美語情景對話 第1345期:Giving Gifts 送禮物(2)

Todd: So true. Yeah, actually another thing I like to do is sometimes buy a really nice gift, and then for one year, and then maybe for the next year or two, don't buy the person a gift. For example, like maybe one year, I bought my landlady, who I'm very close to, I bought her an iPad. I'm like, "She's kind of older, and she never had an iPad." So I bought her an iPad, but then the next year, I didn't buy her something really expensive. I bought her like a box of chocolates or something, you know.

託德：沒錯。實際上我還有一件喜歡做的事情，有時我會買一件非常精緻的禮物送人，然後一年或是接下來一兩年都不會送那個人禮物。比如，我和房東太太的關係很好，有一年我送了她一部iPad。當時我想，“她年紀有點大，她沒有iPad。”所以我送了她一部iPad，而接下來的一年我沒有給她買昂貴的禮物。我送了她一盒巧克力之類的禮物。

Jen: In that case, I think it would create a problem, because once you give someone a really special thing, then the next year, they will expect something more, you know?

珍：我認爲那樣會帶來麻煩，因爲一旦你送了某人特別的禮物，那第二年他們會有更高的期待，你知道嗎？

Todd: Yeah.

託德：對。

Jen: So like, it'll be really disappointing if they get something that's not very valuable than it was the year before.

珍：所以，如果他們收到的禮物沒有去年的貴重，那他們會非常失望。

Todd: Yeah, it's kind of hard to climb back from that, isn't it?

託德：對，很難再回到之前的情況，對吧？

Jen: Yeah. Off an iPad? It would be bad.

珍：對。不是iPad？那很糟糕。

Todd: Though, she's a really nice woman. She definitely ... I don't think she thinks that way at all. She's actually better at giving me gifts. She's always giving me gifts. So, have you gotten any gifts recently for anybody? Are you already planning to get your gifts for the end of the year?

託德：不過她人非常好。她一定……我認爲她完全不會那樣想。實際上她送我的禮物更好。她經常送我禮物。你最近有送過禮物嗎？你已經在爲年底送禮物做準備了嗎？

Jen: I actually just presented a pair of shoes for my friend, because it was her birthday. The thing is, we don't really celebrate New Year at this time of year. It's kind of different for us, because we celebrate the Lunar ...

珍：我剛剛送給我朋友一雙鞋，作爲她的生日禮物。其實我們不在這個時候慶祝新年。我們有些不一樣，因爲我們慶祝農曆新年。

Todd: Ah right, which is in April, right?

託德：好，那是4月份，對吧？

Jen: Yes.

珍：對。

Todd: Okay, cool.

託德：好，不錯。

Jen: So haven't really thought about like Christmas gifts or anything.

珍：所以我沒有考慮聖誕節禮物之類的。

Todd: So in your country, in Nepal, like when do people give gifts? On what occasions?

託德：那在你的祖國尼泊爾，人們會在什麼時候送禮物？或是在哪些場合送禮物？

Jen: During our New Year. We have a lot of festivals, so more than gifts, we just invite people and ... you know? Gather around and eat good food, that's it.

珍：在我們的新年期間。我們有很多慶典，不只是送禮物，我們還會邀請人們來家裏。大家聚在一起，享受美食，就是這樣。

Todd: Yeah, that's the best.

託德：嗯， 那是最棒的。

Jen: Yeah, I believe so too.

珍：對，我也是這麼想的。

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重點講解：
1. be close to 親近的；親密的；
例句：She was close to both of her parents and was undeniably shaken by their divorce.
她和父母的關係都很親近，因此毫無疑問，他們的離婚對她打擊很大。
2. in that case 那樣的話；在那種情況下；
例句：In that case, a set of computations carried out in ignorance of these changes would come out with false results.
在這種情況下，無視這些變化而進行的一系列計算必然會帶來不真實的結果。
3. more than 超過；不只是；
例句：Now, if it was me, I'd want to do more than just change the locks.
不過，如果是我，我要做的就不僅僅是換鎖了。
4. gather around 聚集；集合；
例句：Female friends and relatives gather around, preparing the bride for the ceremony.
女性親戚朋友聚在一起，給新娘作婚禮的準備。