Even Number and Odd Numbers

偶数和奇数

As a rule in day-to-day life in China, it is customary to regard even numbers as being more auspicious¹ than odd numbers. In China，traditionally gifts are given as a part of the celebration for all occasions. Thus, guests will always give even-numbered presents. As the number two，usually suggests germination² and harmony, at wedding celebrations, decorations are invariably setout in pairs: a pair of red candles, a pair of pillows, and couplets hung on two sides of the hall. Six, pronounced as "Liu", conveys indirectly³ its homophon's meaning—Do everything smoothly⁴; and eight in Chinese has a similar sound to "Fa"，which means to make a fortune. All business men favor this number very much. However four, is the exception to the even number rule as it sounds like "Si" (death). So when people choose car license⁵ tags, phone numbers, and room numbers, they try to avoid it.

由于在中国日常生活中的规则，习惯把偶数视为比奇数更吉祥。在中国，传统的礼品是各种场合庆祝的一部分。因此，客人总会给偶数礼物。由于数字二，通常暗示萌发与和谐，在婚礼庆典中，装饰都不约而同地做成成对：一对红色的蜡烛，一对枕头，和一对对联挂在大厅的两侧。六，发音为“流”，间接表达其同音的意思是，一切顺利;而在中国，8也有类似的发音，以“发”，这意味着发财。非常多商务男士青睐这个数字。然而四则是偶数规则的例外，因为它听起来像“死”（死亡）。所以，当人们选择汽车牌照，电话号码和房间号码时，他们尽量避免它。