Christmas is a holiday that is over 2,000 years old. When we speak of Christmas, we tend to think of decorations, shiny lights, snow, presents, and trees. But some of these are quite recent traditions. What is the real story behind Christmas? Christmas is a holiday to celebrate the birth of Jesus, the son of God in the Christian1 religion. Over 2,000 years ago, Joseph and his pregnant wife Mary had to leave their home and travel to Bethlehem.
圣诞节是一个历史超过两千年的节日。当我们提起圣诞节，我们往往会想到装饰品、闪亮的灯饰、瑞雪、礼物和圣诞树。不过这当中有一些是相当近代的传统。圣诞节背后真正的故事究竟为何？圣诞节是庆祝耶稣诞生的节日，在基督教的信仰中，他是上帝之子。于两千多年前，乔瑟夫和他大腹便便的妻子玛利亚必须离开家园，长途跋涉到伯利恒（编按：伯利恒为古代以色列的城市，位于约旦河西岸，距耶路撒冷仅有数公里之遥）。
　　
When they arrived in Bethlehem, all of the inns were full and they couldn't find any place to spend the night. To make matters worse, Mary started going into labor. In the end, a kind-hearted man let them stay in his stable with the donkeys and sheep. Jesus was born that night, and he had to sleep in a manger6 because there was no bed for him.
当他们抵达伯利恒时，当地所有的旅馆都客满，因此他们找不到地方过夜。更糟的是，玛利亚又即将临盆。最后一名好心的男子让他们借住于马厩中，与驴子和羊只同睡。耶稣于当晚出生，由于那里没有床，所以他只好睡在马槽里。

On that same night, a bright star rose in the sky above the stable. Three wise men saw this star and realized it was a sign from God. They followed the star and found Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. To celebrate Jesus' birth, they each gave him a present. This is why we exchange gifts at Christmas.
当天夜晚，马厩上空升起了一颗明亮的星星。三位智者看到这颗星星，便明了那是上帝的启示。他们追寻着星星，找到了耶稣、玛利亚和乔瑟夫。为了庆祝耶稣的诞生，他们分别送了一样礼物给耶稣。这就是为什么我们会在圣诞节互换礼物的原因。