情景对话

Todd: So, Jen, the holiday season is coming up, and many cultures give gifts around the New Year's for different holidays. First of all, do you like to give people gifts?
托德：珍，假日季马上就要到了，新年期间有不同的节日，许多文化都有在新年期间送礼物的习俗cCorx20f3j6=。第一个问题是，你喜欢送什么礼物？
Jen: What kind of a person would I be if I said, "No, I don't like people giving people gifts?" But yeah, I'm not really good at choosing gifts for people though.
珍：如果我说我不喜欢人们互相送礼物，你会认为我是哪种人？嗯，我不擅长挑选礼物i.acgfTQJY|Ym.Hw5。
Todd: Why do you think that?
托德：你为什么会这么想？
Jen: Because every time I go and buy something for someone, I want to buy something that I like, and I would think that it would look good on them or something. But then my friends end up being like, you know? They don't really like the gift so much because it doesn't suit them, or something?
珍：因为每次我去为他人买礼物，都想买自己喜欢的东西，而且我认为外观一定要漂亮W2aJ*i5@3tF,B7A,-l。可是你知道最后我朋友打开礼物时的情况吗？他们非常不喜欢我送的礼物，因为那并不适合他们，或者是其他原因t-Z8UN!8l1@AUsT。
Todd: Yeah.
托德：好_5&0mXff.!X@@Uxe1_。
Jen: For example, I bought this pair of earrings for this friend, and then I realized that she doesn't really like jewelries and stuff, so she never wore it.
珍：举个例子，我买了耳环送一个朋友，后来我意识到她并不喜欢饰品之类的东西，所以她从来没戴过6(,lOsinJmIb。
Todd: Right, yeah. It's kind of hard to know what they want. Actually, for that reason, I don't like giving gifts at all. I think it's because of my background, like studying economics. It's just, to me, it's inefficient. You're buying something, you don't know if they really want it, and they say, "Oh. It's the thought that counts." But the time that you waste finding the gift and then you give them the gift, and maybe they don't use it. So I'm not a big fan of gift giving. Even for birthdays.
托德：嗯,A22w0fDSzkXp-eW。其实很难知道他们想要什么CV#HN-^IO&(t,KmZmmO&。因为这个原因，我也完全不喜欢送礼物ge,#[WrFobqmB。我认为这和我的背景有关，因为我是学经济出身&jVkGx.*WRogOMW!h。对我来说，这件事的经济效率很低gIp|KmNHT,%YB3(|R=s。你买了礼物，可是不知道他们是否需要，而且你送出去之后他们会说，“哦，心意最重要25,%#dwg0x4orxB%。”可是你在选礼物时浪费了时间，而且你送出礼物后，他们可能也不会用|Xwvqv8otI9,FG,#5Z,。所以我不太喜欢送礼物EpX_CZW]0L4|rg!O#。即使在节日时也是一样ql8@n74=9]xE1#6。
Jen: I actually agree with you. And for me, if it was my birthday, I would rather have someone make a card for me. It would have more value than someone buying gifts for me anyways, you know?
珍：我同意你的观点Jg-RssKp8@2EQ~G]hkWt。对我来说，如果是我生日，我更希望收到他人为我做的生日贺卡Dg_rG~M|4ox&X@。我认为那比买礼物更贵重，你明白吗？
Todd: Yeah. I think, like in Asia, it's more common, which I like. And that's kind of the gift you give to somebody when you travel. So if I travel somewhere, I'll pick something up for my mom, from a country I went to. Or somebody ... Let's say they went to Korea or China during their break, they might bring back some special food to the office, and everybody can have a cracker or a cookie, or something like that. I like that.
托德：嗯，有种情况在亚洲更为普遍，我喜欢这样YpePg(Q_iq。就是有人去旅行的话，会带礼物回来[p(~=W)da!G。比如，如果我去其他地方旅行，那我会在旅行的那个地方为我妈妈买礼物rkI05H]8+WH)|xt)W5。比如有人在假期去韩国或中国旅行，他们可能会带回来一些当地的特色食物，他们会拿到办公室和大家分享，所以，所有人都会收到薄脆饼干或饼干之类的小吃;7;o~cN8RV。我很喜欢这样z7+GI1Zt!]Cv=c。
Jen: Yeah. I'm from Nepal, and here too. In my country too, they would rather give us like, fruits and like different kind of ... Other sweets and stuff rather than clothes and jewelries, you know?
珍：对，我来自尼泊尔，日本也是这样Ddx4-PPHoDq。我的祖国也是，他们更喜欢送水果之类的食物，或是糖果，而不会送衣服和珠宝饰品，你知道吗？

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重点讲解

重点讲解：
1. come up 即将发生；即将到来；
例句：A thunder shower is coming up.
雷阵雨马上就要来了*c_d!AABWC=Y*7o。
2. be good at 擅长的；精通的；能干的；
例句：I'm good at my work.
我对自己的工作得心应手cP1o3~,||fzSg-5p。
3. end up 最终；结果；到头来；
例句：After all I've done for him, I end up being called a busybody.
我为他忙了半天，归终还说我是多管闲事hUADtO-7]ETmdAd。
4. rather than 而非；胜于；而不是；
例句：Do not fear the winds of adversity. Remember: A kite rises against the wind rather than with it.
不要担心逆境和挫折，记住：风筝是逆风而行的，不是顺风^.exquyC&dtt(M;%L。