[交流] Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 已有16人参与

【外语学习】欢度圣诞并贺新年   Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

“圣诞节”这个名称是“基督弥撒”的缩写。弥撒是教会的一种礼拜仪式。耶诞节是一个宗教节。我们把它当作耶稣的诞辰来庆祝，因而又名耶诞节。这一天，世界所有的基督教会都举行特别的礼拜仪式。但是有很多圣诞节的欢庆活动和宗教并无半点关联。交换礼物，寄圣诞卡，这都使圣诞节成为一个普天同庆的日子。
12月25日原来是波斯太阳神（即光明之神）密特拉（Mithra）的诞辰，是一个异教徒节日，同时太阳神也是罗马国教众神之一。这一天又是罗马历书的冬至节，崇拜太阳神的异教徒都把这一天当作春天的希望，万物复苏的开始。可能由于这个原因，罗马教会才选择这一天作为圣诞节。这是教会初期力图把异教徒的风俗习惯基督教化的措施之一。后来，虽然大多数教会都接受12月25日为圣诞节，但又因为各地教会使用的历书不同，具体日期不能统一，于是就把12月24日到第二年的1月6日定为圣诞节节期（Christmas Tide），各地教会可以根据当地具体情况在这段节期之内庆祝圣诞节。

Now, the Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.
这里是VOA特别英语词语典故节目。
Santa Claus is someone who will remain in the hearts of children forever. He is the make-believe person who brings toys and other gifts to children at Christmas.
圣诞老人是孩子们心中永远铭记的人物。他让孩子们相信，圣诞节之日他会为带来玩具或其他礼物。
To grown-ups, he is a special symbol of goodwill and selfless giving.
对于大人们来说，圣诞老人象征着美好的愿望以及无私的给予。
Santa Claus also has some other names: Saint Nicholas, St. Nick, Kris Kringle, Pelznickel.
人们还把圣诞老人叫做：圣尼古拉斯、圣尼克、克里斯.柯林格勒和佩尔兹尼克尔。
Two of his names -- Santa Claus and Saint Nicholas -- both come from the Dutch who settled in New York long ago.
圣诞老人和圣尼古拉斯这两个名字起源于很久以前居住在纽约的荷兰人，
The Dutch believed Saint Nikolas gave gifts to children. They honored this kindly saint with a yearly festival on December sixth.
他们认为是圣尼古拉斯给孩子们送礼物的，因此在每年12月6日共同欢度节日来记念这位善良的圣徒。
The English-speaking people who lived nearby greatly enjoyed Dutch festivals. And they brought the saint and the custom of giving gifts into their own celebration at Christmas time.
住在这些荷兰人附近的说英语的人们也一起欢度这个节目。并且他们也将圣徒的传说和送礼物的习俗一并纳入了自己庆祝圣诞的方式之中，
The Dutch spoke the name "Saint Nikolaas" very fast. It sounded like "sinterklaas." And so, when the English said this word, it sounded like Santa Claus.
荷兰人说圣尼古拉斯时速度非常快，听起来象"圣尼克"。而这些英国人发这个音的时候，听起来就象“圣诞老人”。
West of New York, in Pennsylvania, many German farmers had also heard of Saint Nikolas.
在宾夕法尼亚州的纽约西部地区，许多德国农民也听说了圣尼古拉斯。
But they called him Pelznickel. This word came from "pelz," meaning fur, and "nickel" for Nicholas. And so, to the Germans of Pennsylvania,
但是他们称他为佩尔兹尼克尔。这种叫法来源于"pelz,"意思是皮毛，再加上代替尼古拉斯发音的"nickel"。同时，对这些宾夕法尼亚州的德国人来说，
Saint Nicholas or Pelznickel was a man dressed in fur who came once a year with gifts for good children.
圣尼古拉斯或者佩尔兹尼克尔是带着送给好孩子的礼物每年降临世间一次的穿着毛皮大衣的人。
Soon, people began to feel that the love and kindness Pelznickel brought should be part of a celebration honoring the Christkindl,
很快，人们意识到佩尔兹尼克尔带来的爱心和善意应当融入到Christkindl的庆祝节目中
as the Germans called the Christ child. After a time, this became Kris Kringle. Later, Kris Kringle became another name for Santa Claus himself.
（德国人称之为幼年基督）。过了一段时间，这一节目被称为Kris Kringle。再后来，Kris Kringle就成为圣诞老人的另一个名字。
Whatever he is called, he is still the same short, fat, jolly old man with a long beard, wearing a red suit with white fur.
不论被叫做什么，他始终就是同一位穿着带毛的红色衣服的矮矮胖胖、喜气洋洋、长胡子老人。
The picture of Santa Claus as we see him came from Thomas Nast. He was an American painter born in Bavaria.
我们现在看到的圣诞老人的样子是那思特创造的。他是位美国画家，出生于巴伐利亚州。
He painted pictures for Christmas poems. Someone asked him to paint a picture of Santa Claus.
他为圣诞诗附画，有人请他画圣诞老人的图画。
Nast remembered when he was a little boy in southern Germany. Every Christmas, a fat old man gave toys and cakes to the children.
那思特便回忆起他在德国南部的童年生活，那时，每次圣诞节，一个胖胖的老爷爷都会给孩子们送来玩具和蛋糕。
So, when Nast painted the picture, his Santa Claus looked like the kindly old man of his childhood.
因此，他画出的圣诞老人看起来就是他童年时代那位和蔼可亲的老人的样子。
And through the years, Nast's painting has remained as the most popular picture of Santa Claus.
这么多年以来，那思特的圣诞老人画一直最受人们喜欢。
Santa can be seen almost everywhere in large American cities during the Christmas season.
在整个圣诞季，美国的各大城市随处可见圣诞的身影。
Some stand on street corners asking for money to buy food and gifts for the needy. Others are found in stores and shopping centers.
有些站在街角募捐些钱，来为穷人买食物和礼物。还有的圣诞老人出现在各大商店和购物中心，
It is easy to find them by the long lines of children waiting to tell Santa what they want for Christmas.
在这些地方，很容易找到他们，因为孩子们都排着长队要告诉他，他们想要什么圣诞礼物呢。

Christmas in my heart
Every time we say goodbye
There is something breaking deep inside
I tried to hide my feelings to keep myself controlled
But somehow I can't deny what's deep inside my soul
I've been always on the run
So many different places, having fun
But like a river always knows just where to flow
Now that December comes I feel like coming home
It's Christmas in my heart
When I'm with you
No matter where we are or what we do
Tomorrow may be grey
We may be torn apart
But if you stay tonight
It's Christmas in my heart
I don't know how to stay alive
Without your touch without you by my side
Just like the desert's always waiting for the rain
Oh baby, I wish the holy night would come again
It's Christmas in my heart
When I'm with you
No matter where we are or what we do
Tomorrow may be grey
We may be torn apart
But if you stay tonight
It's Christmas in my heart
Everywhere I go and everyone I know
Is making lots of wishes for old Santa Claus
But all I really need tonight
Is for you to come and hold me tight
What is Christmas without you here by my side
I need you tonight
It's Christmas in my heart
When I'm with you
No matter where we are or what we do
Tomorrow may be grey
We may be torn apart
But if you stay tonight
It's Christmas in my heart
It's Christmas in my heart

2015 is coming, my friends and everyone I concerned, may happiness follow you wherever you go!
Now, please write down your words to your  families,friends and other people
Best wishes to all of you


今天是平安夜，祝大家一切顺利，用最好的状态迎接2015吧~
更多圣诞信息 请戳http://www.kekenet.com/topic/2012christmas/