Christmas

圣誕節

It all began about 2,000 years ago. An angel appeared to a Jewish girl named Mary and gave her good news: You will have a son. His name will be Jesus, the Savior. When the baby was almost due, Mary and her fiance Joseph went to their hometown, Bethlehem, for a census. The only place they could find to stay was an animal stable. There the special baby was born.

這一切大約是在兩千年前開始的，一位天使向一位叫馬利亞的猶太女孩顯現，并且告訴她好消息：「你將懷孕生子，給他起名叫耶穌，就是救世主。」當馬利亞的產期近了的時候，馬利亞和的未婚夫約瑟因戶口調查的緣故回到家鄉伯利恒城。他們所找到唯一能夠落腳的地方是一個動物住的地方。這位特別的嬰孩就在那里出生。

Angels announced the joyful news to some shepherds. They left their sheep and hurried to see the baby. Some time later, wise men from the East saw an unusual star. They knew someone great had been born. The star led them to Bethlehem. When they found the child Jesus, they offered him gifts fit for a king.

天使對一些牧羊人報告這個大喜的訊息。他們便丟下自己的羊趕去看這位嬰孩。不久之后，東方的博士看見一顆很不尋常的星星，他們知道某位偉人誕生了。這顆星將他們引導到伯利恒，當他們找到了孩童耶穌時，他們獻上了適合國王身份的禮物。

The celebration of this special birth came to be called Christmas. Through the ages, people developed many Christmas traditions. The custom of decorating Christmas trees began centuries ago. People in many ancient cultures decorated homes with trees and greenery in winter. In the Middle Ages, Christians in Europe added lights and religious symbols to evergreens to make Christmas trees. Santa Claus has become one of the most famous Christmas figures, particularly in America. His legend started with a kind bishop named St. Nicholas who lived around 300 A.D. and was known for his generosity. The practice of giving Christmas gifts comes from the gifts offered to the child Jesus by the wise men of the East. The star on top of the Christmas tree symbolizes the star that led the wise men to Jesus.

為這個特別誕生所做的慶祝被稱為圣誕節。經過這些年，人們發展出了許多圣誕節的傳統，裝飾圣誕樹的習俗在數百年前開始。在許多古老文化中，人們在冬天利用樹和綠葉植物裝飾自己的家。在中世紀，歐洲的基督徒在萬年青上面加上燈光和宗教象征物成為圣誕樹。圣誕老公公已經成了最有名的圣誕節人物之一，尤其是在美國。他的傳說始自紀元前三百年左右，一個叫做圣尼古拉斯的仁慈主教，他以慷慨仁慈而出名。而在圣誕節送禮物的習慣則是始自那些由東方而來的博士將禮物送給耶穌。圣誕樹頂上的星星象征著那顆引導博士找到耶穌的星星。

Sometimes Christmas can become just a ritual. Many Americans see Christmas as just a time for shopping for the perfect gift. Advertisers and businesses begin promoting Christmas earlier every year. Stores remind customers of how many shopping days are left until Christmas. It's almost a modern Christmas custom to spend too much money! Credit card debts often take months to pay off. Even children can become materialistic. They think only of what they will get from Santa Claus.

有時候，圣誕節變得非常形式化。許多美國人把圣誕節當成只是一個購買「最佳禮物」的時刻。廣告公司和商人開始一年比一年提早為圣誕節打廣告，商店也會提醒顧客在圣誕節之前還有幾天可以購物，過量的花費幾乎已成了現代的圣誕節習慣！用信用卡代付的金額通常要好幾個月才能償清。即使小孩也變得很物質主義，他們只想到自己會從圣誕老公公那里得到什么禮物。

Despite the hustle and bustle of the Christmas Rush, most Americans feel Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. It's a time of excitement, a time of joy, a time to show love in special ways. Best of all, Christmas is not just for Americans. Christmas is for everybody in the world. Christmas is the celebration of God's gift to the world-Jesus.

除了這些因圣誕節而來的忙忙碌碌，大部份的美國人仍然認為圣誕節是一年之中最美好的時間。它是一個興奮、喜樂并且用特別的方式來表達愛的時候。最好的是，圣誕節不只是為美國人預備的，圣誕節是為了世界上的每一個人預備的，它是為了慶祝上帝給世人的禮物──耶穌。