For many people, the real joy of the holiday season comes from shopping, whether it’s getting to the store at 4 a.m. for the best bargains or finding that impossible-to-find holiday toy.
对于许多人来说，节假日真正让人高兴的事情非购物莫属，至于是凌晨四点在商店门口排队，好抢到最划算的商品，还是淘到稀罕的宝贝，这些倒无关紧要。

The pleasure you feel from every shopping victory is real. Shopping, like any new or exciting experience, activates the brain’s reward center, triggering the release of dopamine. That’s the same brain chemical released by drug use, gambling and other addictive behaviors.
每次购物凯旋而归时，你感受到的欢愉都是真真切切存在的。购物和其他所有新鲜或令人兴奋的体验一切，都会激活大脑的奖赏中枢(reward center)，刺激多巴胺的释放。通过吸毒、赌博或其他上瘾性行为，大脑都会释放出多巴胺这种化合物。

"Most people report that shopping is fun and exciting, and they like seeing new products in the stores," said University of Iowa psychiatry professor Dr. Donald Black, who earlier this year wrote a review article about shopping addiction. “The reality is that shopping is America’s No. 1 pastime and most people shop because it’s enjoyable to them."
“大部分人都表示购物让人又快乐又兴奋，他们喜欢在店里看到新商品，”艾奥瓦大学(University of Iowa)精神病学教授唐纳德·布莱克(Dr. Donald Black)今年初在一篇关于购物癖的评论中这样写道：“现在的现实就是，购物是美国排名第一位的休闲活动，大部分人购物，是因为他们乐在其中。”

Dopamine is a powerful brain chemical that gives you a shopping high. Just as people on drugs make bad choices, people caught up in a shopping high can make bad choices, too. That’s why impulse purchases, overspending and buyer’s remorse are so common.
多巴胺是一种强效的大脑化合物，正是它让你在购物时觉得兴奋不已。使用毒品的人会做出错误的选择，而兴奋购物的人同样也会如此。也正因为，冲动购物、过度花费、事后懊恼不已，才如此屡见不鲜。

Everybody at some point has spent too much money at the store or regretted a purchase. Indiana University professor Ruth Engs, who studies shopping addiction, says true shopping addicts buy things they never use — often they have racks of clothes and other items with the price tags still attached. Instead of buying one or two items as they intended, they return from a shopping excursion with bags and bags of purchases. And sometimes they hide purchases from family members.
每个人都碰到过在店里不小心多花了一大笔钱，或者为买了某件东西痛心疾首的情况。印第安纳大学(Indiana University)的鲁丝·安格斯(Ruth Engs)教授专门研究购物癖的问题，她说，真正的购物癖患者会购买那些自己永远用不着的东西——在他们的衣柜里，会发现有很多衣服和配饰的价签还没有摘下来。他们不是买一两件真正需要的东西，而是每次提着大包小包的战利品，这才算结束了一次购物之旅。而且有时候他们会把买的东西藏起来，瞒着不让家人看到。

When considering an impulse purchase, the best advice is to put it on hold for a day. Walking away will allow you to recover from the dopamine surge of shopping so you can think more clearly about whether you really need and can afford the item.
有冲动购物的想法时，最好的办法是搁置一天，转身离开，这样你可以让飙升的多巴胺水平慢慢降下来，能更清楚地想一想你是否真的需要这件东西，有没有经济实力买它。

Dr. Engs notes that the holidays can trigger shopping binges among those who are not compulsive the rest of the year. If you’re feeling caught up in the holiday shopping frenzy, Dr. Engs has created a Web site with advice to help people make better shopping decisions. Among her do's and don'ts:
安格斯博士指出，对于那些通常不会强迫性购物的人来说，节假日往往刺激他们肆意消费狂欢。她创建了一个网站，如果你感觉自己正在假日消费的狂热中欲罢不能，可以去这个网站，看看能否帮助你做出更恰当的消费决策。以下是她提出的部分建议：

Create a shopping list and stick to it. Say no to impulse purchases.
开一个购物清单，完全照着清单买东西。抵制冲动消费。

Use cash and debit cards and leave credit cards at home. The reality of your bank account will prevent you from succumbing to shopping excitement.
用现金和借记卡，将信用卡留在家里。银行账户的冷峻现实，会阻止你被消费的兴奋劲儿给压倒。

Don't shop when you're traveling or visiting relatives. Shopping in a new place adds to the novelty of shopping and puts you at risk for buying things you don’t need.
在旅行或走亲访友时不要买东西。在新地方购物会增加消费的新鲜感，更容易让你买下不需要的东西。