此外，一瓶佳釀通常是塵封多年的，剛剛打開時會有異味出現，這時就需要“喚醒”這支酒，在將酒倒入精美的醒酒器後稍待十分鐘，酒的異味散去，醒酒器一般要求讓酒和空氣的接觸面最大，紅酒充分氧化之後，濃郁的香味就流露出來了。

然後就是觀酒、飲酒了。一次品酒聚會通常會品嘗兩三支以上的紅酒，以期達到對比的效果。喝酒時應按照新在先陳在後、淡在先濃在後的原則。