HSK 5 · Article · 571 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/why-do-chinese-people-drink-hot-water

中国人为什么爱喝热水？

Why do Chinese people drink hot water?

Name: ________________ Date: ________

感冒gǎnmào了le？多duō喝hē热水rèshuǐ。肚子dùzi疼téng？多duō喝hē热水rèshuǐ。工作gōngzuò不bú顺利shùnlì？跟gēn男朋友nánpéngyǒu吵架chǎojià了le？还是háishì那nà句jù话huà：多duō喝hē热水rèshuǐ。在zài中国zhōngguó，这zhè四sì个gè字zì好像hǎoxiàng能néng回答huídá所有suóyǒu问题wèntí。

这zhè句jù话huà在zài网上wǎngshàng早就zǎojiù成chéng了le一yí个gè笑话xiàohua。女朋友nǚpéngyou说shuō自己zìjǐ不bù舒服shūfu，男朋友nánpéngyǒu过guò了le半天bàntiān，只zhǐ回huí了le四sì个gè字zì：“多duō喝hē热水rèshuǐ。”很hěn多duō人rén觉得juéde这样zhèyàng回答huídá太tài随便suíbiàn了le，于是yúshì，“多喝热水duōhē-rèshuǐ”就jiù成chéng了le“不bù懂得dǒngde关心guānxīn人rén”的de代名词dàimíngcí。

不过búguò，中国zhōngguó人rén是shì真的zhēnde爱ài喝hē热水rèshuǐ。去qù饭馆fànguǎn吃饭chīfàn，常常chángcháng是shì你nǐ刚gāng坐下zuòxià，服务员fúwùyuán就jiù端duān来lái一yì杯bēi热水rèshuǐ或者huòzhě热茶rèchá。火车huǒchē上shàng，车厢chēxiāng里一般yìbān都dōu有yǒu免费miǎnfèi的de开水kāishuǐ，很hěn多duō人rén一yí上车shàngchē就jiù泡pào上shàng一yì碗wǎn方便面fāngbiànmiàn。保温杯bǎowēnbēi更是gèngshì到处dàochù都dōu能néng看到kàndào。2017年nián，一yì张zhāng照片zhàopiàn在zài网上wǎngshàng火huǒ了le：当年dāngnián的de摇滚yáogǔn硬汉yìnghàn，如今rújīn手里shǒuli端duān着zhe一个yígè保温杯bǎowēnbēi。网友wángyǒu们men笑称xiàochēng，这zhè就是jiùshì人rén到dào中zhōng年nián的de样子yàngzi：保温杯bǎowēnbēi里泡pào枸杞góuqǐ。

那么nàme，这zhè个gè习惯xíguàn是shì从cóng哪儿nǎr来lái的de？按照ànzhào中医zhōngyī的de说法shuōfǎ，冷lěng的de东西dōngxī伤shāng胃wèi，热rè的de对duì身体shēntǐ好hǎo。不过búguò，有yǒu学者xuézhě认为rènwéi，喝hē热水rèshuǐ真正zhēnzhèng成为chéngwéi全国quánguó的de习惯xíguàn，主要zhǔyào还是háishi因为yīnwèi二十世纪èrshí-shìjì的de公共卫生gōnggòng-wèishēng运动yùndòng。那nà时候shíhou，很hěn多duō地方dìfang的de水shuǐ不bù干净gānjìng，喝hē生水shēngshuǐ容易róngyì生病shēngbìng。三十sānshí年代niándài，当时dāngshí的de政府zhèngfǔ就jiù提倡tíchàng喝hē开水kāishuǐ。1952年nián，爱国卫生àiguó-wèishēng运动yùndòng开始kāishǐ了le，“不bù喝hē生水shēngshuǐ”这zhè句jù话huà传遍chuánbiàn了le全国quánguó。

在zài老lǎo上海shànghǎi的de街jiē上shàng，还有háiyǒu专门zhuānmén卖mài开水kāishuǐ的de小店xiǎodiàn。据说jùshuō这种zhèzhǒng店diàn的de炉lú口kǒu像xiàng老虎láohǔ张开zhāngkāi的de大dà嘴zuǐ，所以suóyǐ大家dàjiā叫jiào它tā“老虎láohǔ灶zào”。后来hòulái，很hěn多duō人rén家里jiālǐ都dōu有yǒu了le热水瓶rèshuǐpíng。在zài学校xuéxiào和hé单位dānwèi，大家dàjiā每天měitiān拎līn着zhe热水瓶rèshuǐpíng去qù锅炉房guōlúfáng打水dáshuǐ，这zhè是shì几jǐ代dài人rén共同gòngtóng的de回忆huíyì。

这zhè个gè习惯xíguàn还hái跟着gēnzhe中国zhōngguó人rén去qù了le国外guówài。2011年nián，一家yìjiā国际guójì连锁liánsuǒ酒店jiǔdiàn为wèi中国zhōngguó客人kèren推出tuīchū了le专门zhuānmén的de服务fúwù，房间fángjiān里特地tèdì准备zhǔnbèi了le水壶shuǐhú。

所以suóyǐ，下次xiàcì有人yǒurén对duì你nǐ说shuō“多duō喝hē热水rèshuǐ”，先xiān别bié急jí着zhe生气shēngqì。这zhè四sì个gè字zì背后bèihòu，有yǒu老虎láohǔ灶zào，有yǒu热水瓶rèshuǐpíng，还有háiyǒu一yí份fèn不善búshàn表达biǎodá的de关心guānxīn。当然dāngrán，如果rúguǒ他tā说shuō完wán还hái顺手shùnshǒu给gěi你nǐ倒dào了le一yì杯bēi，那nà就jiù更gèng好hǎo了le。

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
肚子dùzibelly; abdomen; stomach
顺利shùnlìsmoothly; successfully; smooth; without a hitch
笑话xiàohuajoke
免费miǎnfèifree (of charge)
火huǒfire
网友wángyǒunetizen; internet user
样子yàngziappearance; look
按照ànzhàoaccording to; in accordance with
说法shuōfǎversion; account; view
真正zhēnzhèngreal; genuine; true; truly; really
成为chéngwéito become
当时dāngshíthen; at that time

English (for the teacher)

Got a cold? Drink more hot water. Stomach ache? Drink more hot water. Work not going well? Had a row with your boyfriend? Same answer: drink more hot water. In China, these four words seem to answer every question.

Online, the phrase turned into a joke long ago. A girlfriend says she isn’t feeling well, and after a long wait her boyfriend replies with just four words: “Drink more hot water.” Lots of people think that is far too offhand, so “drink more hot water” became a byword for not knowing how to show you care.

Still, Chinese people really do love hot water. Go out for a meal and, as often as not, the moment you sit down the waiter brings you a glass of hot water or hot tea. On trains there is usually free boiled water in the carriages, and plenty of people make a bowl of instant noodles as soon as they board. And thermos cups are everywhere you look. In 2017 a photo went viral: a hard-man rocker of years gone by, now holding a thermos cup. People online joked that this is what middle age looks like: goji berries steeping in a thermos.

So where does the habit come from? According to traditional Chinese medicine, cold things are bad for the stomach and hot things are good for the body. But some scholars think what really made hot water a nationwide habit was, above all, the public health campaigns of the twentieth century. Back then, the water in many places was not clean, and drinking it unboiled could easily make you ill. In the 1930s, the government of the day was already urging people to drink boiled water. In 1952 the Patriotic Health Campaign began, and “don’t drink unboiled water” spread across the whole country.

On the streets of old Shanghai there were even little shops that specialised in boiled water. It’s said the mouth of their stoves looked like a tiger’s gaping jaws, so people called them “tiger stoves”. Later, many families got a thermos flask at home. At schools and workplaces, everyone carried a thermos to the boiler room each day to fetch hot water, a memory shared by several generations.

The habit has even followed Chinese people abroad. In 2011 an international hotel chain launched a special service for Chinese guests, with a kettle put in the room especially for them.

So next time someone tells you to “drink more hot water”, don’t get cross just yet. Behind those four words are tiger stoves, thermos flasks and a kind of care that isn’t good at putting itself into words. Of course, if he pours you a glass while he’s at it, even better.