清涼油在埃及受追捧 成中國遊客必備神器

Tins of cooling mentholated ointment have become a currency for Chinese traveling in Egypt.

一盒盒的薄荷清涼油已經成爲中國人在埃及旅行的通行貨幣。

Visiting the complex of ancient temples at Karnak, Chinese tourist Mr. Ye lost his way among the stone chapels, pylons and pillars.

中國遊客葉先生在參觀卡納克神廟時，在石頭教堂、 塔門和石柱間迷路了。

An Egyptian guide gave him directions. To show his gratitude, Mr. Ye handed him a small red tin the diameter of a large coin.

一位埃及導遊給他指了路。爲了表達謝意，葉先生送給了導遊一個硬幣大小的紅色錫盒。

Inside was a cooling mentholated balm that has become a currency for Chinese traveling in Egypt. Mr. Ye brought 50 tins with him on his six-day tour to hand out as tips.

盒子裏面便是提神醒腦、鎮痛止癢的軟膏——清涼油。清涼油已經成爲中國遊客在埃及旅行的"通行貨幣"。在短短6天的旅途裏，葉先生準備了50盒清涼油，把它當小費送出去。

"Before I came to Egypt, the tourism agency told me repeatedly to bring cooling balm as a gift to make the trip easier," said Mr. Ye, a 25-year-old whose family sells Chinese medicine online. Egyptians, he said, "are very nice to Chinese tourists, and they love this little gift."

25歲的葉先生家裏就是在網上賣中藥的。他表示，"自己在來埃及之前，旅行社反覆告訴他，爲旅途方便一定要帶上清涼油做禮物" 。他說，"埃及的小夥伴對中國遊客非常友好，而且他們很喜歡這樣的小禮物。"

From the Giza Pyramids to the Red Sea, Chinese tourists pass out tins of mentholated ointment, rather than tipping with cash to many they encounter, from hotel staffers and trinket peddlers to customs officers and police with AK-47s.

從吉薩金字塔羣到紅海，中國遊客用清涼油替代小費送給沿途遇到的許多人，包括酒店工作人員、賣小飾品的攤販、海關官員和拿着AK-47步槍的警察。

Egyptians sometimes demand the balm by running a thumb across their foreheads.

埃及人有時會以拇指劃過額頭的動作來索要清涼油。

Li Xiaodong, an Egyptologist at China's Northeast Normal University, believes Chinese travelers initially brought cooling balm for personal use because it's very hot in Egypt, then discovered Egyptians liked it.

東北師範大學埃及學家李曉東認爲，因爲埃及非常熱，中國遊客一開始把清涼油帶到埃及是想自己用，後來發現埃及人也喜歡清涼油。

Some Chinese tourists said giving gifts feels better than handing over money.

一些中國遊客表示，送禮物比給錢體面。

"If you give essential balm, it's more like you're giving it to friends," said one Chinese tourist.

一名中國遊客稱："送清涼油，更像是送禮物給朋友。"