GiftsinChineseCultureTEXTBGiftsinChineseCulturePara1•TheChinesepeoplehavetheirownculturewhenitcomestogivinggiftstofriendsorrelatives.Justasinmostcultures,thereareboththingstodo,andthingsnottodo.Totheoutsider,itisoftendifficulttoknowwhatiscorrectwithoutbeingtold,buteasytounderstandonceitisexplained.TranslatingPara1中国人在送礼时有他们自己的送礼文化。正如其他许多文化一样,(在某个文化背景下),有些事情是能做的,有些事情是不适宜做的。作为一个外来者,在不被告知的情况下(往往)很难知道怎样做才是妥当的;而一旦(有人对此)做出了解释,则容易理解了。TEXTBGiftsinChineseCulturePara2•Whenababyisborn,agiftofajade[dʒeid]orsilverbracelet['breislit]ornecklacewouldbegood,particularlyoneswhichmakeatinkling['tiŋkliŋ]soundwhenthebabymoves.Alternatively,somechildren'sclothes,shoesorgloveswouldbegoodtoo.Whenitisanolderchild,sometoysorstationerywouldbegood.TranslatingPara2当送礼对象是新生儿时,翡翠、银手镯、项链会是不错的选择,特别是会发出叮当声响的这类饰物,因为这类饰物可以在宝宝活动时发出声响(以提醒父母宝宝睡醒了等现象)。(给新生儿)送些小孩衣物、鞋子、手套。当给年龄稍大的孩子送礼时,送些玩具或文具用品则更为适合。TEXTBGiftsinChineseCulturePara3•Olderpeopleusuallyappreciatesomethingpractical.Awalking-stick,somevaluablefoodsuchasbird'snestsorChinesemushrooms['mʌʃrumz]wouldbehighlywelcome.TranslatingPara3当给老年人送礼时,应该考虑(送些)具有实用性的(礼物)。像拐杖、一些昂贵的食物如燕窝或中国蘑菇(干货:香菇)等则非常受欢迎。TEXTBGiftsinChineseCulturePara4•Whenvisitingprospective[prəu'spektiv]parents-in-law,somethingmorevaluablewouldbeanoption,suchassomegoodwineorsomethingmeaningful.TranslatingPara4拜访未来配偶的父母时购买的礼物就应选择些更为贵重的物品,如名贵的酒或一些有意义的东西。TEXTBGiftsinChineseCulturePara5•Togiveafamilysomethingthatrelatestofamilyactivitiesorthehomewouldbeideal,avase,adiningset,orpaintings.TranslatingPara5如果是送给一家子一些与家居、房屋有关的礼物,(则)一个花瓶、一套餐具或绘画作品将会是这类送礼的典范。TEXTBGiftsinChineseCulturePara6•Noteveryoccasiondemandssomethingspecial.Soforthecaseofjustasimplegiftforasimpletime,somefruitssuchasapplesororangeswouldbegoodenough.TranslatingPara6并非每个场合都需要特别的礼物,所以一般的情况,一份简单的礼物便已足够,如(可以)捎上一些水果如苹果、橘子(等)。TEXTBGiftsinChineseCulturePara7•Itisimportanttoknowthatgivingsomeonegiftsshouldnotbeaone-waybusiness.Courtesy['kə:tisi]requiresreciprocity[,resi'prɔsəti].Thepersonwhoreceivesthegiftshouldfindachanceinthefuturetoreturnthesamefavorbyreturningagiftofsimilarvaluethenexttimeyoumeet.Youcandososimplybyeitherpayingavisitwithasimilarvaluegiftorbyinvitingthefriendoutforamealwithyoupayingthemeal.Don’tfeelaneedtorushintogivingyourreciprocalgift.Todoitonthenextdaywouldappearawkward.TranslatingPara7(有一点)很重要,(我们必须)理解到送礼并非单方面的事情。送礼需要的是礼尚往来。收礼人必须在未来(与送礼人见面)的日子里寻找机会为送礼人送上价值相当的礼物(以回赠送礼人的友好举动)。这个回赠是很容易完成的,你可以选择在拜访该送礼人时捎上价值相当的礼物或邀请他外出就餐(好好地请他吃上一顿)。急急忙忙回赠礼物是不必要的,在接到礼物后的第二天就对送礼人做出以上举动,会让人觉得十分尴尬。TEXTBGiftsinChineseCulturePara8•Therearealsosometaboos[tə'bu:z]toavoidinChineseculture.ThoughmodernChinesedon'tseemtomindthemsomuch,itisstillnecessarytoknowwhatwouldbesuitableinanoccasion.TranslatingPara6在中国文化中也有一些我们必须避免的禁忌。尽管现代中国人看起来并不太在意这些(禁忌),但是了解一下在一个(特定的)场合中什么才是合适的(举动)仍是必须的。TEXTBGiftsinChineseCulturePara9•BookswouldnotbewelcomeinplaceslikeHongKongorMacaubecausethepronunciationof‘book’inCantonese[,kæntə‘ni:z]resembles[ri’zembl]thesoundof‘loss’.EspeciallyforthosepeoplewhoarefrequentplayersinracecourseorMarksixmaynotwelcomeabook.TranslatingPara9在广东话中,“书”与“输”的发音类似,因此“书”(送书这个想法/做法)在香港或澳门等地并不受欢迎。尤其是对于那些经常(出入)赛马场的玩家和六合彩玩家,他们绝对不会欢迎(送书)这个主张。TEXTBGiftsinChineseCulturePara10•UmbrellaswouldnotbewelcomeinmostplacesinChinabecausethepronunciationof'umbrella'resemblesseparation.Ofcoursenobodywouldliketheideaofseparation,particularlyconcerningyourlovedones.TranslatingPara10(把)伞(作为礼物)在中国大部分地方都不会太受欢迎,因为“伞”(的中文发音)与“散”(的中文发音)相似。“分散”这个概念理所当然是不讨人喜欢的,尤其是对于你所爱的人而言。TEXTBGiftsinChineseCulturePara11•AClockwouldbeabadideaonsomeone’sbirthdaybecausethepronunciationof'clock'resemblestermination[,tə:mi'neiʃən],whichmeansdeath.Nowonderpeopledon'tlikereceivingclocksasbirthdaygifts.TranslatingPara11(在中国)把钟作为生日礼物并非好主意。因为“钟”的发音与“终”相似,意为“送钟(终)”。难怪人们都不喜欢收到钟作为生日礼物。TEXTBGiftsinChineseCulturePara12•Ifyouwanttogiveyourfriendssomefruits,remembertobuyaneven['i:vən]numberofthembecauseodd[ɔd]numberswouldbringbadluck.Sobuy10applesinsteadof9.TranslatingPara12如果你想给朋友捎些水果,请谨记所购买的水果个数应为偶数,因为单数预示着不好的运气。所以,请把买九个苹果(的计划)改为买十个苹果吧!TEXTBGiftsinChineseCulturePara13•Foreignersmayfinditawkwardwhenyourfriendsays“Youdon'tneedtobuyanythingwhenyoucomehere.”,or“Keepittoyourself.Ihavealotofthese”.Hemaynotmeanit.WhatyouneedtodoistoinsistonhimreceivingthegiftsinceChinesepeopledonottendtoreceivethegiftimmediately.TranslatingPara13(对于)外国人(而言)听到(中国人说)“你什么也不要买了,直接上来坐坐就好”和“捎回去你自己吃吧,我这儿有很多呢”时,也许会感到很尴尬。不过他们(中国人)只是这么说说而已,你需要做的是坚持让他们把礼物收下就行了,因为中国人是不习惯立即地接受礼物的(他们喜欢磨蹭推搪几下再接受礼物)。TEXTBGiftsinChineseCulturePara14•Unlikeinmanyforeigncountries,Chinesepeoplewouldthinkopeningthepresentinfrontofyouwouldbeimpoliteandsotheywouldtendtoputitasideandonlyopenitafteryouhaveleft.Sodon’tbesurprisediftheypolitelyreceiveyourgift,andthenputitasideunopened.TranslatingPara14和许多外国人不同,中国人认为当着你的面拆开你送的礼物是一种不礼貌的举止,所以他们通常会把你送的礼物放在一旁待你离开后再开拆。所以如果他们(中国人)礼貌地接受了你的礼物,却没有立即拆开,请不要见怪。TEXTBGiftsinChineseCulturePara15•Theseideascanonlybeservedasguidelines.Knowingthatyoucomefromaforeigncultureandbeingmorebroad-mindedtoforeignideas,Chinesepeoplearenowadaysmoretolerant['tɔlərənt]tothingswhicharenotinlinewith