圣诞将至 法国流行送二手礼物

A used book or nearly-new kitchen gadget may not be at the top of every Christmas wish list, but hard economic times coupled with a new green awareness are changing attitudes about gift-giving in France.

French holiday shoppers are opting in larger numbers for "green" gifting this Christmas, studies show.

About 30 percent of French consumers will give second-hand items as gifts to stretch out their tight budgets but also to do their little bit for recycling, according to a study by international consulting firm Deloitte.

The survey of Christmas consumer behaviours in 18 European countries found the French were more than twice as likely as other Europeans to give second-hand items, making France a pioneer in the trend.

Websites promoting re-gifting and green gifting are flourishing in France, with many reporting a rise in business.

"Concerns about the ecology and the economy have come together and we are now seeing people who accept the types of gifts that were not appreciated just a short time ago," said Sebastien Ravut, who runs a website promoting eco-friendly consumerism.

His site lists shops in France that offer fair trade products, bio-friendly goods and recycled items. Over the Christmas holidays, the number of visits to the site has doubled from last year, reaching 60,000 per month.

A study by online survey firm Vivodi for PriceMinister showed eight out of 10 people would be happy to receive a used item as a gift and that younger consumers were more open to the idea.

But Gilles Goldenberg, author of the Deloitte study, cautioned that environmental concerns are not the overriding consideration when buying used goods.

"The number one concern is getting the lowest possible price," said Goldenberg. "Eco-friendly products are drawing a lot of interest, but not if that means paying more."

Theatre tickets and other low-carbon gifts are in vogue, and eco-friendly websites are also encouraging gift givers to offer time and services instead of stuff.

"The order of the day is to spend less time shopping and more time connecting" over the holidays, said Florence de Monclin from the Nicolas Hulot foundation for Nature and Humanity.

一本旧书或半新的厨房用具可能不是大家最想要的圣诞礼物，但经济不景气加上人们环保意识的增强，法国人对于送礼的态度正在发生变化。

研究显示，今年圣诞节，法国人更倾向于选送“绿色”环保礼物。

德勤国际咨询公司开展的一项研究显示，法国约30%的消费者打算送二手礼品，一方面是为了省点钱，另一方面也是为环保做点贡献。

这项圣诞节消费者行为调查在欧洲18个国家开展。调查发现，法国人送二手礼物的可能性是欧洲其他国家的两倍，成为这一潮流的引领者。

在法国，提倡礼物再利用和绿色送礼的网站十分盛行，而且其中很多网站生意不错。

塞巴斯蒂安．拉夫特经营一家宣传环保消费主义的网站。他说：“结合生态和经济两方面的考虑，人们开始接受这类不久前还不怎么受欢迎的礼物。”

塞巴斯蒂安的网站列出了法国的一些平价、环保和提供再利用商品的商店名单。在圣诞假期期间，该网站的访问量达到每月6万人次，为去年的两倍。

由在线调查公司Vivodi为PriceMinister购物网站开展的一项调查显示，十人中有八人不介意收到二手礼物，而且年轻的消费者更能接受这一理念。

但德勤调查的负责人吉勒．戈登伯格提醒说，环保并不是人们选择二手礼品时首要的考虑因素。

戈登伯格说：“消费者首要的考虑因素是争取尽可能低的价格，环保产品引起很多人的兴趣，但如果要花更多的钱，那又不一样了。”

送电影票和其他低碳礼物也非常流行，环保网站还鼓励送礼者送时间、送服务来代替实物。

尼古拉斯．于勒自然与人类基金会的弗洛伦斯．德．蒙可琳说，节日期间“人们应该少购物，多联络感情”。

Vocabulary:

gift: to present (something) as a gift to (a person) 赠送（礼物）

re-gifting: the act of taking a gift that has been received and giving it to somebody else, sometimes in the guise of a new gift 转送礼物

overriding: first in priority; more important than all others 最重要的，优先的

in vogue:正在流行