STARTING PROCEDURES    开始步骤

7.   International Mahjong is played by four players. Before the start of an event, the prerequisite settings of the event are discussed among the players and once adopted, the settings shall be in effect throughout the whole event. For the purposes of this article, the following stipulations shall apply:    国际麻将得由四人进行。在每一牌局开始前，各人得商议和确定适用于整个牌局的一些基本准则。在执行本条规定时，下列规范得视为当然适用：

7.1.   The prerequisite settings under this article shall be adopted in a competition event where scores of players are recorded for the purposes of establishing personal achievements. For the purpose of reference convenience, these settings shall be cited "Article 7.1 Settings".    若一项比赛牌局需要将各人的绩分作一纪录以评定每人的个人成就，则本条所列的基本准则自动适用于该比赛牌局。为了便于陈述，本条所列的基本准则得称为"第7.1条准则"。

(1)   The length of playing time shall be set to last for eight rounds only;    游戏时间应限于八圈；

(2)   A winning hand of any grade value is allowed; and    允许任可番值的胡牌；及

(3)   An initial score of 20,000 mados shall be allocated to each player.    在牌局开始前每人得配授相等于20,000马吊的绩分。

7.2.   Notwithstanding any prerequisite settings adopted in any event, for the purposes of determining the ranking of a winning hand, the following stipulations shall apply:    在任何牌局中不论适用于该牌局的基本准则为何，在确定一胡牌的番数时下列条款适用：

(1)   Except to win under art. 19.2, a hand of a rank lower than that of the agreed lowest rank, if any, is not recognized as a winning hand.    除了按照第19.2条成胡牌之外，当协议的最少番数适用于该牌局时，若一手牌的番数低于协定的最低番数，则该手牌不算是胡牌。

(2)   A hand of a rank higher than that of the agreed highest rank, if any, is allowed and is awarded up to the agreed highest rank only.    当协议的最高番数适用于该牌局时，若一手牌的番数高于协定的最高番数，则该手牌仍可成为胡牌，但却只能按照协议的最高番数获取绩分。

(3)   If no agreed highest rank is set, a winning hand shall be awarded up to the highest rank listed on the Standard Scoring Chart (art. 30.1) as if this is the agreed highest rank set.    当一牌局不设协定的最高番数时，任何胡牌最高只可获取按照标准绩分表（第30.1条）中相对于最高番数的绩分，尤如表中的最高番数便是该牌局的协议的最高番数一样。

7.3.   In events other than as prescribed in art. 7.1, the prerequisite settings of the event shall be the same or be discussed among the players and adopted as desired by the participating players. Once adopted, the settings shall be in effect throughout the whole event. In the absence of a decision to this effect, the prerequisite settings of art. 7.1 shall apply.    除了按照第7.1条的规定外，所有牌局的基本准则可以和第7.1条的规定相同，亦可以由参与游戏的人通过讨论和协议确定适用于该牌局。一经确认，所有准则应对整个牌局过程适用。若在牌局前没有讨论和确认适用于该牌局的基本准则，则第7.1条的基本准则自动适用于该牌局。

8.   At the beginning of every four-round period of an event, all players must undergo a procedure to determine their sitting positions. This procedure is called CHOOSING SEATS and is detailed below:    在牌局的每一四圈时段的开始时，各人须通过一项程序以确定个别的座位序号。该项程序得称为"执位"而其细节则详列如下：

8.1.   To proceed for the first four-round period of an event:    在牌局的第一个四圈时段的执位过程中：

(1)   all players shall gather around the table by random;    所有人须随意围着牌桌而立；

(2)   four different pais of the Winds are then selected, faced downwards, shuffled thoroughly and stacked in one column;    然后选出东，南，西，北风牌各一张并将其牌面向下，经过充分洗牌之后搭成一栋；

(3)   any one player shall then cast the three dice, and count anti-clockwise from him as number 1 until the player counted with the cast number is found;    此时任一人可掷出三只骰子，并从掷骰的人开始以逆时针方向点算每一人，直至点到和掷骰所得点数相符的人为止；

(4)   the player counted with the cast number shall now take the pai on the top of the stacked column, and each of the other three players, in the order of anti-clockwise direction and from top of the column, also takes one pai;    此时，与掷骰点数相符的人得从搭起的风牌中抓取最高的一张，其余三人得按逆时针方向顺序，从搭起的牌子由上而下各取一张风牌；

(5)   finally, the player who gets the East shall first choose any seat of his desire;    最后，取得东风牌的人可按其意愿选择任一座位；

(6)   the other three players must then sit according to the pais they get, i.e. the one who gets the South shall sit on the right of the one who gets the East, and so on.    其他人则须按照所取得的风牌依次就座：取得南风牌的人须坐在取得东风牌的人的右边，如类推。

8.2.   In case choosing seats is performed for the start of a new four-round period after the end of the previous four rounds, the player who has won the last game shall cast the dice and all players shall remain in seats before the dice are being cast. If no one has won the last game but it is completed with a result involving paying and receiving of scores, the player who receives the jonga status in accordance with art. 12 shall cast the dice. After the cast of the dice, the steps for each player to obtain a pai and be assigned a seat are the same as those stipulated in articles 8.1(4) through (6). In case the pais so obtained by the players result in the same sitting sequence as before, the procedure must be repeated again. In any case, the result of the fourth attempt is final.    若执位是由于先前的四圈时段的完结和另一四圈时段的开始，则所有人须原位就座，而在最后一盘游戏中成功胡牌的人得进行掷骰的工作。若最后一盘游戏没有胡牌的人而只在涉及绩分收授的情况下终结，则掷骰的工作得由按照第12条的规定取得庄家称号的人执行。掷骰之后，各人的取牌和就座的方法和第8.1（4）至（6）条的规定相同。若执位结果导致各人的座位顺序和未执位前相同，则上述过程得重复进行。在任何情况下，进行第四次掷骰后所得的结果得自动生效。

9.   [Reserved empty article.]    [本条保留空白。]