最近常看见“腊肉”译成 waxed meat, 而“擂茶”译成 thunder tea。
这根本就是错的！
因为“腊肉”不是“蜡肉”！而“擂茶”也不是“雷茶”！
“腊”是指冬季，而腊肉是旧时冬天腌制的肉类，并非以蜡来腌制肉类！
客家擂茶，是以陶制擂碗将茶叶和各种材料研磨成粉泡制。“擂”就是研磨的意思。这茶与“雷”风马牛不相及。
这两种译法根本就是译者把中文里的同音相近字混淆了。问题是语言是约定俗成的，错久成对，在新加坡，腊肉已变成了“蜡肉”而擂茶也变成了“雷茶”！
In Singapore, it is quite common to see the mention of "waxed meat" (especially around Chinese New Year) and the Hakka Thunder Tea.
Both translations are really a confusion arising from very similar Chinese characters that are homonyms.
The Chinese word for "waxed meat" is 腊肉, which really has nothing got to do with wax. 腊 refers to the winter season, in particular, the last month in the Chinese calendar which is around December or January. As opposed to common misunderstanding, the meat is really not preserved with wax! The problem comes from the confusion with another word 蜡, which means wax. Of course, the waxy and shinny texture and look of the meat does not help. I used to be horrified thinking that the meat is preserved with something like candle wax, and wondered if it isn't detrimental to our health.
The Hakka Thunder Tea, too has nothing got to do with thunder and lightning at all. The Chinese words 擂茶 refers to the tea that is made from pounding the tea leaves along with other ingredients like sesame seeds and peanuts. 擂 refers to the pounding action. It all probably started with some translator who mistook 擂 (meaning pounding) with 雷 (meaning thunder). Both words sound almost the same except for the tone. Well, this has now become the de facto translation in Singapore. You see Thunder Tea in The Straits Times and stores selling this dish. I would be interested to see what is it called in English in Taiwan. I'll watch out for this when I'm there next month.
Meanwhile, I guess I will continue to enjoy Hakka Thunder Tea, but I really won't eat any waxed meat even though there is no wax in it, simply because I'm vegetarian.
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