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.
海关人员:我可以看一下你的护照吗?
查尔斯:这是我的护照,这是入境申请表。
海关人员:你到美国的目的是什么?
查尔斯:商务,我要到芝加哥去开商务会议。
海关人员:你的签证期限是两个星期,你打算待更久吗?
查尔斯:不会,我十二天之后就要回去了。
海关人员:这段期间你会去旅行吗?
查尔斯:是的,我想去纽约几天,我在那儿有朋友,要去拜访。
海关人员:李先生,你的袋子里有些什么?
查尔斯:只是一些照相机、衣服和书籍。
海关人员:你没有携带任何食物吧?
查尔斯:没有。
海关人员:好的,李先生,这是例行检查,
请你把袋子打开让我看看好吗?
查尔斯:好的。
海关人员:嗯……有三台照相机,你是摄影师吗?
查尔斯:不是,我们公司是生产照相机的。
我自己也是摄影师,但是有两台是展示用的。
海关人员:我明白了,那这个袋子里面装什么?
查尔斯:蛋挞。
海关人员:我以为你没有带任何食物。
查尔斯:我以为你是指蔬菜和肉品之类的食物。
我并没有带蔬菜。
海关人员:李先生,对不起,蛋挞也算是食物,我们必须充公。
查尔斯:充公?
海关人员:是的,我们将会处理掉。
查尔斯:太可惜了,蛋挞非常好吃。
海关人员:我知道。台湾来的旅客,三个就有一个会带蛋挞。
成千的人就成走私了。
查尔斯:我没有。
海关人员:至少今天没有,祝您旅途愉快,李先生。
查尔斯:谢谢。