English spoken situational dialogue

1. Lo Fen, a Chinese agronomist1, is staying with the Helms family in Iowa. It's Christmas Eve.

Lo Fen: Your tree looks beautiful. Do you decorate it this way every year?

Mrs. Helms: Yes, it's a family tradition dating back to2 my childhood. We use the same lights and ornaments3, but of course we have a new tree each year.

(She hands her a delicate glass ball.)

Mrs. Helms: The children made some of these decorations. Here, you can hang this on one of those high branches.

(Lo stands on a ladder to reach the upper limbs.)

Mr. Helms: Well, everything seems to be just about ready. Now all we need is snow.

Lo Fen: Do you exchange the presents in the morning?

Mrs. Helms: Oh, yes. The kids are too excited to wait. After we clean up4 the mess--all the empty boxes and the wrapping paper5 -- we have a big breakfast. Then the kids have the whole day to play with their new toys.

Mr. Helms: And we'll have a great turkey dinner at around four o'clock. My brother and his family will be joining us.

Lo Fen: I look forward to meeting them. Well, it's late, so I'll say good night. I'll see you early tomorrow, so I can share your Christmas morning.

Mr. Helms: Good night!

Translation

——Your tree looks so beautiful. Do you arrange it like this every year?

——Yes. I remember this has been a family tradition since I was a kid. We use the same light bulbs and decorations; and of course, we use a new tree every year. (She hands her a delicate glass ball.

)

——Some of these decorations were made by children. Here, you can hang this on a high branch. (Lo stands on the ladder and reaches for the taller branch.)

——Everything seems to be ready. Now all we are hoping for is some snow.

——Do you exchange gifts in the morning?

——Yes. The children were so excited that they couldn't wait. After we clear out the clutter—all those empty boxes and wrapping paper—we have a reunion breakfast. The children then have a full day to play with their new toys.

——We'll have turkey around four o'clock. My brother and his family will also come and have dinner with us.

——I would love to see them. Okay, it's too late, I have to say goodbye. I'll be visiting you early tomorrow morning so I can share Christmas morning with you.

——Good night!

2. Christian's Holiday.

Stewart: Merry Christmas!

Mary: Huh?

Stewart: I said Merry Christmas! Don 't you know that Christmas is 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. I didn't know.

Mary: It's all right. There are so many Christians in America that everybody takes it for granted that I'm Christian.

Stewart: I guess so. So what do you do around this time of year?

Mary: Well, I'll celebrate Hanukah soon, but that's not as important to us as Christmas is to you. Mainly I'll just enjoy the holiday break.

Stewart: Well, would you be horribly offended8 if I invited you to a Christmas party at my house?

Mary: Not at all. A party is a party. I'll be happy to come.

Helpful Information:

Christmas is an adaptation of the Pagan feast of Yule. Originally celebrated by the Celtics of old Britain. Christianity borrowed the idea and changed it to represent the supposed birthday of Jesus. Few people actually know what the true origin of the holiday is. Most people wrongly assume that Christmas has a complete Christian origin when it actual

ly originated as a Pagan Holiday.

Christmas was adapted from the feast of non-pagan Jews. Originally celebrated by the Celts of ancient Britain. Christianity borrowed this idea and changed it to symbolize the birth day of Jesus. Few people actually know the true origin of this holiday. Most people mistakenly believe that Christmas comes entirely from Christianity, but it actually originated from a non-pagan holiday.

Translation

——Merry Christmas!

——Huh?

——I say Merry Christmas! Don't you know Christmas is coming?

——Really? Oh, great.

——Huh? Don't you know? Aren't you excited?

——I really forgot.

——Forgot? How could you forget?

——Because I am not a Christian, I am a Jew.

——Oh, I’m sorry, I don’t know.

——It doesn’t matter. There are so many Christians in America that everyone thinks I am a Christian too.

——I think so. So what are you doing this time of year?

—Well, I will be celebrating Hanukkah soon, but Hanukkah is not as important to us as Christmas is to you. I mainly just enjoy this vacation.

——Well, if I invited you to my house for a Christmas party, would you be angry?

——Not at all. A party is a party. I would be happy to attend.

3. Truth about Santa Claus.

Eddie: So how's everything going for Christmas?

Jill: I've got all the presents I need, and my family is working together to get all the food ready. That's easy; but I have another problem to deal with.

Eddie: What's that? Don't tell me you've still got Christmas cards to write ; it usually takes my wife a month to write all of ours.

Jill: No, I did that a long time ago. It's about telling my son the truth about Santa Claus.

Eddie: He still doesn't know that Santa isn't real? How old is he, eight?

Jill: Yes. He's never said anything so I 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 to believe in that type of things. And I'd rather tell him before the kids at school do.

Eddie: That happened to my oldest girl. She became really upset when her classmates told her Santa wasn't real.

Jill: I can understand. I was lucky with my oldest; she figured it out by herself and didn't tell my son.

Eddie: Well, when you tell him, be gentle. It's hard for kids to findout something like that.

Helpful Information:

When American kids get into their teens, they begin to find out that Santa Claus doesn't really exist. Some smarter kids even know that before then. They feel it's nothin

g but a joke. Of course, some are devastated when they find it out. But most realize that the character “Santa Claus” is really a fictional character presented in a light-hearted way for the enjoyment of children. It doesn't matter he's real or not, the legend will remain.

When American children enter their teens, they begin to learn that Santa Claus does not really exist. Some of the smarter kids knew it even before this. They thought it was just a joke. Of course some people were sad when they found out about it. But most people realize that the character of Santa Claus is indeed a fictional character, one who brings fun to children in a light-hearted way. Whether he is true or not, it doesn't matter, the legend will live on.

Translation

——How are you preparing for Christmas?

——I have prepared all the gifts I asked for, and our whole family is preparing food together. That was easy, but I still had a problem to deal with.

——What happened? Don't tell me you still have a lot of Christmas cards to write; it usually takes my wife a month to write all our Christmas cards.

——No, I have already finished writing the Christmas card. The problem was how to tell my son the truth about Santa Claus.

——He still doesn’t know that Santa Claus is not real? How old is he, eight years old?

-Yeah, he never said anything, so I never told him. But now he's getting older...

- Do you think it would be better for him to know the truth?

—Yeah, he's too old to believe that kind of thing. And I'd rather tell him before the kids at school tell him.

——My eldest daughter used to be like this too. When her classmates told her that Santa Claus wasn't real, she became sad.

——I can understand. I'm lucky my oldest daughter doesn't have this trouble, she figured out Santa Claus was fake on her own but didn't tell my son.

——Well, when you tell him, be gentle. It's hard for a child to learn something like that.

4. Taking down the Christmas tree.

Gary: Ok, honey, time to take down the Christmas tree.

Martha: Do we have to?

Gary: Come on, it's losing needles all the time and the branches are sagging9.

Martha: It's not that bad; besides it really looks nice in that corner. It gives the room a good atmosphere10.

Gary： A good atmosphere? The tree is falling apart, and it's messing up the room.

Martha： But it makes the place feel so much like Christmas . I'd really hate to have to take it down.

Gary: But Christmas was two weeks ago! It's been there only because we've been too busy to get rid of it.

Martha: I know, but it seems like such a shame to have to take it away.

Gary: But it's falling apart, and the cat keeps playing with the lower branches.

Martha: I know, I know. But it reminds me of the great Christmas we just had. All of us were here -- my parents, your parents, the kids, and the cousins ??-- the food was good, and everybody got what they wanted.

Gary: Yeah, it was a good Christmas. It won't always be this good, but we can't make it last longer than it should.

Martha: Ok, fine. We need to take down the tree.

Gary: I'll make a deal with11 you. We'll leave it up until Sunday, and then we'll take it down after church.

Martha: Ok, good.

Additional Information:

Gifts are placed under the tree from the time the trees are put up until the gifts are opened on Christmas morning. Parents are always excited to see the cheerful faces of their children at the moment they open their gifts. It's also an American custom to leave the tree up until after the New Year. Some people feel the saddest thing about Christmas is taking down the Christmas tree.

Once the Christmas tree is put up, the gifts are placed under the tree until Christmas morning. Be taken apart. Parents are always excited to see the joy on their children's faces as they open their gifts. Furthermore, it is an American custom to leave the Christmas tree up until the New Year. Some people think the saddest thing about Christmas is taking the tree apart.

Translation

——Okay, honey, it’s time to take the things off the Christmas tree.

——Does it have to be taken?

--Hurry, it keeps dropping needles and the branches are drooping.

- It's not that bad; besides, it does look nice in that corner. It gives the room a good atmosphere.

——Good atmosphere? The Christmas tree was all in pieces and the room was in a mess.

—but it makes it feel like Christmas here. I really don't want to take it.

—But Christmas is already two weeks away. It's still there because we've been too busy to clean it up.

—I know, but it seems like a shame to take it away.

—But it was getting shabby, and the cat was always playing with the branches below.

——I know, I know. But it reminded me of the wonderful Christmas we just had. Everyone was there - my parents, your parents, the kids and the cousins ??- the food was good and everyone got what they wanted.

——Yes, it was a merry Christmas. It won't always be this good, but we can't let it go on too long.

——Yes, OK. We need to take away the Christmas tree.

——I’ve made my decision to you. We will keep it until Sunday and then take it down after church.

——Okay, okay.

4 Words and Expressions

1. agronomist

2. date back to belong to, start from a certain period

3. ornament decoration

4. clean up clean; organize, clean up

5. wrapping paper wrapping paper

6. Christian Christian, Christ Christian

7. Jewish Jewish, Jewish

8. offend offend; offend; hurt the feelings of...

9. sag relax, sink, (prices) fall, drift

10. atmosphere atmosphere, atmosphere

11. make a deal with do business with..., compromise with...