Let’s face it – most of us can’t resist a cup of tea or coffee sometimes. They’re a perfect pick-me-up and comforter. But there are alternative beverages, so why have we chosen these as our go-to drinks to soothe our hectic lives? And which one is superior?

让我们面对现实吧——我们大多数人有时无法抗拒一杯茶或咖啡。它们是完美的提神剂和被子。但是有替代饮料，那么为什么我们选择这些作为我们的首选饮料来舒缓我们忙碌的生活呢？哪个更好？

Let’s start with tea – it’s the second most consumed drink in the world. For many – especially the British – having a ‘cuppa’ is a daily ritual. The caffeine contained in it helps wake you up in the morning, and throughout the day we’ll make a brew to distract us from our work or to be sociable. And according to some scientists, habitual tea consumption can have some health benefits. Andrew Steptoe, a professor from University College London’s Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, told BBC Food that drinking black tea “may speed up recovery from the daily stresses in life… but we do not know what ingredients of tea were responsible for these effects on stress recovery and relaxation”.

让我们从茶开始——它是世界上第二大消费饮料。对于许多人来说——尤其是英国人——喝杯茶是一种日常仪式。它所含的咖啡因有助于在早上叫醒您，而且我们会在一整天内冲泡咖啡来分散我们的工作注意力或促进社交。根据一些科学家的说法，经常喝茶对健康有好处。伦敦大学学院流行病学和公共卫生系教授安德鲁·斯特普托 (Andrew Steptoe) 告诉 BBC Food，喝红茶“可能会加快从生活中的日常压力中恢复过来……但我们不知道茶的哪些成分对这些影响负责压力恢复和放松”。

Coffee is tea’s ‘trendier’ rival. Its popularity has grown over the years, and this is reflected in the number of coffee shops we see around – places to hang out, do business or catch up with friends. Coffee can taste great and can be served in many ways, but it’s sometimes how you have it that can be seen as a status symbol or the preserve of hipsters! Of course, it gives you a strong caffeine hit – roughly double of that contained in tea. However, too much can lead to anxiety. Sleep scientist Matt Walker told the BBC that caffeine can decrease the amount of restorative deep sleep you have.

咖啡是茶的“更时髦”的竞争对手。它的受欢迎程度多年来一直在增长，这反映在我们周围看到的咖啡店数量上——闲逛、做生意或与朋友聚会的地方。咖啡味道好极了，饮用方式也多种多样，但有时您喝咖啡的方式会被视为身份的象征或时髦人士的专利！当然，它会给你带来强烈的咖啡因冲击——大约是茶中所含咖啡因的两倍。然而，太多会导致焦虑。睡眠科学家马特·沃克 (Matt Walker) 告诉 BBC，咖啡因会减少您恢复性深度睡眠的时间。

But some scientists say drinking coffee – and green tea – can also be good for us. Researchers at Osaka University linked drinking a daily cup of coffee with a lower risk of death among both stroke survivors and healthy people, while drinking seven or more cups of green tea was associated with a lower risk of death among both heart attack and stroke survivors. So, whether we turn to coffee or tea for its taste, its image or as a lifestyle choice, it could be a lifesaver!

但一些科学家表示，喝咖啡和绿茶对我们也有好处。大阪大学的研究人员认为，每天喝一杯咖啡可以降低中风幸存者和健康人的死亡风险，而喝七杯或更多绿茶可以降低心脏病发作和中风幸存者的死亡风险。因此，无论我们转向咖啡或茶是因为它的味道、形象还是作为一种生活方式的选择，它都可能是我们的救命稻草！

词汇表

pick-me-up 提神的东西
hectic 忙碌的，繁忙的
ritual 习惯，日常活动
sociable 合群的，喜欢社交的
habitual 惯常的，习惯性的
health benefit 给健康带来的好处
stress 精神压力
relaxation 放松
hang out （与某人）消磨时光，“泡” 在某个地方
catch up 叙旧，唠家常
status symbol 社会地位的象征
hipster 潮人
anxiety 焦虑
lifestyle choice 生活方式选择
lifesaver 帮上大忙的事物或人