#161. Why people remember special gifts they have received?
One custom that is prevalent in all societies around the globe is that of giftgiving. This is a time-honored tradition in all countries, and evokes different feelings or emotions in all of us. Gift-giving has many different functions in Chinese culture. One can receive a gift as a token of affection, or one can receive or give a gift to stimulate business opportunities. In both of these cases, the gifts are always well received, and serve the function of a memento.
Perhaps the most common situation in which a gift is given is on a special day, for example, one's birthday or an anniversary. These gifts come to a person from loved ones, and usually symbolize affection or admiration. These gifts can be large or small. For example, my father bought me a digital camera for my last birthday. This was a great present, and was quite expensive. I did not appreciate the gift because of its monetary value, however. I valued it because it was a very thoughtful gift, as my father knew I was interested in photography. Other gifts have less monetary value, but are still just as meaningful. An example of this is when a boyfriend buys flowers for his girlfriend. The flowers do not cost a lot of money, but they evoke feelings of happiness and love.
Gifts can also be given to stimulate business. For example, many businessmen in China will take their most important clients on a special vacation to see the sights of another city. This trip does not relate directly to business, as in many cases, the business at hand is not discussed. Instead, the businessman will offer such a trip as a token of trust and respect. The client appreciates this gesture, as it shows him/her that the businessman is serious about work, and values him/her as a customer.
In both of these cases, the gifts signify to the receiver that he/she is cared about and is important. It is always a treat to receive a gift, and most people view this as a sign of friendship. Gifts serve as mementos of the people who give them, which is why we hold them in special places in our hearts.
161. 人们为什么会对特殊的礼物记忆犹新？
在世界上各种不同类型的社会中,赠送礼物都是一种让人快乐的习俗。在各个国家中这都是一种历史悠久的传统，而且会唤起我们的不同感觉或情感。在中国文化中，送礼有很多不同的作用。收礼物可能是接受别人友爱的表示，或者人们会接受或赠送礼物来促进商业机会。在这些情况下，礼物总是会得到认可，并且起到纪念品的作用。
也许最普通的情况是在一个特殊的日子赠送礼物，例如生日或者周年纪念日。一个人会从爱他的人们那里得到礼物，这些礼物通常是代表友爱或者钦佩。这些礼物可以很大或者很小。例如，我上次过生日的时候，爸爸送给我一台数码相机。这是一件很棒的礼物，而且相当昂贵。不过，我并不是因为它的货币价值而喜欢这件礼物，我珍惜它是因为这是一件非常体贴的礼物，因为爸爸知道我对摄影很感兴趣。其他礼物的价格稍低，但是也一样有意义。一个男孩送给他女朋友鲜花就是这样的一个例子。鲜花的价格并不高，但是它们传递了幸福和爱情。
礼物也会被用来促进商业关系。例如，中国的很多商人会邀请他们最重要的客户去其他城市游览度假。这种旅游和做生意并没有直接联系，在很多情况下，并不会讨论手头的生意，而是为了表达商人对客户的信任和尊重。客户很喜欢这种表示，因为这表明这个商人对这项工作很认真，并且把他作为客户来尊重。
在这两种情况下，礼物对于接受者来说意味着他们很重要而且受到了关注。收到礼物永远是一件乐事，而且绝大多数人会把这看成一种友谊的标志。礼物还能让人记住赠送礼物的人，这也是为什么礼物在我们心中占据特殊位置的原因。
- prevalent ［ˈprevələnt］ adj. 普遍的
- anniversary ［ˌænəˈvə:səri］ n. 周年纪念
- time-honored ［ˈtaimˌa:nəd］ adj. 历史悠久的
- admiration ［ˌædməˈreiʃən］ n. 钦佩
- digital camera 数码相机
- evoke ［iˈvəuk］ v. 唤起；引起
- monetary ［ˈma:niˌteri］ adj. 货币的；金钱的
- affection ［əˈfekʃən］ n. 友爱；爱情
- stimulate ［ˈstimjəˌleit］ v. 促进
- photography ［fəˈta:grəfi］ n. 摄影；摄影术
- memento ［meˈmentəu］ n. 纪念品
- symbolize ［ˈsimbəˌlaiz］ v. 作为…的象征
- gesture ［ˈdʒestʃə］ n. 表示