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An English Christmas
英國的圣誕節
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日圣誕節是紀念耶穌誕生的日子，因此是基督教最重要的節日。然而，很多人感到，圣誕節的商業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.
隨著圣誕節的臨近，各大商店在天黑后仍長時間開門營業，店堂里變得越來越擁擠，人人都在選購饋贈親友的圣誕禮物。
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.
人們用彩色紙帶、冬青樹葉和槲寄生樹葉，還有親友們寄來的漂亮賀卡，將家里裝飾一番。屋角處還會有棵圣誕樹，樹枝上點綴著彩燈、玻璃球之類閃閃發亮的裝飾物，有時還掛著各色禮物。
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.
據說，圣誕老人——也叫“圣塔·克勞斯”——在圣誕夜要來送禮物，不過只送給聽話的孩子。哪個孩子想要什么樣的禮物，他都知道得一清二楚；他把所有禮物全裝在一個大袋子里。圣誕之夜，趁孩子們睡著的時候，他順著煙囪悄悄下來，把禮物留在他們的床邊。圣誕夜終于到來了。孩子們臨睡之前常常掛只大長統襪，或是掛只枕套，以便接受禮物。“現在馬上去睡覺，”母親說，“你們不睡著他是不會來的。”可是孩子們興奮得很，根本睡不著，甚至沒有一點睡意。他們只好裝睡，希望看一眼圣誕老人。殊不知在此同時，父母正在隔壁房間里，忙著把各種禮物塞在襪子或枕套里，等確信孩子們都真的睡著了，便像小偷那樣躡手躡腳地溜進他們的臥室，把禮物放在床邊。
