世界上独特的赠礼传统

Whether for a special holiday， as a token of gratitude or just a way of letting someone know you care， gift giving is a universal custom. Though the intent may be similar from place to place， traditions vary widely from one country to the next. A gesture that conveys respect in one place might be considered offensive somewhere else. Take a look at our list of unique gift giving traditions from around the world.

无论是为了某个特别的节日，还是为了表达感谢，抑或是为了让对方明白你很在乎，赠送礼物都是人类共同的习俗。各地赠礼的目的也许相似，但赠礼的传统却因国而异。在某地表示尊重的赠礼行为，在另一个地方看来则可能会被视为无礼。一起来看看世界各地独一无二的赠礼传统吧。

Here in the US， a set of kitchen knives seems like the perfect gift idea for a wedding or holiday. However， in certain European countries like Germany， tradition dictates that a knife presented as a gift will sever your friendship. There is a way to beat this tradition： Tie a penny to the knife or gift box. The receiver then returns the penny to you as a “payment” to nullify the bad luck.

在美国，一套厨房刀具似乎是十分理想的婚礼或节日礼物。然而在某些欧洲国家，如德国，传统风俗让人们相信赠送刀具会割断朋友之间的友谊。打破这种风俗的办法是：在刀或礼品盒上绑一枚硬币。收礼人把硬币还给赠礼之人以示“付款”，用以抵消厄运。

In Britain， diamonds are 60th wedding anniversary gifts.

在英国，60周年结婚纪念日的礼物是钻石。

Lottery tickets are bought and exchanged here more than they are anywhere else in the world， and often make a suitable birthday gift. Though diamonds originally symbolised 75 years of married life in the UK， they are now associated with 60， as Victorias 60 years on the throne marked her Jubilee.

在英国，彩票的购买、兑换比世界上任何地方都要多，而且适合作为生日礼物。原本钻石在英国象征75年婚姻生活，但由于维多利亚女王在登基60年时举办了钻禧庆典，因而现在钻石代表60周年纪念。

At an Italian wedding， buy yourself a piece of the tie.

参加意大利婚礼，给自己买片领带。

Theres a well-known Italian wedding tradition where the grooms tie is cut into a number of tiny pieces. Wedding guests can then “buy” these tie slices in exchange for cash. Its a fun way to give money to the bride and groom and leave guests with a wedding souvenir. In addition to a visit from Santa， Italian kids have their stockings filled by a witch at the end of Epiphany on January 6. Interestingly， gifts are not exchanged between or within companies， as the act is deemed a little tacky.

意大利婚禮上有名的传统就是把新郎的领带切成许多小片。婚礼来宾通过“购买”这些领带片以交换现金给新人。这种有趣的方式既让宾客得到婚礼纪念品，又给新郎新娘随了礼金。意大利的小朋友除了受到圣诞老人的眷顾，在1月6日主显节结束时，还会收到“女巫”装进他们袜子里的礼物。有趣的是，公司之间或公司内部不会互赠礼物，因为人们认为这种行为有点俗气。

In Japan， presentation is paramount.

在日本，赠礼方式至关重要。

The Japanese place a great emphasis on the act of gift giving （its not unheard of to send a thank-you gift for a thank-you gift）， and presentation plays a big role in determining how your gift is received. For example， its considered distasteful to hand off uncovered cash. So whether youre sending money as a gift or just leaving a tip， place your money in an envelope to ensure its received in a respectful manner. Its also customary to place a tight decorative knot on a wedding gift envelope， since folklore dictates that the envelope should be “impossible to open”.

日本人非常重视赠礼（因收到感谢礼物而又赠出感谢礼物也不足为奇），而赠礼方式直接影响礼物的接收。举例来说，赠送无包装的现金会令人不快。那么，无论用作礼物还是支付小费的现金都要装进信封，保证收礼物的人受到尊重。按照惯例，人们会在新婚礼物的信封上打个装饰死结，因为民间传说新婚礼物的信封应该“打不开”。

In China， red envelopes and even denominations bring good luck.

在中国，红包和双数会带来好运。

Chinese New Year has a rich set of traditions. One of the most popular customs of this holiday is giving out money in red envelopes. Known as “yasuiqian” which means “the money used to suppress the evil spirit”， these gifts are meant to bring good luck. In addition to how you give money， theres also tradition around the amount you give. Gifting an odd numbered amount of money is associated with the “baijin”， gifts given during funerals， and is considered bad luck. Its important to make sure that even the first digit is even， as numbers like 30 and 50 are considered odd.

中国新年有一整套丰富的传统。节日里最流行的习俗之一就是赠送红包，这叫作“压岁钱”，古时之意是“用来镇恶驱邪的钱”，是要带来好运的。除了送钱的方式，对礼金的金额也有传统说法，认为单数金额跟“白金”（葬礼上的礼金）相联系，被视为厄运。哪怕是礼金的第一位数都一定要保证是双数，像30和50都被视为单数。

Word Study

universal /'ju：n?'v??sl/ adj. 普遍的;全世界的;共同的

Such problems are a universal feature of old age.

convey /k?n've?/ v. 表达，传递

Colors like red convey a sense of energy and strength.

sever /'sev?（r）/ v. 断绝;中断

even /'i?vn/ adj. 雙数的;偶数的（反义词为odd）

4， 6， 8， 10 are all even numbers， and 5， 7， 9 are odd numbers.

determine /d?'t??m?n/ v. 决定;影响