Dialogue 1
Mark: How's everything, Jingjing?
You look chipper.
马克：京晶，最近如何？你看着兴高采烈的样子。
Jingjing: I am. Thanks for noticing.
京晶：我还确实时。
感谢你留意到。
Mark: Any good news you wanna share with me?
马克：有什么好消息要和我分享吗？
Jingjing: Yeah, actually. I got invited to a wedding.
京晶：有呢。我之前被邀请去参加了一场婚礼。
Mark: That's cool. Do you know the bride, or the groom, or both?
马克：很不错啊！你认识新娘还是新郎？还是都认识？
Jingjing: I know the bride. She was my classmate when I took aseminar in the UK.
京晶：我认识新娘。她是我在英国短期学习时的同学。
Mark: Oh? Is she Chinese, or British, or what?
马克：噢？那她是中国人，英国人？还是其他？
Jingjing: She's Chinese by race, but was born in England. The wedding's in three weeks. I'm on the fence about going there for it.
京晶：种族上中国人，但是在英国出生的。婚礼三周后举行，我还在犹豫要不要去参加。
Mark: You mean the wedding is in England?
马克：你意思是婚礼在英国举行？
Jingjing: Exactly. I have some vacation days to use up before the end of this year. So, the timing couldn't be better.
京晶：对啊。我还有一些假期年底前要休完。所以，这时间点简直掐得太准了。
Mark: I think you should go. I mean, you've already been to the UK,but it'd be great to see an old friend and be there on her special day.
马克：我觉得你应该去。我是说，你已经去过英国了，去见一个老朋友，在她人生中特别的那天到场见证，这样真的很好啊。
Jingjing: Right. And I'm looking into an open jaw that would give me a few days in Ireland. I've not been there before. So...
京晶：对。我在查能让我去几天爱尔兰的缺口票，我从未去过那儿，所以…
Mark: So, it sounds like it's going to be a great little holiday. How many days do you have in total?
马克：听上去这将是个很棒的小假期哦。你总共有多少天假？
Jingjing: Nine: five work days, when I can get leave, and the two weekends.
京晶：9天。5个工作日，我能走得开的，还有两个周末。
Mark: Isn't the wedding on one of those weekends?
马克：婚礼难道不是在其中一个周末吗？
Jingjing: Yeah. So, I might be a little jet-lagged. Hey, I need some advice from you about the wedding?
京晶：是啊。所以，我们能会有点时差。嘿，我需要你给我一点关于婚礼的建议。
Mark: Sure. I hope I can help.
马克：没问题，希望我能帮上忙。

New words : 习语短语
seminar 短期学术学习 研讨会（班）
a short academic course
on the fence 犹豫不决的
undecided
open jaw 一种不同点进出的开口机票
a kind of air ticket, with two travel destinations before the return flight
“缺口程”机票指的是三地之间往返机票，其中有两段需要乘坐同一航空公司安排执行的航班。比如，从北京飞桂林后，乘坐其他交通工具到贵阳，再从贵阳坐同一家航空公司的航班回北京。这样的缺口票是很方便的。缺口程机票的价钱可能比往返机票略贵一点点，但试试无妨。而且去旅行有时时间比钱更重要，花多一点钱节省走回头路的时间是值得的。举例来说，你从广州坐飞机到上海下飞机从上海一路玩到北京，最后要从北京搭飞机回广州，上海到北京的行程要自己规划，来回机票就形成一个缺口，所以就叫做缺口票。

Dialogue 2
Jingjing: So, for the wedding, I'm wondering what to wear and what to bring.
京晶：那，去参加婚礼，我想知道该穿什么，该带什么礼物。
Mark: What does it say on the invite?
马克：请柬上怎么说？
Jingjing: They didn't send out invitations. There was just an announcement on social media.
京晶：他们没有发请柬呢。只是在社交媒体上发布了一则通告。
Mark: That's very modern. So, uh, what did it say on the announcement?
马克：还挺现代的。那通告上怎么说？
Jingjing: I remember the phrase, “come as you are”.
京晶：我记得措辞是：本色前往（随意就好）。
Mark: That usually means you don't have to dress up too much. Regular clothes would be okay. Of course, something a little nicer would be fine. But there's no need for tuxedos and gowns.
马克：这通常是指你不用过分盛装打扮。平常服装即可。当然，穿点质地上乘的也不错。但没必要穿燕尾服和礼服了。
Jingjing: That's good to know. Do you have any ideas what I should give as a present?
京晶：知道这个很好。你怎么看我应该送什么礼物呢？
Mark: It's not so common to give money at western weddings. A lot of couples set up a bridal registry at a department store.
马克：送钱给礼金在西式婚礼上并不常见。有许多夫妇在百货公司设立了新婚贺礼登记服务。
Jingjing: Oh yeah. The announcement said they were registered at Harrods.
京晶：噢对哦，通告上说，他们在哈洛德百货登记了。
Mark: You could go to their website and put in the registry number,then buy something for them online.
马克：你可以去他们的网站，输入登记号码，直接给他们在网上买东西了。
Jingjing: Don't you think that's a bit impersonal?
京晶：你不觉得这样似乎有点没有人情味吗？
Mark: Well, you might not get the chance to hand off a gift to your friend as she's greeting guests. Hey, why don't you do both: prepare a red envelope for her, and purchase something from the registry?
马克：这么说吧，到时候你的朋友招呼来宾们时你可能都没机会把准备好的礼物递给她。嘿，为什么不两种方法都用上呢：给她准备一个红包，然后从登记处再买点东西。
Jingjing: Hmm, it wouldn't hurt to have a red envelope ready. And I'd better have a look at the registry, just to be on the safe side.
京晶：嗯…事先备个红包也无妨，然后安全起见，我最好也看看登记怎么买。
Mark: It sounds like you've got that covered. Anything else you need to consider?
马克：听上去你已经搞定这事了。还需要考虑别的吗？
Jingjing: Just whether or not to go to the church wedding. I know most guests just show up for the reception.
京晶：就是要不要去教堂婚礼。我知道大多数客人只是在接待处现身一下。
Mark: Let your friend decide, once you let her know you're coming. That's easy, and probably depends on how big the church is. Don't worry about faux pas.
马克：那就让你的朋友来决定吧，只要你让她知道你要去。那也很简单，也许取决于教堂有多大（能不能容纳这么多人）。别担心失礼。

New words : 习语短语
come as you are 本色前往（不需要隆重打扮）
no need to wear formal clothes to an event
dress up 正式打扮，盛装打扮
wear formal clothes
tuxedo 燕尾服
a kind of formal suit for men
bridal registry an account at a department store, set up by a couple when they're getting married, for people to keep track of gifts purchased
亲朋好友会收到一份长长的购物单，叫做新娘登记单（Bridal registry），上面的物品多是实用的日用品，为避免重复购买造成浪费而使用的一种送礼方式。
impersonal 没有人情味的
makes people feel like strangers
hand off 把东西递给某人
give something to someone quickly
faux pas (French “false step”) 失礼
a mistake about manners