雅思口語話題：A Cultural Event in China

在雅思口語考試中，關於文化、傳統的話題一直以來都是考官常問的題目，而面對這樣的問題，考生往往都懷有“既愛又恨”的感情。“愛”是因爲，中國的傳統文化本來就博大精深，理所當然有很多可以在外國考官面前炫耀一番的精彩內容；但是，又“痛恨”自己在知識經驗上的匱乏，所以能夠說道關於文化的也就是現在考生嘴邊常掛的那些，如：Chinese New Year, Dragon-boat FestivAl, Mid-Autumn Day, Tomb-sweeping Festival等等。

不僅如此，對於回答的具體內容更是乾澀乏味，比如描述Chinese New Year時，常聽到考生衆多且雷同的回答：We usually have a good time during the festival. The whole family members have a delicious dinner, and friends and relatives come together to have fun. Parents usually give Money to children, so they can buy many things they want. 又或者是：On that day, we usually eat moon cakes and watch the round moon in the sky. It is very beautiful, and the story behind it is more beautiful. 我想任何一個來中國呆過兩年的老外都應該早已熟悉了這樣的模式，對文化背後的故事可能比我們自己的學生還要清楚；而且，在這樣的內容中，其實根本沒有體現出中國的春節文化到底是如何表現的。那可想而知，最後的結果輕則無新穎內容，重則沒有回答題目的核心內容。

如果調整一下回答關於“Chinese New Year”的內容，也許會讓考官有“耳目一新”的感覺。

The Chinese are very superstitious and that means they take symbolism seriously. Locals come to market to buy good luck charms. Customers at snack are scooping up all sorts of New Year's treats. 這段話總述了中國人過年的表現，在後面的內容中將具體講述如何過年和特殊的習俗。

It's a tradition for all of us Chinese to get these sesame balls during Chinese New Year. We use them to worship our ancestors and we say if we have more sesame balls at home then more gold and silver will come into our house. It's really to bring us more wealth in the New Year. Roasted melon seeds symbolize coins, so this means scooping up lots of money. Rice cakes in the shape of fish are big sellers too. In Cantonese the word for fish sounds the same as the word for savings. 這段話從傳統的飲食細節上進行描述，這一點是很多同學所忽視的。大部分同學僅僅告訴考官我們有delicious food，但忽視了和文化有關的飲食習慣；換句話說delicious food可以放在任何一個場合，而非是針對該題目的描述。

Another item that locals want to buy for the New Year for good luck is red underwear. Red symbolizes wealth and prosperity and the Chinese want new clothes for the New Year from head to toe and underneath. My aunt buys three lingerie sets every New Year, believing red will bring her good luck. Lunar New Year is the most profitable time of year for this lingerie store.

The banks are also very busy with customers ordering brand-new bills to give away as New Year's gifts to younger relatives or junior colleagues. It's considered good luck for the giver and recipient. 除了飲食習俗外，春節中還有很多其他的風俗，所以這個部分的內容最好要比飲食多一些，來突出更多新穎的內容，如傳統的紅色和壓歲錢。這樣做的目的也是爲了增加回答內容的豐富性和多樣性。

除了描述春節之外，其實還有很多其他的cultural event值得一說，相對大衆的文化傳統節日如中國傳統的“鬼節”the Ghost Festival，重陽節the Double Ninth Festival；具有地方特色的文化活動可以選擇“成都的麻將節the Mahjong Festival，重慶的火鍋節the Hotpot Festival in Chongqing”等。這裏我們選擇中國傳統的“鬼節”作爲例子，相信考官一定沒有在考場中聽過考生描述這類的主題。

The seventh lunar month in the traditional Chinese calendar is called Ghost Month. On the first day of the month, the Gates of Hell are open to allow ghosts and spirits access to the world of the living. The spirits spend the month visiting their families, feasting and looking for victims. 總體介紹該文化活動的情況，初步解釋。

There are three important days during Ghost Month. On the first day of the month, ancestors are honored with offerings of food, incense, and ghost money - paper money which is burned so the spirits can use it. These offerings are done at makeshift altars set up on sidewalks outside the house. 進一步詳細解釋該文化的表現。

Almost as important as honoring ancestors, offerings to ghosts without families must be made, so that they will not cause you any harm. Ghost month is the most dangerous time of the year, and malevolent spirits are on the look out to capture souls. This makes ghost month a bad time to do activities such as evening walk, traveling, moving house, or starting a new business. Many people avoid swimming during ghost month, since there are many spirits in the water which can try to drown you. 用適當的例子來說明該文化的特徵。

The last day of the month is when the Gates of Hell are closed up again. The chants of Taoist priests inform the spirits that it’s time to return, and as they are confined once again to the underworld.

針對這樣的話題，若希望增加其自然度和真實感，可以在回答正題之前先給考官打一個預防針：“The cultural event I’m going to talk about may sound a little bit superstitious and scary, but it is one of our traditional and cultural events in most areas.”

對於Cultural event的話題，回答思路大多情況下都是介紹文化活動或事件的主題+具體文化習俗和傳統活動的表現；所以，建議希望得高分的考生可以更換老主題的具體內容，也可以更換一個新的主題，否則考官將會始終以茫然的表情面對你。