No matter how humble the contents of a package, Dad always took care to appreciate the time and thought that went into selecting a store-bought gift or the skill that went into making one. When we were young and had no money to buy Dad gifts, we often relied on imagination to make up for a shortage of shopping funds. Dad beamed1) with pleasure upon opening a coin pouch made at summer camp, a note redeemable2) for washing and waxing his car, or a homemade card with a message of a prayer said in his honor. 

　　But even when our buying power increased through money from odd jobs3) and baby-sitting, we sometimes ran short on imagination. Still, Dad made our bland4) gifts seem like dreams come true. When he opened a plain white shirt just like the ones he wore to work, he would appear delightfully jolted5) as if he'd never seen anything like it. He'd pull the shirt out of the bag reverently6) and comment on its features. "Oh, this is really nice," he'd say, pointing out the button-down collar7) or extra-long shirttail. Then he'd carefully remove the packaging and try it on. "It's exactly what I needed," he'd say several times in between praising the quality of workmanship8) and tidiness of the fabric. All the while, we watched, wallowing9) in the pleasure of pleasing Dad. 

　　Over the years, we gave Dad a full closet of shirts—plaid10) flannels11) for the cold, short-sleeved knits12) for golf, and long-sleeved Oxford shirts13) for church and work. We gave him miles of ties. We gave him implements14) of leisure such as golf balls and gloves and fishing poles, and things to nurture hobbies like tools for woodworking and gardening. 

　　If the color or size wasn't perfect, or if his toolbox already held in triplicate15) the tool we gave him, Dad didn't let on16). He made us feel so good about our gifts that Father's Day became an occasion we all looked forward to. 

　　I suspect Dad was always more comfortable with giving gifts than receiving them. I figure that's what made him so good at appreciating our simple gifts—his ever-present awareness that every gift that comes to you brings an opportunity to give one back in the form of gratitude. 

　　Dad's manner of receiving even the most mediocre17) of presents was a simple but enduring gift for our family. Although he is no longer with us, his gift lives on in our memories.

英语词汇：送给爸爸的礼物

　　1. beam [bi:m] vi. (面)露喜色;(人)满脸堆笑;感到欣喜 

　　2. redeemable [rI5di:mEbl] adj. (赠券等)可兑换现金或物品的 

　　3. odd job: 杂工,零工 

　　4. bland [blAnd] adj. 淡而无味的;枯燥乏味的 

　　5. jolt [dVEult] vt. 使震惊;扰乱,使慌乱不安 

　　6. reverently [5revErEntlI] adv. 恭敬地;虔敬地 

　　7. button-down collar: 领尖扣;领尖有扣眼,前衣片上有扣子,领尖被固定在前衣片上;这是典型的美国式衬衫领,其领尖夹角一般等于或小于标准领形,适合系小温莎结或普通结。 

　　8. workmanship [5w\:kmEnFIp] n. (工匠的)手艺,技艺 

　　9. wallow [5wClEu] vi. 变得富有;沉湎;纵乐 (in) 

　　10. plaid [plAd] adj. 有格子图案的 

　　11. flannel [5flAnl] n. [~s] 法兰绒衣服(如内衣、男子长裤等) 

　　12. knit [nIt] n. 编结(或针织)品,织物;编结(或针织)的衣服 

　　13. Oxford shirt: 牛津布衬衫 

　　14. implement [5ImplImEnt] n. [~s] 装备;家具;服装数 

　　15. in triplicate: 一式三份 

　　16. let on: <口> 泄露(秘密);流露真情 

　　17. mediocre [7mi:dI5EukE(r)] adj. 中等(质量)的,普普通通的,平庸的