BBC随身英语:Christmas presents 圣诞礼物

Giving presents is also about showing you care, and that you know and understand someone. That's true in the home, which is one reason why choosing the perfect gift is so hard. And it's true in business as well. Companies use their corporate Christmas gifts to show they value their relationship with customers and partners.

But it's not all good. Gift giving can also make us feel insecure or cause bad feeling. Will we give too little, and receive something better in return? That could make us embarrassed or ashamed. Or will we give too much, and make the receiver of our gifts feel bad?

Sociologists and anthropologists have studied gift exchange for many years. Marcel Mauss was a famous sociologist, who, in the 1920s, studied a type of gift-giving festival among indigenous people in North America, called a potlatch. He found that the people at a potlatch try to 'outgive' each other, with more and more lavish presents, until eventually some people can't compete and give up. They lose face, and are left feeling subordinated to the gift-giver who 'won' the exchange.

At home and in business, the effects of the presents we choose this Christmas will last the whole year round.

Quiz 测验 1. Who do businesses give Christmas gifts to?

Clients/customers and partners.

2. Which words mean trying to control the image which people have of your company?

Impression management.

3. Where do potlatches take place?

North America.

4. Who loses face at a potlatch?

The people who can't compete/who give up.

5. Is the following statement true, false or not given? Companies spend ￡5 million on corporate gifts each Christmas.

That's not given. We only know companies spend millions of pounds.
 

Glossary 词汇表 gathered around 聚集在（周围） ruthless battle for一场残酷的搏斗 corporate公司（的） gifts礼物 obligation责任 impression management印象管理 showing you care显示你关心（他人） value珍视，器重 insecure没有安全感的 bad feeling感觉不好 in return（礼尚）往来，作为回报 ashamed（被）羞辱的 sociologists社会学家 anthropologists人类学家 gift exchange礼物交换 indigenous people土著民 outgive each other出手要胜对方一筹 lavish挥霍的 can't compete无法竞争 lose face丢脸 subordinated to从属于，服从于