研究發現，在送禮時，人們往往想的是怎樣才能給對方帶來驚喜，但收禮時，人們卻總想能收到實用的禮物。糖果、鮮花只能帶來一時的驚喜，而金錢和書籍才能帶來長久的滿足。如果你真的想送出令人滿意的禮物，那麽長久滿足比一時驚喜更重要。
They are seen as boring and impersonal presents, given as the last resort after running out of ideas. But putting a ten pound note in an envelope or buying someone an interesting book is actually likely to make them pretty happy.
有一些禮物被認爲無趣又沒有人情味，是絞盡腦汁後的無奈選擇。不過，在信封裏放張十英鎊鈔票，或是買一本有趣的書，實際上更有可能令人滿心歡喜。
A study has found gifts like books and money may not have the ‘wow’ factor but provide more satisfaction long-term.
一項研究表明，盡管書籍與金錢等禮物可能不會令人感到驚喜，但卻會給他們帶去更長時間的滿足感。
Researchers from the National University of Singapore and the University of Chicago conducted six experiments asking people about giving and receiving gifts. They found gift-givers prefer those expected to produce smiles or gasps of joy, but people receiving them prefer gifts which will make them happy over the long-term.
新加坡國立大學和芝加哥大學的研究人員們開展了六項實驗，詢問人們贈送與接受禮物的經曆。他們發現，送禮者更喜歡買那些拆開時讓人露出笑容或喜悅的禮物，但收禮者更喜歡那些能讓他們開心很長時間的禮物。
Dr Adelle Yang, who led the study from the department of marketing at the National University of Singapore, said: ‘Despite best intentions, gift-giving often goes wrong and recipients end up not being satisfied with what they are given.
該研究的牽頭人、新加坡國立大學市場營銷系的阿黛爾·楊博士表示：“雖然出于最大好意，但送禮者卻經常會出錯，收禮者最終對收到的禮物並不滿意。”
‘Our research suggests that a key reason that gift-givers give unsatisfactory gifts is that they are keen to elicit bright smiles or squeals of delight with their gifts and that such reactions are frequently not paired with gifts that are deeply valued.’
“我們的研究顯示，送禮者送出的禮物不令人滿意，一個關鍵原因是送禮者急切地想看收禮者露出燦爛的笑容或發出開心的尖叫，但能引發這些反應的禮物往往不是那些被珍視的禮物。”
The study found almost 40 percent of men would choose a dozen roses over a bonsai tree to buy their partner for Valentine’s Day. But just 27.8 percent of women preferred the bouquet to the house plant. Men chose the present they thought would get the best reaction, but that was not as important to the people receiving it.
該研究發現，近40%的男性會在情人節購買一打玫瑰花送給伴侶，而不會送盆栽。但是只有27.8%的女性更喜歡收到玫瑰花，其他女性則更喜歡收到盆栽。男性選擇了他們認爲會得到最佳反應的禮物，但這對于收禮者來說並沒那麽重要。
When the researchers asked 80 people for their favorite gifts, books and money came out among the top for satisfaction, despite causing little in the way of smiles or squeals.
當研究人員向80人詢問他們最喜歡的禮物時，發現書籍與金錢在最令人滿意的禮物之列，而這些禮物並不會引發笑容或尖叫。
Further analysis of 198 people and 600 Christmas gifts found tools like a cordless drill often get little reaction but provide high satisfaction. Frivolous items like cupcakes, produce a good reaction, such as a big smile, but low satisfaction.
他們對198人以及600件聖誕禮物進一步分析後發現，像無線電鑽這樣的工具，往往在送禮時激起不了什麽反應，但收禮者對此卻有很高的滿意度。而像紙杯蛋糕這樣的花哨物品，雖然會激起不錯的反應，比如讓人一展笑顔，但帶給收禮者的滿意度卻很低。
Another experiment found gift-givers preferred personalized mugs but people given them preferred less thoughtful ergonomic ones designed to be easy to use.
另一項實驗發現，送禮者更喜歡贈送定制的個性化杯子，但收禮者更喜歡雖不貼心但設計符合人體工學的杯子，這樣才易于使用。
The study, published in the journal Psychological Science, found people are more likely to try to get a reaction from presents if they are present to see them being opened.
這項發表于《心理科學》期刊的研究還發現，如果人們會親眼看到收禮的人打開禮物，他們會更傾向于通過禮物激起對方的反應。
Almost half of gift-givers surveyed by researchers chose pretty wrapping paper over an upgrade to the present, when expecting to see it unwrapped in person. This fell to less than 28 percent if the present was sent by post.
在調查中，如果人們將親眼看到收禮者打開禮物，近一半的送禮者會選擇包裝精美的禮物而不是選擇更高級的禮物。如果是通過郵寄方式贈送禮物，選擇精美包裝的比例則降至不到28%。
Dr Yang added: ”This research suggests gift-givers may be able to spot gifts that would be deemed satisfying by recipients but that their gift choices are often dominated by a wish to get positive reactions.
楊博士補充道：“這項研究表明，盡管送禮者或許知道送什麽禮物才會讓收禮者感到滿意，但他們在選禮物時，卻主要還是希望獲得積極反饋。”
‘Unfortunately money and books tend not to evoke the bright smiles which come from gifts appealing directly to the senses, such as fresh flowers and nicely-decorated sweets. But these flowers and sweets have less long-term appeal.’
“盡管金錢和書籍不像鮮花和包裝漂亮的糖果等禮物一樣直擊收禮者感官，讓收禮者臉上露出燦爛笑容，但鮮花和糖果卻無法帶來長久的愉悅感。”
英文來源：每日郵報
翻譯&編輯：丹妮
文章來源：英語點津網
