评论
打印
An English Christmas
英国的圣诞节
Christmas Day, December 25th, celebrates the birth of Christ, and is thus the greatest of Christian festivals. However, many people feel that the religious meaning of Christmas is diminished by the commercialization of it.
12月25日圣诞节是纪念耶稣诞生的日子，因此是基督教最重要的节日。然而，很多人感到，圣诞节的商业化削弱了它的宗教意味。
As Christmas draws near, the big shops stay open long after dark, and get more and more crowded. Everyone is buying Christmas presents for friends and relations.
随着圣诞节的临近，各大商店在天黑后仍长时间开门营业，店堂里变得越来越拥挤，人人都在选购馈赠亲友的圣诞礼物。
The home is decorated with colourful paper chains, leaves of holly and mistletoe, and attractive greeting cards received through the post from friends. In the comer there may be a Christmas tree with its branches decorated with shining ornaments such as coloured lights and glass balls, and sometimes hung with gifts.
人们用彩色纸带、冬青树叶和槲寄生树叶，还有亲友们寄来的漂亮贺卡，将家里装饰一番。屋角处还会有棵圣诞树，树枝上点缀着彩灯、玻璃球之类闪闪发亮的装饰物，有时还挂着各色礼物。
On Christmas Eve, it is said, Father Christmas, also called Santa Claus, brings presents but only to good children. He knows just what every child wants, and he brings it all in a great sack. On Christmas Eve, when the children are asleep, he comes silently down the chimney and leaves the presents near their beds. Christmas Eve comes at last. When the children go to bed they often hang up a large stocking or a pillow-case to receive the presents. "Now go off to sleep quickly," says the mother, "because he won't come until you're asleep!" But they are too excited to sleep and are not even drowsy. So they just pretend to sleep, hoping to catch a glimpse of Father Christmas. Meanwhile, unknown to them, mother and father are busy filling stockings and pillow-cases with presents in the next room. When they are sure the children are really asleep, the parents creep like robbers into their bedroom and leave the presents near their beds.
据说，圣诞老人——也叫“圣塔·克劳斯”——在圣诞夜要来送礼物，不过只送给听话的孩子。哪个孩子想要什么样的礼物，他都知道得一清二楚；他把所有礼物全装在一个大袋子里。圣诞之夜，趁孩子们睡着的时候，他顺着烟囱悄悄下来，把礼物留在他们的床边。圣诞夜终于到来了。孩子们临睡之前常常挂只大长统袜，或是挂只枕套，以便接受礼物。“现在马上去睡觉，”母亲说，“你们不睡着他是不会来的。”可是孩子们兴奋得很，根本睡不着，甚至没有一点睡意。他们只好装睡，希望看一眼圣诞老人。殊不知在此同时，父母正在隔壁房间里，忙着把各种礼物塞在袜子或枕套里，等确信孩子们都真的睡着了，便像小偷那样蹑手蹑脚地溜进他们的卧室，把礼物放在床边。
