《杯酒人生》：品评黑葡萄酒

        摘自77届奥斯卡热门影片《杯酒人生》(Sideways)中Maya与Miles的一段对话。—— Miles热衷品酒，在这里他评论Pinot Noir的几句感悟准确、精到，堪称艺术英语的典范。影片英文原名“Sideways”，也暗指以酒为喻、别开他途的人生理解。

        Maya: Why are you so into Pinot Noir? I mean, it's like a thing with you.

        Miles: I don't know, um, it's a hard grape to grow, as you know, right? It's thin-skinned, temperamental, ripens¹ early, you know. It's not a survivor² like Cabernet, which can just grow anywhere and thrive even when it's neglected. No, Pinot Noir needs constant care and attention. In fact, it can grow only in these really specific tucked-away corners of the world. And only the most patient and nurturing³ of growers can do it, really. Only somebody who really takes the time to understand Pinot Noir's potential can then coax⁴ it into its full expression. And then, I mean, oh, its flavors. They're just the most haunting and brilliant and thrilling and subtle and ancient on the planet. No, I mean you know, cabernets can be powerful and exalting⁵ too, but they seem prosaic⁶ to me, by comparison. What about you?

重点讲解

        Pinot Noir是一种黑葡萄酒，下面提到的Cabernet则是一种味道普通的红葡萄酒。Miles是说，与Cabernet的生长不同，Pinot Noir需要不断的爱护与关注，它精致却娇嫩，就像空谷幽兰；只有肯花时间去了解它的人才有可能领悟、发掘它的潜质。

        be into相当于be interested in，be fond of，意思是喜欢，对某事感兴趣。thing是指特别着迷于某事。 

        一些描述这种葡萄特性的形容词：薄皮的（thin-skinned）、敏感的（temperamental）、生于隐蔽角落的（in tucked-away corner）。其中，tuck本意是折起来、叠起来，tucked-away就用来形容不易被发现的、隐蔽的地方。 

        之后Miles又用了一组形容词描述这种葡萄酒的味道：绵长（haunting）、夺目（brilliant）、震撼（thrilling）、精致（subtle）、古老（ancient）。其中，haunt本意是神出鬼没、徘徊不去，变为形容词的haunting常常用来形容在记忆中挥之不去、难以忘怀的事物。 

        最后，在与红葡萄酒的比较中又用了三个词，说Cabernet虽然劲很大（powerful）、喝起来飘飘欲仙（exalting），但和Pinot Noir比，就显得有些平庸（prosaic）了。prosaic总是与poetic相对出现，前者的意思是散文化的、平淡的；后者的意思是诗意的、有味道的。

        再特别讲讲其中的一个表达。Miles说只有园丁最大的耐心与培育才能让Pinot Noir生长，才能coax it into its full expression。coax本意是哄、耐心地使，这里是说，就像使尽心思哄女孩子开心、使她展现出各种各样的风情，只有那些用心去发现、去感受的人，才能体味到Pinot Noir的丰厚内涵。