今天我们没做任何旅游安排，彻底给自己放假，妈妈和我去宾馆吃早饭，丰富多样的食谱令人眼花缭乱，从火腿到冰激凌蛋糕，应有尽有。正如邻家智利和阿根廷人喜好，巴西人同样讲究早餐的气派。我吃得不多，一看到如此盛大的早宴，不觉已镇倒胃口。妈妈俨然掉进新鲜烘焙的巴西咖啡里而不能自拔，结果撑得连走回房间的力气都没剩多少。 

      To start the day off, mom and I were overwhelmed with a breakfast banquet in Brazilian style from ham to ice cream cake. It looked like a quite delightful cuisine as its neighbors like Chilean and Argentine in South America. I did not eat much, but felt full already once I was floating at the food sea. Mom indulged herself with Brazilian fresh roasted coffee and couldn't even walk to our room.

      Early afternoon, we were leaving for Brasilia, the capital city of Brazil. The time appeared extremely awkward. A few of hours wouldn't do us much good. However, sitting around doing nothing wasn't my type either. What we decided our best bet before we set off was to hang around in such 5-star colonial style Hotel das Cataratas atop the canyon nestled in the rainforest and overlooking the Iguazu Falls. To me, that sounded more like videogames on the iPad. I barely talked afterwards.

      我们将于下午离开这里，前往巴西首都巴西利亚。说起来，打发下面几个钟头并非简单。出去溜达，恐怕时间不够；待在房间不做任何事情，又觉乏味。我们拿定主意，索性转一转时下住的座落在峡谷之巅、藏身于热带雨林当中、鸟瞰伊瓜苏全貌的五星级殖民式“大瀑布酒店”。对我来说，这个计划等于提示自己随时做好玩耍平板电脑游戏的准备。当然，我举双手赞成。

      Before we headed for Iguazu Intl. Airport (IGU), I had my final meal at the bar of the hotel. A chicken sandwich with a stack of tomatoes and lettuce was served on the table. It tasted like American fast-food in Brazilian flavor, which I loved. The more I experienced cross-cultural profundity at a universal level, the more I realized the civilized essentials that drew in large crowds no matter what language you spoke.

      尚未离开伊瓜苏时，我在宾馆酒吧点来最后一顿午餐。鸡肉三明治厚厚地夹上西红柿片和生菜叶，尝起来是地地道道具有巴西风味的美式快餐，非常好吃。看来，随着对跨国文化精华接触越来越多，我逐渐发觉，无论人们操持何种语言，各个文明社会根基其实很容易受外部势力影响，古为今用，洋为己用，只有兼收并蓄，才能顺应时代需要。

      As soon as I boarded on a TAM airplane, I fell asleep soundly all the way through the entire flight. I awoke just in time to see the glistening lights of Brasilia. 

      登上了巴西天马航空公司的班机，我立刻倒头大睡，一路酣声四起。醒来时，正赶上飞机降落，巴西利亚星光灿烂。

      Finally, a scrumptious plate of spaghetti and meatballs ended my boring day. I never knew that eating would be so interesting compared to jumping from one place to another I did today.

      夜晚临睡前，喷香的意大利面条拌上肉丸子总算了断了无聊憋屈的一天。我做梦都没想到，吃东西要比马不停蹄飞来飞去更有意思。

(二O一三年一月八日)