文/夏洛特·爱德华兹-张译/葛玉芳审订/文军

中国送礼物要注意什么

文/夏洛特·爱德华兹-张译/葛玉芳审订/文军

在中国，赠礼方式与西方有所不同，区别主要在于生日、婚礼或春节等场合通常不送实物。

Gift giving in China is different from the West in that physical gifts are not usually given for birthdays, weddings or Spring Festival.

[2]现金，尤其是装在红色信封（又称“红包”）里的粉红色百元大钞最适合这些场合。小孩和长辈生日时最适合送红包。

[2] Cash—specifically those oversized pink 100 yuan notes—placed in a red envelope, or “hóng bāo”, are the most fitting for those occasions. Giving money for birthdays is reserved for children and senior citizens.

[3]一年之中，中国即使没有像西方一样有那么多次礼物往来，但也还是有不少场合适合送礼物。

[3] So even though there’s not a lot of gift giving going on multiple times a year as there are in Western countries, there are plenty of times when gifts are appropriate.

[4]比如，如果要向朋友表示感谢、与朋友道别、见女友家人，或与中国同事谈商业合作，那么就需要一份贴心的礼物。

[4] A thoughtful gift is great when you want to do something like thank a friend, say goodbye to someone, meet your girlfriend’s family members or meet with a Chinese associate to discuss a business partnership.

[5]其实，送礼物时有很多细节需要注意，这样当你初次见女友的父亲，或力求促成新的生意时才不至于失礼。

[5] With that said there are plenty of things to remember so that you don’t make a faux pas1faux pas失礼，失态。when you meet your girlfriend’s dad for the fi rst time or hope to seal the deal2seal the deal达成交易。on a hot business transaction.

赠礼须知

[6]思考该送什么的时候，谨记以下建议：

Gift giving dos and don’ts

[6] Keep these tips in mind as you’re considering what you’ll give:

[7]如果是一份很贵重的礼物，大可把价格标签和收据放在里面。中国与大多数西方国家的做法不一样，不必把价格标签撕掉。

[7] Do feel free to leave price tags and receipts in the bags if it’s an expensive gift. Unlike how it’s practiced in most Western countries, you don’t have to peel off the price tag.

[8]我们举办小型婚宴的时候，先生突然让我记下每位宾客给了多少钱，我惊讶得一时语塞。当时很多人给的红包上都没有任何标记，于是我赶紧从包里拿出笔匆匆记下每个人的名字和给的红包金额。

[8] I was speechless when, at a small dinner to celebrate our marriage, my husband told me to remember how much money each person gave us. Many of them gave us unmarked red envelopes so I quickly found a pen in my purse so I could jot down names and numbers.

[9]回家后，他拿出一个小本子，认真地记下每位宾客的名字和他们给的红包金额。之后，他们当中谁家新生了宝宝，或谁家的孩子高中毕业，我们都会拿出小本子看看，决定该包多大的红包。

[9] At home he took out a small notebook and dutifully wrote down the name of each guest and how much they gave us. Since then, whenever one of those people has had a child or their child graduated from high school, we’ve consulted the book to see how much we need to give for the occasion.

[10]不必费心在礼物中附贺卡。贺卡在中国很少用，也很难找到，所以中国人不会期待礼物中附有贺卡。

[10] Don’t worry about including a card. Greeting cards are rarely used in China and hard to come by, so a Chinese person wouldn’t expect a card along with a gift.

[11]说实话，我在中国生活九年了，却只在圣诞节时收到过学生送的贺卡。先生写过为数不多的几次情书，也送过几次花，但每次他都只能自己动手做贺卡！

[11] I can honestly say that the only cards I’ve ever received, in nine years of living in China were Christmas cards from students. The few times my husband has written me a love note and given me fl owers, he’s had to make his own cards!

[12]送给对方礼物时，一定要双手送上。用双手送出和接过礼物才合乎礼仪。

[12] Do hold the gift in both hands when giving it to the recipient. Using both hands to give, and receive, gifts is proper etiquette.

挑选恰当的礼物

送给家人的礼物

[13]如果你要去见另一半的家人，不管是第一次还是寻常的拜访，都要准备礼物。与另一半商量是个很好的方法，但如果对方也没有什么好点子，不妨试试以下几种礼物：

维生素和补品——对姻亲或准姻亲来说是非常好的礼物。中国人非常注重健康，也喜欢各种传统药品。所以，不妨送一些西洋参、草药茶或高质量的综合维生素。

食品篮或果篮——如果不知道该送什么，或者从未见过对方，那么装满美味进口水果的果篮不失为最佳选择。如果你家乡的某种食品特别出名，可以买一些带上，作为礼物送人。

衣服——大学或家乡附近旅游景区的运动衫或T恤是不错的选择。这种礼物更适合50岁以下的人，因为老年人的服装几乎只有灰色、深蓝色和黑色三种。

芭比娃娃、乐高和棋盘游戏——这些礼物非常适合送给孩子。这三种在中国都不常见，即使能找到，价格也都奇贵。

Selecting the right gift

Gifts for family

[13] When you’re meeting your partner’s family, for the fi rst time or during a visit, a gift is expected. Discussing ideas with your partner is a great idea, but if they’re not a fountain of ideas, try some of these:

Vitamins and Supplements—These are great for in-laws or in-laws-to-be as Chinese are very health-conscious and love all sorts of traditional medicines and remedies. You might try giving American ginseng, herbal teas or a good-quality multivitamin.

Food/Fruit Baskets—Packed full of delicious and exotic fruits, baskets are the go-to3go-to（指对象）寻求协助的；征询意见的。gift of choice if you have no idea what to give or if you’ve never met someone before. If your hometown is known for a special food, buy several to take along as gifts.

Clothing—Sweatshirts or t-shirts from a university or tourist area near your hometown are great options. These work better for people under 50 since senior citizens tend to have wardrobes4wardrobe（一个人的）全部衣物。that consist almost solely of gray, navy and black.

Barbies, Legos and Board Games—These are great choices for kids. All three are quite rare in China and super expensive when you do fi nd them.

送给朋友的礼物

[14]送给朋友的礼物可以不用像送给家人的那么贵重，但如果收到和送给家人相类似的重礼，朋友通常会很高兴。

衣服——对篮球迷来说，无论年龄大小，运动服都是很好的礼物，尤其是对方最喜欢的NBA球队队服。

香水和乳液——香水在中国大陆越来越流行，所以我会囤Bath and Body Works的乳液和身体喷雾，该品牌有很多款淡淡的女性香水。但我一定不会送沐浴露和香皂，防止对方误以为我在暗示他不注意卫生。

其他——折刀、难度适当的英文原著（前提是对方喜欢英语）、钱包、钥匙链以及巧克力或咖啡一类的特色食品。

Gifts for friends

[14] With friends you’ll likely spend less money than you would on family, but the same type of gifts are generally appreciated.

Clothing—Sports apparel, especially if you know their favorite NBA team, is a good gift for basketball fans of all ages.

Perfume and Lotions—Fragrances are catching on in mainland China, so I like to stock up on lotions and body sprays from Bath and Body Works which offer many light feminine scents. I do avoid giving body wash or soap, lest they think I’m hinting that they need help in the hygiene department.

Other—Pocket knives, appropriate level books in English (if they’re interested in English), wallets, key chains, and specialty foods like chocolate or coffee.

送生意伙伴

[15]不管是要新开展业务关系，还是要巩固已有的业务关系，一份品味高雅的礼物对发展和巩固关系都会大有助益。

土建基础施工中深基坑支护施工技术的应用…………………………………… 罗家盛，胡景娟，杨永昕（12-53）

刻字钢笔——不管是你公司专属的，还是刻有对方名字的钢笔，都是非常实用的礼物，对方可以多次使用。

当地特色食品——家乡特色食品既是一份不错的礼物，又可以成为开场白，不失为一种最佳的初次见面礼物。

烟酒——我不喜欢鼓励别人吸烟喝酒，但烟和酒很受欢迎，大多数生意人也都乐于接受。即使自己不喝酒、不吸烟，他们也可以转送给其他吸烟喝酒的人。外国葡萄酒和烈性酒非常适合关系密切的生意伙伴。

Business acquaintances

[15] Whether you’re starting a business relationship or furthering an existing one, a tasteful gift will go a long way in developing and maintaining the relationship.

Engraved Pens—Whether it’s a nice pen from your company or engraved with the recipient’s name it’s a practical gift that will get used time and time again.

Local Snacks—Giving a food gift from your area is both a great gift and conversation starter. A great fi rst-time gift idea.

Cigarettes and Alcohol—I hate encouraging others to smoke and drink, but these are popular and well-received by most businessmen. Even if they don’t drink or smoke they can re-gift it to someone who does. Foreign wines or liquors go over well with close business associates.

赠礼禁忌

[16]出于文化象征意义，或因为有些字词与一些不好的词同音，有些礼物无论如何都要回避。

钟表——在汉语中，“送钟”与“送终”同音，而“送终”的意思是死者的家人完成了与埋葬死者有关的所有流程。

就因为这完全无关的两件事发音一样，送钟表就成了无礼的行为。

菊花——菊花美丽动人，还可做茶，美味清香。但千万不要把菊花作礼物送人，因为菊花常用在葬礼上。

Gifts to Avoid

[16] There are some gifts that should be avoided at all costs due to cultural symbolism or the fact that that word shares a similar pronunciation to something undesirable.

Clocks—In Chinese, the words that mean “to give a clock”, “送钟”(sòng zhōng), has the same pronunciation as the phrase “送终”(sòng zhōng), which means that the family of a deceased person has completed all the tasks related to burying their loved one.

Due to the sound connection between these two unrelated things, giving a clock is in bad taste.

Chrysanthemums—These fl owers are lovely and can be made into a delicious tea, but you don’t want to give them for gifts as they’re often used for funerals.

伞——在中国，雨伞用来挡雨，太阳伞用来防止皮肤晒黑（没错，二者有区别！）。中国制造很多好看的伞，但伞不适合用作礼物。

Umbrellas—China makes some beautiful umbrellas—both the kind that protect you from the rain and the ones that keep your skin from getting dark (yes, there is a difference!)—but they’re not appropriate for gift-giving.

因为“伞”与“散”读起来很像，所以送伞暗示着你和对方的关系可能会很快结束。

The word umbrella, “伞 ”(sǎn), sounds like the word “散”(sàn), which means to separate. Giving an umbrella symbolizes that the relationship between you and the recipient may soon dissolve.

鞋——不管那些闪闪发亮的高跟鞋和时尚别致的靴子有多好看，都不要买给你的中国女友！在中国人的观念里，她可以穿着你送的鞋子从你身边逃走，结束你们的关系，所以一定不要送鞋子。

Shoes—No matter how cute they are, do not buy those glittery heels or chic boots for your Chinese girlfriend! Shoes should be avoided because, as the thought goes, she could use them to run away from you, thus ending your relationship.

帽子——尤其注意不要送绿色的帽子，因为中国人用“戴绿帽子”形容妻子出轨的男人。

像我父母就特别想送给我公公一个绿湾包装工队的队帽，让他每天走路时戴着防晒，但是坚决不能送！

Hats—Green hats, speci fi cally, should be avoided because of the phrase “to wear a green hat”, or “戴绿帽子”(dài lǜ mào zi), which is used to express that a man’s wife is cheating on him.

As much as my parents would love to give my father-in-law a Green Bay Packers5绿湾包装工队，一支位于美国威斯康星州绿湾市的美式橄榄球球队，其队帽为绿色。cap to shade him from the sunshine on his daily walks, it’s a huge no-no6no-no不可做的事，不可接受的行为。!

数字4——如果是送现金，要避开带4的数字，例如40或400，因为“四”读起来像“死”。□

What You Should Know About Gift Giving in China

ByCharlotte Edwards-Zhang

The Number “4”—When giving cash gifts, avoid giving an amount that includes a four such as 40 or 400 since the pronunciation of four, “四”(sì), sounds similar to the word death, “死”(sǐ).

（译者单位：北京航空航天大学外国语学院）