时间：2022-09-15 09:23:42
P.G.Wodehouse (英国小说家),whose lighthearted (轻松愉快的)novels give pleasure to millions, used to tell how, when his mother's birthday was drawing1 near, she would drop hints(暗示) of what she wanted,and his father,who loved her deeply, would act accordingly2.The gift would be presented and would be accepted by his mother with as much delight as if it were something quite unexpected.
But one year she fancied(想要，喜欢) a special pair of shoes, and for once3 his father was baffled(为难的). How could he possibly get the right size? So this was what they did. The mother went to the shop and bought the shoes, had them wrapped(包，裹) and took them home.She handed them to her husband,who put them in the usual place for "surprises" until the birthday arrived.
On that day husband presented wife with a beautifully-wrapped parcel.She opened it as if she had never seen it before, and, with many expressions of delight, tried on the shoes, more delight when she found they were a perfect fit (适合).How clever her husband had been to know!
Does this strike4 you as rather silly?It didn't seem that way to the son, P. G. Wodehouse, who always remembered the simple delight the couple had in giving pleasure to each other.
And, after all, that, really, is what the giving of presents is all about, isn' t it?
伍德豪斯的小说轻松愉快，给无数人带来了乐趣。他曾经讲过当他母亲的生日临近时，母亲如何暗示她想要的东西，而深爱母亲的父亲会如何采取相应的行动。当父亲呈献出礼物，母亲会欣喜万分地接受礼物，就像这件礼物大大出乎她的意料。
但是有一年她非常喜欢一双很特别的鞋子，这回使他的父亲很是为难。他怎样才能买到尺码合适的鞋子呢?他们是这么解决问题的。母亲去了商店，买了鞋子，把鞋包好带回家。她把鞋交给她的丈夫，丈夫把鞋子放到通常会摆放“令人惊喜的礼物”的地方，直到生日的到来。
到了那天，丈夫送给妻子一个包装精美的包裹。她打开包裹，好像她以前从来没有见过，并且兴高采烈地试穿鞋子。当她发现鞋子正好合脚时更高兴了。她的丈夫了解情况的方法多么巧妙啊!
这让你觉得很荒谬吗?儿子伍德豪斯似乎不这么认为，他永远难忘在相互赠送快乐时这对夫妇所拥有的那种单纯的喜悦。
说到底，那才真正是赠送礼物的全部含意，不是吗?
注释：
1．draw vi．(缓慢、持续地)移动，来临
2．accordinglyad．照着，相应地
3．for once 就此(那)一次，破例一次
4．strikevt．使认为，给…以(深刻)印象