Cocktail Parties
鸡尾酒会

A cocktail party is a party at which cocktails are served. It is sometimes called a cocktail hour. A cocktail party is often organized for purposes of social or business networking. A cocktail hour is sometimes used by managers of hotels and restaurants as a means of attracting patrons between four p.m. and six p.m. Some events, such as wedding receptions, are preceded by a cocktail hour. During the cocktail hour, guests socialize while drinking and eating appetizers. Organizers of these events use the cocktail hour to occupy guests between related events and to reduce the number of guests who arrive late.
鸡尾酒会，顾名思义指供应鸡尾酒的派对聚会，有时也称鸡尾酒招待会，是为社交或商业目的而举办的聚会。如今一些酒店和餐馆的经营者为了吸引下午4点到6点这一时段的顾客，通常打出鸡尾酒时刻的招牌。有时候鸡尾酒会常为一些特殊场合暖场，如婚礼宴会等。酒会上客人们一边喝着酒吃着开胃菜，一边进行社交活动，因为活动举办方在两场活动间隙需要这样的酒会，这样一方面不致冷落了在场的客人，一方面还可以等待迟到的客人。

An article in the St. Paul Pioneer Press in May 1917 credited the party's invention to a certain Mrs. Julius Walsh Jr. of St. Louis, Missouri. Mrs. Walsh invited fifty guests to her house on a Sunday at high noon for a one-hour affair. “The party scored an instant hit,” the newspaper declared, and stated that within weeks cocktail parties had become “a St. Louis institution”.
关于它的起源，1917年5月《圣保罗先锋报》上一篇文章将功劳归于密苏里州圣路易斯市的一位叫(小)朱利叶·沃尔什的女士。沃尔什女士在某个周日正午邀请50位客人到家，参加一场持续一小时的活动。根据报上的介绍，“这场派对立刻就风靡起来”，短短几周内，鸡尾酒会已经成了“圣路易斯的一部分”。

A well-planned party is often an exciting blend of social mixer and night on the town. Meeting new people can be much easier under the relaxed atmosphere. A good host should provide a selection of soft drinks and non-alcoholic versions of popular cocktails to designated drivers and those who choose not to drink alcohol for personal or religious reasons.
一场安排得当的鸡尾酒会常常意味着一场兴奋的社交暖场会和在市中心度过的美好一夜。在轻松的酒会气氛下，认识新朋友也会相对容易很多。如果主人考虑周到的话，还会供应一些非酒精饮料的鸡尾酒，照顾那些开车的司机或者出于个人和宗教原因不饮酒的客人。