一份受益终身的礼物

What was the best gift you ever received?

你至今为止收到的最好的礼物是什么？

For me, it was probably a 10-speed Raleigh racer bicycle for my 10th birthday. I’d been dreaming of owning this particular bike ever since I’d seen it in a local cycle shop a few months prior.

对于我来讲，我所收到最好的礼物是我10岁的生日礼物。那是一个10级变速的罗利高赛车。这是我梦寐以求的礼物，自从我几个月前在自行车店看到它之后我就梦想得到它。

On the morning of my birthday, I jumped out of bed and bounded down the stairs three at a time, hardly able to contain my excitement at finding out if my parents had taken my (numerous and heavy-handed) hints about it over the previous few weeks.

在我生日的那天早上，我在醒来之后就从楼上大步跑下楼，迫不及待地想要看看父母是否有根据我的在之前的几星期里无数次的明示暗示来给我买我最渴望得到的礼物——一辆罗利高自行车。

As soon as I saw it there in the hallway, my face lit up. Almost instantly I was putting on my shoes and opening the front door so I could take it out for a spin. I raced up and down the road as fast as I could, almost hitting lamp posts and pedestrians as I careered wildly all over the pavement, a smile plastered from ear to ear.

当我看到它静静停在门廊的那一瞬间，喜悦油然而生。我以最快的速度穿好鞋，打开前门，拎起我最喜欢的高赛自行车，就冲出门外，开始蹿上车去骑起来。我因为骑得太快，差一点就撞到路边的行人和路灯。我猛冲似地遍布路面各个角落，从未这样开心过。

Naturally, the bike gave me years of fun (and led to my first paid employment as a paperboy) before I eventually grew out of it, my knees knocking against the handlebars as my lanky frame told me I needed an upgrade.

很自然的，这辆自行车给了我很多年的快乐，并且使我有了我第一份工作，一个骑着车的报童。而后我逐渐长大，已经骑不了这辆自行车了，所以我准备换一辆新的车给我自己。

In fact, as great as gifts are, it’s pretty tricky to find one that stands the test of time. We physically grow out of bicycles or clothes, we mentally grow out of toys and games, we lose interest in sports equipment. Even cutting edge electronics end up becoming obsolete within a few years. And it’s been even made harder in recent years.

实际上，就如同大多数的礼物一样，他们都很难经得住时间的考验。我们不论是从生理还是心理角度，都会有喜新厌旧的倾向。人们往往都是追求那些时代前沿的物质需求，但又在不远的将来对他们丧失兴趣。

Research shows that millennials (those who reached young adulthood in the early 2000s) value experiences over possessions. This means they tend to opt for concert tickets, an extreme-sports experience or a weekend away over the traditional consumerist fare of jewelry, clothes or unnecessary electronics.

研究表明在2000之后长大的孩子相比较物质需求对精神需求的依赖更大。这意味着相比传统地购买珠宝，服装等物质需求，新一代人们更加喜欢把钱花在去听音乐会，去现场看极限运动表演等精神追求。

What this means in practice is that we have to find the perfect intangible present that will bring a smile to their faces by creating some fond memories of how they spent their special day. Of course, these “experience” gifts are great, but inevitably the memory starts to fade until it’s just a distant speck on the horizon.

这些好的精神享受是非常美好的，让人享受生命美的瞬间，得到的完美回忆。当然这些人生精彩瞬间固然美好，却非常短暂，就像过眼烟云，是留不住的。

But what about something that they can still enjoy years, or even decades, later?

但是如果我们能够寻找到一些生命中的美好，并能使他们始终陪伴我们，那该有多好。

Well, I’m going to suggest something that perhaps you haven’t considered: giving the gift of language learning. Think about it. This is something that is personally enriching, that aids us in our professional, social and academic lives, that opens windows of opportunity for us to travel and work abroad and that helps us make new friends. It makes us feel good about ourselves, it opens up an entire new world of movies, music and literature, it trains our brains in one of the most effective ways possible and it gives us loads of self confidence.

说到这里，我将给大家介绍语言学习这个赋予你人生的好礼物。想想看，学习好一门语言，不仅可以使你在生活，职场，学术领域有所建树，使你人生充满机遇，还能使你可以接触外国的文化，文学，音乐，这对你来说是人生的一笔永恒的财富，始终如一的陪在你身边，永不离去。

The gift of language learning is truly the gift that keeps on giving.

Why language learning is the best gift you can give

为什么语言学习是你一生受益匪浅的礼物？

Let’s look at some of the ways language learning is so much better than a physical gift.

下面我们就看一下语言学习的好处

It’ll never break.
It’s impossible to “grow out of it.”
It doesn’t need an entire pack of AA batteries.
It flatters the recipient.
It can last a lifetime.
It has the potential to open up thousands of new opportunities.
It reminds the recipient of the gift giver every time you use it.

不会褪色

不会对它感到厌烦

不需要一堆电池

能让收到礼物的人感到高兴

终生收益

能帮你获得更多机会

每次你使用该语言的时候都能想到送礼物的人

How to give the gift of language learning

那么如何拥有语言学习这个好礼物？

But, how do you go about this? Well, fortunately italki has made the whole process a lot easier. italki offers Gift Cards in the form of italki Credits, which can be redeemed directly with any of the teachers on the website. You can send it directly to the recipient, or wait for it to be delivered on a certain day, such as their birthday. You can even print it out and present it to them personally in a card.

那么你如何开始着手语言学习呢？幸运的是，我们italki.com已经帮你把整个语言学习过程简化，italki.com把礼物卡以italki Credits的形式送给大家，让大家可以拿它用来做找italki语言老师的兑换券。你可以直接把它发送给你的朋友，或让它在你的朋友生日那天被自动发送。

Gift Cards can be purchased for the value of 200 italki Credits (US$20), 500 italki Credits (US$50) or 2,000 italki Credits (US$200), meaning that you can choose between buying someone an hour or two of lessons (depending on the tutor) or an entire package, which is easily enough to give them a great head start in learning a language.

italki礼物卡片有看多种购买方式，比如200 italki Credits(20美元的)，500 italki Credits(50美元的)，或者2,000 italki Credits(200美元的). 之后你可以用italki Credits来给别人购买不同语言老师的课时，可以是按次购买，或者是直接购买课时包。

What this means in practice is that you can introduce a friend to the joys of learning a language online with absolutely minimal fuss. The best thing about giving a Gift Card is that you can even suggest which language you think they should try out. Perhaps they’re planning a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Tanzania and you think they’d get a kick out of learning some Swahili before they’ve landed? Or maybe they’ve always talked about their love of Italian food and culture, but never really got past guide book Italian? Well, now’s the opportunity they’ve been waiting for.

这就意味着你可以选择一个朋友，来给他们介绍语言学习的课时。购买礼物卡给别人推荐语言课时最好的一点是，你可以给他们推荐你认为适合他们的语言课时，因人而定。也许你的朋友要去坦桑尼亚去冒险旅行，然后你认为他们应该学一些当地语言斯瓦希里语来准备他们的行程。或者是你有朋友他们是意大利食物的爱好者，他们一直在研究意大利食谱。或许这是一个好机会你给他们购买一些意大利语的课时作为礼物，让他们学好一些用得到的意大利语。

Learning a languages doesn’t have to be a lifelong journey from the absolute basics to full fluency. Sometimes it’s just nice to learn a few useful phrases in anticipation of a trip abroad and, even better, to get the opportunity to chat with a local about some of the amazing things you should do when you arrive in their country.

学习语言并不是一个至始至终的人生信条，有时候学几句基础的句子也是必要的，比如在你去外国旅游的路上，为了是跟路上碰上的当地人聊上几句。

And, if you’re wondering about when to surprise your best friend with this gift, then it may be sooner than you think.

如果你现在想什么时候可以给你的朋友这个惊喜，那么你可要抓紧时间了。

International Day of Friendship

国际友谊日

The International Day of Friendship is an initiative of the United Nations with the intention of fostering goodwill and friendship between peoples, countries, cultures and individuals. It will be observed this year on Saturday, July 30 with a series of events and activities that promote friendship.

国际友谊日是联合国为了增进人与人，国与国之间友好交流的节日，将会在这个月30号举办，获得广大爱好和平人士的关注。

And it’s the perfect opportunity to show your best friend what you think of them. Why wait for an upcoming birthday when you can get your friend started on their language learning journey this month? So, how should you go about it?

国际友谊日的到来是你给你好朋友展示italki语言学习课时的最好机会，因为使你的朋友在当下展开一段外语学习，对他们一生来说都是受益匪浅的，不要错过这个好机会。

Well, think about which of your friends would be receptive to learning a new language. One idea is to think of a friend who’s expressed an interest in learning your own target language. In fact, what could be better than introducing them to the language you’re currently learning? And if we’re looking at slightly selfish reasons, there’s nothing wrong with securing yourself a friendly study partner along the way.

那么，想一想你有没有哪个朋友向你说过他们想去学习哪一种外语，或者你想不想向你的朋友介绍你自己正在学的外语，使他们成为你潜在的语言搭档？

Alternatively, maybe it’ll be for a friend who’s currently struggling with their language learning. Perhaps they’re not enjoying the course they’re taking or they feel like they’ve hit a brick wall in terms of their progress? A couple of hours with an italki tutor could be just what they need to get them out of the rut.

或者也许你有朋友目前正在遭遇问题学习外语，也许你可以通过给他们italki语言学习礼物课时，使他们找到语言家教，及时来解决他们的语言问题，这是他们最需要不过的了。

So, take advantage of the International Day of Friendship this month and give your friend a gift that could change their life for the better.

所以还在等什么，赶紧在国际友谊日这天给你的朋友发送一个italki礼物卡，带给他们或许能改变他们一生的语言学习可是吧。