新西兰英语 613 Mother’s Day or Parents’ Day

 　　This coming Sunday – the second Sunday in May – is Mother’s Day, a day when children do something special for their mother. One tradition is to give their mother breakfast in bed. Shops try to make Mother’s Day a commercial event and encourage people to buy something for their mother – something for the kitchen or a book. Later in the year, also on a Sunday, we have Father’s Day. Once again it is now a commercial occasion¹ and shops advertise fishing rods², tools for the garage or a book about a famous sports’ person.

　　In 1994, in USA, Parents’ Day replaced Mother’s Day to honour both parents. It is the fourth Sunday in July. In Korea, also, Parents’ Day has replaced Mother’s Day. Children traditionally give their parents a red carnation³ flower, a real one or a paper one. Parents’ Day in Korea is today, May 8th.

　　Vocabulary

　　?tradition, traditionally – something that has happened the same way for many, many years

　　?commercial event / occasion – shops want people to buy gifts for mothers or fathers

　　?replace – take the place of

　　?honour – respect, remember with love

　　?carnation – a flower with a strong smell, a bit like pepper

　　Note the apostrophe before the ‘s’ for Mother’s Day (because we have just one mother) and after the ‘s’ for Parents’ Day because we have two parents.

　　Questions

　　?Do you have Mother’s Day in your country? Do you think it is necessary to honour your mother one day a year?

　　?Do you think we should have Parents’ Day instead of Mother’s Day?

　　?It is a stereotype⁴ to say that women want gifts for the kitchen and men want different gifts like books about sports. Is this the same in your culture?

1 occasion   

n.场合，时机，机会，诱因，理由；vt.惹起，引起

参考例句：

• Her dress was too showy for such a formal occasion.在如此正式的场合，她的服装过分华丽了。
• Her tears were fought back on such an occasion.在这种场合下她忍住了眼泪。

2 rods   

竿( rod的名词复数 )； 杆； （责打人用的）棍棒； 手枪

参考例句：

• The wheels of the toy car were fixed on metal rods. 玩具车的轮子固定在金属棒上。
• A typewriter in which the characters are situated on type rods. 一种打字机，其字符安装在字模棒上。

3 carnation   

n.康乃馨（一种花）

参考例句：

• He had a white carnation in his buttonhole.他在纽扣孔上佩了朵白色康乃馨。
• He was wearing a carnation in his lapel.他的翻领里别着一枝康乃馨。

4 stereotype   

n.固定的形象，陈规，老套，旧框框

参考例句：

• He's my stereotype of a schoolteacher.他是我心目中的典型教师。
• There's always been a stereotype about successful businessmen.人们对于成功商人一直都有一种固定印象。