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A History of Christmas
圣诞节的历史
Christmas is the most cheerful and holy of holidays in the Christian world, which boasts of an estimated 1.8 billion people.
圣诞节是号称有大约18亿教徒里的基督教世界里最愉快、最神圣的节日。
Although the origin of this holiday was purely religious, it has evolved into a highly secular celebration each year.
尽管这个节日的起因纯粹是宗教性的，但它已演变成了每年的非常世俗化的庆祝活动。
However, strong religious components are still conveyed in various ways each year. The two are intrinsically mixed in the midst of modern commercialism and attached to.
不过，纯粹宗教性的部分每年还是在以各种方式进行着。二者在现代重商主义中，很自然地融合在一起。
Christmas day fall on December 25th each year, celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, the son of a carpenter living over two thousand years ago.
圣诞节时值每年的12月25日，是耶稣基督的诞生庆典，他是两千多年前的一个木匠的儿子。
Christianity, the movement following the teachings of Christ, roused the world over the next many centuries.
基督教，这场追随基督教义的运动，在接下来的几个世纪里影响了全世界。
It is said that the first celebration of Christmas took place in 336 A.D. in Ancient Rome.
据说，圣诞节的第一次庆祝活动是在公元336年的古罗马举行的。
No one seems to know for sure if December 25th was actually the date of Christ's birth, but it is possible that Christian leaders in Ancient Rome wanted to replace pagan religious holidays that occurred around the same time.
好像没有人能肯定12月25日就是基督的实际诞生日，而更有可能的是，古罗马的基督教领导人想要以此取代几乎同时举行的异教徒的宗教节日。
Many secular symbols of Christmas have emerged over several centuries.
圣诞节的很多世俗象征已经出现好几个世纪了。
Santa Claus, in his present form, is a fairly recent development whereas his origin, in part, goes back to Roman times.
现在这种形象的圣诞老人，可以说是最近才出现的，然而，他的起源却可以部分追溯到古罗马时代。
St. Nicholas was an early Christian Bishop of Patara of the Lycian seaport (in present-day Turkey) in the 4th century A.D.
圣·尼古拉斯是公元4世纪时利西亚海港的帕塔拉（在现今的土耳其）的一个早期的基督教主教。
The Roman Emperor Diocletian, who persecuted Christians, imprisoned him because the practice of Christianity was illegal.
迫害基督教徒的罗马皇帝戴克里以非法宣扬基督教的罪名把他关进了监狱。
The first Christian Emperor of Rome, Constantine, later released him.
后来，罗马的第一位信仰基督教的皇帝康士坦丁释放了他。
Nicholas' reputation for generosity, kindness and miracles earned him a widespread reputation and eventually sainthood.
尼古拉斯的慷慨、仁慈和圣迹为他赢得了广泛的声誉，最终被尊为圣徒。
He is said to have brought back life to the children who had been chopped into pieces by their butcher father.
据说，他恢复了被他们那屠夫父亲砍成碎片的孩子们的生命。
He is reputed to have placed some gold coins in stockings, hung by a fire to dry by three poor girls.
据说他在三个可怜女孩挂起来用火烘烤的长袜子里放了一些金币。
He had hoped that the girls would be able to use the money to marry to avoid living on prostitution, the common destiny of such girls at that time.
他希望这些女孩能用这些钱结婚，以免沦为妓女，而在那个时代，这种女孩的命运大多就是这样。
From this gesture came the tradition of empty oversize stockings hanging on fireplaces at Christmas time for Santa to fill with little gifts.
在圣诞节，把特大号的空长袜挂在壁炉上面让圣诞老人放一些小礼物的传统，就来自这个故事。
From these roots, the present-day Santa Claus seems to have emerged.
根据这些传说，现代的圣诞老人的形象似乎显现出来。
In some European countries, the image of Father Christmas is identified more closely with Saint Nicholas than with Santa Claus.
在一些欧洲国家，圣诞老人的形象更多的是与圣·尼古拉斯联系在一起，而不是与Santa Claus联系在一起。
The red and white suit, that Santa wears, is said to have come from the traditional color of early Christian Bishops' robes.
圣诞老人穿的红白相间的服装，据说是来自早期基督教主教的长袍的传统颜色。
Santa, flying in a sleigh pulled by reindeer, and going down chimneys, originated from an American poem written in the 1820's,
在驯鹿拉的雪橇上飞翔、从烟囱里下来的圣诞老人，源自19世纪20年代克莱门特·摩尔写的一首美国诗“圣诞节的前夜”，
another American made an engraving called "Santa's Workshop" in which Santa, is portrayed in a lovely sunset, scratching his chin, reading letters and checking a list activities which was revived every year in music and stories told to children during the yuletide Christmas season.
19世纪60年代，另一个美国人制作了一幅版画，叫做“圣诞老人的作坊”，上面的圣诞老人被描绘成在美丽的落日余晖下，挠着下巴，读着信，检查一份清单（每年在圣诞节以音乐和故事的形式反复告诉孩子们的各种活动都列在这份清单上）。
Every year children write letters to Santa Claus before Christmas, asking him to bring favorite toys.
每年，孩子们在圣诞节之前给圣诞老人写信，请他带来他们最喜欢的玩具。
Santa traditionally navigates the frosty night skies December 24th without using a compass or a chart to plot his course.
根据传说，圣诞老人在12月24日深夜，在寒冷的夜空飞翔，不用使用指南针或者地图来计划他的路线。
He, in his sleigh pulled by nine reindeer, usually lands on slippery sloped roofs.
他坐在由九头驯鹿拉着的雪橇上，在通常很滑的斜屋顶上降落。
Clumsily, with his big bag heaped with toys and slung over his shoulder, he jumps down chimney and dumps toys under Christmas trees.
他笨拙地扛着一个装满玩具的大口袋，从烟囱里跳下来，把玩具倒在圣诞树下。
Gifts often include a doll for a little girl or a train for a little boy. He does all of this without disturbing the inhabitants.
礼品中常常有送给小女孩的一个洋娃娃，或送给小男孩的一辆小火车。他无声无息地做着这一切。
Santa then crawls vertically back up the chimneys and, without a trace, flies off, exclaiming the resounding phrase, "Merry Christmas to all, good night".
然后垂直向上从烟囱里爬回去，不留一点痕迹，飞走时大声地说着那句人们熟知的话：“祝大家圣诞快乐，晚安”。
He is back at his home at the North Pole before dawn on Christmas morning, tired but very happy after his very speedy sweep around the world.
在圣诞节清晨破晓之前，他回到在北极的家里，在全世界快速飞奔了一夜，很疲倦却非常愉快。
After a big yawn, Santa falls asleep.
打了一个大呵欠后，圣诞老人就睡着了。
Christmas carols, or Christmas religious songs, began in the middle Ages when people danced and sang religious songs on village greens (central gathering areas in small towns and villages) in Anglo-Saxon England.
圣诞节颂歌，也叫基督教宗教歌曲，始于中世纪时期，那时，在盎格鲁撒克逊人的英格兰，人们在乡村草地上（小镇或村庄的聚集中心）跳舞，唱宗教歌曲。
A Christmas carol today is a religious tune without the dance associated with it.
今天的圣诞节颂歌只是一道宗教曲子，没有与之相配合的舞蹈。
A strong religious tradition today, as in other times, is to go to church at midnight of Christmas Eve or on Christmas morning.
今天的一项强烈的宗教传统，像其他时期一样，是在圣诞节前夕午夜或圣诞节早晨去教堂做礼拜。
A priest may say mass (in a Catholic Church) or preach a sermon about the significance of the birth of Christ.
牧师可能作弥撒（在天主教堂）或者布道宣讲救世主诞生的重要性。
