中国酒

　　在中国，酒的历史比茶还长。1986年，在河南出土的一壶酒，就是3,000多年前的古酒。

　　中国的名酒很多，如：茅台、五粮液、汾酒、竹叶青、泸州老窖、古井贡酒、加饭酒、张裕葡萄酒、长城葡萄酒等，都是享誉世界的名酒。

　　中国历史上有关酒的故事更多：晋代诗人陶渊明不能一日无酒；唐代大诗人李白“斗酒诗百篇”，喝得越多诗写得越好；宋代梁山好汉武松一口气喝了18碗酒，赤手空拳打死了一只猛虎……

　　1915年在巴拿马万国博览会上，中国把茅台酒送去展览、参评。据说主持博览会的美国人觉得装酒的黄瓷瓶不好看，不准茅台酒参展。中国代表团非常气愤。在激烈的争执中，一位中国酒师急中生智，故意把一瓶茅台酒摔到地上，顿时瓶碎酒洒，满屋奇香，各国代表大为惊异。最后，茅台酒被评为“世界名酒”，获得金质大奖。

　　Chinese Wine

　　In China, the history of wine is longer than that of tea. In 1986, a pot of wine excavated in Henan Province was found to have been made more than 3,000 years ago.

　　China has many famous brands of wine——Maotai, Five-Grain Liquor, Fen Liquor, Bamboo-Leaf-Green Liqueur, Luzhou Liquor, Gujing Tribute Wine, Rice Wine, Zhangyu Grape Wine, and Grape Wine of the Great Wall——that enjoy a worldwide reputation.

　　There are more stories about wine in Chinese history. Tao Yuanming, a poet in the Jin Dynasty, could not live without wine for a day. The great poet Li Bai in the Tang Dynasty could "write 100 poems after drinking wine";the more wine he drank, the better the poem would be. Wu Song, a brave man from Liangshan in the Song Dynasty, drank 18 bowls of wine without a break, and then, barehanded, fought a fierce tiger to the death.

　　At the 1915 Panama World Exposition, China wanted to display Maotai, but the American organizers did not think the yellow porcelain bottle was very attractive and refused to allow the spirit to be displayed. The Chinese delegation was very angry. As they were quarreling strongly, a Chinese delegate, having a sudden flash of inspiration, deliberately dropped a bottle of Maotai on the ground. Immediately the bottle was broken, the spirit was sprayed, and the whole room was filled with an exceptional fragrance. Delegates of all countries were amazed. Finally, Maotai was appraised as a "World Famous Brand", winning a golden medal.