Young people and alcohol. Yes, that thorny issue is back in the headlines, but not for rowdy, reckless behaviour on account of one too many, but rather students’ studies of how to make the stuff, right here in a city in our very own Jiangsu Province.
年轻人和酒精。是的，这个棘手的问题又回到了头条新闻，但不是因为太多人的粗鲁、鲁莽行为，而是因为在我们江苏省的一个城市里，学生们对如何制造这些东西的研究。
On 14 November, local media headed out to an unspecified university in Huai’an City. There, they found that a course in self-distilling technology had been established, in order to better cultivate talent in the industry.
11月14日，当地媒体前往淮安市一所大学。在那里，他们发现开设了自蒸馏技术课程，以便更好地培养行业人才。
The choice of Huai’an by local education authorities is not without reason. The City is home to some of the highest-quality rice in China. And here, people don’t just eat it, they distill it. Into baijiu, China’s infamous form of hard liquor.
当地教育主管部门选择淮安并非没有理由。该市是中国一些最优质大米的产地。在这里，人们不仅食用它，还蒸馏它。进入白酒，中国臭名昭著的烈酒形式。
Put that with Huai’an’s reputation as “Granary of the World”, and your baijui distillery is just about ready to go.
加上淮安素有“世界粮仓”的美誉，您的白酒酿酒厂即将蓄势待发。
Huang Chuang teaches students enrolled in the Baijiu Brewing Technology course. Therein, they receive 32 class hours of instruction, in which they come to an understanding of baijiu culture, as well learning how to select materials, together with the secrets of yeast, fermentation and distillation.
黄闯为白酒酿造技术课程的学生授课。期间，他们接受了32学时的教学，了解白酒文化，学习如何选择原料，以及酵母、发酵和蒸馏的秘密。
Huang revealed to The Paper that the students are “very interested and involved”, while their assigned homework is to distill a bottle of baijiu by the end of the course. This is then kept sealed and only opened upon graduation.
黄向澎湃透露，学生们“非常感兴趣，也很投入”，而他们的作业就是在课程结束时蒸馏一瓶白酒。然后将其密封，仅在毕业时打开。
Away from any argument over the political correctness of letting students drink very strong alcohol, the distilling of such is an enormous money maker. And the industry needs young talent to come in and in time become the new masters of the game.
抛开任何关于让学生喝烈性酒的政治正确性的争论不谈，蒸馏这种酒是一个巨大的赚钱工具。这个行业需要年轻人才的加入，并及时成为游戏的新主人。
It’s hardly a new concept. But while there are literally thousands of options for aspiring brewmasters, those for distilling are considerably more limited.
这并不是一个新概念。但是，尽管对于有抱负的酿酒师来说实际上有数千种选择，但用于蒸馏的选择却相当有限。
The Distilling University, for example, offers highly specialised, online distilling classes that accentuate the mash-up of art and science in the pursuit of high-quality spirits production.
例如，蒸馏大学提供高度专业化的在线蒸馏课程，强调艺术与科学的融合，以追求高品质的烈酒生产。
Want something in person? Louisville, Kentuky, USA-based Moonshine University (slogan: the highest-proof education money can buy) gives students technical training and business management education for start-ups, industry professionals and those looking for careers in the distilling industry.
想要亲自做点什么吗？位于美国肯塔基州路易斯维尔的 Moonshine 大学（口号：用金钱可以买到的最高水平的教育）为初创企业、行业专业人士和那些在蒸馏行业寻找职业的人提供技术培训和商业管理教育。
But participants in these courses are well over 18. Back in Huai’an, however, we find Yuan Jingxin, a young student taking the baijiu course. “We usually do a lot of experiments related to distilling alcohol and have come to realise that there are many kinds; yellow rice wine and fruit wine, for example”, Jingxin said.
但这些课程的参与者都已超过18岁。然而，回到淮安，我们发现袁景欣，一位正在参加白酒课程的年轻学生。 “我们平时做了很多与蒸馏酒相关的实验，发现酒精的种类有很多，比如黄酒、果酒等。”景欣说。
“I always feel I have succeeded when I have distilled enough baijiu.”
“当我蒸馏出足够的白酒时，我总觉得我已经成功了。”
