美国国家公共电台 NPR 5 Gift Wrapping Tips From A Pro

 

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

All right, so that takes care of getting your present to you. But what about making it look just right? Take a tip from a pro¹ - getting those nice crisp folded edges on your package is key.

MIA CANADA: I crease² everything.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Mia Canada is the master gift wrapper - that's a job - master gift wrapper at That's A Wrap! in Atlanta, Ga. And she uses her forefinger³ and thumb to sharpen each fold of paper on every single holiday present she wraps.

CANADA: It gives it a more tailored look. Imagine buying a suit off the rack and then having one that is made specifically for you. And so that's what creasing⁴ kind of does to any gift. It just lays the paper down on every angle of the box.

MARTIN: Canada got her start in the professional gift wrapping business 12 years ago at - where else? - a mall.

CANADA: A friend of mine who worked in the management office at a local mall approached me about doing the gift wrapping for that mall. And at the time, I had no gift wrapping experience at all. And that's what I said, like, I give my gifts in bags like everybody else. What are you talking about? And she says, well, no, you're very creative. You'll figure it out. And I was like, oh, snap. And that night I went home and like YouTubed (ph). And then I went to all different kinds of places and got gifts wrapped. And I would deconstruct them and kind of create my own way of doing things.

Thank you for choosing That's A Wrap! Yeah, that's exactly what we do. We wrap. No, you're calling from Toronto? No, we're in the U.S. We're - yes, we're in Atlanta, Ga.

This time of year is very busy as you can imagine. Everybody gifts this time of year. Gift wrapping has definitely - it was a lost art. I think it is definitely on the rise now. And I think that this business just naturally allows me to be around people that are celebrating something, someone they love or - you know, so their spirits are always very high when they come in.

OK. How cute is that?

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: I love it. Now I don't want her to open it.

CANADA: See?

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: See (laughter).

CANADA: Just the thought of the wrapping itself, you know, like it just prolongs the experience. It creates an experience versus⁵, you know, a gift bag is really all about, I didn't have time, the presentation of this was last-minute thought versus someone who took the time to either wrap it themselves or to get it professionally wrapped.

I like to ask my clients what kind of emotions they want to evoke⁶ when the recipient⁷ sees the gift. Do you want them to be happy, cry tears of joy, you know, laugh, feel nostalgic? And once I know that, then I know kind of what direction to go in. I can give this all of my attention and love. It's perfect.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "PRESENTS FOR CHRISTMAS")

SOLOMON BURKE: (Singing) Christmas presents around the world.

MARTIN: Oh, I have get to rid of all my gift bags now and start wrapping. Professional gift wrapper Mia Canada of Atlanta, Ga.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "PRESENTS FOR CHRISTMAS")

BURKE: (Singing) A present for everyone under one great big Christmas.

1 pro   

n.赞成，赞成的意见，赞成者

参考例句：

• The two debating teams argued the question pro and con.辩论的两组从赞成与反对两方面辩这一问题。
• Are you pro or con nuclear disarmament?你是赞成还是反对核裁军？

2 crease   

n.折缝，褶痕，皱褶；v.(使)起皱

参考例句：

• Does artificial silk crease more easily than natural silk?人造丝比天然丝更易起皱吗？
• Please don't crease the blouse when you pack it.包装时请不要将衬衫弄皱了。

3 forefinger   

n.食指

参考例句：

• He pinched the leaf between his thumb and forefinger.他将叶子捏在拇指和食指之间。
• He held it between the tips of his thumb and forefinger.他用他大拇指和食指尖拿着它。

4 creasing   

（使…）起折痕，弄皱( crease的现在分词 )； （皮肤）皱起，使起皱纹； 挑檐

参考例句：

• "No, we mustn't use that money, Chiu," Feng Yun-ching gasped in horror, creasing his brow. “元丰庄上那一笔存款是不能动的。 来自子夜部分
• In severe creasing the frictional resistance plays only a minor role in determining the crease resistance. 在严重的折皱作用下，摩擦阻力在织物抗折皱能力中仅居次要地位。

5 versus   

prep.以…为对手，对；与…相比之下

参考例句：

• The big match tonight is England versus Spain.今晚的大赛是英格兰对西班牙。
• The most exciting game was Harvard versus Yale.最富紧张刺激的球赛是哈佛队对耶鲁队。

6 evoke   

vt.唤起，引起，使人想起

参考例句：

• These images are likely to evoke a strong response in the viewer.这些图像可能会在观众中产生强烈反响。
• Her only resource was the sympathy she could evoke.她以凭借的唯一力量就是她能从人们心底里激起的同情。

7 recipient   

a.接受的,感受性强的 n.接受者,感受者,容器

参考例句：

• Please check that you have a valid email certificate for each recipient. 请检查是否对每个接收者都有有效的电子邮件证书。
• Colombia is the biggest U . S aid recipient in Latin America. 哥伦比亚是美国在拉丁美洲最大的援助对象。