研究发现，在送礼时，人们往往想的是怎样才能给对方带来惊喜，但收礼时，人们却总想能收到实用的礼物。糖果、鲜花只能带来一时的惊喜，而金钱和书籍才能带来长久的满足。如果你真的想送出令人满意的礼物，那么长久满足比一时惊喜更重要。
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.
有一些礼物被认为无趣又没有人情味，是绞尽脑汁后的无奈选择。不过，在信封里放张十英镑钞票，或是买一本有趣的书，实际上更有可能令人满心欢喜。
A study has found gifts like books and money may not have the 'wow' factor but provide more satisfaction long-term.
一项研究表明，尽管书籍与金钱等礼物可能不会令人感到惊喜，但却会给他们带去更长时间的满足感。
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.
新加坡国立大学和芝加哥大学的研究人员们开展了六项实验，询问人们赠送与接受礼物的经历。他们发现，送礼者更喜欢买那些拆开时让人露出笑容或喜悦的礼物，但收礼者更喜欢那些能让他们开心很长时间的礼物。
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.
该研究的牵头人、新加坡国立大学市场营销系的阿黛尔·杨博士表示：“虽然出于最大好意，但送礼者却经常会出错，收礼者最终对收到的礼物并不满意。”
'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.'
“我们的研究显示，送礼者送出的礼物不令人满意，一个关键原因是送礼者急切地想看收礼者露出灿烂的笑容或发出开心的尖叫，但能引发这些反应的礼物往往不是那些被珍视的礼物。”
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.
该研究发现，近40%的男性会在情人节购买一打玫瑰花送给伴侣，而不会送盆栽。但是只有27.8%的女性更喜欢收到玫瑰花，其他女性则更喜欢收到盆栽。男性选择了他们认为会得到最佳反应的礼物，但这对于收礼者来说并没那么重要。
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.
当研究人员向80人询问他们最喜欢的礼物时，发现书籍与金钱在最令人满意的礼物之列，而这些礼物并不会引发笑容或尖叫。
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.
他们对198人以及600件圣诞礼物进一步分析后发现，像无线电钻这样的工具，往往在送礼时激起不了什么反应，但收礼者对此却有很高的满意度。而像纸杯蛋糕这样的花哨物品，虽然会激起不错的反应，比如让人一展笑颜，但带给收礼者的满意度却很低。
Another experiment found gift-givers preferred personalized mugs but people given them preferred less thoughtful ergonomic ones designed to be easy to use.
另一项实验发现，送礼者更喜欢赠送定制的个性化杯子，但收礼者更喜欢虽不贴心但设计符合人体工学的杯子，这样才易于使用。
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.
这项发表于《心理科学》期刊的研究还发现，如果人们会亲眼看到收礼的人打开礼物，他们会更倾向于通过礼物激起对方的反应。
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.
在调查中，如果人们将亲眼看到收礼者打开礼物，近一半的送礼者会选择包装精美的礼物而不是选择更高级的礼物。如果是通过邮寄方式赠送礼物，选择精美包装的比例则降至不到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.
杨博士补充道：“这项研究表明，尽管送礼者或许知道送什么礼物才会让收礼者感到满意，但他们在选礼物时，却主要还是希望获得积极反馈。”
'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.'
“尽管金钱和书籍不像鲜花和包装漂亮的糖果等礼物一样直击收礼者感官，让收礼者脸上露出灿烂笑容，但鲜花和糖果却无法带来长久的愉悦感。”
英文来源：每日邮报
翻译&编辑：丹妮
文章来源：英语点津网