中国网站品牌栏目（频道）
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 A hot air balloon flies over San Diego county during Valentine's Day in California February 14, 2007. |
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Forget cards, flowers and chocolates, most singles want a special experience rather than a gift for Valentine's Day and although the economy is stagnating, most romantics will spend as much, or more, on the day this year than last. Nearly half of single and divorced people questioned in a new poll said they view the day as an opportunity to show someone how much they care but a similar number without a significant other don't feel any pressure to celebrate Cupid's big day. "People are really interested in experience gifts, rather than object gifts," said Gian Gonzaga, a social psychologist with the dating website eHarmony, which conducted the online survey. "The more you have experiences with someone, the more you are able to build memories and share histories that help to make the relationship more intimate." Unlike material gifts, he added, an experience, whether it is an outing, a vacation or a special meal, is something unique to the couple, especially if it reflects both people's interests. But not everyone questioned in the poll of 730 singles is making a fuss about Valentine's Day. About a third of men and women think the holiday is just too commercial. US consumers are expected to spend about $126 each this year for Valentine's Day, an increase of 8.5 percent from 2011. Total spending for the day, which is one of the biggest gift-giving holidays of the year, is expected to reach $17.6 billion. Traditional gifts will make up most of the outlay. About 20 percent of people will buy jewelry for their Valentine with the price tag for bling expected to exceed $4.1 billion. Gift cards are also primed to be a popular token of affection with 17.3 percent of people choosing them. Candy and flowers are still popular with nearly a third of people expected to opt for them and a similar number will dig deep into their pockets for an evening out. Spouses, partners and sweethearts will not be the only ones receiving presents. Pet owners will dispense about $4.52 for their furry friends for Valentine's Day, according to the NRF(National Retail Federation). Although Valentine's Day is eagerly anticipated by many, some singles dread the day while others remain optimistic. Seventy percent of singles said they would even go out on a first or blind date on Valentine's Day. (Read by Lee Hannon. Lee Hannon is a journalist at the China Daily Website.) (Agencies) |
今年情人节，大多数单身者最想要的礼物不是贺卡、鲜花和巧克力，而是一段特别的经历。尽管经济停滞不前，多数追求浪漫的人在这一天仍然不会少花钱，甚至会花得比去年更多。 一项新的民意调查发现，近半数单身者和离婚人士认为情人节是向某人表白的好机会，但也有数量相近的单身人士表示对过节丝毫没有压力。 开展这一在线调查的是约会网站eHarmony，该网站的社会心理学家吉安•冈萨加说：“人们确实对体验更感兴趣，而非物质礼物。” “你和某人的共同经历越多，就能创造更多的回忆，拥有更多共同的过去，这有助于让两人的感情关系更亲密。” 他补充道，与物质礼物不同，一段经历，无论是郊游、度假还是一顿特别的晚餐，尤其是一起做两人都感兴趣的事情，才是情侣间独一无二的礼物。 不过，在接受调查的730位单身人士中，并非每个人都会花很多心思庆祝情人节。约三分之一的男性和女性认为这个节日太商业化。 今年情人节，预计美国消费者将人均消费126美元，比2011年上涨8.5%。情人节是全年最大的送礼节日之一，全日总消费有望达到176亿美元。 传统礼物将占据花销的大部分。约20%的人会为情人买珠宝，珠宝消费有望超过41亿美元。贺卡也将成为受欢迎的爱情象征物，有17.3%的人选择了贺卡。 糖果和鲜花依然很受欢迎，有近三分之一的人将选择糖果和鲜花。还有数量相近的人晚上会出去玩，好好消费一下。 据美国零售联合会称，不仅仅配偶、伴侣和爱人将收到情人节礼物，宠物主人也会在情人节为他们毛茸茸的朋友花费4.52美元。 尽管很多人热切期盼情人节的到来，有些单身者却害怕过这个节，不过也有些单身者保持乐观。70%的单身者称自己甚至会在情人节进行第一次约会或者相亲。 相关阅读 （中国日报网英语点津 陈丹妮 编辑：Julie） |
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Vocabulary: stagnate: 萧条，停滞，失去活力 outlay: （钱、精力等的）花费 bling: 大又亮的璀璨珠宝 prime: 使准备好 |
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