【利物浦】酒吧文化 Pubs on Hardman @ il Giardino Romantico

Drink Responsibly

開車勿飲酒、飲酒勿開車。

I often say to people who wish to befriend the locals (and this was also said to me before my own arrival), that there are two essential factors that would help formulate a bond between you and your British friend - football and drinks. People in the UK, not just England, love to drink. But the culture of drinking is so different from that of Taiwan. Many deem drinking to be an immoral conduct because of how the media and TV programmes present drinking culture. In reality, those with a superior status, either in the domestic or social sense, often challenge their subordinates into drinking to prove their loyalty or respect for them. Peers also use drinking as a way of 'saving face'. This is the reason why people, even those who enjoy their drinks, are often held back from going out.

我常常跟別人說，想跟英國當地的人交朋友，有兩個關鍵（事實上別人也曾對我說過類似的話），那就是：足球跟酒。英國人，不只是英格蘭人，都很喜歡喝酒，可是文化上與台灣的差距很大。許多人覺得喝酒是壞事。因為我們的媒體跟電視就是這樣呈現喝酒文化。實際上，長輩、上司，也很喜歡以酒量來衡量一個人對自己的尊敬與忠心。朋友間也喜歡以酒量來顧面子。這也是為什麼大家會開始對＂應酬＂產生反感。

In the UK, however, and most probably in the whole of the west, people drink to relax, enjoy, and socialise. Few will exert pressure onto you while you drink. You have the freedom to drink at your own pace, and the freedom to choose what you want to drink. This is the reason why I enjoyed the pub culture in the UK so much. Because despite the fact that most people are already under the impression that I'm an alcoholic, the fact of the matter is, I despise being forced into drinking to prove anything.

不過在英國，或甚至整個西方文化裡，喝酒是爲了要放鬆以及與朋友交際。非常少數會在你的酒量上施壓。你可以依照自己喜歡的速度喝，也可以自由選擇自己想要喝什麼。這就是為什麼我會這麼喜歡英國的pub文化。雖然許多人早已把我定位為＂酒鬼＂，但事實上我是非常討厭強迫性的喝酒的。

This article, as well as the next, will hopefully fulfil the curiosity of those who wish to know what pubs in the UK are like. But more importantly, they are fragments of memories that are securely locked deep down in my heart.

希望此篇文章，以及下一篇即將刊登的，能滿足大家對於英國pub的相貌的好奇心。不過最重要的還是，這些都鎖在我心裡最深處的快樂回憶。

Fly in the Loaf

Fly in the Loaf is an old building, refurbished from an old bakery. Some of the furniture and parts of the building have been retained, which gives the pub a retro kind of atmosphere. The pricing may be a bit high compared to others, but they do have a lot of imported beer.

Fly in the Loaf的建築看起來很古老。事實上是從一間麵包店改裝。有些桌椅擺設以及內部裝潢甚至保留至今。雖然價錢比起其他間顯得有點貴，但他們確實是有提供許多異國啤酒。

The Cambridge

The Cambridge is located right on the campus of the University of Liverpool. This is the place where professors, staff, and students come for a quick drink to relax, or conduct academic discussions. This is probably you will never see in Taiwan - a pub on campus.

The Cambridge就位於利物浦大學校內。這是教授們、教職人員們、以及學生會來放鬆或者討論學術相關議題的場所。這種位於校園內的pub，應該不太可能在台灣看到吧？

Hannah's

Hannah's is a very trendy pub. Different from the Fly in the Loaf, it is more 'musical'. You will find more younger people here than the Fly. The unique thing about this place is that during a fine summer day (which is rare... ), the roof will be removed, and the whole pub is transformed into a semi-outdoor setting.

Hannah's 是個非常具有時尚感的pub。與Fly in the Loaf不同之處是這間有播放音樂。在這裡會有比較多的年輕族群光顧。不過最特別的是，夏天天氣不錯的時候（很難），有一部份的屋頂會被打開，成為一個半戶外的空間。

The Flute

The Flute is the place I think I've visited more than any other pubs. The reason for that, is because this is the place we often come to watch football games. The drinks are slightly cheaper than other places, and there are more telly screens than other pubs.

我想the Flute應該是我光顧過最多次的一間。因為這裡看球賽比較方便（螢幕比較多）、酒也賣的比其他地方較為便宜。

The Bumper is the most notorious pub amongst my friends. It is located closest to campus, thus closest to the halls where most of my friends would have to eventually return to at the end of a night out. This is the reason why it is often the last place we'd end up at. I think this comes closest to what pubs are like in Taiwan.

The Bumper是最糟糕的一間pub了吧。因為他離校園最近，所以也是距離我們出去狂歡要回宿舍路途上最近的。這總是我們最後才到的地方。我覺得這間應該會比較類似台灣所熟悉的＂夜店＂吧。

Insatiable? More to come. Stay tuned.
還不夠嗎？未完待續。敬請期待。