OFFICER: May I see your passport please?
CHARLES: Here is my passport. And this is the declaration form.
OFFICER: What is the purpose of your visit to the United States?
CHARLES: Business. I have a trade convention I’m attending in Chicago.
OFFICER: This visa is good for two weeks. Do you intend to stay longer than that?
CHARLES: No. I will fly back twelve days from now.
OFFICER: And you will do some traveling while you are here?
CHARLES: Yes, I want to spend a couple days in New York. I have friends there I will visit.
OFFICER: What do you have in the bag, Mr. Lee?
CHARLES: Just my cameras, my clothes, and some books.
OFFICER: You’re not carrying any food with you today?
CHARLES: No.
OFFICER: Okay, Mr. Lee. This is just a routine check.
Would you mind opening the bag for me?
CHARLES: Alright.
OFFICER: Hmm. You have three cameras. Are you a photographer?
CHARLES: No, my company makes cameras.
Well, I’m also a photographer, but two of these are for our display.
OFFICER: I see. And what’s in this bag?
CHARLES: Egg tarts.
OFFICER: I thought you said you didn’t have any food with you today.
CHARLES: I thought you meant vegetables and meat when you asked me. Things like that.
I don’t have any vegetables.
OFFICER: I’m sorry, Mr. Lee. Egg tarts are food too. We will have to confiscate these.
CHARLES: Confiscate?
OFFICER: Yes, we will have to dispose of them.
CHARLES: It’s too bad. They are very delicious.
OFFICER: I know. One out of every three travelers from Taiwan seems to be carrying them.
They are being smuggled in by the thousands.
CHARLES: Oh, well. Not by me.
OFFICER: No, not today at least. Enjoy your visit to the United States, Mr. Lee.
CHARLES: Thank you.
海關人員：我可以看一下你的護照嗎?
查爾斯：這是我的護照，這是入境申請表。
海關人員：你到美國的目的是什么?
查爾斯：商務，我要到芝加哥去開商務會議。
海關人員：你的簽證期限是兩個星期，你打算待更久嗎?
查爾斯：不會，我十二天之后就要回去了。
海關人員：這段期間你會去旅行嗎?
查爾斯：是的，我想去紐約幾天，我在那兒有朋友，要去拜訪。
海關人員：李先生，你的袋子里有些什么?
查爾斯：只是一些照相機、衣服和書籍。
海關人員：你沒有攜帶任何食物吧?
查爾斯：沒有。
海關人員：好的，李先生，這是例行檢查，
請你把袋子打開讓我看看好嗎?
查爾斯：好的。
海關人員：嗯……有三臺照相機，你是攝影師嗎?
查爾斯：不是，我們公司是生產照相機的。
我自己也是攝影師，但是有兩臺是展示用的。
海關人員：我明白了，那這個袋子里面裝什么?
查爾斯：蛋撻。
海關人員：我以為你沒有帶任何食物。
查爾斯：我以為你是指蔬菜和肉品之類的食物。
我并沒有帶蔬菜。
海關人員：李先生，對不起，蛋撻也算是食物，我們必須充公。
查爾斯：充公?
海關人員：是的，我們將會處理掉。
查爾斯：太可惜了，蛋撻非常好吃。
海關人員：我知道。臺灣來的旅客，三個就有一個會帶蛋撻。
成千的人就成走私了。
查爾斯：我沒有。
海關人員：至少今天沒有，祝您旅途愉快，李先生。
查爾斯：謝謝。
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(兼職編輯：段保凈）
