中国人使用筷子已经有3 000多年的历史了。中国的筷子夹菜的一端是圆的，象征着天;另一端是方的，象征着地。这是因为，维持充足的食物供应是天地之间最重要的事情。中国有个古老的风俗，女子出嫁时要用筷子当嫁妆，因为“筷子”与“快子”谐音。根据中国的餐桌礼仪，吃饭时一直握着筷子是不礼貌的。将菜送入口中后，应立刻把筷子放下。吃饭时，用筷子指着别人会对其造成冒犯。
【翻译词汇】
筷子 chopsticks
维持 maintain
充足的 adequate
嫁妆 dowry
谐音 be pronounced the same as
餐桌礼仪 table manners
不礼貌的 impolite
冒犯 offend
【精彩译文】There has been a history of more than 3 000 years for the Chinese to have meals with chopsticks. Chinese chopsticks are round on the eating end which symbolizes the heaven, and the other end is square which symbolizes the earth. It is because maintaining an adequate food supply is the greatest concern between the heaven and the earth. There is an old custom in the past in China, that chopsticks should be a part of a girl’s dowry. Kuaizi (chopsticks) is pronounced the same as “kuai zi”.The latter symbolized “quick” and “son”. According to the Chinese traditional table manners, it is impolite to hold the chopsticks all the time over the meal. As soon as one person sends a bite into his mouth, he should put down the chopsticks. It would offend others to point at them with chopsticks over the meal.
