Dear Aunt Mei,
My parents will celebrate their fiftieth wedding anniversary on October 12, and we are planning a small celebration at Riverside Hall. Nothing formal: no long speeches and no hired symphony orchestra, just good food and old photographs on the wall.
The short ceremony starts at six, but please come at five if you can. Uncle Wen wants to show everyone the portrait he painted of them last winter.
Could you let me know before the end of September whether you can come? The hall needs to know how many guests to expect. If driving that far worries you, my brother will gladly pick you up.
Love,
Ting
親愛的美阿姨：
我爸媽將在十月十二日慶祝結婚五十週年，我們打算在河濱會館辦一場小型慶祝會。一切從簡：沒有冗長致詞，也沒有請交響樂團，只有好吃的食物和牆上的老照片。
簡短的儀式六點開始，但如果可以的話請五點就到。文叔叔想讓大家看看他去年冬天為他們畫的那幅肖像。
可以請您在九月底前告訴我能不能來嗎？會館必須知道賓客人數。如果您擔心開那麼遠的車，我哥哥很樂意去接您。
愛您的
婷
Autumn Lantern Parade — Saturday, November 18
Members of the Neighborhood Association will wear yellow hats. Ask them if you lose a child or need first aid. Light rain will not stop the event, but strong wind may postpone it to the following Saturday.
秋季燈籠遊行 —— 十一月十八日星期六
社區協會的成員會戴黃色帽子。若走失孩童或需要急救，請向他們求助。小雨不會影響活動，但強風可能使活動延到下一個星期六。
Greetings differ far more than travelers expect. In parts of southern Europe friends touch cheeks twice when they meet; a few hours down the road, three times is normal. Get the number wrong and you may watch a stranger blush.
Northern Europeans often prefer a short handshake, while in much of East Asia a small bow is the conventional greeting. None of these habits is more correct than the others; each is simply a local convention learned in childhood.
Visitors worry far too much about such mistakes. Watch what the people around you do, copy it, and smile. Curiosity, not perfect manners, is what a guest is remembered for.
打招呼的方式差異之大，遠超過旅人的想像。在南歐部分地區，朋友見面時會碰兩次臉頰；再往前幾小時車程，碰三次才正常。次數弄錯，你可能會看到對方臉紅。
北歐人通常偏好簡短的握手，而在東亞大部分地區，微微鞠躬才是傳統的招呼方式。這些習慣沒有哪一種比較正確；每一種都只是從小學來的地方習俗。
旅客太過擔心這類失誤了。看看身邊的人怎麼做，照著做，然後微笑。人們記得一位客人的，是他的好奇心，而不是完美的禮節。
A magazine asked 500 readers to choose the one thing they enjoy most during the New Year holiday.
| Activity | City readers | Country readers |
|---|---|---|
| Watching the parade | 36% | 15% |
| Eating with family | 27% | 44% |
| Visiting a temple | 21% | 30% |
| Traveling abroad | 16% | 11% |
Each reader chose one answer only. The survey was carried out last January.
某雜誌請 500 位讀者選出新年假期中最享受的一件事。
| 活動 | 都市讀者 | 鄉村讀者 |
|---|---|---|
| 看遊行 | 36% | 15% |
| 與家人聚餐 | 27% | 44% |
| 到廟裡參拜 | 21% | 30% |
| 出國旅行 | 16% | 11% |
每位讀者只能選一個答案。這項調查於去年一月進行。