"Hutong (small lanes)" and "si he yuan (compounds where houses are built around square courtyards)" are symbols representing the life of old Beijing. For those living here, there is a frequent social contact between neighbors through "chuan men (dropping in on neighbors)".

"Chuan men" refers to neighbors visiting each other's houses, chatting easily with one another, or just getting together for some fun. Calling at neighbors' homes is quite an ordinary practice. Neighbors do it almost every day, and sometimes even many times in one day.

Different people do different things while visiting their neighbors. Men meet to play chess and cards, drink tea and talk; women gather to talk about housework and children, and to exchange ideas about raising fish and birds, planting flowers and many similar experiences; children get together primarily for fun, which is a particular delight for them. As everyone gathers together they seem as close as family, and these close neighborly relations give people a warm feeling in their hearts.

With a cup of perfumed tea and a plate of sunflower seeds, whether discussing world affairs or chatting about household trifles, it is really a relaxing and intimate thing to call at the homes of the neighbors. To those who have experienced this, it seems only natural that there is no end of topics to discuss.

Today this calling on their neighbors' is almost unheard of among young people.  People now live in cement buildings, which are not so open as the older compounds. In addition they are burdened with great work pressure, and they have no free time or spare energy. All these are reasons for the gradual disappearing of "chuan men". At present, getting together in public places and chatting on the internet have become most common methods of social exchange among young people. To them, "chuan men" will soon be ancient history. Such is the result of social development, but there seems to be no alternative.

串门

        胡同、四合院，是老北京生活的一个代表。 居住在这里，邻里之间常见的一种交往方式就是串门。
        串门，就是邻居们互相到家里去，很随意的聊聊天，玩什么的。串门是一件很平常的事，邻里间几乎每天都串门，有的时候一天能串好几次。
        不同的人串门，活动的内容也不一样。男人们到一块儿就是下棋、打牌、喝茶、聊天；女人们到一块呢，就是谈谈家务、教育孩子的事，交流交流养鱼、养鸟、养花这方面的经验等；小孩们凑一块儿主要就是玩，特别地高兴。大家在一起就像一家人一样亲切，这样的邻里关系让人心里暖暖的。
        一杯花茶，一盘瓜子，谈一谈天下大事，聊一聊家庭琐事，串门是一种让人感到轻松而亲切的活动。亲身经历过的人自有他们说不完的话题 。
        如今的年轻人已经不怎么串门了。居住在楼房里，邻里之间不像在四合院里那么开放；工作压力大，没有时间和精力等等，这些都是原因。时下，在公共场所聚会，在网上聊天，已经成为年轻人最普遍的社交方式，对于他们来说，串门似乎快要成为历史名词了。这是社会发展的一个结果，然而，又何尝不是一种无奈呢。

• frequent [´fri:kwənt]   a.常见的，频繁的   (初中英语单词)
• contact [´kɔntækt]   n.接触；联系 v.联络   (初中英语单词)
• everyone [´evriwʌn]   pron.=everybody 每人   (初中英语单词)
• intimate [´intimit]   a.亲密的 n.知己   (初中英语单词)
• addition [ə´diʃən]   n.加；加法；附加物   (初中英语单词)
• pressure [´preʃə]   n.压榨 vt.对...施压力   (初中英语单词)
• energy [´enədʒi]   n.活力，精力；能力   (初中英语单词)
• cement [si´ment]   n.水泥；接合剂 vt.粘结   (高中英语单词)
• gradual [´grædʒuəl]   a.逐渐的   (高中英语单词)
• primarily [´praimərəli, prai´merəli]   ad.首先；主要地   (英语四级单词)
• experienced [ik´spiəriənst]   a.有经验的；熟练的   (英语四级单词)
• alternative [ɔ:l´tə:nətiv]   a.二中选一的 n.选择   (英语四级单词)
• calling [´kɔ:liŋ]   n.点名；职业；欲望   (英语六级单词)
• housework [´hauswə:k]   n.家务劳动   (英语六级单词)