特别广播英语第 221 课：The History of Beer 细说啤酒-1

One of the world's oldest stories, The Epic of Gilgamesh, is a lively tale of heroism and sacrifice from ancient Sumer. 《吉尔伽美什史诗》是世界上流传最久的故事之一，栩栩如生地讲述了古代苏美尔地区（古代幼发拉底河下游的一个地区）的英勇事迹及壮烈牺牲的场面。

It also contains one of the earliest references to beer. 史诗也涉及有关啤酒的最早传说。

In the story, a female friend of the hero changes a wild, primitive beast into a cultured human being by giving him seven cups of beer. 在故事中英雄的一位女友用七杯啤酒将一头野性，原始的野兽变成了一位文雅的男子。

In reality, drinking that much beer is more likely to have the opposite effect. 事实上，饮用太多啤酒更可能产生相反的效果。

Nowadays, it is the beverage of choice among rowdy young people on a Saturday night out, and it has fueled acts of violence and destruction in more than a few societies. 啤酒是时下血气方刚的年轻人在周六夜晚狂欢时必备的饮料，而啤酒也在为数不少的社群里激发了暴力和破坏行为。

It is, nevertheless, the oldest known alcoholic drink in the world and is widely enjoyed. 尽管如此，它仍是世界上公认为最古老的含酒精饮料，而且广受喜爱。

Fermented beverages made from various types of grain appeared independently in different locations all over the ancient world from Africa to China. 这些由多种谷类制成的发酵饮料，古时候从非洲到中国的世界各国都各自单独生产。

The word beer itself comes from a Latin verb meaning "to drink", and the ancient Romans were certainly no strangers to the brew. 啤酒这个词源自拉丁文动词，意为“饮用”。古罗马人对啤酒肯定不陌生，

However, because they considered it the drink of barbarians , the Romans generally preferred wine. 不过，由于他们认为啤酒是野蛮人的饮料，因此古罗马人普遍偏好葡萄酒。