实战口语情景对话 第782期:Chinese New Year 中国新年

Todd: So what exactly is Chinese New Year?
托德：中国新年怎么过？

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：我们一年庆祝一次，基本和西方国家的新年一样，不过我们在每年的特定日期庆祝。

Todd: So it's a flexible calendar?
托德：每年时间都不一样吗？

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：对，我奶奶很清楚，不过我不太知道。过年时，晚饭的菜肴会有精心安排，七是幸运数字，所以一般晚饭会准备七道菜，晚饭过后我们会从长辈那里得到压岁钱。

Todd: You get money?
托德：你会收到钱？

Santi: Yes, we get money but we don't get presents. We get money.
桑蒂：对，我们会收到压岁钱，不是礼物。我们收到的是压岁钱。

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?
托德：那一般你的压岁钱都怎么花？你收到钱后是会去买礼物，还是存起来？

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：我认为长辈是想让我们存起来以备不时之需，我的表兄弟表姐妹一般会用压岁钱买衣服、书包和鞋之类的东西，不过我们家有些不一样，我收到压岁钱以后会交给我妈妈。

Todd: For your mom to keep for herself or for your mom to save for you?
托德：是给你妈妈了还是让你妈妈帮你存起来？

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。我不太擅长存钱，所以交给我妈妈，让她分配比较好。

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?
托德：我想这也算是中国的传统，我认为在美国的中国家庭也会这样做，孩子给父母钱是中国家庭的习俗，对吗？

Santi: Yes.
桑蒂：对。

Todd: Which is actually, I think makes a lot of sense.
托德：我觉得这很合理。

Santi: Well, because we trust our mother. We trust our parents beyond reason sometimes and I think it's good.
桑蒂：因为我们相信妈妈。没有什么理由，我们相信我们的父母，我觉得这样很好。

Todd: So always give a little money up?
托德：所以你经常会给妈妈钱？

Santi: Yes.
桑蒂：对。

Todd: I agree. I agree. Although I hope my mom's not listening. She's gonna expect some money from me.
托德：我同意，我同意这种做法。不过我希望我妈妈没有在听这期节目。她会期待我给她钱的。

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：我妈妈给我零花钱时，我感觉很好。

Todd: Oh, cause you feel like you've contributed some as well.
托德：因为你觉得这里面也有你的贡献。

Santi: Yes.
桑蒂：对。

Todd: Good point.
托德：说得好。