今年过节不送卡，送土豆！

 　　Why send a greeting card when you can send a potato?

　　送土豆多有趣呀，谁还要送贺卡？

　　That's the reasoning behind one e-commerce site, which mails actual potatoes which feature personalized messages from their customers for $8 to $10.

　　一家电子商务网站便以此为灵感，以8到10美元的价格出售印有定制信息土豆。该网站会把用户的留言写在土豆上，并邮寄出去。

　　PotatoParcel.com offers customers the chance to make a friend laugh, lighten¹ the mood, or get revenge² with their statement-making spuds.

　　PotatoParcel.com网站通过这种方式让你有机会逗朋友开心，调节一下气氛，或是期待朋友的“反击”。

　　The company offers their product in two sizes. A 'medium' potato, which can fit 100 characters, is $7.99, and a 'large' potato, which can fit a Tweet-long message of 140 characters, is $8.99.

　　这家公司提供两种规格的土豆。可以写下100个字的“中号”土豆，售价7.99美元（约人民币50元）；还有可以写下140个字的“大号”土豆，售价8.99美元（约人民币56元）。

　　今年过节不送卡，送土豆！

　　Senders pick their size and then add their note, which the company writes directly on the potato skin with black marker.

　　买家先挑选土豆尺寸，然后把留言备注给卖家。该公司会用黑色马克笔直接把留言写在土豆上。

　　The potato is then mailed to the recipient³ in a 'tiny envelope' from the company's location inTexas.

　　随后该公司会从所在地德克萨斯州把土豆装进“小信封”中邮寄给收件人。

　　There's no catch, and nothing hidden inside - it really is just an actual potato with black marker writing.

　　土豆上没有任何玄机，里面也没有藏东西——就是一个带字的普通土豆。

　　Past potato recipients⁴ have shared pictures of their own experiences with the starch-based communication on social media, pointing out the comical absurdity⁵ of the service.

　　曾经收到过这种土豆的顾客在社交网站上分享了用土豆交流的奇妙经历。他们认为这项服务有着一种违和的搞笑效果。

　　'The absolute⁶ craziest thing I've received in the mail!' wrote one young woman, who got a potato from her boyfriend.

　　“这绝对是我收到最疯狂的包裹！”收到男友送的土豆后，一位年轻女网友吐槽说。

　　Another young man, who received a potato that said 'Help stuck in potato factory' wrote that it was the 'best gift in the mail ever'.

　　另一位网友收到的土豆上写着“救命！我被困在土豆工厂里了！”，他认为这是他收到最有趣的包裹。

　　A third person, who was sent one anonymously⁷, added to his picture: 'I just got this in the mail. I'm not sure who sent it. I am delighted and confused.'

　　另一名网友收到了一颗匿名赠送的土豆，他说：“我刚收到这份礼物，不知是谁送的，我觉得很好玩但又有些莫名其秒。”

　　The potatoes also come with an invitation to 'potato it forward' by sending a spud to someone else.

　　收到土豆的人还可以“把土豆接着送下去”，即给别人也送上一份土豆礼物。

　　Vocabulary

　　spud: 土豆，马铃薯

　　recipient: 收件人

　　starch: 含淀粉的食物

1 lighten   

vt./vi.减轻，变轻；照亮，变亮

参考例句：

• The sky began to lighten after the storm.暴风雨后天空开始放晴。
• They decided to lighten taxes.他们决定减轻税收。

2 revenge   

v.报...之仇，为...报仇 ；n.报仇，复仇

参考例句：

• She poisoned his mind with ideas of hate and revenge.她用复仇的思想来毒害他的心灵。
• There was anger in his eyes and revenge in his heart.他两眼闪现怒火，一心只想复仇。

3 recipient   

a.接受的,感受性强的 n.接受者,感受者,容器

参考例句：

• Please check that you have a valid email certificate for each recipient. 请检查是否对每个接收者都有有效的电子邮件证书。
• Colombia is the biggest U . S aid recipient in Latin America. 哥伦比亚是美国在拉丁美洲最大的援助对象。

4 recipients   

adj.接受的；受领的；容纳的；愿意接受的n.收件人；接受者；受领者；接受器

参考例句：

• The recipients of the prizes had their names printed in the paper. 获奖者的姓名登在报上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The recipients of prizes had their names printed in the paper. 获奖者名单登在报上。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

5 absurdity   

n.荒谬，愚蠢；谬论

参考例句：

• The proposal borders upon the absurdity.这提议近乎荒谬。
• The absurdity of the situation made everyone laugh.情况的荒谬可笑使每个人都笑了。

6 absolute   

adj.十足的；绝对的；不受任何限制的

参考例句：

• The first year of the course was an absolute doddle.第一年的课程简单极了。
• I look upon this as an absolute necessity.我认为这是绝对必要。

7 anonymously   

ad.用匿名的方式

参考例句：

• The manuscripts were submitted anonymously. 原稿是匿名送交的。
• Methods A self-administered questionnaire was used to survey 536 teachers anonymously. 方法采用自编“中小学教师职业压力问卷”对536名中小学教师进行无记名调查。