春節(jié)的第一天

First Day of the New Year

New Year's day is also celebrated within the family. Usually family members gather on the morning of New Year's Day. It is at this gathering that red packets are given to unmarried members of the family. The age of the recipient is not material to receiving the packets. Married couples usually give out two red packets on the first new year after being married. This is because the wife presents one and the husband presents one. In subsequent years they may give one as a couple.

春節(jié)同樣是在家里度過的。通常家庭成員在春節(jié)的早晨聚到一起。就是在這個聚會把紅包發(fā)給家里的未婚成員。接收紅包人的年齡不重要。已婚夫婦通常婚后第一年發(fā)出兩個紅包。這是因為妻子代表一方，丈夫代表另一方。在隨后的幾年里他們也許作為夫婦會發(fā)出一個紅包。

Red packets traditionally consisted of amounts which were considered multiples. Amounts like $2 (two piece of $1), or $20 were acceptable. Similarly "multiples" such as $1.10 and $2.20 were also acceptable. However, this is not strictly adhered to. The gift was originally a token amount but these days it is not uncommon to receive large sums in affluent families. In some families this tradition has evolved into the practice to substituting money-like instruments (stocks, bonds, unit trust) in place of large sums of cash.

紅包傳統(tǒng)上由倍數(shù)數(shù)量組成。比如兩美元（兩個1美元）或者20美元都是可以接受的。類似像1.1美元和2.2美元這樣的倍數(shù)也可以接受。不過人們并沒有嚴格堅持這個倍數(shù)習慣。起初禮物只是一個象征性的數(shù)量但是近幾年來在富裕的家里收到大筆紅包已經(jīng)司空見慣。在一些家庭里，發(fā)紅包這個習俗已經(jīng)演變?yōu)樗凸善?，基金，投資信托基金的做法來取而代之大筆的現(xiàn)金。

Red packets are also given to unmarried visitors but the sums are often smaller than the packets given to family members or close friends.

也給來訪的未婚客人發(fā)放紅包但是數(shù)額比發(fā)給家庭成員和關(guān)系好的朋友少的多。

 （聽力課堂網(wǎng)Vicky翻譯）

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