The Lunar (adj.月亮的) New Year (n.農曆新年) is traditionally (adv.傳統上) a time for family gatherings (n.聚會), visiting relatives (n.親戚) and, for children, to collect red packets (n.紅包、利是). It is also a time to indulge (v.放縱) in traditional foods, many of which are high in calories (n.卡路里、熱量).
　　Not surprisingly (adv.驚訝地), therefore, many people gain weight during this period.
　　Registered (adj.註冊的) dietitian (n.營養師) Leslie Chan Kwok-pan (n.陳國賓) said that over the years he has seen some children gain as much as five to six kilograms during the Christmas (n.聖誕節) and Lunar New Year holidays.
　　"Since children naturally gain weight during puberty (n.青春期) it is more difficult for them to shed (v.去除) unwanted (adj.多余的) kilograms when compared with adults," Chan said.
　　"What makes it worse is that both Christmas and the Lunar New Year always fall (v.發生) during the cooler months when the human metabolism (n.新陳代謝) becomes 5 to 8 percent slower. So it is easier to put on (v.增加) weight."
　　Chan warned that children gaining around 5kg in a short time are also likely to suffer from diarrhea (n.肚瀉) owing to (prep.由於) the oily contents (n.含量) of traditional foods such as preserved (adj.保存的) meats (n.臘肉) and Chinese (adj.中國的) sausages (n.臘腸).
(The Standard, January 27)

　　農曆新年，傳統上會一家團聚，探訪親戚，小朋友則收紅包。同時，這也是放縱自己，狂吃傳統食品的時候，它們很多都含有高熱量。
　　因此，不足為奇的是，很多人在這段時間內都體重增加。
　　註冊營養師陳國賓說，他多年來曾見過有些小朋友在聖誕節和農曆新年假期體重增加五六千克。
　  “由於小朋友正值青春期，體重自然會增加，因此與成年人相比，他們更難減去多余的重量。”陳說。
　  “更糟的是，聖誕節和農曆新年都在較寒冷的月份，這時人體新陳代謝會減慢百分之五至八，體重因而更易增加。”
　　陳國賓警告說，在短期內體重增加約五千克的兒童也更容易肚瀉，原因是臘肉和臘腸等傳統食品的含油量很高。
     （《英文虎報》，一月二十七日）

      閱讀指引
      1. weighty (adj)　/'we?笈ti/，
      WEIGHT-tee　重的、嚴重的
      解讀：名詞weight解作重量，因而引申指重要性、嚴重程度；形容詞weighty同樣含有這兩重意思，例如a weighty matter是重大的事情，而a weighty document是大部頭的文件；本文談及小朋友的體重，標題便幽默地用上這個語帶雙關的字。
      2. festive (adj)　/'fest?笈v/，FESS-tiv　節日的、喜慶的
      解讀：名詞festival解作節日、喜慶日，例如Mid-Autumn Festival是中秋節；形容詞festive本解作節日的，因而引申指喜慶的、歡樂的；標題的festive fare是節日食品，也常叫festive foods，又例如festive mood是節日心情。
      3. fare (n)　/fe?瑆/，f-AIR　飯菜、食品
      解讀：解作飯菜、食品時，fare是個較古舊或正統的字，因而很少在日常對話中出現；文中festive fare是節日食品，又例如delicious fare是佳餚美食，vegetarian fare是素菜；留意在這個意義下fare不可數，因而不能加-s。