先说答案
low tea = 下午茶 = afternoon tea
Afternoon tea, also known as 'low tea', due to the low tables it was served on. It came about in around 1841, thanks to the very hungry tummy of one woman, Anna Russell, the Duchess of Bedford, who took social convention into her own hands and began enjoying a pot of tea and a light snack to satisfy that sinking feeling in the late afternoon. Before long, afternoon tea became quite the social event.
英式下午茶，又名"低茶"，因为下午茶会在起居室的矮桌上享用。下午茶诞生于1841年左右，而下午茶的诞生都得归功于一位吃货女士，那就是贝德芙公爵夫人安娜·拉素尔，她常常在家举办各种社交聚会，慢慢就变成与宾客一起享用一壶好茶搭配精致点心，为满足意兴阑珊、百无聊赖的午后时光，没想到一时之间，下午茶在贵族社交圈内蔚然成风。
Queen Victoria, a friend of the Duchess's, formalised afternoon tea with her Buckingham Palace tea receptions. I think my invite may have got lost in the post. Today, afternoon tea is enjoyed at around 4 o'clock in the afternoon and is made up of a selection of finger sandwiches, scones, pastries and homemade cakes. Cream tea is a simpler version, with scones, clotted cream and jam, and of course, a pot of tea, and it's my personal favourite.
而维多利亚女王也是贝德芙公爵夫人的挚友，她在白金汉宫内举办茶会，更是让下午茶变得愈发正式优雅。他们寄给我的邀请函估计在邮寄过程中弄丢了吧。而如今，英国人通常在下午4点左右享用下午茶，一般会由迷你三明治、司康饼、各类酥饼和自制小蛋糕组成。奶油茶点，是下午茶的简易版本，只需司康饼搭配凝脂奶油和果酱，自然也少不了一壶英式红茶，这可是我最挚爱的下午茶点哦！
Not to be mistaken for afternoon tea, high tea, also known as meat tea, was in fact a hot meal of meat pies, vegetables and bread, eaten at the end of the day with a cup of tea by factory workers during the Industrial Revolution. It was called 'high tea' due to the high tables it was served on, but these were just regular-sized tables. Today, in many parts of the UK, the evening meal is often referred to as 'tea' which can be a tad confusing if you're expecting sandwiches and a slice of cake.
千万别把高茶和下午茶弄混啦！"高茶"，又叫"肉茶"，其实是指一顿热乎乎的正餐，比如肉类馅饼、蔬菜和面包，再配上一大杯热茶，通常在每日工作结束后享用。工业革命时期，"高茶"都是为工人们补充体力，之所以命名为"高茶"，是因为工人坐在饭厅较高的餐桌上享用，其实 也都是些普通大小的桌椅啦。而如今在英国的许多地方，吃晚餐也经常会被称作"喝茶"。如果你原本期待着享用几块三明治和小蛋糕的话，这估计会造成一点小困惑吧。
In the 1880s, tea rooms became fashionable with women as respectable places they could go to meet their friends for a discreet chat and even discuss politics. Eventually, tea rooms became an integral part of the women's liberation movement. Tea was also used as a morale booster to soldiers during the WWII, with the Prime Minister Winston Churchill stating ,"The tea is more important than bullets!" Hear! Hear!
19世纪80年代，茶室在英国女性中变得流行起来，优雅体面的环境，姑娘们可以在这里约见闺蜜好友，进行一番谨慎私密的谈话，甚至可以探讨政治。最终，茶室也逐步演变为妇女解放运动的组成部分。二战期间，茶甚至还被视作鼓舞英军士气的秘密武器。当年的首相丘吉尔曾高喊："茶比子弹更重要！"没错，确实如此！
Interestingly, 96 percent of tea consumed in Britain comes in the form of a tea bag, which just so happens to be an American invention. During the early 1900s, tea merchant Thomas Sullivan sent out tea samples to his customers in silicon sachets. Americans were naturally enthusiastic about these newfangled super convenient tea bags, but they didn't catch on in Britain until the 1950s. But boy, do we love them now!
有趣的是，英国人所饮用的茶有96%都是茶包的形式，而茶包却是美国人的发明。20世纪初，美国茶商托马斯·苏利文用丝袋将茶叶包裹，这样方便向顾客展示样品，美国人民对这种非常新奇又超级方便的茶包自然是爱不释手。不过直到20世纪50年代，茶包才在英国流行起来，天呐！可没想到咱们现在对茶包爱到何种程度。
So, there you are, just a few examples of how tea has become part of British culture and society.
就是这样啦，茶，就这样成为了英国文化和社会中不可或缺的一部分。
