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每年圣诞节期间英国女王伊丽莎白二世都会按照惯例发表圣诞致辞。值得注意的是，与一些政客或领导不同，每年的圣诞讲话稿都由女王亲笔撰写，字斟句酌又真情实感的写完可能要经历几个月的时间。划重点：除了可以欣赏到纯正的王室英音，这也是非常值得学习的语言材料！
Happy Christmas or Merry Christmas?
另外，女王在每年的圣诞致辞中用的几乎都是Happy Christmas，而不是Merry Christmas。一个说法是Merry一词带有“饮酒”的含义，在维多利亚时代中产阶级为了提倡人们健康生活而使用Happy Christmas，女王本人也是支持这一提议哒。
2021
[He is someone who doesn’t take easily to compliments, but he has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years, and I, and his whole family, and this and many other countries, owe him a debt greater than he would ever claim, or we shall ever know.
他不是轻易接受赞美的人，但实话实说，这么多年，他一直给予我力量，是我的支柱。我和整个家庭，以及英国和其他许多国家，都欠了他的情，他的付出比他说的或比我们知道的要多得多。]
Although it's a time of great happiness and good cheer for many, Christmas can be hard for those who have lost loved ones. This year, especially, I understand why. But for me, in the months since the death of my beloved Philip, I have drawn great comfort from the warmth and affection of the many tributes to his life and work – from around the country, the Commonwealth and the world.
对许多人来说，圣诞充满幸福和欢乐，但对那些失去亲人的人来说，这个节日可能很难熬。尤其是今年，我明白了其中的原因。不过，在我挚爱的菲利普去世后的几个月里，全国各地、英联邦和世界各地的人们对他的一生和工作表达了诸多敬意，对我来说，其中饱含的温暖和深情令我得到了极大的安慰。
His sense of service, intellectual curiosity and capacity to squeeze fun out of any situation – were all irrepressible. That mischievous, enquiring twinkle was as bright at the end as when I first set eyes on him. But life, of course, consists of final partings as well as first meetings; and as much as I and my family miss him, I know he would want us to enjoy Christmas.
他的服务意识、求知欲和随时随地挖掘乐趣的能力都是难以抑制的。他眼中那调皮、探询的光芒，临别时依然闪亮，一如初见。但人生就是如此，既有初遇，也有终别；虽然我和家人很想念他，我知道他也一定希望我们好好享受圣诞时光。
We felt his presence as we, like millions around the world, readied ourselves for Christmas. While Covid again means we can’t celebrate quite as we may have wished, we can still enjoy the many happy traditions. Be it the singing of carols (as long as the tune is well known); decorating the tree; giving and receiving presents; or watching a favourite film where we already know the ending, it’s no surprise that families so often treasure their Christmas routines.
当我们像世界上成千上万人那样为圣诞做准备时，我们感觉他就在身边。虽然新冠疫情今年还是让我们无法如愿庆祝节日，但我们仍然可以坚持许多快乐的传统。可以唱圣诞颂歌（只要曲调熟），可以装饰圣诞树，可以送礼和收礼，也可以一起看一部喜欢的电影（已经知道结局也没关系）——家家户户都很珍视自家的圣诞惯例，这是再自然不过的事了。
We see our own children and their families embrace the roles, traditions and values that mean so much to us, as these are passed from one generation to the next, sometimes being updated for changing times. I see it in my own family and it is a source of great happiness.
我们看到子孙后代及其家庭接受了对我们而言意义重大的角色、传统和价值观，这些东西代代相传，有时需要与时俱进。我在自己家中看到了这一点，感受到莫大的幸福。
Prince Philip was always mindful of this sense of passing the baton. That's why he created The Duke of Edinburgh's Award, which offers young people throughout the Commonwealth and beyond the chance of exploration and adventure. It remains an astonishing success, grounded in his faith in the future.
菲利普亲王总是很注意这种传承的意义。这就是他设立爱丁堡公爵奖的初衷，为整个英联邦及其他地区的年轻人提供探索和冒险的机会。这个奖项的颁发一直非常成功，根植于他对未来的信念。
He was also an early champion of taking seriously our stewardship of the environment; and I am proud beyond words that his pioneering work has been taken on and magnified by our eldest son Charles and his eldest son William – admirably supported by Camilla and Catherine – most recently at the COP climate change summit in Glasgow.
他还是倡导认真对待环保问题的先行者。令我无比自豪的是，在最近举行的格拉斯哥气候变化峰会上，我们的长子查尔斯和长孙威廉继承发扬了他的开创性工作，他们还得到了卡米拉和凯瑟琳的大力支持。
Next summer, we look forward to the Commonwealth Games. The baton is currently travelling the length and breadth of the Commonwealth, heading towards Birmingham, a beacon of hope on its journey. It will be a chance to celebrate the achievements of athletes and the coming-together of like-minded nations.
明年夏天，我们期待英联邦运动会的举行。目前，火炬正在英联邦各地传递，向目的地伯明翰进发，那是传递之旅希望的灯塔。这次运动会将让运动员有机会展示成就，让志同道合的国家有机会齐聚一堂。
And February, just six weeks from now, will see the start of my Platinum Jubilee year, which I hope will be an opportunity for people everywhere to enjoy a sense of togetherness; a chance to give thanks for the enormous changes of the last seventy years – social, scientific and cultural – and also to look ahead with confidence.
再过6个星期，也就是明年2月，我将迎来登基70年的白金纪念日，我希望这能让世界各地的民众有机会享受团聚的感觉，希望利用这一契机感恩过去70年社会、科学和文化方面的巨大变化，同时充满信心地展望未来。
I am sure someone somewhere today will remark that Christmas is a time for children. It's an engaging truth, but only half the story. Perhaps it's truer to say that Christmas can speak to the child within us all. Adults, when weighed down with worries, sometimes fail to see the joy in simple things, where children do not.
我相信，今天，在世界某个地方一定会有人说，圣诞节是孩子们的节日。这一事实令人欣喜，但并非全部。或许更准确的说法是，圣诞节可以唤起我们所有人的童心。在烦忧的重压下，大人们有时看不到简单的快乐，而孩子们从来不会无视。
And for me and my family, even with one familiar laugh missing this year, there will be joy in Christmas, as we have the chance to reminisce, and see anew the wonder of the festive season through the eyes of our young children, of whom we were delighted to welcome four more this year.
对我和我的家庭来说，今年虽然少了一份熟悉的笑容，但圣诞仍有快乐可寻，我们有机会回忆往事，通过家中小孩子的眼睛重新领略节日的神奇，很高兴我们今年增添了四个小家伙。
They teach us all a lesson — just as the Christmas story does — that in the birth of a child, there is a new dawn with endless potential. It is this simplicity of the Christmas story that makes it so universally appealing: simple happenings that formed the starting point of the life of Jesus — a man whose teachings have been handed down from generation to generation, and have been the bedrock of my faith. His birth marked a new beginning. As the carol says, 'The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight'.
最后，祝大家圣诞快乐。
2018
家族的两场婚礼和一个即将诞生的新生命让我这个祖母一直都不少事情做。
家里面也有其他的庆祝活动，包括威尔士亲王70岁的生日。有些文明习俗认为长寿通常会带来智慧。我也愿意这么认为。
Sixty years ago today, a young woman spoke about the speed of technological change as she presented the first television broadcast of its kind. She described the moment as a landmark.
六十年前的今天，一名年轻的女性尝试了首次这类电视直播，并在其中讲到了科技变迁的快速程度。她把那一刻称为“里程碑”时刻。
QUEEN (in archival footage): Television has made it possible for many of you to see me in your homes on Christmas Day. My own family often gather round to watch television, as they are at this moment. And that is how I imagine you now.
女王资料影像：电视让你们许多人在圣诞假当天坐在家里就能够见到我。我自己的家人常常聚到一起看电视，而他们现在也正坐在电视机前。我想象中，这就是你们现在的样子。
Six decades on, the presenter has evolved somewhat, as has the technology she described. Back then, who could have imagined that people would one day be watching this on laptops and mobile phones, as some of you are today?
六十个年头过去了，这位“主播”历经蜕变，正如她所描述的科技一般。当年有谁能想象到，有一天人们会从笔记本电脑和手机上观看这则视频，就像今天你们中的一部分人这样？
But I'm also struck by something that hasn't changed - that whatever the technology, many of you will be watching this at home.
不过，我也为另外一些不曾变化的事情备受感动，那就是无论科技如何进步，你们中绝大多数人依然聚在家里观看这则视频。
We think of our homes as places of warmth, familiarity and love - of shared stories and memories - which is perhaps why, at this time of year, so many return to where they grew up. There is a timeless simplicity to the pull of home. For many, the idea of home reaches beyond a physical building, to a home town or city.
我们把家看做温暖、亲情与爱所凝聚的地方，看做保留共同的经历与回忆的地方。可能也正是如此，每年这个时候，很多人都选择回到他们长大的地方。这正是“家”对人们经久不衰的吸引力之所在。对很多人而言，“家”的概念早已超越了一栋建筑、一个家乡、一座城市的表面之所在。
This Christmas, I think of London and Manchester, whose powerful identities shone through over the past 12 months, in the face of appalling attacks. In Manchester, those targeted included children who had gone to see their favourite singer.
这个圣诞节，我心中想到的是伦敦和曼彻斯特，即使在令人震惊的袭击面前，它们强有力的秉性在过去12个月里，依然大放异彩。在曼彻斯特，那些包含孩子们在内的被袭击者不过是去见他们最喜欢的歌手而已。
A few days after the bombing, I had the privilege of meeting some of the young survivors and their parents.
在爆炸发生的几天后，我有幸当面见到了几位年轻的幸存者，以及他们的父母。
I described that hospital visit as a privilege because the patients I met were an example to us all, showing extraordinary bravery and resilience. Indeed, many of those who survived the attack came together just days later for a benefit concert. It was a powerful reclaiming of the ground and of the city those young people call home.
我把这几次医院探望称之为“荣幸”，是因为我见到的那些伤者是我们所有人的榜样，他们展现出了非同凡响的勇敢和坚韧。事实也正是如此，因为不过几天之后，许多袭击中的幸存者就再次聚集到一起，参与了一场慈善演唱会。这是对我们共同信念的重申，也是对所有那些年轻人称之为“家”的城市的主权宣誓。
We expect our homes to be a place of safety - sanctuary, even - which makes it all the more shocking when the comfort they provide is shattered. A few weeks ago, the Prince of Wales visited the Caribbean in the aftermath of hurricanes that destroyed entire communities.
我们都希望我们的家是安全的地方，甚至是圣所一样的存在，但也正是如此，当家所提供的温暖舒适遭到破坏的时候，这一切才更令人震悚。就在几周前，威尔士王子（注：即查尔斯）也刚刚访问了遭遇飓风袭击后邻里街访遭遇破坏性打击的加勒比地区。
And here, in London, who can forget the sheer awfulness of the Grenfell Tower fire? Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who died and those who lost so much, and we are indebted to members of the emergency services who risked their own lives this past year, saving others.
而就在这里，在伦敦，谁能够忘怀那纯粹可怕的格伦费尔大厦火灾呢？我们的心绪和祈祷，都与受害者和那些失去太多的人们同在。而对那些在过去一年内冒着生命危险去援救他人的紧急救援队伍成员们，我们也十分感激。
Many of them, of course, will not be at home today, because they are working to protect us. Reflecting on these events makes me grateful for the blessings of home and family and, in particular, for 70 years of marriage. I don't know that anyone had invented the term 'platinum' for a 70th wedding anniversary. When I was born, you weren't expected to be around that long.
而他们中许多人，今天毫无疑问也无法回家团聚，因为他们为了保护我们而坚守在工作岗位上。回顾这些事件，让我对家和家庭所带来的美好深深感激，尤其是过去70年来的婚姻。我不知道是谁为70周年结婚纪念日发明了“铂金婚”这个说法，毕竟在我出生的时候，一般人是活不了这么长的。
Even Prince Philip has decided it's time to slow down a little, having, as he economically put it, done his bit. But I know his support and unique sense of humour will remain as strong as ever as we enjoy spending time this Christmas with our family, and look forward to welcoming new members into it next year.
就连菲利普亲王都决定，是时候放慢脚步了，正如他非常实在地说的那样，他已经履行了应尽的义务。但我知道，他的支持和独特的幽默感将一如既往地陪伴左右，尤其是我们一家人聚在一起欢度圣诞，并期待明年迎来新的家庭成员的时候（注：指威廉王子与凯特王妃的第三胎，以及即将嫁给哈里王子的梅根·马科尔）。
In 2018, I will open my home to a different type of family, the leaders of the 52 nations of the Commonwealth, as they gather in the UK for a summit.
2018年，我还将敞开我家大门欢迎另外一个类别的家人，那就是英联邦52国的领导人，他们将一起参加在英国举行的峰会。
The Commonwealth has an inspiring way of bringing people together, be it through the Commonwealth Games, which begin in a few months' time on Australia's Gold Coast, or through bodies like the Commonwealth Youth Orchestra and Choir - a reminder of how truly vibrant this international family is.
英联邦在凝聚人心方面有着充满启发性的方式，包括几个月后即将在澳大利亚黄金海岸拉开帷幕的英联邦运动会，以及英联邦青年管乐团和合唱团这样的团体。这些都时刻提醒着我们，我们的国际大家庭是多么的生机勃勃。
Today, we celebrate Christmas, which, itself, is sometimes described as a festival of the home. Families travel long distances to be together.
今天我们庆祝圣诞节，而它也有时被称为是属于家庭的节日，人们不远万里跋涉，只为了与家人团聚。
Volunteers and charities, as well as many churches, arrange meals for the homeless and those who would otherwise be alone on Christmas Day. We remember the birth of Jesus Christ, whose only sanctuary was a stable in Bethlehem. He knew rejection, hardship and persecution.
志愿者、慈善机构以及许多教堂，都为无家可归、以及独自度过圣诞节的人们安排了免费餐点。我们以此纪念耶稣基督的诞生，当时他的圣所不过是伯利恒的一处马厩，而他也深知拒绝、艰苦与迫害的涵义。
And, yet, it is Jesus Christ's generous love and example which has inspired me through good times and bad. Whatever your own experience is this year, wherever and however you are watching, I wish you a peaceful and very happy Christmas.
即便如此，耶稣基督宽容的大爱和榜样，无论在歌舞升平还是艰难困苦的时代，都始终启迪着我。无论你过去一年中有什么样的个人经历，无论你什么时候在什么地方观看这则视频，我都祝你度过一个祥和而快乐的圣诞节。
2016
There was a time when British Olympic medal winners became household names because there were so few of them.
曾几何时，英国奥运奖牌获得者家喻户晓，因为他们凤毛麟角。
But the 67 medals at this year's Games in Rio and 147 at the Paralympics meant that the GB medallists' reception at Buckingham Palace was a crowded and happy event.
而在今年的里约奥运会上，我们斩获67枚奖牌，残奥会147枚，这让白金汉宫款待大不列颠奖牌得主们的招待宴变得拥挤而欢乐。
Throughout the Commonwealth there were equally joyful celebrations. Grenada, the Bahamas, Jamaica and New Zealand won more medals per head of population than any other countries.
英联邦各处亦欢欣庆祝，格林纳达、巴哈马群岛、牙买加、新西兰比其他任何国家的人均奖牌数都多。
Many of this year's winners spoke of being inspired by athletes of previous generations.
今年许多胜利者谈到，自己受到前辈的鼓舞。
Inspiration fed their aspiration; and having discovered abilities they scarcely knew they had, these athletes are now inspiring others.
心受鼓舞令人志存高远，这些运动员发现了自己都难以置信的能力，现在他们正鼓舞着他人。
A few months ago, I saw inspiration of a different kind when I opened the new Cambridge base of the East Anglian Air Ambulance, where Prince William works as a helicopter pilot.
几个月前，我受到另一种鼓舞，我为东盎格鲁救援飞行队在剑桥的新基地剪彩，威廉王子是那里的直升机飞行员。
It was not hard to be moved by the dedication of the highly skilled doctors, paramedics and crew, who are called out on average five times a day.
训练有素的医生、医疗护理人员和机组成员，他们平均每天出勤五次，人们很容易就被他们的奉献精神感召。
But to be inspirational you don't have to save lives or win medals.
但要鼓舞他人，你并不非定要救死扶伤或赢取奖牌。
I often draw strength from meeting ordinary people doing extraordinary things: volunteers, carers, community organisers and good neighbours; unsung heroes whose quiet dedication makes them special.
我常常从普通人身上汲取力量，他们平凡却做着不平凡的事：志愿者、老人看护、社区组织者和友善的邻居，他们是无名的英雄，默默无闻的奉献让他们与众不同。
They are an inspiration to those who know them, and their lives frequently embody a truth expressed by Mother Teresa, from this year Saint Teresa of Calcutta.
他们鼓舞着认识他们的人，他们的生活每每体现着特雷莎修女表达的真理，今年特雷莎封圣为“加尔各答的圣特雷莎”。
She once said: 'Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love'.
她曾说：“并非每个人都能做出伟大的事情，但我们可以带着伟大的爱做一些小事。”
This has been the experience of two remarkable organisations, The Duke of Edinburgh's Award and The Prince's Trust, which are 60 and 40 years old this year. These started as small initiatives but have grown beyond any expectations, and continue to transform young people's lives.
有两个出色的组织正是如此，它们是今年六十周年的爱丁堡公爵奖和四十周年的王子信托基金。它们从小做起，如今却超乎预料，并继续改变着年轻人的生活。
To mark my 90th birthday, volunteers and supporters of the six hundred charities of which I have been patron came to a lunch in The Mall.
为纪念我九十岁生日，来自600个慈善团体的志愿者和支持者来林荫大道参加午宴，我一直以来资助这些团体。
Many of these organisations are modest in size but inspire me with the work they do.
许多机构并不大，它们做的事却鼓舞着我。
From giving friendship and support to our veterans, the elderly or the bereaved; to championing music and dance; providing animal welfare; or protecting our fields and forests, their selfless devotion and generosity of spirit is an example to us all.
它们把友谊和支持给予退伍老兵、老年人和丧亲之人；它们赞助音乐和舞蹈；它们提供动物福利；它们保护我们的土地和森林；它们无私的奉献和慷慨的精神堪为典范。
When people face a challenge they sometimes talk about taking a deep breath to find courage or strength. In fact, the word 'inspire' literally means 'to breathe in'.
遭遇挑战的人们有时会说，深吸一口气，拿出勇气和力量。事实上，“鼓舞”的字面意思就是“吸气”。
But even with the inspiration of others, it's understandable that we sometimes think the world's problems are so big that we can do little to help.
可即便受到他人鼓舞，我们有时还是发现，这个世界的问题太大，我们所做的不过杯水车薪，这是可以理解的。
On our own, we cannot end wars or wipe out injustice, but the cumulative impact of thousands of small acts of goodness can be bigger than we imagine.
就我们自己而言，我们无法结束战争，扫除不公，可成千上万微不足道的善行累加起来，能产生我们想象不到的巨大影响。
At Christmas, our attention is drawn to the birth of a baby some two thousand years ago. It was the humblest of beginnings, and his parents, Joseph and Mary, did not think they were important.
圣诞之际，我们又想起两千年前诞生的一个婴儿。他出生极为卑微，父母约瑟和玛丽并不觉得自己有多重要。
Jesus Christ lived obscurely for most of his life, and never travelled far. He was maligned and rejected by many, though he had done no wrong.
耶稣基督一生大部分时光都籍籍无名，未能行走天下。尽管他并没无过错，但还是屡遭诋毁和排挤。
And yet, billions of people now follow his teaching and find in him the guiding light for their lives.
而如今，数十亿人追随他的教诲，从他身上发现生命中引路的明灯。
I am one of them because Christ's example helps me see the value of doing small things with great love, whoever does them and whatever they themselves believe.
我就是其中一员，因为基督之范让我看到以大爱行小善的价值，无论是谁，无论他信仰什么。
The message of Christmas reminds us that inspiration is a gift to be given as well as received, and that love begins small but always grows.
圣诞传达的精神就是让我们记住，对心的启迪和鼓舞是一个礼物，既可接纳也可赠予，而爱起于微末，却总能茁壮成长。
I wish you all a very happy Christmas.
祝各位圣诞快乐。
2015 12月25日，英国女王伊莉莎白二世在白金汉宫发表2015年圣诞文告，她强调欧洲在这一年经历了恐袭与难民危机，但正如圣经所说，光明必定战胜黑暗，“光在黑暗中照耀，黑暗绝不能胜过他”。快来接受女王纯正英语的熏陶吧！
At this time of year, few sights evoke more feelings of cheer and goodwill than the twinkling lights of a Christmas tree. 每年此时，没有什么情景比一棵圣诞树上闪烁的灯光更让人感到欢乐祥和。
The popularity of a tree at Christmas is due in part to my great-great grandparents, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. After this touching picture was published, many families wanted a Christmas tree of their own, and the custom soon spread. 人们对圣诞树的喜爱要部分归功于我的曾曾曾祖父母——维多利亚女王和阿尔伯特亲王。这张温馨的图片公布后，很多家庭都想要一棵自己的圣诞树，这一习俗也很快普及开来。
In 1949, I spent Christmas in Malta as a newly-married naval wife. We have returned to that island over the years, including last month for a meeting of Commonwealth leaders; and this year I met another group of leaders: The Queen's Young Leaders, an inspirational group, each of them a symbol of hope in their own Commonwealth communities. 1949年，初为军嫂的我在马耳他度过圣诞节。多年以来，我们多次回到马耳他岛，上个月还在那里召开英联邦领导人会议。今年我会晤了另一批领导人，“女王青年领袖”是一个鼓舞人心的团体，每个人都是各自英联邦社区的希望。
Gathering round the tree gives us a chance to think about the year ahead -- I am looking forward to a busy 2016, though I have been warned I may have Happy Birthday sung to me more than once or twice. 聚在圣诞树旁，我开始展望来年。我盼望着2016年忙忙碌碌，尽管有人说，我可能不止一次甚至两次听到生日歌。
译者注：2016年是伊丽莎白女王九十岁生日，届时多场庆祝活动。
It also allows us to reflect on the year that has passed, as we think of those who are far away or no longer with us. Many people say the first Christmas after losing a loved one is particularly hard. But it’s also a time to remember all that we have to be thankful for. 圣诞树让我们回首过去的一年，于是我们想到了那些远离我们的人。很多人说失去平生所爱后的第一个圣诞节是最艰难的，可此时也该想想我们要感恩的人。
It is true that the world has had to confront moments of darkness this year, but the Gospel of John contains a verse of great hope, often read at Christmas carol services: "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." 今年，世界不得不面对诸多黑暗时刻，这是事实。可《约翰福音》有一句充满希望的话这样说，圣诞赞歌中常常朗诵，“光明照亮了黑暗，黑暗却无法蒙蔽光明。”
One cause for thankfulness this summer was marking seventy years since the end of the Second World War. On VJ Day, we honoured the remaining veterans of that terrible conflict in the Far East, as well as remembering the thousands who never returned. 今年夏天纪念二战结束七十周年是一件值得感恩的事。在对日作战胜利日，我们给在远东作战的在世老兵们授勋，缅怀数千名没有回到祖国的牺牲者。
The procession from Horse Guards Parade to Westminster Abbey must have been one of the slowest ever, because so many people wanted to say 'thank you' to them. 从骑兵卫队场到威斯敏斯特宫的队伍大抵是行进最慢的一次，太多的人想对他们说一声“谢谢”。
At the end of that War, the people of Oslo began sending an annual gift of a Christmas tree for Trafalgar Square. It has five hundred lightbulbs and is enjoyed not just by Christians but by people of all faiths, and of none. At the very top sits a bright star, to represent the Star of Bethlehem. 战争结束后，奥斯陆人民每年向特拉法加广场赠送一棵圣诞树。树上挂着1500个灯泡，不仅基督徒喜爱它，无论何种信仰或有无信仰的人们都喜爱它。在树顶有一颗明星，它代表着“伯利恒之星”。
译者注：所谓“伯利恒之星”是《圣经》中记载的一颗奇特天体。据说，在耶稣诞生时，有个三个博士在东方观察到一颗属于“犹太人之王”的星，前来耶路撒冷拜见，就在博士们前往附近的伯利恒寻找时，先前看见的那颗星，又忽然出现在前方，引领他们来到耶稣降生之处。后世科学家推测这可能是金星和木星交汇。
The custom of topping a tree also goes back to Prince Albert's time. For his family's tree, he chose an angel, helping to remind us that the focus of the Christmas story is on one particular family. 这一风俗也要追溯到阿尔伯特亲王时代。他把一个天使放在家里的圣诞树顶，提醒我们圣诞节纪念了一个家庭的故事。
For Joseph and Mary, the circumstances of Jesus's birth -- in a stable – were far from ideal, but worse was to come as the family was forced to flee the country. It’s no surprise that such a human story still captures our imagination and continues to inspire all of us who are Christians, the world over. 对于约瑟和玛丽而言，耶稣出生在马厩，这样的环境难堪理想，可更糟糕的是这家人还被迫逃离故土。这个人伦故事依旧捕捉着我们的想象力，继续激励着全世界所有的基督徒，这并不令人惊讶。
Despite being displaced and persecuted throughout his short life, Christ's unchanging message was not one of revenge or violence but simply that we should love one another. 基督短暂的一生中颠沛流离、饱受迫害，可他一如既往倡导的不是复仇和暴力，而是人人相爱。
Although it is not an easy message to follow, we shouldn't be discouraged; rather, it inspires us to try harder: to be thankful for the people who bring love and happiness into our own lives, and to look for ways of spreading that love to others, whenever and wherever we can. 尽管践行不易，我们也不要灰心。这鼓励着我们要加倍努力，感谢那些给我们生命带来爱和幸福的人，并想方设法将那份爱传递给他人——无论何时，无论何处。
One of the joys of living a long life is watching one’s children, then grandchildren, then great grandchildren, help decorate the Christmas tree. And this year my family has a new member to join in the fun! 长寿的喜悦之一是儿孙绕膝。先是儿女，然后是孙辈，现在有重孙辈帮我装扮圣诞树。今年，我家又有一位新成员共享天伦。
The customary decorations have changed little in the years since that picture of Victoria and Albert's tree first appeared, although of course electric lights have replaced the candles. 自维多利亚和阿尔伯特的圣诞树出现以来，传统的圣诞装饰变化甚微，当然，电灯取代了蜡烛。
There’s an old saying that “it is better to light a candle than curse the darkness”. There are millions of people lighting candles of hope in our world today. 老话说，“点燃烛火胜过咒骂黑暗”。今天，我们的世界，成百上千万的人点燃希望的烛火。
Christmas is a good time to be thankful for them, and for all that brings light to our lives. 值此圣诞佳节，向他们表示感谢，对所有给我们生活带来光明的人表示感谢。
I wish you a very happy Christmas. 愿诸君圣诞快乐。
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