marty:: are you all ready for christmas?

jack: are you kidding? i haven't even started. i've done zero shopping.

marty: well, you'd better getting going, christmas is only a week away..

jack: i have to tell you that i'm one of those people who really gets stressed out by the christmas rush.

marty: oh, i'm not. i love the holidays. i love the crowds, the shopping, the lights, the music, the food, the parties, all the presents..

jack: that's just the beginning. my wife always spends too much money on christmas. the average christmas expense for u.s. families is about $550. but somehow we always spend about twice that much. it takes me till april to pay off all our christmas bills.

marty: now now, let's not be an ebeneezer scrooge (吝啬鬼）about it, jack. think about your kids. didn't you use to love christmas when you were a kid?

jack: i guess so. i don't remember.

marty: i know you did. you've actually forgotten your childhood memories. you were the most excited kid in the whole class. i remember . you know jack, maybe christmas is for kids, but you can still enjoy it through the eyes of your children.

jack: well, kids enjoy it because they don't have to do all the shopping and pay all the bills.

marty: maybe that's true. but you now as well as i do, that christmas is more than tinsel and trees. christmas is about what's in your heart and how you can make others happy.

jack: you're right, marty. you're absolutely right. i'm going to try harder to be nice people and to try to keep the true spirit of christmas in my heart..

marty: i'm glad to hear that jack. by the way, do you have your tree up?

jack: oh, i hate all the needles that get all over your living room floor. i mean, we're going to get a tree today.

marty: have you taken your kids to go see santa claus yet?

jack: if i see anther santa claus, i'm gonna scream.

marty: you're hopeless, jack