2014-12-13

【Aiden in English】

        Ahhh! The city of Brotherly Love. A center of culture was the perfect place where Dad and I spent our Saturday.

        Dad parked the car at the Penn's Landing Bridge, which surprisingly was free in the today. We then briskly walked to the places we were going toward the central city.

        First stop was the Reading Terminal Market. Dad and I strolled through eleven streets to arrive at the entrance to the Market. Inside, we followed a long passageway that led to the Reading Terminal Market. As we approached it, a blast of warm air hit our faces and a delicious smell drifted to my nose. It smelled like...like...food? Yeah, just instead of a solid smell, the scent became all mixed together. I was really confused, but my questions were answered as I laid eyes on the Reading Terminal Market. There were just endless and endless restaurants. Each restaurant looked like the size of two SUVs and served different kinds of Philadelphia foods from Philly cheese steaks, sandwiches, burritos, salads, fried chicken, BBQ ribs, steaks, and to some Chinese foods such as noodles and fried rice. It smelled like all the food mashed together, creating a tornado of scent. Also, the market was full of Christmas music, color, and people. Flashing of signs hung on walls everywhere and music flew from speakers that I couldn't find, and the tiny pathways between restaurants seemed packed. Dad and I moved through the sea of people like worms, and I felt a huge sense of overwhelmingness. Dad must've felt the same, too, because he even said that this looked similar to the places in China. If so, I would've never been able to survive there.

        After losing directions many times, Dad and I blindly stumbled upon an exit. I was grateful because I swore in the crowd that made me slowly suffocated. We walked back out into the cold December air and headed to Chinatown for lunch. The familiar and welcoming sights of Chinese culture greeted us as we turned a corner. Without much idling, we trotted into Ocean Harbor that I've never been to before. Dad told me this kind of restaurant was known as a "Dim Sum". I had no idea what its term meant, but as I strode inside, I knew what Dad was referring to. Waiters and waitresses rushed around pushing trolleys and carts carrying miniature plates of food, and they stopped at tables to ask the diners what they wanted. If the diner wanted something, then the waiter or waitress would give him or her the dish and make a mark on a check every diner was given to before eating. Apparently, this style was so popular that we had to wait half an hour until we were seating. Then, the next forty minutes was just a blur of food, waiters, carts, more food, and enjoyment. Dad ordered for both of us considering I had zero idea of what's good and what's not. We got fried dumplings, chicken fingers in Chinese style or chicken feet in Western term, small spareribs, quail egg-stuffed steaming buns, shrimp dumplings, and many more tiny dishes.

        As a crowd swells vividly on weekends, the downtown area has made an absolutely amazing addition to Philadelphia's alfresco scene. This was certainly one of the greatest days I'd ever spent in Philadelphia!

【红霞译文】

        啊哈，兄弟友爱之城！费城文化中心不愧为我和爸爸本周六消磨时光的绝佳去处。

        爸爸把车停靠在潘氏码头桥墩旁，意外发现今日周末免费泊车。父子俩欣然迈开双腿，径直朝市中心方向走去。

        第一站目的地雷丁终点站集市。我们踱着方步溜溜达达，不觉穿过十一条马路来到了集市门口。集市里面过道狭长，一股股热浪拂面，一阵阵香气扑鼻，闻起来莫非不是食物？没错，这里何止一种香味，分明百肴竞香百味荟萃。我犹如坠入五里雾之中，毫无办法辨认香自何方，但当视线定格在雷丁终点站集市时，很快便找到了答案。原来雷丁终点站集市餐馆饭堂各种摊位不计其数，每家店面看上去如同两辆运动型跑车大小，从费城奶酪牛排、荤素三明治、墨西哥卷饼、生菜沙拉、油炸鸡块、排骨烧烤、牛肋熏焙到中式面条、扬州炒饭，五味杂陈混烩一起，爆发出浓郁的芳香。大厅内圣诞颂曲悠扬，到处张灯结彩披上节日盛装，前来驻足的人群络绎不绝，墙上悬挂的霓虹灯招牌闪烁醒目，喇叭播放出来的音乐此起彼伏，餐厅周围更加人声鼎沸。咱爷们亦步亦趋，其拥挤程度可谓叹为观止。想必爸爸也有同感，难怪他触景生情，禁不住想起久违的中国故地。假如真如眼前这般景象，恐怕我难以适应。

        我们转得晕头转向，好不容易撞见出口，真是谢天谢地，殊不知我快要淹没在这汪洋人海之中。重见天日后，我们再度回到十二月天寒地冻的户外世界，下一个目标将前往唐人街中国城吃顿午饭。绕过一道弯，彼此立刻被熟悉的民族氛围以及贴切的恭候目光所包围，事不宜迟，我们选定一家本人从未尝鲜饱过口福的“聚富金阁”直奔而去。听爸爸介绍，该家餐馆素以广式“早茶”著称，虽然对我来说前所未闻，可一旦身临其境，我便不难理解爸爸话语中所示意的弦外之音。男女服务员扦着装有饭碟菜盘的手推车和小载车在餐桌周围来回穿梭，不停地向顾客兜售食品。如果顾客看中要吃的东西，那么服务员二话不说立即摆到面前，并在就餐前发给顾客的账单上记帐。明显地，这种饮食非常流行，不然我们怎么事先要排队半个钟头才能等到餐位就座。接下来四十分钟的开荤时间里，饭菜、服务员、餐车、好吃好喝的轮番上阵，各自忙得不亦乐乎。我因初来乍到不知如何下手，爸爸全权代劳，要来了锅贴、凤爪鸡脚、猪肉小排、鹌鹑蛋肉包、虾饺叉烧，还有不少其它小玩艺。

        随着周末各路人马纷纷走出家门，费城市中心无疑成为大家心目中享受户外生活的首选对象，而今天确实是我在费城度过的最为愉快的日子！