For 11 months of every year, I am without doubt, a dedicated lover of shopping. During my lunch breaks, you’ll often find me wandering through a nearby department store, sandwich in hand. On the weekends, I’ll likely be perusing the stalls of my local markets and fairs.
每年有十一个月的时间，我都是个不折不扣的购物狂。就连午休时间，你都会经常看到我边吃三明治边逛附近的一家百货商场。周末的时候，我很可能会去当地市场和集市的摊位上搜罗一番。
Come December however, it’s an entirely different story. The time of year generally associated withmerrimentand cheer can be incredibly stressful.
然而到十二月的时候，情况完全不同了。这个通常同欢乐与喜悦联系起来的季节却令人倍感压力。
From buying Christmas presents to ransacking grocery stores in preparation for family gatherings, December is a month that traditionally involves spending a lot of time and money in overcrowded shopping centers and supermarkets.
为了准备家庭聚会，从购买圣诞礼物到搜寻杂货店，传统上，十二月本就是要在拥挤的购物中心及超市中花上大量时间和金钱的月份。
What’s worse than this pre-Christmas rush are the sales that occur in its wake. Every year in Britain, Canada and Australia, Boxing Day sales bring thousands of shoppers to malls and department stores.
但比起圣诞节前抢购更糟糕的是随之而来的促销活动。每年在英国、加拿大和澳大利亚，圣诞节后的第一个工作日，即节礼日当天的促销活动吸引了数以千计的的购物者前往购物中心和百货公司。
Mesmerized by the promise of dramatic price reductions, some people start queuing up outside stores the night before sales even begin.
被商场承诺的大减价所吸引的人们甚至会在促销活动开始前一晚就在商场外排起长队。
This year, during the US’ post-Thanksgiving “Black Friday” sales, 20 were injured after a woman, desperate for a discounted Xbox video game, squirted pepper spray inside a Walmart.
今年在美国感恩节过后的“黑色星期五”促销日当天，一位妇女由于迫切想得到一台打折的微软Xbox游戏机，而在沃尔玛超市内喷射胡椒喷雾剂，致使20人受伤。
It’s madness like this that has now driven me to the world of online shopping. Not only can I avoid having my personal space invaded by hordes of crazed shoppers, but nowadays, most brands and online stores offer their own sales and special deals.
这种疯狂程度促使我走进了网购的世界。这样不仅可以避免我的个人空间被一大群购物狂徒所侵占，且现在很多品牌和线上商店都推出自己的折扣和特惠活动。
Say goodbye to human stampedes and bad department storemuzak.
对拥挤的人流和商场中糟糕的背景音乐说再见吧。
While websites like eBay are great for general items and secondhand goods, the Internet now offers a huge variety ofspecialtystores.
像eBay这样的网站在日用品和二手商品方面做得很好。网络现在也催生出种类繁多的专卖店。
For clothes and accessories, ASOS.com (UK) and Shopbop.com (US) are personal favorites. Both of these offer a range of great designers, discounted prices and free worldwide shipping.
对于衣服和配饰方面，我个人非常喜欢去英国的ASOS网站与美国的Shopbop网站。这两家网店都拥有众多优秀设计师，低廉的折扣价以及全球免邮费优惠。
In terms of brand-name makeup and beauty products, strawberrynet.com (US) is my go-to site, with itscomprehensivecollection and heavily reduced prices.
就名牌化妆品和美容产品来说，美国的strawberrynet网站是我一定会去的网站，那里的货品全面而且折扣幅度很大。
When shopping online, it’s important to stick to secure websites so be sure to read the privacy and security policies before making any purchases.
网购时，一定要只去安全的网站，并确保你在购物前已经认真读过隐私和安全政策。
When paying, I prefer using third party services, like those provided by PayPal, to ensure my financial details remainconfidential.
支付时，我倾向于使用第三方支付平台，比如贝宝提供的一些服务，这会保证我财务细节不会被泄露。
Also, if you’re looking to buy your Christmas presents online, it’s best to keep in mind the shipping time needed. The last thing you want is for your brother’s jacket to arrive a week into January.
还有，如果你想在网上购买圣诞礼物，最好要留意送货时间。你最不想看到的一幕，应该就是送给弟弟的夹克在1月份都过去一周了才送到吧。 （供稿 董卫国）
21英语网站版权说明 (Translator & Editor: 21英语 Penny AND Aaron)
以上文章内容选自《21世纪英文报》，详情请见《21世纪英文报》933期
