除夕，2013-12-31

【Aiden in English】

        The liveliness of New Year's Eve was spectacular. Everyone was getting ready for the New Year Show that didn't begin until another half hour later. The Nautica lounge was already packed and I couldn't wait for the show to get started.

        The first song that the cruise entertainers did was a classic about New Year and Christmas. I could clearly see that everyone was enjoying it because the applause at the end seemed so loud that people in their beds could hear it. As the show continued on, I slowly lost interest in contemporary music. When they finally got halfway through the show, I had already thought the performance was boring.

        I went back to my stateroom and began a 50-min countdown to New Year. Let's just say that it wasn't easy for someone to countdown to midnight with another hour to go. After 5 minutes till 2013's three said bye, Mom and I proceeded to Deck 9 where the countdown to midnight was taking place.

        When I arrived, the deck looked like Times Square in New York City. Everyone had a glass of champagne or liquor. They were singing, dancing, talking and you named it. But they all stopped when the clock struck 11:59. Not a sound could be heard. 30 seconds left and the countdown began. 20 seconds left. The countdown could be heard five miles away. It went three, two, and one. All of a sudden, a huge cheer erupted from the 643 passengers aboard the cruise ship. Balloons flew everywhere and the ship lit up like a light bulb.

        Goodbye "2013", 'cause 2014 was in the house!

        Happy New Year 2014!

【红霞译文】

        除夕庆祝活动蔚为大观，离新年联欢晚会还有半个小时，大家都提前做好了观摩准备。此时“航海”大厅座无虚席，我巴不得新年联欢晚会早点开始。

        新年联欢会以游轮艺术家演唱的“庆圣诞迎新年”经典歌曲正式拉开序幕，观众群情激昂，掌声雷动，我敢肯定人人为他们出色的表演而拍手叫好。随着演出继续进行，我因逐渐对现代音乐失去兴趣，进而觉得表演也无聊起来，只好半途退场。

        我返回房间开始新年50分钟倒计时。实话实说，这样数上个把钟头令人倍受煎熬。还有五分钟，2013年的三就要说声再见了，我和妈妈赶紧冲向九楼甲板午夜倒计时聚集地。

        来到甲板上，我感觉如同置身纽约时代广场，大家手持香槟或醇酒，载歌载舞，欢声笑语，不一而足。等时针指向十一点五十九分，全场鸦雀无声﹔还剩下30秒，倒计时开始﹔20秒过后，倒计时声传遍五英里开外。三、二、一，突然之间，彩球飞舞，灯火通明，全体643位乘客不约而同地欢呼雀跃。

        再见了，2013年﹔欢迎你，2014年。

        祝2014年幸福快乐﹗

Today in History(历史上的今天):

2012: NY's Eve @ Sea, Argentina(阿根廷除夕航海)

2010: 白雪情郎(Snow Boy)

New Year's Eve Dinner (阳历年除夕晚宴 12-31-2013)

New Year Countdown (新年倒计时 12-31-2013)

Nautica Oceania (“大洋·航海”号游轮 12-31-2013)

Crosslinks(相关博文):

Mozambique(出游莫桑比克)

Across the Indian Ocean(穿越印度洋)

Africa (漫游非洲)

5th Grade(小学五年级)