真實的圣誕老人

　　The US has a new Christmas tradition. Wealthy secret Santas are popping up across the country and paying off toyshop bills to spread festive cheer and help struggling families.

　　最近美國新增了一項圣誕傳統(tǒng)，社會富裕人士正偽裝成神秘的圣誕老人，在城市的大街小巷四處游走，為那些生活窘迫的家庭付清玩具店的賬單，好讓大家都能度過一個快樂的圣誕節(jié)。

　　Mystery donors have called at three branches of Toys R Us in the north-eastern state of Massachusetts to pay off layaway accounts - plans that allow customers to spread the cost of Christmas over several weeks.

　　這些神秘的慈善家已經(jīng)要求位于馬薩諸塞州東北部的玩具反斗城的三家分店清空所有預(yù)付賬戶，這些都是已經(jīng)預(yù)付定金，但需要在圣誕節(jié)前后分期付款才能還清的賬戶。

　　In the biggest windfall, a visitor described by staff as a "bubbly older woman" hugged the manager at a store in Bellingham, south-west of Boston, and then went through each layaway account paying them off - at a cost of more than $20,000.

　　在這筆意外之財席卷全美之際，有一名被店員稱為“活潑的老婦人”的老人在波士頓西南部的貝靈漢分店擁抱了店經(jīng)理，隨后花了2萬多美元付清了店里所有的預(yù)付賬單。

　　"If you have it, give it," said the anonymous woman, according to The Milford Daily News.

　　“你擁有了就應(yīng)該付出�！边@位未透露姓名的老太太對記者說。

　　One employee said the woman told her that she would "sleep better at night" knowing all the bills had been settled.

　　老太太還曾跟一名店員說，知道這些賬單都付清了，自己晚上會“睡得更安穩(wěn)”。

　　Days later another store reported a similar episode. This time the bill was $19,600 to close 125 accounts.

　　幾天之后類似一幕在另一家商店重演，這次是付清了將近125筆賬單，價值19600美元的匿名捐贈。

　　Shops around the country have reported an increasing number of "layaway angels" in recent years.

　　近幾年來，類似的“圣誕天使”事例在美國的各大商店屢見不鮮，而且越來越多。

　　A spokeswoman for Toys R Us said: "It's what the holiday are all about."

　　玩具反斗城的一名女性代言人說：“這才是這個節(jié)日存在的意義。”

　　A customer whose tab was paid this week described her delight to The Daily News when she received a phone call telling her a stranger had paid her bill and she could collect the toys she had chosen for her sons.

　　一名受贈的顧客對記者說自己接到電話說有陌生人為自己買單，她可以去店里頭領(lǐng)取給兒子買的圣誕玩具的時候高興得不行。

　　"I almost wanted to cry," she said. "It was only $50, but to me that's a lot of money, and that someone would go and do that gave me chills."

　　“我都快哭了。”這位顧客說，“雖然這只是50美元，但對我來說是不小的數(shù)目，有人就這么幫我付清了賬單，我簡直太激動了�！�

　　Customers usually have 90 days to pay the bills and then collect the toys. However, Toys R US sets deadlines before Christmas, making the payments particularly timely.

　　一般來說這些付了定金的顧客要在90天內(nèi)付清余款，然后才能拿到這些玩具，不過玩具反斗城把付清余款的最后期限定在圣誕節(jié)之前，所以這次捐贈活動對于那些經(jīng)濟窘迫的顧客來說非常及時。

　　And celebrities have also got in on the act, with a string of American Football stars paying off families' holiday bills.

　　社會名人也紛紛響應(yīng)了這次活動，美國一些足球明星也陸續(xù)出面為這些家庭的節(jié)日禮物買單。

【真實的圣誕老人】相關(guān)文章：

圣誕老人的故事09-19

圣誕老人小故事07-25

簡歷要真實10-30

為圣誕老人改建煙囪08-25

真實簡單表白的句子10-17

法國留學(xué)真實故事10-27

一封真實的情書08-13

化工仿真實習(xí)目的05-03

表白詞真實一點09-16

追求女孩真實感人的情書08-02