Rebecca: The people dancing on stage are dressed in a peculiar way. Girls wear pink long gowns and boys are in tunic and boots. Are those traditional Chinese clothes?
丽贝卡：台上跳舞的人穿着很奇特。女孩子都穿粉色长袍，男孩子穿束腰外衣和靴子。那是中国的传统服饰吗？
Zhang: They belong to the Uygur ethnic minority. China has 55 ethnic minorities. All have clothes of their own style.
张：那是维吾尔族的民族服装。中国有55个少数民族，这些民族的服饰都有自己的风格。
Rebecca: 55! It must be very hard to tell them apart.
丽贝卡：55个少数民族！那一定很难区分吧。
Zhang: Not really. Clothes are an essential element of people's lives. They are formed in history and influenced by the climate, life style and religion of a people.
张：不是的。服饰是人们生活的重要部分，是在历史中形成的，受到天气，该民族的生活方式和宗教的影响。
Rebecca: Can you give me an example?
丽贝卡：你能举个例子吗？
Zhang: Of course. The Miao people, for example, are very skillful in handicraft； therefore they wear a lot of silver, like silver headgear and necklace. Their clothes are richly embroidered and the sleeves are tight. The Mongolian minority, on the other hand, has loose fitting long gowns with belts and boots, so that they can ride comfortably on horse.
张：当然啦。比如说苗族人就很擅长手工，所以他们穿戴很多银饰，比如银质头饰，银质项链。他们的衣服刺绣繁复，袖口窄。而蒙古族则穿宽大的长袍子，系腰带，穿靴子，这样骑马才比较舒服。
Rebecca: I guess you are right.
丽贝卡：也许你说的没错。