节约还是消费?欧洲人节日季节作选择

"We are not here to buy anything really," he said. "It is just purely to see my son and to see Paris, because we have never been to Paris before."

保罗·斯科特尼说:"我们来这里并不是要买什么东西。只是来看我的儿子和看看巴黎，因为我们以前从没来过巴黎。"

Although Britain is not part of the eurozone, its economy is struggling, and the Scotneys are concerned.

虽然英国不属于欧元区，但是英国经济也很艰难。斯科特尼夫妇感到担心。

"Depressed, mostly," said Paul Scotney. "Worried. I am retired so it does not really affect me but Anita is still working, so the job situation could affect us."

斯科特尼说:"主要是感到沮丧。还有担心。我已经退休了，所以不太会影响到我，但是安妮塔还在工作，所以工作前景可能会对我们有影响。"

But other people - French and Europeans - are opening their pocketbooks this holiday season. Throngs packed department stores during the last weekend before Christmas. Analyst Philippe Moreau Defarges believes people are celebrating while they can.

然而在这个节日季节，法国和欧洲的其他人正打开荷包。在圣诞节前的最后一个周末，大量人群涌入百货商店。分析人士菲利浦·莫罗·德法尔日认为，人们是在还能够庆祝的时候进行庆祝。

"I think many Europeans and many French are becoming aware that next year will be difficult," he said. "That is why if we can have a last merry Christmas - let us take it."

德法尔日说:"我认为许多欧洲人和许多法国人正意识到，明年将会很艰难。因此，如果我们可以过最后一个快乐的圣诞节，我们就尽情过吧。"

As strollers admire the holiday decorations on the Champs Elysees, a young man called Gwele rings a bell for the Salvation Army charity, soliciting donations.

当人们在赞美香榭丽舍大街上的节日装饰时，一个名叫格威尔的年轻男子请人们关注慈善团体"救世军"，他在那里募捐。

Gwele says the French are still giving to the poor and homeless this holiday season - aware that they are the first to suffer in these hard economic times.

格威尔说，今年节日季节法国人仍在向穷人和无家可归者捐献。要知道，在经济困难时期，这些人首当其冲受到影响。