Waltzing the Night Away|今夜舞通宵

Waltzing the Night Away

by Daniel Howard

The balls of Vienna have always been a way for anyone to be elegant for a night.

　　Vienna is the capital of Austria, and it was home to some of history's most famous composers such as Haydn, Brahms, and the Strauss family. With such amazing music on hand, it is no surprise that Vienna would put it to good use by hosting hundreds of elegant balls. _(1)_

　　The Viennese ball season, called Fasching, extends from New Year's Eve until the Christian holy days of Lent, which is usually in mid-February. Vienna's balls involve strict dress codes and formal dancing, both of which add to the elegance of the event. Dancing is the real purpose of a ball. _(2)_ Other popular dances include the tango and fox trot, which are more modern ballroom dances. _(3)_

　　For most balls, the attire is extremely formal. Women are all expected to wear full-length gowns, and it is recommended that they not wear narrow skirts as that can interfere with the dancing. _(4)_ White tie events are the strictest, requiring white bow ties, shirts and vests, and black jackets with tails, trousers, and shoes. _(5)_ Balls in Vienna are fun, but customs also make them very formal, and anyone who doesn't meet the dress code may be turned away. Once inside, however, it's time to dance the night away in style.

(A) Less formal events also exist where attendees can dance swing, salsa, or other modern dances.

(B) Black tie events have simpler dress codes, which consist of black bow ties, dinner jackets, trousers, and shoes, as well as a white shirt.

(C) In fact, there are at least 150 official balls each season, and that number swells to over 300 if unofficial events are counted.

(D) The most popular dance in Vienna is the waltz, and at all traditional balls people dance the waltz.

(E) Men typically dress in white or black ties, depending on the ball.

 

今夜舞通宵

维也纳舞会向来都是一种能让任何人一夜变优雅的方法。

　　维也纳是奥地利的首都，它是历史上一些极富盛名的作曲家之发源地，象是海顿、布拉姆斯和史特劳斯家族等。维也纳拥有如此令人惊艷的音乐在手，它能够善用这些音乐来举办数百场优雅的舞会，这一点也就不足为奇了。事实上，每一季至少会有一百五十场正式舞会，而假使非正式的舞会场合也算进去，这个数字将增加到三百多场。

　　维也纳舞会季又称『狂欢节』，从除夕夜延续到四旬斋基督教圣日，通常是在二月中旬。维也纳舞会包含了严格的服装规定以及正规的舞蹈，这两样条件皆为该场合增添了优雅风采。而跳舞才是整场舞会的主要目的。维也纳最受欢迎的舞蹈便是华尔兹，且在所有传统的舞会里大家都跳华尔兹。其他热门的舞蹈包括探戈与狐步，这些都是比较现代的国标舞。另外还有一些不太正式的舞会场合，在该场合中，与会者可以跳摇摆、骚莎或其他现代舞。

　　对大多数的舞会来说，服装极度讲究。所有女士都必须换上等身长的礼服，且建议不要穿着窄裙，因为那样可能会阻碍到跳舞。男士则通常会系上白色或黑色的领带，端看舞会类型而定。白色领带的场合最严格，必须穿着白色蝴蝶结、白衬衫和白背心，加上黑色燕尾外套、黑西装裤及黑皮鞋。黑色领带的场合服装规定比较简单，其中包括黑色蝴蝶结、黑色晚礼服、黑西装裤、黑皮鞋以及白衬衫。维也纳的舞会逸趣横生，不过许多风俗惯例同时也让这些舞会变得相当正式，且任何不符合服装规定的人都可能会被拒于门外。然而，一旦踏入了舞会，这便是盛装舞通宵的时候了。 

答案： 1. C 2. D 3. A 4. E 5. B