Michael Chugani 褚简宁 - Pass｜又中又英

When people in the West go out to dinner, it is common to start with an aperitif, wine, or a cocktail while they look at the menu. It is also common to have wine or a cocktail during dinner. People who enjoy drinking even have a cognac after dinner or a nightcap. For me, that’s too much alcohol. I have either wine, whiskey, or a martini before and during dinner. I always pass on a cognac or a nightcap. An aperitif is an alcoholic drink before dinner. A nightcap is a drink some people have before going to bed.

The word “pass” has many meanings but if you pass on something it means you choose not to do it. Most restaurants in the West serve alcohol. Hong Kong restaurants also have alcoholic drinks except for small ones or cha chaan tengs. But you will be hard-pressed to find a restaurant in Taiwan that serves alcohol. The expression hard-pressed used this way means having a lot of difficulty doing something. When I first arrived in Taipei I went with friends to a restaurant for dinner. I wanted a whiskey before dinner but was told the restaurant doesn’t serve alcohol.

Another time I went to an American-style restaurant that serves steak, pizza, and hamburgers. Words failed me when I realized the restaurant didn’t serve alcohol. If words fail you, it means you are so shocked you don’t know what to say. How can a restaurant that serves steak not have wine? My friends laughed and said people in Taiwan who like to drink go to a bar after dinner. Luckily, I found a few bars that also serve pizza and several other dishes.
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西方的人外出晚餐时，看餐牌普遍都是以开胃酒（aperitif）、葡萄酒又或鸡尾酒开始。用餐期间佐以葡萄酒又或一杯鸡尾酒，亦很常见。喜欢喝酒的人，甚至会来一杯晚餐后的干邑白兰地，或一杯睡前夜酒（nightcap），但这对我来说是太多酒了。我会于晚餐前及用餐期间，要一杯葡萄酒、威士忌又或马天尼，而干邑又或夜酒（nightcap）我则总会谢绝（pass）。An aperitif是晚餐前的开胃酒；a nightcap则是一些人在睡前喝的夜酒。

Pass一字有许多意思，但若你 pass on something意即你选择不去做。西方大部份餐厅都会供应酒类饮品。香港的食肆都会有酒类饮品供应，除了小店或茶餐厅。但在台湾，要找一间可以喝酒的餐厅你会很 hard-pressed——习语 hard-pressed在这里是指做某事时要面临很多困难。当我初到埗台北时，跟一些朋友上餐馆吃晚餐。我想在晚餐前要杯威士忌，却被告知餐厅并不供应酒类饮品。

另一次，我去了一间吃牛扒、薄饼和汉堡包的美式餐厅。当我知道这间餐厅照样不卖酒时，实在是words fail me——若 words fail you，意即你惊讶得说不出话来。一间吃牛扒的餐厅怎么可能不卖酒？我的朋友们笑了，说在台湾喜欢喝酒的人会在晚餐后去酒吧。还好，我找到几间也有供应薄饼和其他几款菜肴的酒吧。　 　中译：七刻
Michael Chugani 褚简宁