study passage

[libertango]

昨天，既是星期天又是本市中小学生暑假的最后一天，许多家长选择了带孩子上街购

物，下餐馆就餐等方式，让孩子尽情地在休闲中享受一下暑假最后一天的愉快，迎

接新学期的开始。

以往开学前夕，一般家长都是在家帮孩子检查暑假作业，准备开学必备之物，让孩

子在家里“收收心”，为开学后的紧张学习做准备。而今年更多的家长则是选择了

轻松的方式---- 与孩子一起度过暑假最后一天。在本市不少地方，随处可见带孩子

出行的三口之家。据南市食品街内的经营者介绍，今天到餐馆就餐的三口之家的散

座几乎占就餐客人的一半以上，这是平时很少见到的。不仅餐馆，商场人流增多，

这一天出租车的生意也格外红火。

This is from an HSK study book for 综合天空.

Somethings I don't understand :

"下餐馆就餐等方式"

"家长则是选择"

what does 则 do here?

does "三口之家" just mean, 3 person family?

"今天到餐馆就餐的三口之家的散座几乎占就餐客人的一半以上"

Can someone give me a good translation of this sentence. I don't understand the meaning of 散座. By now, I'm guessing that 餐馆就餐 is a restuarant name.

[gougou]

就餐 is another expression of 用餐，or 吃饭. So 下餐馆就餐 means going to a restaurant to eat. "...等方式" means "... and similar ways".

[waterluo]

则has many different kinds of meaning

the common meaning is "就",show that you are going to do something ,at the same time,it alse means nothing ,but just strengthen the tone

"三口之家" just mean, 3 person family,"之"means "的"

散座 just means dispersed seats not together

try my best to help to translate it

"The dispersed seats are taken by 3 persons'family who come here for meal , occupy a half proportion at the restaurant today "

[miss_China_so_much]

"三口之家": don't forget the one-child policy! One couple can have only one child. So, that's 3.

[Quest]

"今天到餐馆就餐的三口之家的散座几乎占就餐客人的一半以上"

Small tables taken by 3-person families [who came to the restaurant to eat today] almost made up [more than] half the [total number of eating] guests.

[Polynomials]

In this passage，則 means "but".

In the sentence before, it mentioned in the past, most parents would help their child prepare for their new academic year. And this sentence mentioned in this year, more parents choose a more relaxing way to live the last day of summer vacation. There is a contrast here, between past years and this year, so apparently the 則 here means "but"