Dubbed "academic bars", drinking holes that quench an intellectual thirst for enlightening lectures and lively exchanges are mushrooming across China's big cities.

一類被稱為“學(xué)術(shù)酒吧”的場所在中國各大城市如雨后春筍般涌現(xiàn),，為渴望聆聽啟發(fā)性講座和進(jìn)行熱烈交流的知識分子提供了“解渴”之地,。

On lifestyle platform Xiaohongshu, topics related to academic bars have garnered millions of views, with their popularity in Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou, Guangdong province, accelerating over the summer.

在小紅書上，與學(xué)術(shù)酒吧相關(guān)的話題瀏覽量超百萬,，相關(guān)活動在上海,、北京和廣州的受歡迎程度在夏季顯著提升。

Typically lasting one hour, the lectures are generally free of charge or can be listened to for the price of a drink.

這種活動時長通常為一個小時,，一般是免費(fèi)或僅需支付一杯飲品的費(fèi)用就能參與,。

"Bars or pubs, which provide an informal setting, naturally bridge the psychological distance between the general public and serious academic content," said Bai Anke, a 27-year-old manager of Bunker, a popular academic pub in Shanghai.

27歲的白安可（音譯），是上海一家備受歡迎學(xué)術(shù)酒吧“BUNKER街壘”的經(jīng)理,，她介紹道：“酒吧營造了一種非正式的氛圍,，自然而然地拉近了普通公眾與嚴(yán)肅學(xué)術(shù)內(nèi)容之間的心理距離?！?/p>

"We've noticed that there is a large group of young people in Shanghai who have received higher or overseas education and still pursue serious knowledge after leaving campus."

“我們在上海發(fā)現(xiàn)，有這樣一群接受過高等教育或者有海外留學(xué)經(jīng)歷的年輕人,，他們在離開校園之后仍然在追求深度的知識,?！?/p>

"Being in an informal setting can be more relaxing, and provides a free environment while learning," she said, adding that the availability of alcohol, or other beverages, complements this scenario.

她說：“在非正式的環(huán)境中學(xué)習(xí)會讓人更輕松，同時提供一個自由的學(xué)習(xí)環(huán)境,?！彼€補(bǔ)充,，酒精以及其他飲料也對“學(xué)術(shù)酒吧”的氛圍起到了補(bǔ)充作用,。

Shanghai is believed to be the first city in China to pioneer academic lectures in bars and pubs.

上海被認(rèn)為是中國第一個在酒吧中舉辦學(xué)術(shù)講座的城市。

Two years ago, lectures to popularize biomedical knowledge started in The Tiny Bar in Huangpu district. In May this year, Bunker in Jing'an district, started hosting academic lectures, which unexpectedly sparked interest in the trend among young people on social media platforms.

兩年前,，黃浦區(qū)的“小酒吧”開始舉辦普及生物醫(yī)學(xué)知識的講座。今年五月,，位于靜安區(qū)的“BUNKER街壘”開始舉辦學(xué)術(shù)講座，這一趨勢在社交媒體平臺上意外地引起了年輕人的興趣,。

Bai said they never promoted Bunker as an "academic pub".

白安可表示他們此前從未將“BUNKER街壘”以“學(xué)術(shù)酒吧”的名義進(jìn)行推廣。

"Discussions about work, life or even academic subjects in a pub or cafe are nothing new worldwide. Our lectures were at first inspired and given by the friends of Bunker's previous manager, who is a PhD candidate at Yale University.

“在酒吧或咖啡館里討論工作、生活甚至是學(xué)術(shù)話題,，這在世界上并不罕見。我們的講座最初是由店鋪前經(jīng)理,，一位耶魯大學(xué)博士生的朋友們發(fā)起和主持,?！?/p>

"Since Bunker opened in April last year, we have always expected it to be a public space focusing on public values, and a friendly community where people can talk, communicate, share and grow. We have diverse cultural activities, and the academic content is only part of our vision," Bai said.

“自去年4月開業(yè)以來,，我們一直期望能成為一個以公共價(jià)值為導(dǎo)向的公共空間,，以及一個人們可以交流,、溝通、分享和成長的友好社交空間。我們有豐富的文化活動，而學(xué)術(shù)內(nèi)容只是我們期望里的一部分?！卑装部烧f道,。

Although the origins of the Chinese term "academic bar" are unclear, Bunker earned the sobriquet over the summer.

雖然“學(xué)術(shù)酒吧”這個詞組的起源尚不清楚,，但“BUNKER街壘”卻是在今年夏天獲得了這個稱號。

"Since May, we have held 19 academic lectures in our first summer 'season', and three others after that. About 700 audience members have been to our lectures, with around 30 attending each one-hour lecture due to our limited space," Bai said.

“從五月開始，我們在第一個夏季就舉辦了19場學(xué)術(shù)講座,，之后又舉辦了另外三場。由于場地有限,，每次講座的觀眾人數(shù)約為30人，因此共有約700人參加了我們的講座,?！卑装部杀硎尽?/p>

Bunker's academic lectures require no reservations or advance bookings, with seats secured on a first-come-first-served basis. Bai said sometimes the 30 available seats are all occupied before the staff arrive.

白安可介紹,，學(xué)術(shù)酒吧的講座無需預(yù)訂或提前預(yù)約,，座位按先到先得的原則分配,。她表示，有時甚至在工作人員到達(dá)前,，30個座位就已經(jīng)全部被占滿了,。

Consumption of drinks is not obligatory, she added.

她補(bǔ)充說，場所里的飲料并非強(qiáng)制消費(fèi),。

"We were deeply impressed by a girl standing 31st in the line for one lecture," Bai recalled.

“有一個排隊(duì)第31位的女孩,，我們印象非常深刻?！卑装部烧f,。

"She had just flown back from America and headed directly to our lecture from the airport. She was tearful as we could only have 30 people in the audience.

“她剛從美國飛回來，從機(jī)場直接就趕來聽我們的講座,。由于我們只能容納30名聽眾,，她非常難過無法參加?！?/p>

"But, lucky for her one audience member gave up their seat, which allowed us to welcome her inside. She was very active in listening, discussing and sharing on that day, giving us enormous positive feedback," said Bai.

“但是,，幸運(yùn)的是，一位觀眾主動讓出了自己的座位,，這讓我們得以讓她進(jìn)來,。那天她非常活躍,，積極參與討論和分享,，給我們帶來了極大的正面反饋?！卑装部煞窒碚f,。

The enthusiastic woman characterizes many attendees of academic bar lectures. They are mainly undergraduate and postgraduate students, PhD candidates, researchers, and young office workers, who all share an eagerness for knowledge and are curious about people, culture, life, science, society and the world, Bunker staff said.

這位熱情洋溢的女孩也代表了很多參與學(xué)術(shù)酒吧講座的人。他們有的是本科生,、研究生,、博士生，有的是研究人員和年輕的上班族,，無一不對知識充滿渴望,，對人,、文化,、生活,、科學(xué)、社會和世界都充滿好奇,，“BUNKER街壘”相關(guān)工作人員表示,。

Increasing popularity

熱度提升

Academic bars have gained in popularity through word-of-mouth and the algorithms of social media platforms such as Xiaohongshu and Douyin.

通過口口相傳以及小紅書和抖音等社交媒體平臺的算法推薦，學(xué)術(shù)酒吧變得越來越受歡迎,。

Working with a venue in Jing'an district, Xiaohongshu launched a pop-up academic bar in Shanghai on Sept 7 and 8, featuring more than 10 lectures on topics including philosophy, reading, critical thinking, life experiences, anti-aging technology, and language learning.

今年9月7日至8日,，小紅書于上海靜安區(qū)一地推出了一家快閃學(xué)術(shù)酒吧，涵蓋了哲學(xué),、閱讀,、批判性思維、生活經(jīng)驗(yàn),、抗衰老技術(shù)和語言學(xué)習(xí)等多個主題,，并舉辦了十多場講座。

As the closing event for Xiaohongshu's summer school program, the pop-up bar had attracted 1,500 participants, who were randomly selected online, said Sun Qiyao, head of the Xiaohongshu project.

小紅書項(xiàng)目負(fù)責(zé)人孫琪瑤（音譯）表示,，作為該平臺夏季課程項(xiàng)目的閉幕活動,，這家快閃學(xué)術(shù)酒吧吸引了1500名網(wǎng)上隨機(jī)挑選的參與者。

"This year, we have been focusing more on knowledge that is related to and helpful for individuals, as we found out that young people are actually well-educated. In the fast-paced daily hustle and bustle, they are in need of more knowledge to navigate, safeguard and enrich their lives, such as information and experience on careers, finance, laws, health, psychology and culture," Sun said.

“今年,，我們更加關(guān)注與個人息息相關(guān)且有益的知識,，因?yàn)槲覀儼l(fā)現(xiàn)年輕人受教育程度很高。在快節(jié)奏的日常生活中,，他們需要更多知識來指導(dǎo),、保護(hù)和豐富自己的生活，比如關(guān)于職業(yè),、金融,、法律、健康,、心理學(xué)和文化等方面的信息和經(jīng)驗(yàn),。”孫琪瑤表示,。

She said they were surprised by young people's huge demand for learning and knowledge. The program garnered about 2 billion online views, and 120,000 posts on the platform.

她表示,，年輕人對學(xué)習(xí)和知識的巨大需求讓他們感到驚訝。夏季課程項(xiàng)目相關(guān)發(fā)帖量達(dá)12萬條,，網(wǎng)絡(luò)瀏覽量約20億次,。

With the concept of "learning while relaxing", Xiaohongshu's academic bar's speakers included an editor, writer, debater, science educator, and a stand-up comedian.

以“邊放松邊學(xué)習(xí)”的概念為指導(dǎo)，小紅書學(xué)術(shù)酒吧的演講者包括一位編輯,、一位作家,、一位辯論家,、一位科學(xué)教育家和一位脫口秀演員。

The venue can only host 60 to 80 people, and Sun said that the lectures were so popular they had to turn up the speakers so people gathering outside could hear them.

孫琪瑤表示,，因?yàn)榫瓢蓤龅刂荒苋菁{60至80人,，但講座非常受歡迎，他們不得不把音量調(diào)大,，這樣聚集在門外的人也能聽到,。

Also, the free drinks offered at the partner bar were tailored to echo the lecture themes. Light alcohol was offered to help audiences relax and feel freer to interact.

此外，合作伙伴酒吧提供的免費(fèi)飲料也旨在與講座主題相呼應(yīng),。提供少量酒精飲料有助于讓聽眾放松,，讓他們更自由地互動。

Both Bai and Sun agreed that to some extent, drinks can make the audience members relaxed and "merry enough", which sets academic bars apart from class settings, seminar rooms or cafes. The social lubricant also encourages attendees to be braver in raising questions, joining in discussions, and making new friends.

白安可和孫琪瑤都認(rèn)為,，在某種程度上,，飲料可以讓觀眾成員放松并“足夠愉快”，這就讓學(xué)術(shù)酒吧與課堂,、研討會或咖啡館等其他場合有所區(qū)別,。這種社交潤滑劑還可以鼓勵參與者在提出問題、加入討論和結(jié)交新朋友時更加勇敢,。

Variety of topics

話題多樣

Topics involved at academic bars can vary widely. One topic that was popular was anti-aging technologies. The lecture was presented by Ji Shisan, founder and CEO of Guokr, a popular science website in China.

學(xué)術(shù)酒吧所探討的話題極為廣泛,。其中，抗衰老技術(shù)便是一個熱門話題,。演講者為姬十三,，他是中國著名科學(xué)網(wǎng)站果殼網(wǎng)的創(chuàng)始人兼首席執(zhí)行官。

"I was surprised because the audience members were young — mostly university graduates and office workers under the age of 35," Sun said.

“我很驚訝,，因?yàn)橛^眾都是年輕人——主要是35歲以下的大學(xué)畢業(yè)生和上班族,。”孫琪瑤說道,。

"Ji is not a popular entertainer, and his lecture informed the audience how to face the aging process with advanced technology and equipment, which was showcased on-site.

“雖然姬十三不是一位受歡迎的表演者,，但他的演講向觀眾展示了如何借助先進(jìn)的技術(shù)和設(shè)備來應(yīng)對衰老的過程，并且現(xiàn)場展示了相關(guān)設(shè)備,?！?/p>

"It (the lecture) was very interactive and popular," she said.

“這場講座互動性極強(qiáng)，備受歡迎,?！彼v道。

Another popular lecture was given by Gao Xiang, a 36-year-old visually impaired stand-up comedian more widely known as Dyingsight. Known for sharing details about his barrier-free daily life in a humorous and inspiring way, his lecture attracted about 5,000 online applicants.

另一場頗受歡迎的講座由36歲的盲人脫口秀演員高翔（又名“黑燈”）主講,。他以幽默且鼓舞人心的方式分享了自己無障礙日常生活細(xì)節(jié),，吸引了約5000名網(wǎng)上報(bào)名者。

A psychology major, Gao said he had been curious about academic bars since hearing the term from his wife.

高翔表示，他是心理學(xué)專業(yè)出身,，在妻子那里首次聽到“學(xué)術(shù)酒吧”這個詞后,，便對其產(chǎn)生了好奇。

"It sounds like a place with novelty and diversity, which will pretty much attract artistic people like me," he said.

“它聽起來就像是一個充滿新奇與多樣性的地方,，肯定會吸引像我這樣帶有藝術(shù)氣質(zhì)的人,。”他說道,。

"Lectures at a bar are light in form, rich in content, and more flexible when it comes to time and place."

“在酒吧舉辦的講座形式輕松,，內(nèi)容豐富，在時間和地點(diǎn)安排上也更為靈活,。”

Sun said that posts on Xiaohongshu indicate the ongoing expansion of academic bars — especially outside big cities.

孫琪瑤表示,，小紅書上的帖子表明,，學(xué)術(shù)酒吧仍然在繼續(xù)擴(kuò)張——特別是在大城市以外的地區(qū)。

"I see the essence of the academic bar as a proper space for a certain group of audiences to share and discuss certain topics. So I would say that the 'academic bar' should actually be called the 'knowledge bar'," Sun said.

“在我看來,，學(xué)術(shù)酒吧的本質(zhì)是為特定群體提供一個適宜的空間,，用于分享和探討某些話題。所以,，我覺得‘學(xué)術(shù)酒吧’實(shí)際上應(yīng)當(dāng)被稱作‘知識酒吧’,。”孫琪瑤表示,。

Two-way street

雙向并行

Academic bar organizers, hosts and lecturers are also benefiting from the gatherings.

學(xué)術(shù)酒吧的組織者,、主辦方以及演講者也從中獲得了益處。

Gao said sharing his life experiences through lectures boosts his efforts to make the visually impaired better understood by the wider public.

高翔表示,，通過講座來分享自己的人生經(jīng)歷,，有助于讓盲人能夠被更多公眾所了解。

Diagnosed with juvenile macular degeneration at the age of 13, Gao went through many struggles and challenges before he found new hope in stand-up comedy.

高翔在13歲時就被診斷出患有青少年黃斑變性,，在經(jīng)歷眾多掙扎與挑戰(zhàn)之后,，他在單口喜劇中找到了新的希望。

With humorous accounts of his experiences, he has brought greater public attention to the rare disease and offered newfound confidence to those who have the condition.

他用詼諧的口吻講述了自己的經(jīng)歷,，讓這種罕見的疾病獲得了更多公眾的關(guān)注,，也為患有該疾病的人增添了新的信心。

"The public and society must see and know us first to do something further," he said.

他表示：“大眾和社會必須先認(rèn)識和了解我們,，然后才能夠去做更多的事情,。”

"Xiaohongshu is a big platform with extensive influence, particularly among young people who have the desire to acquire and share knowledge. They represent the future and will soon be the backbone of society. The academic bar is a good chance, and platform, to make them see us."

“小紅書是一個具有廣泛影響力的大平臺,，特別是在那些渴望獲取并分享知識的年輕人當(dāng)中,。年輕人代表著未來，很快就會成為社會的中流砥柱,。學(xué)術(shù)酒吧是一個很棒的機(jī)會和平臺,，能夠讓他們看到我們,。”

Li Chenghao, a 25-year-old PhD candidate in applied economics who attends Antai College of Economics and Management at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, gave a lecture on financial analysis at an academic bar on Sept 20.

25歲的應(yīng)用經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)博士生李承浩（音譯）,，目前就讀于上海交通大學(xué)安泰經(jīng)濟(jì)與管理學(xué)院,。今年9月20日，他在一家學(xué)術(shù)酒吧做了一場有關(guān)金融分析的演講,。

"The lecture was about a published paper of mine. It was still a challenge for me to explain the academic content in simple and brief words to an audience outside the field. Although I was unsure if such a topic would be accessible to them, it turned out quite positive and interactive," Li said.

“講座的內(nèi)容是我發(fā)表的一篇論文,。要用簡單明晰的語言向非本領(lǐng)域的聽眾闡釋學(xué)術(shù)內(nèi)容于我而言是一個挑戰(zhàn)。盡管我不確定這樣的主題對于他們來說是否易于理解,，但結(jié)果卻是非常好,，而且互動性很好?！崩畛泻普f道,。

"I even received some really good and valuable advice from them, as they could see things from different views and aspects based on their various work experiences."

“我甚至從他們那里獲取到了一些極為出色且極有價(jià)值的建議，因?yàn)樗麄兓诟髯圆煌墓ぷ鹘?jīng)驗(yàn),，能夠從不同的角度和方面去看待問題,。”

Liu Qingge, a 31-year-old marketing consultant, frequently attends the academic lectures at Bunker. She has a bachelor's degree in sociology and a master's degree in criminology and values the diverse perspectives and learning atmosphere at these lectures.

31歲的劉青格（音譯）是一位市場顧問,，常常參加“BUNKER街壘”的學(xué)術(shù)講座,。她擁有社會學(xué)學(xué)士學(xué)位和犯罪學(xué)碩士學(xué)位，十分看重這些講座中多元化的觀點(diǎn)和學(xué)習(xí)氛圍,。

"The audiences at the lectures are kind of 'self-selected' ones," she said. "They usually share similar knowledge, interests or curiosity about the same topic, and are willing to learn and be open for discussion.

“講座的聽眾可以說是‘自我選擇’的,，”她說道?！八麄兺ǔτ谕恢黝}有著相似的知識,、興趣或者好奇心，愿意學(xué)習(xí)并且樂于參與討論,?！?/p>

"For me, it is interesting to learn from them, expand my horizons and better understand society and the world," said Liu, noting such lectures can offer the public a broad "general education" on various aspects of life.

“對我而言，向他們學(xué)習(xí)很有意思,，可以拓寬我的視野,，更好地了解社會和世界?！?劉青格指出,，這樣的講座能夠?yàn)楣娞峁╆P(guān)于生活各個方面的廣泛“通識教育”。

Shot in the arm

活力賦能

The booming trend is also injecting new vitality into the hospitality industry. Many people have a negative impression of bars and pubs, but the academic lectures are changing the stereotype. More patrons, especially those who don't drink, are stepping into bars for the very first time.

學(xué)術(shù)酒吧的興起也為酒店行業(yè)注入了新的活力,。許多人對酒吧有著負(fù)面的印象,，但學(xué)術(shù)講座正在改變這種刻板印象。越來越多的顧客，尤其是那些不喝酒的人,，第一次走進(jìn)了酒吧,。

"I think academic bars have found a new path for bars and pubs in China. Actually, bars have an innate cultural quality. These small public cultural spaces for talks and discussions are what we are missing now," said Gao, the stand-up comedian.

“我認(rèn)為學(xué)術(shù)酒吧為中國的酒吧找到了一條新的發(fā)展路徑。實(shí)際上,，酒吧本身就具有一定的文化特質(zhì),。這些供人們交流和討論的小型公共文化空間正是我們現(xiàn)在所缺失的?！泵摽谛阊輪T高翔說,。

However, debate on the worth of academic bars has also accompanied the boom. Some critics have questioned the value of such lectures and the seeming contradiction of "serious" academic issues being discussed in a commercial bar.

然而，伴隨學(xué)術(shù)酒吧的蓬勃發(fā)展,，有關(guān)其價(jià)值的爭論也接踵而至,。一些批判人士對這類講座的價(jià)值提出了質(zhì)疑，也對在商業(yè)酒吧中探討“嚴(yán)肅”學(xué)術(shù)問題的這種矛盾情形表示疑惑,。

Many wonder whether audiences can really learn something in one hour, or just regard it as a way of showing off as being part of an "elite".

很多人會疑惑,，觀眾在短短一個小時內(nèi)是否真能學(xué)到東西，還是僅僅將其視作一種作為“精英”的炫耀手段,。

Organizers, lecturers, audiences and bar staff were unperturbed by the controversy, and view it as a way to publicize the trend.

相關(guān)組織者、講師,、聽眾和酒吧工作人員并未被這一爭議所困擾,，反而將其視為一種推廣潮流的方式。

Sun, head of the Xiaohongshu project, said it is normal for a new trend to gradually find the right direction to head in.

小紅書項(xiàng)目負(fù)責(zé)人孫琪瑤表示,，一種新的潮流趨勢在逐步摸索中找準(zhǔn)正確的方向是很正常的一件事,。

Li, the doctoral candidate, sees the debate as a catalyst to make academic bars more widely known among the public.

博士生李承浩認(rèn)為這場輿論爭議是促使學(xué)術(shù)酒吧更為公眾知曉的催化劑。

Bai said that Bunker will stick to its original goal to create a public space for the community to help the spread of knowledge.

白安可表示,，“BUNKER街壘”會堅(jiān)守其最初的目標(biāo),，即為社區(qū)打造一個公共空間，以推動知識的傳播,。

Liu, the frequenter of the lectures, said academic bars are part of new business forms that represent change, development and fresh opportunities in society.

作為講座?？偷膭⑶喔癖硎荆瑢W(xué)術(shù)酒吧是新型商業(yè)形式的一部分,，代表社會變革,、發(fā)展和新的機(jī)遇。

Instead of being overly criticized or having too great expectations placed on them, they should be encouraged, even though they may be viewed as a marketing gimmick, she said.

她表示,，與其對學(xué)術(shù)酒吧過度批評或寄予過高期望,，不如給予鼓勵，即便這種做法可能會被看作是一種營銷手段,。