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In our society, what is formal? Very little. On average, clothing, language, behavior -- all is very informal. Individuals who are formal (polite, inoffensive, organized) in their daily dealings with people are often looked upon as boring.
我們這個社會，有什么是完全中規中矩的呢？很少。衣著，語言和舉止，都非常隨意。那些非常正統古板的人（他們彬彬有禮，不觸犯他人，中規中矩）在平時接人待物上總讓他人覺得無趣。
Yet in certain situations, individuals play with the concept of formality not truly to achieve respectfulness and order but because it becomes fashionable to do so.
在一些特殊場合，人們表現的非常正式。然而他們這樣做并不是為了獲得尊重和秩序，而是覺得這樣做很時尚。
While a prom may seem, on the surface, like a fun opportunity to behave formally, it is actually a flowery version of Halloween.
畢業舞會表面上看起來似乎是個表現正式舉止的不錯機會，其實不過是萬圣節另一個花哨的版本罷了。
On the occasion of the spring prom, we see flowering youth taking on the formalities of "adult". Fine dress (most of the students who attend the senior prom rent expensive tuxedoes) or purchase high quality suits or gowns for the occasion),
在春季舉行的畢業舞會上，打扮花哨的年輕人開始扮演成人角色，他們穿上華美的衣服(很多參加高中畢業舞會的學生或租用昂貴的晚禮服，或買高檔西服和連衣裙，
careful makeup (spending hours in front of a mirror or at a hair salon in order to look just right), fancy toys (limousines line the streets outside of dance halls on the night of the prom) all become part of being an adult.
精致的妝容(為了更好看她們花好幾小時在鏡前化妝或是去美發沙龍做頭發), ，漂亮的玩意兒（畢業舞會當晚，大廳外面停放許多豪車), 都成了他們跨入成年的一部分。
In many ways, adults in society should examine their own behavior for wrongly displaying these types of objects as being "adult" to younger people.
成年人應該在很多方面重新審視自己某些舉止行為給年輕人帶來的誤導，讓他們以為展現這些就是"成年”。
In our society we have a wrong idea of what adulthood actually is. It has always been my understanding that adulthood and maturity are not based upon one's ability to hold a cigarette in a certain way or tie a bow tie.
我們對成年的真諦有一種誤讀。我個人認為，成年和成熟并不以一個人是否能用一種特定姿勢夾煙或是系領結。
Adulthood comes with understanding of one's place in the universe; it comes with the knowledge of how to interact with our fellow human beings; it comes with the ability to take responsibility for one's own actions -- whether good or bad.
成年意味著一個人懂得自己在茫茫宇宙占據一席之地; 學到了如何與其他人交往的技巧; 學會為自己或好或壞的行為去負責任。
