現在暑假是出國玩耍的旺季,當我們外出旅遊的同時,通常都會帶點紀念品回來分送給親朋好友,如果有在上班的上班族們,也免不了要買一些糖果零食會來孝敬同事老闆們,一方面可以趁機跟大家聊聊你出國的體驗,另一方面也可以答謝一下在你出國不在的期間,慰勞那些幫你代理工作的同事們。這次CNN整理出一些東西提醒大家在選購紀念品的時候,最好避免的東西。這些不應該買的東西包括了沒有用的鑰匙圈、機場的紀念商品、紀念石頭、沙罐、或者是當地盛產的奇特酒品。在看這篇文章的時候,發現上次去巴黎玩的時候,還真的買了文章中所提到的巴黎鐵塔鑰匙圈給同事呢~ 想想…後來跟這些同事的相處還真的變得很糟糕,該不會是這個原因吧!? Anyways, 希望這篇文章告誡大家或是提醒你們不要亂送東西喔~
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/02/06/travel/souvenir-buying-guide
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
§ Don't guilt family and friends into hanging on to gifts you wouldn't want
Guilt v. 讓人感到有罪惡感; 當作名詞的時候,是guilty,罪惡感的意思。這裡是要說,當你送別人他們不想要的東西時,別人會覺得不好意思,或是覺得如果不收下的話會有罪惡感,因此通常都會勉為其難的收下。
§ Avoid shopping at the airport
§ Plush toys and designer sea salt are out
Plush adj. 長絨毛的; 這裡用在玩具上面是指 “絨毛玩具” 也就是所謂的stuffed toy,中文我們稱為 “娃娃” 或是 “玩偶”
Designer n. 設計師; 通常會用來形容有品牌或是有名設計師推出的產品或是衣服,比如說,”Designer clothes”
Out adj. 這裡用out來形容plush toy和designer sea salt已經退流行了,或是被流行排出在 “外”。
§ Are you really sure they want that scorpion alcohol?
Scorpion n. 蠍子; 這裡是指用蠍子釀成的酒
1. Travelers stick family and friends with untold zillions of worthless or gratuitous gifts each year, but almost nothing good ever gets done at the last minute. The first rule of souvenir shopping? No buying gifts at the airport. Ever.
Stick someone with v. 硬是把東西送人或是推給別人
Zillions n. 數不勝數,也就是數量多到你數不清
Worthless adj. 沒有價值的; 這個字的反義詞就是worthwhile
Gratuitous adj. 免費的
2. No plush or inflatable gifts for anyone over three years old. You're better than that.
Inflatable adj. 充氣的; 這裡是指塑膠充氣的玩偶
You’re better than that 是有點嘲諷的意味; 意思是吐槽你在選購紀念品的時候,應該可以多花點心思,而不要蠢到買娃娃或玩偶送成年人
3. No leftover foreign coins as "souvenirs" or collectibles. This is worse than giving nothing, because it shows how lazy you are.
Leftover n. 剩下的東西; 這裡是指用剩的外幣零錢。Leftover也可以當作剩菜剩飯,或者是廚餘,基本上,他的意思就是剩下來的東西都可以用leftover
Collectible n. 收藏品
4. No athletic jerseys, caps or visors. Especially visors. And Beckham. And Messi.
Jersey n. 球衣
Visor n. 鴨舌帽
5. No exotic alcohol. Funky label or not, that local rotgut is a hoot when you're in country, undrinkable everywhere else.
Exotic adj. 異國風情的; 任何有異國情調的東西都可以用exotic形容
Funky adj. 絢爛的; 很炫的
Rotgut n. 品質不好的酒
Hoot n. 難以抗拒的誘惑; 這裡是指這些rotgut當你在出國當下,會不自覺得失去理性,因此而失神買下去
6. No Eiffel Towers, Statues of Liberties, Mt. Rushmores, Taj Mahals, Aussie koalas, Chairman Maos or anything that would fit perfectly in the back of a closet or bottom of a drawer.
Fit perfectly in the back of a closet or bottom of a drawer的意思是在諷刺當你買了一件T shirt上面印有大大的巴黎鐵塔時,這件衣服就會非常適合擺在衣櫥的最後面 (永遠也不會去穿他) 或者是在抽屜的最底部
7. No key chains, coasters, mugs or plates. And, whatever you do, no double-whammy Eiffel Tower key chains.
Key chain 鑰匙圈
Coaster 杯墊
Mug 馬克杯
順帶一提,Eiffel Tower key chains 就是我買來送我同事的紀念品 (毀滅)
8. No more little bags of rock, black, sea or flavored salt. The whole designer salt thing is done.
Something is done 這句話的意思是要強調一個東西或是一件事情已經到此為止,這裡是指送人有牌子的海鹽這件事情早就已經退流行了,大家應該停止做這件事情
9. No bottles filled with sand, coral bits, shells or pebbles.
Coral bits 珊瑚礁的碎片
Pebbles 鵝卵石
10. No items that require assembly, watering, sunlight, maintenance, lubrication or refrigeration. Or excessive explanation.
Assembly 需要自行組合的東西
Lubrication 潤滑
Excessive adj. 過多的; 這裡是告訴大家不要送別人一些 “需要過多解釋” 的東西
11. No "I (heart)" anything. Even if you do.
“I (heart)” 就是國外會賣很多 “我愛紐約” 字樣的t shirt,因為推出的時候引起許多人仿效,所以現在到哪裡都會有類似的東西。 這裡所謂的heart是指t shirt上印的愛心形狀
12. No books. We believe you, it was an amaaaaaazing art exhibit. We just don't have 37 hours to spend reading about it.
Amazing adj. 令人驚奇的或是驚豔的
13. No traditional ethnic clothing for non-ethnics.
Ethnic adj. 民族性的; 也就是當地的傳統衣服
14. No items you wouldn't want to get or wouldn't proudly display in your own home.
15. No plastic leis.
Leis 掛在脖子上的花圈
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