"世博人家":向世界展示上海生活

The 2010 World Expo is coming in just eight days. Millions of visitors from all over the world will come to Shanghai for this grand display of world culture. 2010年世博会即将在8天后拉开帷幕。全球数以万计的游客届时将光临上海参加这场盛大的世界文化展览。

However, when you want a quiet and cozy place to stay after your exciting tour of the Expo Park, a homestay is probably a good choice, because you can experience more here compared to other accommodations.

但当你在经历世博会激情之旅后想要找个安静、舒适的地方休息时，"世博人家"当算是个不错的选择，因为相比其他的住所，这里会带给你更多上海风情。

"We hope visitors who come to the Expo will be able to experience our Shanghai citizens' daily lives. And we would like to introduce our Shanghai culture and our harmonious family to those friends from other countries."

"我们希望到世博会游览的客人们能够体验到上海市民的日常生活。我们也非常想将上海文化和和谐家庭介绍给世界各国的友人。"

This is the hostess of a homestay family, 64-year-old retired teacher Ye Pinghua. She is one of the hundreds of Chinese families who are getting ready to welcome foreign visitors into their homes.

"世博人家"的参与者、64岁的退休教师叶萍华如是说。他们家是准备欢迎外国游客到家居住的数百个家庭之一。

She says they don't use standard white bed sheets because they want to give the guests a homey feeling. All the used bedspreads and pillowcases will be sent to their community's Expo laundry service for washing.

她说，他们不使用标准的白色床单，因为他们想给客人一个家的感觉。所有用过的床单和枕套将会由社区世博会洗衣服务处负责洗涤。

The community also provides bedding and other disposable daily necessities for guests.

该社区还给客人提供床上用品和其他一次性日用品。

In order to provide guests a cozy atmosphere, the hostess has redecorated her home.

为了给客人营造一个舒适的环境，女主人已经重新装修她的家。

"We bought new furniture when we redecorated the room. It cost us about 20,000 yuan. And also we replaced our old washing machine and fridge as well as the curtains. So we spent a total of about 50,000 yuan."

"我们装修后买了新家具，花了2万元。我们还换了旧的洗衣机、冰箱和窗帘。算下来，我们总共花了约5万元。"

Besides support to provide comfortable living conditions, the host family has also received training.

除了给予舒适住所的支持外，接待家庭还接受了培训。

"We have done a lot of training, including English speaking, Japanese flower arranging and cooking."

"我们接受了很多方面的培训，包括英语、日式插花和烹饪。"

Ye says her family is very happy to have been chosen as an Expo homestay family.

叶老师说她家人非常高兴被选入"世博人家"计划。

And she feels it's her responsibility to do it well, because her family is presenting their community, city and even the entire country to the world.

而且她认为将此事做好是她的责任，因为她家代表了她的社区、城市、乃至整个国家的形象。

Zhu Jianguo is vice director of the Shanghai Tourism Administration. He explains:

上海市旅游局朱建国副主任解释说：

"The 2010 Expo homestay program combines family, community, folk and ethnic culture. Our initiative is also linked with hotels, catering and cultural elements. It's designed to show everyday life in Shanghai to the whole country and the world."

"2010年‘世博人家'计划将家庭、社区、市民和民族文化有机结合在一起。这个计划还与宾馆、餐饮和文化元素相联。它的目的是向全国和全世界展示上海的日常生活。"

Event organizers are also encouraging tourists to stay in hotels in nearby cities during the event. They're predicting a shortage of hotel rooms in Shanghai during the peak of the 2010 World Expo.

活动组织者还鼓励旅客在活动期间住在附近城市的宾馆里。他们预测在世博会高峰期上海的宾馆会出现短缺。