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真實(shí)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(guó)新增了一項(xiàng)圣誕傳統(tǒng)，社會(huì)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(guò)一個(gè)快樂(lè)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(cái)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(wàn)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(duì)記者說(shuō)。
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(shuō)，知道這些賬單都付清了，自己晚上會(huì)“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(jià)值19600美元的匿名捐贈(zèng)。
Shops around the country have reported an increasing number of "layaway angels" in recent years.
近幾年來(lái)，類似的“圣誕天使”事例在美國(guó)的各大商店屢見(jiàn)不鮮，而且越來(lái)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(shuō)：“這才是這個(gè)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(zèng)的顧客對(duì)記者說(shuō)自己接到電話說(shuō)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(shí)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�！边@位顧客說(shuō)，“雖然這只是50美元，但對(duì)我來(lái)說(shuō)是不小的數(shù)目，有人就這么幫我付清了賬單，我簡(jiǎn)直太激動(dòng)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(lái)說(shuō)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(guò)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(zèng)活動(dòng)對(duì)于那些經(jīng)濟(jì)窘迫的顧客來(lái)說(shuō)非常及時(shí)。
And celebrities have also got in on the act, with a string of American Football stars paying off families' holiday bills.
社會(huì)名人也紛紛響應(yīng)了這次活動(dòng)，美國(guó)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。
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