The Real Meaning of a Gift

　　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.

　　很多人送禮不是心甘情愿，他們只是因為圣誕節(jié)來了、新年到了，或是因為她是我母親、是我女兒，他是我的朋友、先生等等，所以就隨便買個東西，那實在是一種負擔，對買的人和接受的人來說，都是一種負擔。因為你收的東西只是像個骷髏一樣，內邊沒有靈魂、沒有感情。我們都知道那種情況，那很糟糕！即使是在圣誕節(jié)或過年的時候，如果我們沒有愛心、沒有誠心的祝福、沒有真摯的情感，那么互相送禮的習俗并不可取。但多數(shù)的人就是如此，他們因為太忙而沒有感情，他們忙得沒有時間去想是否要投入情感，情感都跑到窗外去了，當圣誕節(jié)來臨時，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.

　　借禮物來表達情感是很好的習俗，如果禮物中充滿我們的誠意，即使只是一朵玫瑰花，那也足夠了；如果只是想要炫耀慷慨，就算買了一大束花也毫無意義。因此有時候我常聽外面的人說：「唉呀！圣誕節(jié)快到了，可怕的時候到了，我還沒買這個給那個人，我還沒買那個給這個人。」圣誕節(jié)好像是一種負擔，不是愛的節(jié)日，不是一個慶祝我們友誼堅固的時機，而是個麻煩的時刻，是一年中非常累人的時期。

　　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.

　　人們這么做，也許只是為了履行彼此間的義務，但他們并不真正了解這個季節(jié)以及送禮的意義，因此，在圣誕節(jié)或新年的時候，購物變成一個非常無聊的工作，都只是趕！趕！趕！有那么多事要做，要開車或坐車到處跑，要包很多禮物等等，在這么匆忙之中很難投入情感。所以圣誕節(jié)的時候，人們只是用毫無意義的東西填塞彼此的房子。那些沒必要的玩具和物品，通常連我們自己都不會想買來給自己。有人開玩笑這么說，不過也許這是真的事，有時你會發(fā)現(xiàn)自己送出去的禮物，在朋友之間繞了一大圈后又回到自己手上，而你只能大笑一場，有時候這個禮物正是你先前不想要的東西，而它卻繞了一圈后又回到你手上。

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