英文短篇故事（纽约）434 Facelook Hosts Daily Birthday Party

 　　On Natalie's tenth birthday, her mom said, "Guess what? We're taking you to the Birthday Parlor¹. There'll be free cake, ice cream, karaoke, and games. There'll be drawings for free prizes. There'll be free entertainment by magicians and musicians." The Birthday Parlor is a huge building in Manhattan next to the Hudson River. Facelook owns the building. It owns Birthday Parlors² in all major cities worldwide. Entry is free for the "birthday boy" or "birthday girl," who must show a valid³ ID, and guests. A Facelook brochure says, "Our Birthday Parlors connect people face to face. Each day, our doors open to everyone who is celebrating their birthday that day. Birthday celebrants have fun and meet hundreds of other people with the same birthday as theirs. It's a huge party, every day! And it's a win-win-win—for the celebrants, the many vendors⁴ showcasing their desirable products and services, and us!"

1 parlor   

n.店铺，营业室；会客室，客厅

参考例句：

• She was lying on a small settee in the parlor.她躺在客厅的一张小长椅上。
• Is there a pizza parlor in the neighborhood?附近有没有比萨店？

2 parlors   

客厅( parlor的名词复数 )； 起居室； （旅馆中的）休息室； （通常用来构成合成词）店

参考例句：

• It had been a firm specializing in funeral parlors and parking lots. 它曾经是一个专门经营殡仪馆和停车场的公司。
• I walked, my eyes focused into the endless succession of barbershops, beauty parlors, confectioneries. 我走着，眼睛注视着那看不到头的、鳞次栉比的理发店、美容院、糖果店。

3 valid   

adj.有确实根据的；有效的；正当的，合法的

参考例句：

• His claim to own the house is valid.他主张对此屋的所有权有效。
• Do you have valid reasons for your absence?你的缺席有正当理由吗？

4 vendors   

n.摊贩( vendor的名词复数 )；小贩；（房屋等的）卖主；卖方

参考例句：

• The vendors were gazundered at the last minute. 卖主在最后一刻被要求降低房价。
• At the same time, interface standards also benefIt'software vendors. 同时，界面标准也有利于软件开发商。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓