BBC随身英语｜圣诞礼物有哪些新思路？

Christmas gift alternatives

It's that time of year when many of us spend money buying gifts for family and friends. We spend hours, even days, searching the shops and websites trying to find the right present for someone - a pair of socks, perfume, a new gadget – only to find the recipient already has it or they've been given it already. Or worse, they just don't like it, which makes me think, "Are we wasting our time and money?"

There is so much stuff in the world already and so much waste that maybe when it comes to Christmas giving, we need to think outside the box – use our imagination and be more creative with our generosity. This is particularly true for children, who tend to receive mountains of toys some of which end up not even being looked at.

One idea is to implement a 'one-gift' rule so that children don't grow up spoiled. Getting too many gifts can also send out the wrong message. Speaking to BBC online, clinical psychologist Linda Blair says, "When we are given a lot, we expect to receive a lot… even if it's only at Christmas and on birthdays, it will impact on children's attitudes."

She also suggests, "If you want to give a gift, give your time". She makes a good point - for children and adults alike, when it comes to giving, think about offering something other than a material object that may get forgotten, discarded or re-gifted.  

Buying an experience is one alternative - a chance for someone to try something out and do something different. It will cost you money, but for the recipient, it could be an opportunity to try something they could not normally afford or would not have thought about doing. It would therefore be memorable and, hopefully, much appreciated.

Another practical gift could be to buy someone lessons, giving them a chance to learn new skills such as horse riding or learning English. And there are what are called 'favours' – money-can't-buy offerings to do jobs for someone like babysitting, cleaning or giving someone a massage. And there is always the fallback of giving vouchers to spend in a shop.

Of course, if you can't think of an original way to give a gift, the alternative is to not buy anything at all. You may be accused of being a 'Scrooge' but at least you're not wasting money on pointless gifts and you could give the money to charity instead – a more worthy cause.

But if this year, you receive a present that's not to your liking don't be ungrateful and remember the age-old saying that 'it's the thought that counts'.

词汇表
alternative [ɔːlˈtɜːnətɪv] n. 可供选择的事物，替代方案
perfume [ˈpɜːfjuːm] n. 香水；香味
gadget [ˈɡædʒɪt] n. 小器具，小玩意儿
recipient [rɪˈsɪpiənt] n. 接收者，收礼人
think outside the box 跳出传统思维，打破常规思考
spoil [spɔɪl] vt. 宠坏，溺爱
material object 实物，物质的东西
discard [dɪsˈkɑːd] vt. 丢弃，抛弃
re-gift [ˌriːˈɡɪft] vt. （把收到的礼物）转赠，转送
memorable [ˈmemərəbl] adj. 值得纪念的，难忘的
favour [ˈfeɪvə(r)] n. 帮忙，恩惠，善意行为
money-can't-buy offering 金钱买不到的服务/馈赠
babysit [ˈbeɪbisɪt] v. 临时照看小孩，当保姆
massage [ˈmæsɑːʒ] n. 按摩，推拿
fallback [ˈfɔːlbæk] n. 退路，备选方案
voucher [ˈvaʊtʃə(r)] n. 优惠券，代金券
original [əˈrɪdʒənl] adj. 新颖的，独创的，有创意的
scrooge [skruːdʒ] n. 吝啬鬼，小气鬼，守财奴
pointless [ˈpɔɪntləs] adj. 无意义的，空洞的
worthy cause 有价值的事情，崇高的事业
ungrateful [ʌnˈɡreɪtfl] adj. 不领情的，不感激的
age-old [ˈeɪdʒ əʊld] adj. 古老的，由来已久的
it's the thought that counts 礼轻情意重，心意最重要

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