英语听力精选进阶版 6392

Christmas. A family gathered around the Christmas tree, showing how much they love each other, through the presents they give. Or... a ruthless¹ battle for relationship control.

In Christmas-celebrating nations, millions of pounds a year are spent on corporate² Christmas gifts. Companies want to strengthen the relationship they have with other businesses or with customers, and gifts create a feeling of obligation³, which ties them together for the rest of the year.

Corporate giving is also a form of 'impression management', where organizations try to control the image clients⁴ and business partners have of them, through their choice of gift.

Giving presents is also about showing you care, and that you know and understand someone. That's true in the home, which is one reason why choosing the perfect gift is so hard. And it's true in business as well. Companies use their corporate Christmas gifts to show they value their relationship with customers and partners.

But it's not all good. Gift giving can also make us feel insecure or cause bad feeling. Will we give too little, and receive something better in return? That could make us embarrassed or ashamed. Or will we give too much, and make the receiver of our gifts feel bad?

Sociologists and anthropologists have studied gift exchange for many years. Marcel Mauss was a famous sociologist⁵, who, in the 1920s, studied a type of gift-giving festival among indigenous⁶ people in North America, called a potlatch. He found that the people at a potlatch try to 'outgive' each other, with more and more lavish⁷ presents, until eventually some people can't compete and give up. They lose face, and are left feeling subordinated⁸ to the gift-giver who 'won' the exchange.

At home and in business, the effects of the presents we choose this Christmas will last the whole year round.

Quiz 测验

1. Who do businesses give Christmas gifts to?

Clients/customers and partners.

2. Which words mean trying to control the image which people have of your company?

Impression management.

3. Where do potlatches take place?

North America.

4. Who loses face at a potlatch?

The people who can't compete/who give up.

5. Is the following statement true, false or not given? Companies spend ￡5 million on corporate gifts each Christmas.

That's not given. We only know companies spend millions of pounds.

Glossary 词汇表

gathered around 聚集在（周围）

ruthless battle for 一场残酷的搏斗

corporate 公司（的）

gifts 礼物

obligation 责任

impression management 印象管理

showing you care 显示你关心（他人）

value 珍视，器重

insecure 没有安全感的

bad feeling 感觉不好

in return （礼尚）往来，作为回报

ashamed （被）羞辱的

sociologists 社会学家

anthropologists 人类学家

gift exchange 礼物交换

indigenous people 土著民

outgive each other 出手要胜对方一筹

lavish 挥霍的

can't compete 无法竞争

lose face 丢脸

subordinated to 从属于，服从于

1 ruthless   

adj.无情的，冷酷的，残忍的，坚决彻底的

参考例句：

• Fascists is the most ruthless enemy of the people.法西斯是人民最残酷无情的敌人。
• The ruthless enemy killed the old lady.残忍的敌人杀害了那位老太太。

2 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

3 obligation   

n.（法律、道德上的）义务，责任

参考例句：

• Every player is under an obligation to keep the rules.每个选手都必须遵守这些规则。
• It is the obligation of citizens to perform military service.服兵役是每个公民的义务。

4 clients   

n.顾客( client的名词复数 )；当事人；诉讼委托人；[计算机]客户端

参考例句：

• a lawyer with many famous clients 拥有许多著名委托人的律师
• She understood the importance of establishing a close rapport with clients. 她懂得与客户建立密切和谐的关系的重要性。

5 sociologist   

n.研究社会学的人，社会学家

参考例句：

• His mother was a sociologist,researching socialism.他的母亲是个社会学家，研究社会主义。
• Max Weber is a great and outstanding sociologist.马克斯·韦伯是一位伟大的、杰出的社会学家。

6 indigenous   

adj.土产的，土生土长的，本地的

参考例句：

• Each country has its own indigenous cultural tradition.每个国家都有自己本土的文化传统。
• Indians were the indigenous inhabitants of America.印第安人是美洲的土著居民。

7 lavish   

adj.无节制的；浪费的；vt.慷慨地给予，挥霍

参考例句：

• He despised people who were lavish with their praises.他看不起那些阿谀奉承的人。
• The sets and costumes are lavish.布景和服装极尽奢华。

8 subordinated   

从属( subordinate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Minor principles should be subordinated to major ones. 小道理要服从大道理。
• The part must be subordinated to the whole. 局部服从全局。