人生新阶段：祝福和挑战

In ancient China， girls came of age at 15. They would have a hair-pinning ceremony（笄礼）to mark it. On that day， They would wash and comb（梳）their hair and put a pin in it.

在中国古代，女孩15岁就成年了。她们将举行一个笄礼来作纪念。那一天，女孩们会洗头、梳头，并在头发上插笄。

The coming of age ceremony for boys took place at the age of 20. Its called the capping ceremony （冠礼）. They covered their hair with a hat to show that they are adults （成人）.

男孩的成年仪式是在20岁时举行，叫做冠礼。男孩们会在头发上盖上一顶帽子，以表明他们是成年人。

Now in China， a person aged 18 or over is an adult. Legally （法律上）， they are fully responsible （负责的） for themselves.

如今在中国，18岁或18岁以上的是成年人。在法律上，成年人要对自己负全部责任。

Becoming an adult is an important stage in anyones life. It means that youre not a child anymore. You have to start to act like a grown-up. You need to make decisions and take care of problems on your own. But you also have a bigger say （发言权） about your life.

成为成年人是每个人生活中的一个重要阶段，这意味着你不再是个孩子了。你得表现得像一个成年人。你需要自己做决定和处理问题，但你对自己的生活也有了更大的发言权。

Because of its importance， almost every culture in the world has a coming-of-age ceremony. It introduces young boys and girls to a new stage of life. Here are some of these ceremonies. Lets take a look.

由于成人礼的重要性，世界上几乎每一种文化都有一个成年仪式。成人礼的举行标志着年轻的男孩和女孩进入了一个新的生活阶段。下面是一些国家的成人仪式，我们一起来看一看。

美国

In the United States， turning 16 is a big event. Most teenagers get their drivers license （驾照） at 16. Some parents may buy a second-hand car for them as a gift.

在美国，走进16岁是一件大事。大多数青少年在16岁时就获得驾照了。一些父母都会买一辆二手车作为礼物送给孩子。

Girls have“sweet 16”parties for their 16th birthday. These parties let them celebrate their coming of age. They will dress in beautiful gowns （礼服） and have a special dance with their father.

女孩们16岁生日有“甜蜜16”的聚会。聚会是她们用来庆祝自己成年的。在聚会上女孩们将穿着漂亮的礼服，并与父亲有一个特殊的舞蹈。

德国

The coming-of-age ceremony in Germany is called Jugendfeier-“youth celebration”. During this ceremony， a teacher gives a speech to young people. The speech is about values （价值观） such as respecting others and taking on new responsibilities （责任）. After all， part of growing up means having to take care of yourself.

在德国举行的成年典礼被称为“青年庆典”（Jugendfeier）。在这个仪式上，一位老师向年轻人发表演讲。演讲内容是关于价值观的，比如尊重他人和承担新的责任。毕竟，成长的一部分意味着必须照顾好自己。

拉丁美洲

In most Latin American countries， there is a ceremony for girls when they turn 15. Its called quinceanera. During this ceremony， the girl gives candles to the 15 most important women in her life. The candles stand for her past. She gets ready to leave the past behind as she becomes a woman.

在大多数拉丁美洲国家，女孩15岁时有一个仪式叫“quinceanera”。在这个仪式上，女孩给在她生命中最重要的15个女人送蜡烛。蜡烛代表着她的过去。当她成人时，她就准备把过去抛在身后了。

Age mattera

Adulthood is more than just a number. But there are some things that you can only do once you reach a certain age. Here are some examples.

成年不僅仅是一个数字。但有些事情只有在你到了一定年龄时才能做，请看右图。