Tins of cooling mentholated ointment have become a currency for Chinese traveling in Egypt.
一盒盒的薄荷清凉油已经成为中国人在埃及旅行的通行货币。
Visiting the complex of ancient temples at Karnak, Chinese tourist Mr. Ye lost his way among the stone chapels, pylons and pillars.
中国游客叶先生在参观卡纳克神庙时，在石头教堂、 塔门和石柱间迷路了。
An Egyptian guide gave him directions. To show his gratitude, Mr. Ye handed him a small red tin the diameter of a large coin.
一位埃及导游给他指了路。为了表达谢意，叶先生送给了导游一个硬币大小的红色锡盒。
Inside was a cooling mentholated balm that has become a currency for Chinese traveling in Egypt. Mr. Ye brought 50 tins with him on his six-day tour to hand out as tips.
盒子里面便是提神醒脑、镇痛止痒的软膏——清凉油。清凉油已经成为中国游客在埃及旅行的"通行货币"。在短短6天的旅途里，叶先生准备了50盒清凉油，把它当小费送出去。

"Before I came to Egypt, the tourism agency told me repeatedly to bring cooling balm as a gift to make the trip easier," said Mr. Ye, a 25-year-old whose family sells Chinese medicine online. Egyptians, he said, "are very nice to Chinese tourists, and they love this little gift."
25岁的叶先生家里就是在网上卖中药的。他表示，"自己在来埃及之前，旅行社反复告诉他，为旅途方便一定要带上清凉油做礼物" 。他说，"埃及的小伙伴对中国游客非常友好，而且他们很喜欢这样的小礼物。"
From the Giza Pyramids to the Red Sea, Chinese tourists pass out tins of mentholated ointment, rather than tipping with cash to many they encounter, from hotel staffers and trinket peddlers to customs officers and police with AK-47s.
从吉萨金字塔群到红海，中国游客用清凉油替代小费送给沿途遇到的许多人，包括酒店工作人员、卖小饰品的摊贩、海关官员和拿着AK-47步枪的警察。
Egyptians sometimes demand the balm by running a thumb across their foreheads.
埃及人有时会以拇指划过额头的动作来索要清凉油。
Li Xiaodong, an Egyptologist at China's Northeast Normal University, believes Chinese travelers initially brought cooling balm for personal use because it's very hot in Egypt, then discovered Egyptians liked it.
东北师范大学埃及学家李晓东认为，因为埃及非常热，中国游客一开始把清凉油带到埃及是想自己用，后来发现埃及人也喜欢清凉油。
Some Chinese tourists said giving gifts feels better than handing over money.
一些中国游客表示，送礼物比给钱体面。
"If you give essential balm, it's more like you're giving it to friends," said one Chinese tourist.
一名中国游客称："送清凉油，更像是送礼物给朋友。"