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.

（实习编辑：于晓伟）