The Senior Prom -- Adulthood Ceremony

 

高中生舞会:成年仪式

As the school year winds down, many senior students of school across the nation will not just be starting another summer of holidays to provide a break during semesters.

学年结束将近，等待全国高中毕业生的将不再是下学期到来之前的快乐暑假了。

Many will be leaving their safe havens of senior public school and taking their first step into the world of adulthood, attending fast-paced, crowded universities, taking up part-time or full-time employment.

他们中的许多人将离开高中的避风港，跨出成年的第一步: 有的人会进入快节奏，拥挤的大学继续深造，有的人则会开始做全职或者兼职的工作。

Many may even move from family homes in their pursuit of educational fulfillment or the "perfect" job opportunity. Many young people are preparing to move on to new lives in the world, with new responsibilities, new environments, new peers and new dreams.

许多人甚至会从家中搬出来，到外地求学或是寻求完美的职业。这些年轻人已经开始为新生活，新责任，新环境，新伙伴和新的梦想做准备了。

One ritual that has become part of coming of age has been the senior prom. Just before the graduation ceremonies of many high schools, or following closely behind graduation events,

高中生舞会成了成年的一个仪式，一般在高中毕业典礼或紧随其后举行。

the senior prom is an opportunity for youth to celebrate the entrance into the world of adulthood with color and formality. However, there is far more behind the social event than ever noticed.

高中生舞会是这些年轻人用来庆祝他们加入成年人队伍的一种有模有样，多姿多彩的方式。

What is formal? Formal means to present one's self to others in a way which is "with form", with shape, polite, inoffensive and dignified.

为什么说是有模有样呢？正式意为把自己以一种正式，有型，礼貌和尊重的方式展现给其他人。

We see the example of a formal letter, it uses proper grammar and sentence structure in order to be respectful, while at the same time serving a purpose or getting an important message across.

以正式的书信为例，正式书信使用的都是正规语法和句式，来表示对读信人的尊重，同时也成功传达了自己的意愿和重要信息。