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One Christmas Eve, old Scrooge was working busily in his office.
在一個圣誕前夜，老斯克羅吉正在辦公室忙碌著。
It was cold, frosty, foggy weather.
天氣寒冷，還有霜凍，霧蒙蒙的。
Outside it was already dark, although it was only three o'clock in the afternoon, and there were candles in all the office windows.
雖然才下午3點，但外面天已經黑了，辦公室窗子里都亮起了蠟燭。
The fog covered everything, like a thick grey blanket.
霧就像一條厚厚的毯子籠罩了一切。
Scrooge kept his office door open, in order to check that his clerk, Bob Cratchit, was working.
斯克羅吉辦公室的門總是敞開著，目的是監督他的雇員，鮑勃·克拉奇蒂有沒有怠工。
Bob spent his days in a dark little room, a kind of cupboard, next to his employer's office.
鮑勃整天呆在老板隔壁的一間小黑屋里，它實際是一個壁櫥。
Scrooge had a very small fire, but Bob's fire was much smaller.
斯克羅吉房間的火很小，鮑勃的火更小。
It was very cold in the cupboard, and Bob had to wear his long white scarf to try to keep warm.
壁櫥里冷極了，鮑勃不得不戴著他那條白色的長圍巾取暖。
'Merry Christmas, uncle! God bless you!' cried a happy voice.
“舅舅，圣誕快樂！上帝保佑你！”一個聲音高興地說。
Scrooge's nephew had arrived.
斯克羅吉的外甥已經到了。
'Bah!' said Scrooge crossly. 'Humbug!'
“呸！”斯克羅吉惱怒地說。“騙人的東西！”
'Christmas is humbug! Surely you don't mean that, uncle?' said his nephew.
“圣誕節是騙人的東西！舅舅，當然你不是這個意思？”他外甥說。
'I do,' said scrooge. ' Why do you call it “merry” Christmas? You're too poor to be merry.'
“我就是這個意思，”斯克羅吉說。“你為什么管它叫‘快樂’的圣誕節？你太窮了，根本快樂不起來。”
'Well,' replied the nephew, smiling,'why are you so cross? You're too rich to be unhappy.'
“哎，”外甥笑著回答說，“你為什么這么生氣？你很有錢不該不高興啊。”
'Of course I'm cross,' answered the uncle, 'when I live in a world full of stupid people like you!
“我當然生氣，”舅舅回答說，“當我生活在一個滿是像你這種蠢人的世界里！
You say “Merry Christmas”! But what is Christmas?
你說‘圣誕快樂’！但圣誕節是什么？
Just a time when you spend too much, when you find yourself a year older and not an hour richer, when you have to pay your bills.
不過是一個讓你大把大把花錢的日子，這時你會發現你老了一歲可財富卻沒有增加半點，而且你還得去付所有的賬單。
Everyone who goes around saying “Merry Christmas” should have his tongue cut out. Yes, he should!'
所有到處游逛說‘圣誕快樂’的人的舌頭都應被割掉。是的，他會的！”
'Uncle! Please don't say that!' said the nephew.
“舅舅，請不要這么說！”外甥說。
'I've always thought of Christmas as a time to be helpful and kind to other People.
“我一直把圣誕看作是一個幫助別人、善待別人的日子。
It's the only time of the year when men and women open their hearts freely to each other.
一年中只有這么一天男男女女可以彼此自由地敞開心扉。
And so, uncle, although I've never made any money from it, I think Christmas has been and will be a good time for me! And I say, God bless Christmas!'
所以舅舅，盡管我從未發過圣誕的財，我認為對我來說圣誕節一直就是而且也將是美好的時刻！愿上帝保佑你！”
Bob, in the cupboard, agreed loudly, without thinking.
坐在壁櫥里的鮑勃未加思索大聲表示贊同。
