Lesson 3:Have you wrapped your Christmas presents
Three Have you wrapped your Christmas presents?
你
圣诞礼物包好
吗？
Introduction
A Whereas
most important holiday
China
Spring Festival (also known as
Chinese New Year), America’s most popular holiday
Christmas. As Chinese kids get “lucky money” from their parents
relatives, American children get Christmas presents from Santa Claus.
如中国最重要
节日
春节（也叫过年）
样，美国最大众
节日就
圣诞节。中国小孩
父母和亲戚给“压岁钱”，美国小孩
从圣诞老人那里得到圣诞礼物。
B From early November until January, American homes
stores are decorated with Christmas trees
colorful lights. Similarly, Chinese homes are decorated with Spring Festival couplets
streets are full
red lanterns.
从十
月初到
月份，美国
房屋、商店都布置
圣诞树和彩灯。相仿地，中国
房子也被春联装饰着，街
挂满
灯笼。
C Easter was borrowed from
Pagan Festival celebrating
rebirth
the sun. It was adapted by Christianity
be interpreted as
resurrection
Jesus. One American tradition associated with Easter
the Easter egg hunt. Brightly colored eggs are hidden
children
try
find. Sometimes hidden amongst
other eggs
what we call “a lucky egg”. If you find
lucky egg, you win
prize.
复活节
借用
异教徒节庆祝太阳
复活。后被基督教采用诠释为耶稣
复活。美国
复活节
传统，那就
寻找复活节彩蛋。色彩鲜艳
彩蛋被藏起来让小孩子们去找。
时候被藏在其它蛋中间
那
就
我们所说
“幸运蛋”。如果你找到这
幸运蛋，奖品就
你赢
。
D Sending cards
special occasions--- such as Christmas, New Year, Mother’s Day,
birthdays – has been an American tradition. But sending cards
less common than before since computers have become so popular.
在特殊
场合寄送卡片——比如圣诞节，新年，母亲节以及生日——已经成
美国
种传统。但
由于电脑受到如此亲睐，寄送卡片也没
以前那么普遍
。
2 Sample Sentences
. Christmas
just around
corner.
圣诞节就要到
。
2. I can’t wait
see my father.
我只想立即见我
父亲。
3. We are expected
Christmas.
我们在盼着圣诞节
到来。
4. This year my mother will cook
twenty-five pound turkey.
今年我妈妈会烹饪
二十五磅
火鸡。
5. Is everyone still coming
Christmas dinner at your apartment this year?
今年每
人还
会来你家吃圣诞大餐吗？
6. When will we have
Easter egg hunt?
我们什么时候开始找复活节彩蛋？
7. Who
going
play
Easter Bunny this year?
今年谁扮演复活节小兔子？
8. Are you coming
the New Year’s Eve party this year?
今年你会来参加除夕晚会吗？
9. What time
the hanging
the green at church?
教堂什么时候开始为圣诞节装饰？
0. Have you put up your Christmas lights
front
the yard yet?
你
没
把圣诞彩灯挂在后院门口？
3 Conversations
. Lo Fen,
Chinese agronomist
,
staying with
Helms family
Iowa. It's Christmas Eve.
Lo Fen: Your tree looks beautiful. Do you decorate
this way every year?
Mrs. Helms: Yes, it's
family tradition dating back to2 my childhood. We use
same lights
ornaments3, but
course we have
new tree each year.
(She hands her
delicate glass ball.)
Mrs. Helms: The children made some
these decorations. Here, you can hang this
one
those high branches.
(Lo stands
a ladder
reach
upper limbs.)
Mr. Helms: Well, everything seems
be just about ready. Now all we need
snow.
Lo Fen: Do you exchange
presents
the morning?
Mrs. Helms: Oh, yes. The kids are too excited
wait. After we clean up4
mess--all
empty boxes
the wrapping paper5 -- we have
big breakfast. Then
kids have
whole day
play with their new toys.
Mr. Helms: And we'll have agreat turkey dinner at around four o'clock. My brother and
family will be joining us.
Lo Fen:
look forward
meeting them. Well, it's late, so I'll say good night. I'll see you early tomorrow, so
can share your Christmas morning.
Mr. Helms: Good night!
【译文】
——你们
树看起来好漂亮。你们每年都这么布置吗？
——
。记得从我孩提时候开始这就
家里
传统
。我们用
样
灯泡和装饰品；当然，我们每年都用
棵新树。（她递给她
精巧
玻璃球。）
——这些装饰中
部分
孩子们弄
。给，你可以把这
吊在
根高枝
。（Lo站在梯子
，伸手去够高
点
大树枝。）
——似乎
切都准备就绪
。现在我们都希望
下
场雪
。
——你们在早
交换礼物吗？
——
。孩子们兴奋得迫
及待。我们把杂物打扫完——所
这些空盒子和包装纸之后，我们就会吃团圆早餐。然后，孩子们会
整天
时间玩他们
新玩具。
——我们会在四点钟左右吃火鸡。我兄弟和他
家人也会来和我们共餐。
——我很希望见到他们。好
，太晚
，我要说再见
。明天我会
大早来看你们，那样我就可以和你们分享圣诞早晨
。
——晚安！
2. Christian’s Holiday.
Stewart: Merry Christmas!
Mary: Huh?
Stewart:
said Merry Christmas! Don't you know that Christmas
almost here?
Mary: It is? Oh, that's nice.
Stewart: Huh? Didn't you know? Aren't you excited?
Mary: Actually, I'd forgotten about it.
Stewart: Forgotten about it? How could you?
Mary: Because I'm not Christian6, I'm Jewish7.
Stewart: Oh, I'm sorry.
didn't know.
Mary: It's all right. There are so many Christians
America that everybody takes
for granted that I'm Christian.
Stewart:
guess so. So what do you do around this time
year?
Mary: Well, I'll celebrate Hanukah soon, but that's not as important
us as Christmas
to you. Mainly I'll just enjoy
holiday break.
Stewart: Well, would you be horribly offended8 if
invited you
a Christmas party at my house?
Mary: Not at all. A party
a party. I'll be happy
come.
Helpful Information：
Christmas
an adaptation
the Pagan feast
Yule. Originally celebrated by
Celtics
old Britain. Christianity borrowed
idea
changed it
represent
supposed birthday
Jesus. Few people actually know what
true origin
the holiday is. Most people wrongly assume that Christmas has
complete Christian origin when
actually originated as
Pagan Holiday.
圣诞节
按照非异教徒犹太人
盛宴改换过来
。最初
由古老英国
凯尔特人庆祝。基督教借用
这
想法，并把它改为象征耶稣
出生日。很少
人真正知道这
假日
真正由来。大部分人错误地认为圣诞节完完全全来自于基督教，而它实际
却起源于
非异教徒
节日。
【译文】
——圣诞快乐！
—— 嗯？
——我说圣诞快乐！难道你
知道圣诞节快到
吗？
——
吗？哦，太好
。
——嗯？你难道
知道？难道你
兴奋？
——我真
忘记
。
——忘记
？你怎能忘记
？
——因为我
基督教徒，我
犹太人。
——哦，对
起，我
知道。
——没关系。美国
这么多
基督教徒以致人人都认为我也
基督教徒。
——我想
这样。那么每年这
时候你都在做什么？
——唔，
久我要庆祝光明节，但
光明节对我们来说没
圣诞节对你们那样重要。我主要
好好享受这段假期。
——唔，如果我邀请你来我家参加圣诞聚会，你会很生气吗？
——
点也
。聚会
聚会。我会很高兴来参加。
3. Truth about Santa Claus.
Eddie: So how's everything going
Christmas?
Jill: I've got all
presents
need,
my family
working together
get all
food ready. That's easy; but
have another problem
deal with.
Eddie: What's that? Don't tell me you've still got Christmas cards
write;
usually takes my wife
month
write all
ours.
Jill: No,
did that
long time ago. It's about telling my son
truth about Santa Claus.
Eddie: He still doesn't know that Santa isn't real? How old
he, eight?
Jill: Yes. He's never said anything so
never told him. But now that he's getting older…
Eddie: You think it's better that he should be told?
Jill: Yes, he's too old
believe
that type
things. And I'd rather tell him before
kids at school do.
Eddie: That happened
my oldest girl. She became really upset when her classmates told her Santa wasn't real.
Jill:
can understand.
was lucky with my oldest; she figured
out by herself
didn't tell my son.
Eddie: Well, when you tell him, be gentle. It's hard
kids
findout something like that.
Helpful Information：
When American kids get into their teens, they begin
find out that Santa Claus doesn’t really exist. Some smarter kids even know that before then. They feel it’s nothing but
joke. Of course, some are devastated when they find
out. But most realize that
character “Santa Claus”
really
fictional character presented
a light-hearted way
the enjoyment
children. It doesn’t matter he’s real or not,
legend will remain.
当美国小孩子进入十几岁以后，他们开始得知圣诞老人并
真正地存在。
些聪明
些
小孩甚至在这之前就知道
。他们觉得这只
过
笑话。当然
些人当他们知道此事时很伤心。但
大部分人意识到圣诞老人这
人物确实
虚构
角色，
以轻松自在
方式给孩子们带来乐趣
角色。他
真与否，都无关紧要，传说还
会流传下去。
【译文】
——圣诞节准备得怎么样
？
——要
礼物我都准备好
，而且我们全家正在
起准备食物。那很容易，但我还
难题要处理。
——什么事？
要告诉我你还
许多圣诞卡要写；我妻子通常花
月
时间写好我们所
圣诞卡。
——
，圣诞卡我早就写完
。难题
怎样告诉我儿子
关圣诞老人
实情。
——他还
知道圣诞老人
真
？他多大，八岁？
——
，他从未说过什么，因此我也从未告诉过他。但现在他越来越大
……
——你认为他应该知道实情比较好吗？
——
，他太大
，
应该相信那种事情。而且我宁愿在学校
孩子们告诉他以前告诉他。
—— 以前我
大女儿也
这样。当她
同学告诉她圣诞老人
真
时候，她变得很伤心。
——我能理解。我幸运我
大女儿没
这种麻烦，她自己猜出圣诞老人
假
，但没
告诉我儿子。
——唔，那你告诉他时，温和
点。对小孩来说，得知那样
事
很难承受
。
4. Taking down
Christmas tree.
Gary: Ok, honey, time
take down
Christmas tree.
Martha: Do we have to?
Gary: Come on, it's losing needles all
time
the branches are sagging9.
Martha: It's not that bad; besides
really looks nice
that corner. It gives
room
good atmosphere
0.
Gary: A good atmosphere? The tree
falling apart,
it's messing up
room.
Martha: But
makes
place feel so much like Christmas. I'd really hate
have
take
down.
Gary: But Christmas was two weeks ago! It's been there only because we've been too busy
get rid
it.
Martha:
know, but
seems like such
shame
have
take
away.
Gary: But it's falling apart,
the cat keeps playing with
lower branches.
Martha:
know,
know. But
reminds me
the great Christmas we just had. All
us were here -- my parents, your parents,
kids,
the cousins --
food was good,
everybody got what they wanted.
Gary: Yeah,
was
good Christmas. It won't always be this good, but we can't make
last longer than
should.
Martha: Ok, fine. We need
take down
tree.
Gary: I'll make
deal with
you. We'll leave
up until Sunday,
then we'll take
down after church.
Martha: Ok, good.
Additional Information：
Gifts are placed under
tree from
time
trees are put up until
gifts are opened
Christmas morning. Parents are always excited
see
cheerful faces
their children at
moment they open their gifts. It’s also an American custom
leave
tree up until after
New Year. Some people feel
saddest thing about Christmas
taking down
Christmas tree.
旦圣诞树摆好，礼物就被放在树下面直到圣诞节早
礼物被拆开。父母亲总
很兴奋地看到他们
孩子拆开他们
礼物时欢快
表情。再者，将圣诞树
直摆到新年
美国
习俗。
些人觉得关于圣诞节最伤心
事
把圣诞树拆卸开来。
【译文】
——行
，亲爱
，该拿走圣诞树
东西
。
——必须拿下吗？
——快点，它总
往下掉松针，而且树枝已下垂。
——没那么糟糕；况且放在那
角落里看
去确实很好。它使房间
好气氛。
——好气氛？圣诞树都七零八落
，还使房间里乱糟糟
。
——但它使这里感觉像过圣诞节
样。我实在
愿拿下它。
——但
圣诞节已经过去两
星期
。它还留在那
因为我们
直太忙，没
时间清理它。
——我知道，但
拿走它似乎
遗憾。
——但
它正变得七零八落，猫还总
玩弄下面
树枝。
——我知道，我知道。但它使我想起
我们刚刚度过
快乐
圣诞节。所
人都在――我
父母，你
父母，孩子们和堂兄弟姐妹们――食物很好，并且每
人都得到
所想要
。
——
，
愉快
圣诞节。它
会总
这样好，但我们
能使它持续太长
时间。
——
，行。我们需要拿走圣诞树。
——我向你说定
。我们将把它保留至星期天，做完礼拜后再拿下它。
——行，好吧。
4 Words
Expressions
. agronomist 农(艺)学家
2. date back to 属于,始于某时期
3. ornament 装饰品
4. clean up 打扫;整理，清理
5. wrapping paper 包装纸
6. Christian 基督教
，基督教徒
7. Jewish 犹太人
，犹太教
8. offend 冒犯;触怒;伤害...
感情
9. sag 松弛, 下陷, (物价)下跌, 漂流
0. atmosphere 大气，气氛
. make
deal with 与...做生意, 和...妥协
