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英文原文

In Britain, Australia, Canada, and other places, Boxing Day is a national holiday.There are several thoughts on how the holiday became known as Boxing Day.The Associated Press wrote about the origins of the name back in 2019.

在英国、澳大利亚、加拿大和其他地方，节礼日是一个全国性节日。关于这个节日为何被称为节礼日，有多种说法。美联社早在2019年就其名称的起源写过一篇文章。

The most widely held understanding of the origins of Boxing Day comes from a tradition among wealthy people: they would give a Christmas box to their servants and other workers. The box would contain money and gifts. Traditionally, these workers would also have Boxing Day off to rest.

关于节礼日起源的最普遍认知来源于富人间的一个传统：他们会送给仆人和其他工人一个圣诞礼盒。礼盒里装有金钱和礼物。传统上，这些工人也会在节礼日放假休息。

The AP story says the start of Boxing Day may even date back to the times of the Romans. Some experts say Roman invaders brought the practice to Britain. The tradition was then taken up by churches. Churches would put boxes outside their doors to collect money for the poor. This tradition gained popularity during the middle 1800s and continues to this day.

美联社的文章说，节礼日的起源甚至可以追溯到古罗马时代。一些专家说，罗马侵略者把这种习俗带到了英国。之后，教堂也采用了这一传统。教堂会在门外放置盒子，收集给穷人的捐款。这一传统在19世纪中叶流行起来，并延续至今。

Boxing Day is still celebrated today in many countries around the world. However, the United States is not one of them. We don't generally have the day off, but the Christmas holiday, which takes place the day before, is often filled with boxes. Boxes are useful for storing and containing all kinds of things, especially gifts.

如今，世界上许多国家仍在庆祝节礼日。然而，美国并不在其中。我们一般不放假，但前一天的圣诞节却经常与盒子相伴。盒子对于存放和容纳各种物品都很有用，尤其是礼物。

It is fun to shake a gift box and try to guess what is inside. But an empty box can be just as much fun. Just ask any child or any cat for that matter. Personally, I cannot walk by a cardboard box without thinking of what I could make out of it. A child can enjoy the box their gift came in as much as, if not more than, the gift itself. An empty box can lead to imaginative play. It can become anything: it can be a secret house in the forest, or a boat on the open sea, or a rocket ship flying through space.

摇动一个礼盒并尝试猜测里面是什么很有趣。但一个空盒子也可以同样有趣。问问任何孩子或猫就知道了。就我个人而言，我走过一个纸箱时，总会想我能用它做出什么来。孩子可能会和他们收到的礼物盒一样（甚至更）享受那个盒子本身。一个空盒子可以激发孩子的想象力进行玩耍。它可以变成任何东西：它可以是森林里的秘密小屋，也可以是茫茫大海上的小船，还可以是穿越太空的火箭飞船。

That is because children are masters at thinking outside the box. To think outside the box means to explore ideas and consider solutions that are creative and unusual. Someone who thinks outside the box is not limited or controlled by rules or tradition. Another way of saying this is that they are not boxed in by such rules and traditions. They think of new ways to solve a problem.

这是因为孩子们很擅长跳出思维定式。跳出思维定式意味着探索创意和考虑不同寻常的解决方案。一个跳出思维定式的人不会被规则或传统所限制或控制。另一种说法是，他们不会被这样的规则和传统所束缚。他们会想到解决问题的新方法。

To be boxed in can also mean being physically prevented from moving. For example, a car can box in another car in a parking space. However, thinking outside the box is important not just for playing or for teaching English. Lots of problems and solutions can be helped by thinking outside the box.

“被束缚”也可以指被物理上阻止移动。例如，一辆车可以在停车场里把另一辆车堵在里面。然而，跳出思维定式不仅对于玩耍或教授英语很重要。许多问题和解决方案都可以通过跳出思维定式来得到帮助。

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