特别广播英语第 222 课：The History of Beer 细说啤酒-2

In ancient times, people who made beer lacked the means to preserve and filter it properly, so the drink was cloudy and turned bad quickly. 古时的啤酒酿造者缺少良好的保存方法及过滤工具，所以啤酒混浊而且容易变质。

It was medieval European monks who introduced scientific brewing techniques in an effort to produce a nutritious beverage to supplement their meager diets. 正是中世纪欧洲的僧侣们引进科学的啤酒酿造技术，制造有营养的饮料， 从而补充了他们贫乏的饮食。

The monks were not restricted to only brewing the beer, and consumption of it within the monasteries reached astonishing levels. 僧侣们不只局限在酿造啤酒，而且还在修道院中大量饮用啤酒，消耗量实在惊人。

One report from Belgium said that monks were drinking as much as five liters a day. 一份来自比利时的报告指出，僧侣们每天喝五升多的啤酒。

Monastery breweries in Europe also ran their own pubs and enjoyed a tax-free status that came to be resented by the growing merchant class. 欧洲修道院的酿酒厂也经营自己的酒吧，并享有免税的优惠，此项优待引起正在兴起的商人阶级的不满。

As the power and influence of the church declined, the art of brewing became an important commercial activity. 随着教会权力和影响的衰落，酿制艺术也就转变为一项重要的商业活动。

Today, beer production is largely a high-tech process in the hands of huge corporations or government monopolies. 今天，啤酒的制造在巨型企业或政府的垄断下俨然成为一个高科技流程。

However, recent years have seen a growth in the popularity of small-scale breweries, reflecting an increasing global demand for quality and variety. 然而近年来，小规模啤酒厂的倍受青睐也反映了全球对啤酒质量及多样化日益增长的需求。