美語情景對話 第1251期:Hot and Cold Christmas 炎熱的聖誕節VS寒冷的聖誕節
Todd: So Megen, we are both teachers, English teachers in Japan, and we both come from countries that Christmas, but Christmas is so different in Japan than in our home countries, so I though we would talk about that.
託德：梅根，我們都是老師，都在日本教英語，我們兩個的祖國都過聖誕節，不過日本的聖誕節和我們祖國的聖誕節很不一樣，所以我想我們可以談談這個話題。Megen: Yeah, absolutely. It's particularly different to Australia because we have ... we have it in summer.
梅根：好，當然可以。日本的聖誕節和澳大利亞的尤爲不同，因爲我們夏天過聖誕節。Todd: Oh, that's right. So it's a beautiful summer holiday, right?
託德：哦，沒錯。所以聖誕節對你們來說是美好的夏日假期，對吧？
Megen: It is, though when it get hotter here in Japan, I start to feel that it's getting into Christmas season.
梅根：對，所以當日本越來越熱時，我就開始覺得要到聖誕節了。Todd: Oh, right! So summer is Christmas.
託德：哦對！夏天過聖誕節。Megen: Yes, yeah.
梅根：對，是的。Todd: That's so cool. Do you still do the Christmas tree and the gifts under the tree?
託德：那太酷了。你們現在還裝飾聖誕樹嗎？還會在聖誕樹下放禮物嗎？Megen: We do and we have a lot of the same Christmas traditions, but the food is pretty different. We eat a lot of fresh fruits, and we have like fresh prawns. I guess you might call them shrimps.
梅根：會，我們的很多聖誕傳統是一樣的，不過食物很不相同。我們在聖誕節時會吃很多新鮮的水果，還有鮮蝦。我想你們用shrimp這個單詞指蝦。Todd: Right, no we call them prawns too. Prawns or shrimp. Wow! That's interesting. You know, it's cool that you brought up food because we're both in Japan and I think it's very interesting that in Japan the Christmas dinner is fried chicken.
託德：對，不過我們也用prawn這個詞。兩個詞都可以。哇哦！那太有意思了。你提到食物太好了，因爲我們現在都在日本，而日本的聖誕晚餐是炸雞，這很有趣。Megen: Yeah! I can't imagine eating KFC or any kind of chicken for Christmas.
梅根：對！我簡直無法想象在肯德基過聖誕節，或是吃其他炸雞過聖誕節。Todd: Now did you know about this before you came to Japan?
託德：你在來日本之前知道這件事嗎？Megen: I didn't actually. I was shocked when I heard about it.
梅根：我不知道。我聽說以後非常震驚。Todd: Yeah, I didn't believe it at first, and then when I came to Japan, I saw the long lines outside KFC, and I thought, wow, this really is a thing. And now in Japan, not only do they have KFC chicken, but everywhere. So the supermarkets make fried chicken. The convenience stores have fried chicken. Other hamburger stores have fried chicken, all just for Christmas.
託德：對，一開始我也不相信，我到日本以後，看到肯德基外面排了很長的隊，當時我還想“哇哦，這真受歡迎”。現在日本不只是肯德基有炸雞，到處都在賣炸雞。超市也有炸雞。便利店也賣炸雞。其他漢堡店也賣炸雞，都是爲了聖誕節準備的。Megen: Yeah, yes, I don't think we usually eat chicken. Maybe some families would eat roast chicken, but usually we eat cold meats.
梅根：對，我們一般不吃雞肉。可能有些家庭會吃烤雞，不過通常我們吃冷肉。Todd: Oh, right, so Australia is fresh fruit, shrimp, and cold meats.
託德：哦對，所以澳大利亞在聖誕節時吃新鮮的水果、蝦和冷肉。Megen: Yeah, we have a few Australian desserts that I haven't seen in any other coutries, but I think in Australia there's a lot of variety though, so my family in particular, that's what we eat, but I think every family is different. How about in America?
梅根：對，我們澳大利亞有一些特別的甜點，我在其他國家沒有看到過，不過我認爲澳大利亞的聖誕食物非常多樣化，尤其是我家，不過我想每個家庭的聖誕食物都各不相同。美國呢？Todd: Ah, in America it's very close to Thanksgiving, so usually you have a big bird, so you have turkey or chicken or ham. Ham is a big one. So you might have baked ham. But you have lots of sweets, lots of cakes, Christmas cakes, pies, cookies. Things like that. So everybody gains a lot of weight. Do you eat a lot of sweets for Christmas in Australia?
託德：啊，在美國，聖誕節和感恩節離得很近，所以通常聖誕晚餐會做火雞、雞或火腿。火腿非常大。所以晚餐會有烤火腿。另外還有很多甜食，很多蛋糕，聖誕蛋糕、各種餡餅和餅乾，基本上就是這些。所以所有人都會長胖很多。澳大利亞在聖誕節時會吃很多甜食嗎？Megen: Well, I imagine they eat more baked goods in America, but we eat a lot of cold, like parfait, kind of desserts. With a mix of like sponge cake and jelly and cream, and we do eat cookies and different like chocolate sweets, and yeah, I think we do some baking but, yeah, not so much pies.
梅根：嗯，我認爲美國吃很多烘烤食品，而我們吃很多冷食品，比如冰淇淋水果凍，這相當於甜點。把海綿蛋糕和果凍還有冰淇淋混合起來，我們也吃餅乾和各種巧克力甜點，我們也吃烘烤食品，不過不會吃太多餡餅。Todd: So in Australia because it's so warm, do you spend the day at the beach?
託德：因爲澳大利亞的聖誕節很溫暖，那你們是在海灘過聖誕嗎？Megen: We do! Yeah, a lot of people have pools. Their own pools, so they will go swimming in their backyard, or they'll go to the beach, or play cricket outside.
梅根：沒錯！很多人家裏都有游泳池。他們有自己的私人泳池，所以他們會在後院游泳，或是去海灘，或者在室外打板球。Todd: That's great! So do you barbecue? Is Barbecue a common way?
託德：那太棒了！那你們燒烤嗎？燒烤常見嗎？Megen: Yeah! Especially for Christmas. It's really great to be outside. And there are barbecues you can use near the beach or in the parks, so a lot of people go outside and mingle with the locals. It's great.
梅根：有！尤其是聖誕節。在戶外燒烤太棒了。可以在海灘附近或是公園裏燒烤，很多人會去戶外，和當地人交流。非常不錯。Todd: Oh, that's fantastic. So in the Northern Hemisphere, Christmas is often associated with snow, so you have the snowman and things like that. Do you have those types of decorations in Australia?
託德：哦，那真美好。在北半球，聖誕節時通常會下雪，所以會有雪人之類的。澳大利亞有這種裝飾嗎？Megen: We do! Although we don't have any snow, we still have the snow decoration. And usually Santa Claus still wears the long sleeve winter clothing, although we do have our own version of Santa Claus, that wears singlets and shorts.
梅根：我們有！雖然我們過聖誕節時並不下雪，不過我們也有雪花裝飾。通常聖誕老人也是穿長袖的冬季服裝，雖然我們有澳大利亞版的聖誕老人，是穿背心和短褲的聖誕老人。Todd: That's nice. So you've lived in a country with a warm Christmas, and a country with a cold Christmas. Which do you prefer?
託德：那不錯。你的祖國在過聖誕節時天氣很溫暖，你也在聖誕節時很寒冷的國家生活過。你更喜歡哪種？Megen: Well, I think because I've spend so many Christmases in Australia, that I still feel like it's Christmas when it gets warmer, and when I see things like peaches and watermelon in season I want to celebrate Christmas.
梅根：因爲我在澳大利亞過了太多次聖誕節了，所以我依然覺得天氣越來越暖和時就快到聖誕節了，我看到桃子和西瓜等應季水果，就想慶祝聖誕節。Todd: That's so cool.
託德：那太酷了。Megen: Do you want to experience a Christmas in Australia?
梅根：你想體驗一下澳大利亞的聖誕節嗎？Todd: I do. I do! That is definitely on my bucket list now, to have a warm weather Christmas.
託德：我想，非常想！在溫暖的氣候中過聖誕節肯定在我的遺願清單上。Megen: It would be so strange for you!
梅根：那對你來說會很奇怪的！
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重點講解：
1. bring up 談到；提到；
例句：If you try to bring up the matter again, you will be very foolish.
如果你想再提出這件事，那你就太傻了。
2. at first 最初；起初；開始時；
例句：At first he was a little shy in class, but now he acts more natural.
他起初在班裏有點害羞，不過現在自然多了。
3. in particular 尤其；特別；
例句：This article discussed the importance of security in general and authentication in particular.
本文討論了安全性尤其是身份驗證的重要性。
4. mingle with 應酬；交際；
例句：Go out of your way to mingle with others at the wedding.
去跟婚禮上的其他人聊聊。
