双语散文:礼物的含义

Many people just give gifts without even liking to give. They just give because Christmas is coming, because it is the New Year, or because she is my mother, because she is my daughter, because he is my friend, because he is my husband, etc. And people just buy any kind of thing sometimes. And that's very burdensome, for the buyer as well as the receiver. Because you only receive like a skeleton, without any soul, without any affection in it. And we all know this. And it's bad! It's not a good habit to exchange gifts, even though it is Christmas or New Year's, if we have no love in it, if we don't do it with sincere well wishing, or sincere affection. Mostly, people don't do it with love. They are too busy to have affection. They are too busy to think about whether they should put in affection or not. The affection has gone out the window. When Christmas comes, most affection's gone.
    很多人送礼不是心甘情愿，他们只是因为圣诞节来了、新年到了，或是因为她是我母亲、是我女儿，他是我的朋友、先生等等，所以就随便买个东西，那实在是一种负担，对买的人和接受的人来说，都是一种负担。因为你收的东西只是像个骷髅一样，内边没有灵魂、没有感情。我们都知道那种情况，那很糟糕！即使是在圣诞节或过年的时候，如果我们没有爱心、没有诚心的祝福、没有真挚的情感，那么互相送礼的习俗并不可取。但多数的人就是如此，他们因为太忙而没有感情，他们忙得没有时间去想是否要投入情感，情感都跑到窗外去了，当圣诞节来临时，大部分的感情也消失了。

　It is a very good custom to express our feelings through gifts. But sometimes, if we have our full heart in it, even one rose is enough. Otherwise, people just want to show off their generosity, and buy a big bouquet, and still it doesn't mean anything. Therefore, sometimes, I often hear people outside say, "Ah! Christmas is coming; it's a terrible time. I haven't bought this for that person. I haven't bought that for this person." It looks like a burden. It's not a feast of love. And it's not an occasion to celebrate our bonds of friendship. But it's a burdensome time. It's a very tiresome period of the year.
　借礼物来表达情感是很好的习俗，如果礼物中充满我们的诚意，即使只是一朵玫瑰花，那也足够了；如果只是想要炫耀慷慨，就算买了一大束花也毫无意义。因此有时候我常听外面的人说：“唉呀！圣诞节快到了，可怕的时候到了，我还没买这个给那个人，我还没买那个给这个人。”圣诞节好像是一种负担，不是爱的节日，不是一个庆祝我们友谊坚固的时机，而是个麻烦的时刻，是一年中非常累人的时期。

     People do it just to discharge their obligations toward each other. But they do not really understand the significance of the season, and of the actions and gifts. That's why it makes such a boring job, to go shopping at Christmas or New Year's. All rush, rush! So many things to do, so many cars to drive or ride in, so many gifts to wrap, and all kinds of things. It's very difficult to have affection in such a rush. Therefore, you know, at Christmas time, people just stuff each other's houses with all kinds of nonsense, all kinds of unnecessary toys and stuff that normally we would not even think of buying for ourselves. And sometimes, people make a joke, or maybe it's a true story, that sometimes you find your own gift coming back, returning back to you after a circle of friendship. And you just have a good laugh. And sometimes, this gift is the very thing that you wanted to get rid of, and it came back to you full circle.
　人们这么做，也许只是为了履行彼此间的义务，但他们并不真正了解这个季节以及送礼的意义，因此，在圣诞节或新年的时候，购物变成一个非常无聊的工作，都只是赶！赶！赶！有那么多事要做，要开车或坐车到处跑，要包很多礼物等等，在这么匆忙之中很难投入情感。所以圣诞节的时候，人们只是用毫无意义的东西填塞彼此的房子。那些没必要的玩具和物品，通常连我们自己都不会想买来给自己。有人开玩笑这么说，不过也许这是真的事，有时你会发现自己送出去的礼物，在朋友之间绕了一大圈后又回到自己手上，而你只能大笑一场，有时候这个礼物正是你先前不想要的东西，而它却绕了一圈后又回到你手上。