❸Different Christmas Parties

By Burchard

金家军（译）

◆语篇导读

在西方国家圣诞期间，亲朋好友通常是聚到一起，吃吃，喝喝，玩玩，乐此不疲！但在英国，同事间却过着不一样的圣诞节，他们通过举办圣诞聚会来捉弄秘密圣诞老人，抽签买礼物，舞会上绅士们、女士们迈舞步、搞恶作剧等。

Workplaces all over the UK are busy for the festival period and all the traditions and customs that come with it. But will this Christmas be a cause for happiness and celebration, or disappointment and embarrassment (尴尬)?

One way thatco-workersin Britain show their thanks for each other at this time of year is by giving a“Secret Santa”present.“Secret Santa”is people who work together buy each other gifts without saying who they are from.

Co-workers all write their names on a piece of paper and then put a lottery in which each workmate takes another workmate's name at random. Each person then has to buy a present for the person whose name they have picked, usually five or ten pounds (50 or 100 yuan).

As the gifts are given without a giver's name, presents can be different greatly. In an Internet survey of Secret Santa presents,gifts that people received are from tickets to the opera to anair-freshenerhanger for a car.

Another common seasonal workplace tradition is the office Christmas party, when workmates put on their best clothes and enjoyed plenty of free booze (酒水).

While most parties go well, sometimes alcohol causes party-goers to regret theirdrunken behaviors.

The BBC invited people to share their most embarrassing Christmas office party stories, and received hundreds of funny stories, such as the man who split (剪开) his trousersback to frontwith his beautiful dance moves, or thelightly drunklady who spent the whole night with back of her dresstucked intoher trousers, and saw the photos that proved it later at work.

◆词语积淀

co-worker 共同工作者;同事

at random 随意

air-freshener 空气清新剂

alcohol /΄ælkəhɒl/ n.酒精；乙醇

drunken behaviors 醉酒后的胡闹行为

back to front（衣服）前后颠倒（或前后穿反）

lightly drunk 微醉的

tuck into 塞进

◆典句赏析

1.One way that co-workers in Britain show their thanks for each other at this time of year is by giving a“Secret Santa”present.在英国，同事们在每年这个时候互相感激的一种方式是送一个“秘密圣诞老人”礼物。

这是个复合句。“that co-workers...of year”是that引导的定语从句，修饰名词way；介词短语“in Britain”修饰名词co-workers作后置定语；介词短语“at this time of year”表明动词show的时间。

【即时尝试】我朋友学英语的方式是大量听。

2.“Secret Santa”is people who work together buy each other gifts without saying who they are from.秘密圣诞老人是指那些在一起工作的人互相买礼物，却不告诉对方是谁。

这是个复合句。“who work together”为who引导的定语从句，修饰名词people；介词短语“without saying...”修饰动词buy作方式状语；“who they are from”作动词say的宾语。

【即时尝试】他未向我们道别就离开了。

3....such as the man who split his trousers back to front with his beautiful dance moves, or the lightly drunk lady who spent the whole night with back of her dress tucked into her trousers, and saw the photos that proved it later at work.比如有人迈着优雅的舞步，裤子却剪开了，前后反穿，还有微醉的女士整个晚上连衣裙后面都被塞在裤子里而不知, 后来在工作中才看到这些照片。

such as后面列举了两个例子，其一是“the man...”，另外一个是“the...lady”；“who split his trousers...moves”为定语从句；“with his beautiful dance moves”和“back to front”都是方式状语，修饰动词短语“split his trousers”。

【即时尝试】那天英语老师穿着一件T恤进来了。

(答案见第63页)

译文助读

英国各地的工作场所都在忙着迎接圣诞节日的到来，以及随之而来的传统和习俗。但是这个圣诞节会成为欢乐和庆祝的源泉，还是失望和尴尬的源泉呢？

在英国，同事们在每年这个时候互相感激的一种方式是送一个“神秘圣诞老人”礼物。神秘圣诞老人是指那些在一起工作的人互相买礼物，却不告诉对方是谁。

同事们分别把名字写在一张纸上，投个乐透，每个同事随机抽一位同事的名字。然后每个人都要为他们选中的同事买一份礼物，价格通常是5到10英镑（约合人民币50到100元）。

由于送礼物的人没有写上名字，所以礼物会有很大的不同。在一项关于神秘圣诞老人礼物的网上调查中，人们收到的礼物从一张歌剧票到车载空气清新剂支架都有。

另一个常见的季节性工作场所的传统就是办公室圣诞派对，同事穿上他们最好的衣服，尽情地享受充足又免费的酒水。

虽然大多数聚会顺利,但是有时酒精的刺激会让参加派对的人后悔自己酒后的胡闹行为。

英国广播公司邀请人们分享他们最尴尬的办公室圣诞派对的故事，并得到了数以百计的有趣的故事。比如有人迈着优雅的舞步，裤子却剪开了，前后反穿，还有微醉的女士整个晚上连衣裙后面都被塞在裤子里而不知, 后来在工作中才看到这些照片。