First Day of the New Year
New Year's day is also celebrated within the family. Usually family members gather on the morning of New Year's Day. It is at this gathering that red packets are given to unmarried members of the family. The age of the recipient is not material to receiving the packets. Married couples usually give out two red packets on the first new year after being married. This is because the wife presents one and the husband presents one. In subsequent years they may give one as a couple.
春节同样是在家里度过的。通常家庭成员在春节的早晨聚到一起。就是在这个聚会把红包发给家里的未婚成员。接收红包人的年龄不重要。已婚夫妇通常婚后第一年发出两个红包。这是因为妻子代表一方,丈夫代表另一方。在随后的几年里他们也许作为夫妇会发出一个红包。
Red packets traditionally consisted of amounts which were considered multiples. Amounts like $2 (two piece of $1), or $20 were acceptable. Similarly "multiples" such as $1.10 and $2.20 were also acceptable. However, this is not strictly adhered to. The gift was originally a token amount but these days it is not uncommon to receive large sums in affluent families. In some families this tradition has evolved into the practice to substituting money-like instruments (stocks, bonds, unit trust) in place of large sums of cash.
红包传统上由倍数数量组成。比如两美元(两个1美元)或者20美元都是可以接受的。类似像1.1美元和2.2美元这样的倍数也可以接受。不过人们并没有严格坚持这个倍数习惯。起初礼物只是一个象征性的数量但是近几年来在富裕的家里收到大笔红包已经司空见惯。在一些家庭里,发红包这个习俗已经演变为送股票,基金,投资信托基金的做法来取而代之大笔的现金。
Red packets are also given to unmarried visitors but the sums are often smaller than the packets given to family members or close friends.
也给来访的未婚客人发放红包但是数额比发给家庭成员和关系好的朋友少的多。
(听力课堂网Vicky翻译)