美国：经济不景气 圣诞礼物缩水
<p><span word="A">A</span> <span word="job">job</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="mom">mom</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="dad">dad</span>. <span word="Money">Money</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="heating">heating</span> <span word="bill">bill</span>. <span word="Food">Food</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="place">place</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="live">live</span>. <span word="Maybe">Maybe</span> <span word="gloves">gloves</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="boots">boots</span>.</p><p><span word="More">More</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="more">more</span>, <span word="Santas">Santas</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="children">children</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="laps">laps</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="asking">asking</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="less">less</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="themselves">themselves</span> — <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Santa">Santa</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="promising">promising</span> <span word="less">less</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="well">well</span>.</p><p><span word="With">With</span> <span word="unemployment">unemployment</span> <span word="stubbornly">stubbornly</span> <span word="high">high</span>, <span word="more">more</span> <span word="homes">homes</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="foreclosure">foreclosure</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="economic">economic</span> <span word="outlook">outlook</span> <span word="dim">dim</span>, <span word="many">many</span> <span word="children">children</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="visit">visit</span> <span word="Santa">Santa</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="too">too</span> <span word="aware">aware</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="struggle">struggle</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="ends">ends</span> <span word="meet">meet</span>.</p><p>"<span word="These">These</span> <span word="children">children</span> <span word="understand">understand</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="conditions">conditions</span> <span word="around">around</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="home">home</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="ask">ask</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="stuff">stuff</span>," <span word="said">said</span> <span word="Richard">Richard</span> <span word="Holden">Holden</span>, <span word="a">a</span> 69-<span word="year">year</span>-<span word="old">old</span> <span word="Santa">Santa</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="Gastonia">Gastonia</span>, <span word="N">N</span>.<span word="C">C</span>. "<span word="They">They</span> <span word="understand">understand</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="there">there</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="children">children</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="family">family</span>, <span word="they">they</span> <span word="need">need</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="cautious">cautious</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="thoughtful">thoughtful</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="well">well</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="ask">ask</span> <span word="for">for</span> 10 <span word="to">to</span> 12 <span word="items">items</span>."</p><p><span word="Cliff">Cliff</span> <span word="Snider">Snider</span>, <span word="who">who</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="playing">playing</span> <span word="Santa">Santa</span> <span word="since">since</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="teenager">teenager</span>, <span word="agrees">agrees</span>.</p><p>"<span word="I">I</span> <span word="think">think</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="parents">parents</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="saying">saying</span>, '<span word="It">It</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="economic">economic</span> <span word="thing">thing</span>. <span word="Just">Just</span> <span word="list">list</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="three">three</span> <span word="things">things</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="really">really</span> <span word="want">want</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="have">have</span>,'" <span word="he">he</span> <span word="said">said</span>. "<span word="Parents">Parents</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="trying">trying</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="encourage">encourage</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="children">children</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="thrifty">thrifty</span>."</p><p><span word="And">And</span> <span word="the">the</span> 64-<span word="year">year</span>-<span word="old">old</span> <span word="Snider">Snider</span> <span word="does">does</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="best">best</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="help">help</span> <span word="out">out</span>. <span word="When">When</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="gets">gets</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="big">big</span>-<span word="ticket">ticket</span> <span word="request">request</span>, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="typically">typically</span> <span word="responds">responds</span>: "<span word="There">There</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="awful">awful</span> <span word="lot">lot</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="children">children</span> <span word="asking">asking</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="year">year</span>. <span word="What">What</span> <span word="else">else</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="want">want</span>?"</p><p><span word="At">At</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Charles">Charles</span> <span word="W">W</span>. <span word="Howard">Howard</span> <span word="Santa">Santa</span> <span word="Claus">Claus</span> <span word="School">School</span>, <span word="Santas">Santas</span> <span word="learn">learn</span> <span word="lines">lines</span> <span word="like">like</span>, "<span word="Wow">Wow</span>, <span word="that">that</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="big">big</span> <span word="gift">gift</span>. <span word="Is">Is</span> <span word="there">there</span> <span word="anything">anything</span> <span word="else">else</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="might">might</span> <span word="like">like</span>?"</p><p><span word="These">These</span> <span word="days">days</span>, <span word="though">though</span>, <span word="Santas">Santas</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="having">having</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="use">use</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="less">less</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="less">less</span>.</p><p>"<span word="I">I</span> <span word="think">think</span> <span word="it">it</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="becoming">becoming</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="popular">popular</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="long">long</span> <span word="list">list</span>," <span word="said">said</span> <span word="Tom">Tom</span> <span word="Valent">Valent</span>, <span word="dean">dean</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Howard">Howard</span> <span word="Santa">Santa</span> <span word="school">school</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Midland">Midland</span>, <span word="Mich">Mich</span>., <span word="which">which</span> <span word="gets">gets</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="than">than</span> 3,000 <span word="letters">letters</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="Santa">Santa</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="year">year</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="graduated">graduated</span> <span word="its">its</span> 75<span word="th">th</span> <span word="class">class</span>. "<span word="Families">Families</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="teaching">teaching</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="children">children</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="much">much</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="giver">giver</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="receiver">receiver</span>."</p>
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