According to the International Journal of Entrepreneurship, changes in French drinking habits are visible through successive generations. People in their 60s and 70s grew up seeing wine on the table at every meal. Those in their 40s and 50s see wine as an occasional indulgence. And members of the internet generation do not even start taking an interest in wine until their mid-20s. For them, wine is a product they need persuading is worth their money.
What worries people is the effect the change is having on the concept of French civilisation. They fear that time-honoured values, such as conviviality, tradition and appreciation of the good things in life, are on the way out.
Veteran observer of his nation's way of life, French writer Theodore Zeldin, thinks that a business-style culture has made inroads into France - the bane of all those who prefer to take the time to savour things.
"Companionship has been replaced by networking. Business means busy-ness, and in that way we are becoming like everywhere else," he says.
But Zeldin refuses to abandon hope. "The old French 'art of living' is still there. It's an ideal. It's a bit like the English gentleman. You don't often find an English gentleman, but the ideal is there and it informs society as a whole," he says.
And what survives is "the feeling you get in France that in human relations we need to do more than just conduct business. We have a duty to entertain, to converse. It's about taking your time. After all, that is one of the great things about wine. You can't swig it."
Quiz 測驗 1. Which generation seems to be the least interested in wine?
The internet generation.
2. Which traditional values form part of French civilisation, according to the article?
Conviviality, tradition and appreciation of the good things in life.
3. Is this statement true or false? French people have a reputation for spending a long time chatting and drinking.
True.
4. Which expression means 'something that is on the verge of becoming unfashionable'?
On the way out.
5. Which verb means 'to drink something in large mouthfuls'?
To swig.
Glossary 词汇表 regular經常的，定期的 in decline正在減少 a traditionalist一個因循守舊的人 iconic標誌性的 cultural heritage文化遺產 drinking habit飲酒習慣 generation一代人 occasional偶爾的 indulgence放縱，嗜好 to take an interest對某事產生興趣 to persuade使信服，勸說 civilisation文明、文化 time-honoured values由來已久的價值觀 conviviality高興，歡宴 tradition傳統 on the way out正在消失 to make inroads into (something)侵襲某物 to savour盡情享受，細細品嚐 networking社交 an ideal理想，典範 to inform滲透入，賦（特徵或思想）於
