Valentine's Day
A British journalist is interviewing a passers-by at a high street in
Beijing. You are doing the interpreting work for him.
B: Hello! It's going to be Valentine's Day. I see florists, card shops and chocolate vendors here are all doing very well in business. Are you celebrating it, too? P: 这是一个很浪漫的节日,我会跟我的女朋友一起出去吃晚饭,我也给她买了礼物。 B: Are you preparing to celebrate the Chinese Valentine's Day this year? When is it - is it on the seventh day of the seventh month? P: 啊,你是说七夕吗? 我对七夕真的没有什么概念,那个牛郎织女的传说好像很含蓄,让人很伤感,没有这个西洋的情人节浪漫。你好象很了解中国的传统节日! B: Yes, I think Qi Xi festival does have its own charming customs, though not as lavish. Do you think your friends will be more likely to celebrate the Western Valentine instead of the traditional? P: 年轻人都喜欢过这个节日,喜欢凑热闹也是人类的天性,这恐怕也不只是西方文化的影响。 B: Do you or any of your friends know the history of Valentine's Day? P: 不太清楚,一定是跟宗教有关系吧?西方的很多节日都是宗教性的。不过不了解也没有关系,我想很多西方人也不一定知道吧? B: Not many Chinese that I know of would know about Qi Xi very well. Could you tell me how you got to hear about it? P: 这是一个很有名的传说,我很小的时候就听我爷爷奶奶讲过,一些传统的剧里面也有。对了,小学语文课本里也有牛郎织女的故事。但是这跟西方的情人节意义不完全一样,我们小时候一般是全家人坐在院子里看银河,吃点心,不一定是情侣两个人单独在一起。 |