美語情景對話 第782期:Chinese New Year 中國新年

Todd: So what exactly is Chinese New Year?

託德：中國新年怎麼過？

Santi: We celebrate once a year and it's just like the same as a New Year in Western countries, but we celebrate in ... like special ... different dates every year.

桑蒂：我們一年慶祝一次，基本和西方國家的新年一樣，不過我們在每年的特定日期慶祝。

Todd: So it's a flexible calendar?

託德：每年時間都不一樣嗎？

Santi: Yes. My grandmother knows it but I don't. And especially for dinner we have a special arrangement in the table, like seven ... well, seven is a lucky number so seven types of dishes and then we got like money from our elders.

桑蒂：對，我奶奶很清楚，不過我不太知道。過年時，晚飯的菜餚會有精心安排，七是幸運數字，所以一般晚飯會準備七道菜，晚飯過後我們會從長輩那裏得到壓歲錢。

Todd: You get money?

託德：你會收到錢？

Santi: Yes, we get money but we don't get presents. We get money.

桑蒂：對，我們會收到壓歲錢，不是禮物。我們收到的是壓歲錢。

Todd: So when you get this money, what do you normally do with it? Like do they give you money and are you supposed to, like buy gifts, or are you supposed to put it away for savings?

託德：那一般你的壓歲錢都怎麼花？你收到錢後是會去買禮物，還是存起來？

Santi: I think they want us to just save the money in case like for rainy days and then ... but most of my cousins just spend it for buying things like clothes, bags, shoes, but in my family it's kind of different, so whenever I get money I just give it to my mother.

桑蒂：我認爲長輩是想讓我們存起來以備不時之需，我的表兄弟表姐妹一般會用壓歲錢買衣服、書包和鞋之類的東西，不過我們家有些不一樣，我收到壓歲錢以後會交給我媽媽。

Todd: For your mom to keep for herself or for your mom to save for you?

託德：是給你媽媽了還是讓你媽媽幫你存起來？

Santi: I don't know. I'm not very good at money so it's better for me to just give it to my mother and she will allocate it.

桑蒂：我也不清楚。我不太擅長存錢，所以交給我媽媽，讓她分配比較好。

Todd: Well, actually, I think that's also a Chinese tradional also in the United States where I think that Chinese families, isn't it custom for children actually to give their parents a portion of their money?

託德：我想這也算是中國的傳統，我認爲在美國的中國家庭也會這樣做，孩子給父母錢是中國家庭的習俗，對嗎？

Santi: Yes.

桑蒂：對。

Todd: Which is actually, I think makes a lot of sense.

託德：我覺得這很合理。

Santi: Well, because we trust our mother. We trust our parents beyond reason sometimes and I think it's good.

桑蒂：因爲我們相信媽媽。沒有什麼理由，我們相信我們的父母，我覺得這樣很好。

Todd: So always give a little money up?

託德：所以你經常會給媽媽錢？

Santi: Yes.

桑蒂：對。

Todd: I agree. I agree. Although I hope my mom's not listening. She's gonna expect some money from me.

託德：我同意，我同意這種做法。不過我希望我媽媽沒有在聽這期節目。她會期待我給她錢的。

Santi: And I feel better whenever my mom just gives me money to spend it ... not my ... just my entire money and then I spend it. I feel awful.

桑蒂：我媽媽給我零花錢時，我感覺很好。

Todd: Oh, cause you feel like you've contributed some as well.

託德：因爲你覺得這裏面也有你的貢獻。

Santi: Yes.

桑蒂：對。

Todd: Good point.

託德：說得好。

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重點講解：
1. be supposed to do sth. （按計劃或期望）應當，應該，須；
例句：We're supposed to check our luggage in before 5:00.
我們應在5點鐘前托運行李。
2. put away 把…收起；放好；
例句：Her bed was crisply made, her clothes put away.
她的牀收拾得很整潔，衣服也收起來了。
3. make sense （行爲方式）有道理，合乎情理；
例句：In evolutionary terms, this correlation may make sense.
從進化論角度看，這種說法也是有道理的。
4. as well 也；還；
例句：The consumer is getting screwed by cover charges as well.
這名消費者也被詐取了服務費。