Basic Meaning of Chinese Wine Culture 中国酒文化的基本含义

酒文化是指酒在生产、销售、消费过程中所产生的物质文化和精神文化总称。酒文化包括酒的制法、品法、作用、历史等酒文化现象。既有酒自身的物质特征，也有品酒所形成的精神内涵，是制酒饮酒活动过程中形成的特定文化形态。酒文化在中国源远流长，不少文人学士写下了品评鉴赏美酒佳酿的著述，留下了斗酒、写诗、作画、养生、宴会、饯行等酒神佳话。酒作为一种特殊的文化载体，在人类交往中占有独特的地位。酒文化已经渗透到人类社会生活中的各个领域，对文学艺术、医疗卫生、工农业生产、政治经济各方面都有着巨大影响和作用。
Wine culture is the collective term of material culture and spiritual culture generated during the production, sales and consumption of wine. Wine culture includes such cultural phenomenon as winemaking methods, tasting methods, functions and history. With both the material features of wine and the spiritual connotation generated in wine tasting, wine culture is a special cultural form formed in the process of winemaking and drinking. Wine culture is of long standing in China. Many literators and scholars composed works of tasting and appreciating vintage, and left such as stories as drinking, poetic composition, drawing, health preserving, banquet and farewell dinner. Wine, as a special cultural carrier, has a unique position in interpersonal interaction. Wine culture has penetrated almost all fields of social life of human beings, and has great influences on all aspects of literature, arts, medical treatment, health, industrial and agricultural production, politics and economics.
中国是卓立世界的文明古国，中国是酒的故乡，中华民族五千年历史长河中，酒和酒类文化一直占据着重要地位，酒是一种特殊的食品，是属于物质的，但酒又融于人们的精神生活之中。酒文化作为一种特殊的文化形式，在传统的中国文化中有其独特的地位，其中也衍生出了酒政制度。
China is a worldwide famous country with ancient civilization as well as the hometown of wine. During the history about 5000 years of the Chinese nation, wine and wine culture has always been playing an important role. As a special food, wine is physical. However, wine is also blended with the spiritual life of people. Wine culture, as a special form of culture, has a special position in traditional Chinese culture and derived the system of wine.
在几千年的文明史中，酒几乎渗透到社会生活中的各个领域。中国是一个以农业为主的国家，因此一切政治、经济活动都以农业发展为立足点。而中国的酒，绝大多数是以粮食酿造的，酒紧紧依附于农业，成为农业经济的一部分。粮食生产的丰歉是酒业兴衰的晴雨表，各朝代统治者根据粮食的收成情况，通过发布酒禁或开禁，来调节酒的生产，从而确保民食。
Wine has penetrated almost all fields of social life during several thousand years of civilization. China is a country depending on agriculture, so agricultural development is the foothold for all political and economic activities. Most Chinese wine is brewed from foodstuffs. Wine closely depends on agriculture and becomes a part of agricultural economics. The good and poor harvest of foodstuffs production was the barometer of the prosperity and decline of wine industry. The rulers of each dynasty, considering the harvest of foodstuffs, regulated the wine production by prohibition of wine production or prohibition rescinding, so as to ensure the foodstuff provision for people.
中国古人将酒的作用归纳为三类：酒以治病，酒以养老，酒以成礼。中国人的好客，在酒席上发挥得淋沥尽致。人与人的感情交流往往在敬酒时得到升华。中国人敬酒时，往往都想对方多喝点酒，以表示自己尽到了主人之谊，客人喝得越多，主人就越高兴。
The Chinese ancients reduced the functions of wine to three main categories: for curing diseases, for longevity and for the practice of etiquette. The Chinese’s hospitality is fully expressed at feasts. People exchange their feelings while toasting. While drinking, the Chinese like urging others to drink more in order to express the host’s honesty and friendship. The more the guest drinks, the more cheerful the host feels.