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Who owns the red packets?

 

中國雲南一位學生入稟向父母追討多年來的利是錢，用以繳交大學學費。有記者訪問海內外華人，請教他們對「利是誰屬」這個大難題。「好運」怎麼說？聽聽 Kevin 和 Jo的分享！

 

A red envelope, or ‘laisee’, is generally given out to children or younger unmarried relatives during Chinese New Year by those who are already married as tokens of good fortune and blessing for the year ahead.

 

token (noun 名詞)

 

1. 標誌；表示；象徵

 

例子：As a token of our gratitude for all that you have done, we would like you to accept this small gift.

為了表示我們對你們所做的一切的感謝，希望你們接受我們這份小小的禮物。

 

例子：It doesn't have to be a big present - it's just a token.

禮物不必大——只是為了表示一下。

 

2. 禮券，代金券


a $20 book/gift/record token  一張價值20英鎊的書券／禮券／唱片券

 

3. （某些機器中用以代替紙幣的）代幣，專用輔幣

 

► by the same token 同理，同樣地，由於同樣的原因(idiom 慣用語)

 

例子：I don't think that prices will go up but, by the same token, I don't see them going down either. 

我認爲價格不會上漲，同樣，我也不認爲價格會下跌。

 

fortune (noun 名詞) =WEALTH

 

1. 一大筆錢；大量財産

 

例子：He lost a fortune gambling.  他賭博輸了一大筆錢。

例子：You can make a fortune out of junk if you call it antiques.

把破爛叫做「古董」，就可以從中發一筆財。

例子：This dress cost a (small) fortune. 這條連衣裙花了一筆錢。

例子：Any painting by Van Gogh is worth a fortune. 

梵高的任何一幅作品都值一大筆錢。

 

2. （影響人生的）機會，際遇，運氣 =CHANCE

 

例子：He had the (good) fortune to train with some of the world's top athletes.

他有幸與一些世界頂級的運動員一起訓練。

 

例子：The family's fortunes changed overnight. 

那個家庭的命運一夜之間改變了。

 

folk （尤指某一群體或類型的）人們(noun 名詞)  

> old folk 老人

例子：Ordinary folk can't afford cars like that.  普通人買不起那樣的轎車。

 

folks [ plural ]

 

1. 各位；大夥 INFORMAL

​例子：All right, folks, dinner's ready! 好啦，夥計們，晚餐準備好了！

​

2. 父母

例子：I'm going home to see my folks.  我要回家看看我的父母。

 

A university student from China's south-western Yunnan province won a case against her parents, who she claims "embezzled" her red packet money, Chinese media reported. She said they had kept some 58,000 yuan worth of red envelopes that were given to her over the years.

 

embezzle 貪污，侵吞；盜用，挪用（錢款）(verb 動詞)

 

例子：She embezzled thousands of dollars from the charity.

她侵吞了慈善機構數千美元的善款。

 

"For my kids, I keep the money and I'll give it back to them in future," said a mother. "I think the child should be entitled to the money. Without the child, there wouldn't be the money to begin with."

 

entitle (verb 動詞)

 

1. ALLOW 給予權利；使符合資格

例子：Children and the elderly are entitled to cheap train tickets.

例子：Everyone should be entitled to a decent standard of living.

例子：The employer is entitled to ask for references.  僱主有權索取推薦信。

 

2. to give a title to a book, film, etc.  給…命名，給…題名

 

例子：Her latest novel, entitled "The Forgotten Sex", is out this week.

她名爲《被遺忘的性別》的最新小說將於本周出版。

 

Listening test - How did the tradition of giving out 'red packets' come about?

 

Q1: What is the ‘red pocket’ origin story? 

Q2: Why is the coin linked to warding off bad spirits? When did it start? 

 

ward sth/ sb off 避開；阻止；擋住 (phrasal verb 片語動詞)

 

例子：In the winter I take vitamin C to ward off colds.

冬天我服用維他命C以預防感冒。

 

例子：She was given a magic charm to ward off evil spirits.

她被贈予一個魔法護身符，可以驅鬼避邪。

 

A Song For You – “Money for Nothing” by Dire Straits

   
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