By Burchard

金家軍（譯）

◆語(yǔ)篇導(dǎo)讀

在西方國(guó)家圣誕期間，親朋好友通常是聚到一起，吃吃，喝喝，玩玩，樂(lè)此不疲！但在英國(guó)，同事間卻過(guò)著不一樣的圣誕節(jié)，他們通過(guò)舉辦圣誕聚會(huì)來(lái)捉弄秘密圣誕老人，抽簽買禮物，舞會(huì)上紳士們、女士們邁舞步、搞惡作劇等。

Workplaces all over the UK are busy for the festival period and all the traditions and customs that come with it. But will this Christmas be a cause for happiness and celebration, or disappointment and embarrassment (尷尬)?

One way thatco-workersin Britain show their thanks for each other at this time of year is by giving a“Secret Santa”present.“Secret Santa”is people who work together buy each other gifts without saying who they are from.

Co-workers all write their names on a piece of paper and then put a lottery in which each workmate takes another workmate's name at random. Each person then has to buy a present for the person whose name they have picked, usually five or ten pounds (50 or 100 yuan).

As the gifts are given without a giver's name, presents can be different greatly. In an Internet survey of Secret Santa presents,gifts that people received are from tickets to the opera to anair-freshenerhanger for a car.

Another common seasonal workplace tradition is the office Christmas party, when workmates put on their best clothes and enjoyed plenty of free booze (酒水).

While most parties go well, sometimes alcohol causes party-goers to regret theirdrunken behaviors.

The BBC invited people to share their most embarrassing Christmas office party stories, and received hundreds of funny stories, such as the man who split (剪開(kāi)) his trousersback to frontwith his beautiful dance moves, or thelightly drunklady who spent the whole night with back of her dresstucked intoher trousers, and saw the photos that proved it later at work.

◆詞語(yǔ)積淀

co-worker 共同工作者;同事

at random 隨意

air-freshener 空氣清新劑

alcohol /??lk?h?l/ n.酒精；乙醇

drunken behaviors 醉酒后的胡鬧行為

back to front（衣服）前后顛倒（或前后穿反）

lightly drunk 微醉的

tuck into 塞進(jìn)

◆典句賞析

1.One way that co-workers in Britain show their thanks for each other at this time of year is by giving a“Secret Santa”present.在英國(guó)，同事們?cè)诿磕赀@個(gè)時(shí)候互相感激的一種方式是送一個(gè)“秘密圣誕老人”禮物。

這是個(gè)復(fù)合句?！皌hat co-workers...of year”是that引導(dǎo)的定語(yǔ)從句，修飾名詞way；介詞短語(yǔ)“in Britain”修飾名詞co-workers作后置定語(yǔ)；介詞短語(yǔ)“at this time of year”表明動(dòng)詞show的時(shí)間。

【即時(shí)嘗試】我朋友學(xué)英語(yǔ)的方式是大量聽(tīng)。

2.“Secret Santa”is people who work together buy each other gifts without saying who they are from.秘密圣誕老人是指那些在一起工作的人互相買禮物，卻不告訴對(duì)方是誰(shuí)。

這是個(gè)復(fù)合句?！皐ho work together”為who引導(dǎo)的定語(yǔ)從句，修飾名詞people；介詞短語(yǔ)“without saying...”修飾動(dòng)詞buy作方式狀語(yǔ)；“who they are from”作動(dòng)詞say的賓語(yǔ)。

【即時(shí)嘗試】他未向我們道別就離開(kāi)了。

3....such as the man who split his trousers back to front with his beautiful dance moves, or the lightly drunk lady who spent the whole night with back of her dress tucked into her trousers, and saw the photos that proved it later at work.比如有人邁著優(yōu)雅的舞步，褲子卻剪開(kāi)了，前后反穿，還有微醉的女士整個(gè)晚上連衣裙后面都被塞在褲子里而不知, 后來(lái)在工作中才看到這些照片。

such as后面列舉了兩個(gè)例子，其一是“the man...”，另外一個(gè)是“the...lady”；“who split his trousers...moves”為定語(yǔ)從句；“with his beautiful dance moves”和“back to front”都是方式狀語(yǔ)，修飾動(dòng)詞短語(yǔ)“split his trousers”。

【即時(shí)嘗試】那天英語(yǔ)老師穿著一件T恤進(jìn)來(lái)了。

(答案見(jiàn)第63頁(yè))

譯文助讀

英國(guó)各地的工作場(chǎng)所都在忙著迎接圣誕節(jié)日的到來(lái)，以及隨之而來(lái)的傳統(tǒng)和習(xí)俗。但是這個(gè)圣誕節(jié)會(huì)成為歡樂(lè)和慶祝的源泉，還是失望和尷尬的源泉呢？

在英國(guó)，同事們?cè)诿磕赀@個(gè)時(shí)候互相感激的一種方式是送一個(gè)“神秘圣誕老人”禮物。神秘圣誕老人是指那些在一起工作的人互相買禮物，卻不告訴對(duì)方是誰(shuí)。

同事們分別把名字寫在一張紙上，投個(gè)樂(lè)透，每個(gè)同事隨機(jī)抽一位同事的名字。然后每個(gè)人都要為他們選中的同事買一份禮物，價(jià)格通常是5到10英鎊（約合人民幣50到100元）。

由于送禮物的人沒(méi)有寫上名字，所以禮物會(huì)有很大的不同。在一項(xiàng)關(guān)于神秘圣誕老人禮物的網(wǎng)上調(diào)查中，人們收到的禮物從一張歌劇票到車載空氣清新劑支架都有。

另一個(gè)常見(jiàn)的季節(jié)性工作場(chǎng)所的傳統(tǒng)就是辦公室圣誕派對(duì)，同事穿上他們最好的衣服，盡情地享受充足又免費(fèi)的酒水。

雖然大多數(shù)聚會(huì)順利,但是有時(shí)酒精的刺激會(huì)讓參加派對(duì)的人后悔自己酒后的胡鬧行為。

英國(guó)廣播公司邀請(qǐng)人們分享他們最尷尬的辦公室圣誕派對(duì)的故事，并得到了數(shù)以百計(jì)的有趣的故事。比如有人邁著優(yōu)雅的舞步，褲子卻剪開(kāi)了，前后反穿，還有微醉的女士整個(gè)晚上連衣裙后面都被塞在褲子里而不知, 后來(lái)在工作中才看到這些照片。