✨圣诞前夜☆Twas the night before Christmas
'Twas the Night Before Christmas
圣诞前夜 朗诵·翻译 京燕
Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash. 
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name! 
"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! on Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!" 
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with the obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of toys, and St Nicholas too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.
His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow. 
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"
附上：京燕儿译的打油诗《圣诞前夜》
圣诞前夜全屋静 小小老鼠亦无声
细心将袜挂壁炉 圣诞老人快来到
孩子熟睡蜷床上 甜李仙子舞梦中
妈戴花巾我戴帽 欲享绵绵长冬夜
忽闻草坪滴答声 纵身跃起探究竟
飞向窗前如闪电 拉开百叶抬窗框
月光如水映新雪 窗外美景似白昼
映入眼帘奇景现 八只麋鹿拉雪橇
迅敏活跃小司机 一看便识圣尼克
骏鹿飞驰赛雄鹰 口哨呼唤麋鹿名
大师舞者跃进狐 彗星爱神闪电鹿
飞檐走壁他指挥 麋鹿飞跃全上阵
犹如干叶飓风卷 遇阻飘然飞上天
装满玩具雪橇车 圣诞老人当中坐
侧耳倾听檐上音 麋鹿小蹄哒哒响
我欲回身转头望 圣诞老人壁炉降
从头到脚穿皮草 衣衫全被炉灰遮
一包玩具背身后 恰似商贩开箱包
眼睛闪烁酒窝笑 面似玫瑰樱桃鼻
小嘴翘起如弯弓 下巴胡须赛白雪
牙叼一管旱烟斗 青烟缭绕如花环
面部宽阔肚皮圆 嘻笑颤抖似果冻
胖墩墩来乐陶陶 我禁不住也捧腹
挤个眉眼头一扭 让我安心莫惧怕
默不作声去干活 装满长袜就起身
他将手指放鼻侧 点头示意升壁炉
飞身跃上麋鹿车 口哨吹响队伍整
轻似绒毛与天齐 边走边听他大喊
圣诞快乐大家享 好梦晚安全体乐
～京燕儿译～
～圣诞快乐～
圣诞前夜Twas the night before Christmas 这首诗是大约二百年前Clement Moore先生为自家孩子所作，语言诙谐而充满神秘感，朗朗上口，如今已经成为家喻户晓的圣诞经典。去年我把它译成中文，城里改版丢了链接。在此圣诞将临之际，传统节目再读一遍。此刻，相信你正忙着做圣诞老人好帮手。选什么好？不要急不要慌，送什么礼物不重要，那份心意最珍贵~~it is the thought that counts.
这个周末是圣诞将临期第四主日，点亮将临蜡烛，也点燃一盏心灯，守住一团爱火，Christmas is here，happy Birthday, baby Jesus!
圣诞节是收获的季节，更是给予的季节，分享一份爱心，一份喜乐。圣诞老人的原型就是圣尼克（St Nicholas), 三世纪出生于雅典，家境富裕，后来受到神召，放弃财产追随主，并成为大主教，以慷慨著称，深受人们喜爱。
每年的圣诞节，孩子们最盼望圣诞老人的到来了。孩子们爷爷有一套圣诞老人的衣服，孩子小时候，他就装扮成圣诞老人来敲门，记得大宝一岁时，圣诞老人亲自给他做了个小摇马送来了，还印上了他的小手印儿，可大宝一点儿不领情，圣诞老人刚张口 hohoho... 就吓得大宝抓住爸爸的衣襟哇哇大哭。。。
还有一次爷爷奶奶来我家过圣诞夜，奶奶使了个眼色，爷爷一声不响溜出了们，正玩得起兴儿的大宝雪儿突然听到清脆的铃铛声，圣诞老人提前送礼物来啦！他们爬到圣诞老人身上摸摸他的胡子，这两个机灵的小家伙，说“Grandpa, are you Grandpa? ” 然后就开始拉扯他的帽子和胡子：为什么你的鞋像是Grandpa的? 为什么你戴了眼镜像Grandpa? 圣诞老人连忙说我还得赶路给别的孩子们送礼物，夺门而出。。。
后来孩子们发现了爷爷的这套衣服，自己也套上来玩一玩，每个表兄妹们都坐在满脸稚气的圣诞老人身上说说自己的小小心愿。那时他们还非常相信圣诞老人，每年给Santa写信，地址是北极，圣诞糖街（candy cane lane, north pole)，要是赶上寄出去的早，还可能幸运地收到Santa的回信，孩子的心里就吃了一颗定心丸。
大宝11岁那年，Santa辛辛苦苦地给他送来一套架子鼓，他那个乐呀！然后就听他和好朋友开始纳闷儿：这么大的鼓，Santa是怎么把它从壁炉里送下来的呢？后来他发现了蛛丝马迹：由于圣诞老婆婆（Mrs Claus）好心，在圣诞节后发现了铜镲的套儿，悄悄把它放到大宝的柜橱里了。。。大宝穷追不舍，爸爸终于拍拍他肩膀说：“你现在有更重要的任务了，就是要好好替妹妹和表弟表妹保护好他们心中的Santa形象。你要开始扮演圣诞老人了。”
因为先生比他最小的妹妹大十岁，所以他很懂得儿童心理。多年来他一次次地对雪儿说，“你要是想冒险不信Santa， 那他可能就不来给你送礼啦。”雪儿果然好哄，前些年迷上了《the Polar Express》这部电影，圣诞节前她每天看呀看呀，灵感来了～找Santa要一张坐上北极特快列车的票。。。参加完圣诞夜教堂子夜弥撒（Christmas=Christ Mass，圣诞节这个词的起源就是耶稣基督的弥撒，holiday=Holy Day ），回到家她就穿好了睡衣，盼望着列车经过家门口把她捎上。多么美丽的梦啊，这可难为了圣诞老人！雪儿熬夜熬呀熬呀，朦胧中真的听到了Santa的麋鹿拉雪橇的铃声。。。叮铃铃。。。叮铃铃。。。（后来这个铃铛被藏在妈妈的抽屉里一年没敢露面）雪儿醒来后还是很后悔没能搭上北极特快，但那清脆的铃声在她的心中回荡着。。。
现在大宝雪儿在生活中会扮演一下Santa的角色，从教堂的天使树上摘下几个小天使，看看社区的孩子们有什么需求，送一些礼物回去让每个孩子都过上欢乐的圣诞节。仿效圣诞老人原型主教圣尼古拉( St. Nicholas), ，他会在出不起嫁妆的女孩家门外悄悄放几个金币。。。
现在圣诞老人的形象有些商品化了，但在孩子们心中他还是那么高大，那么可亲。父母也丝毫不会计较去和圣诞老人“争宠”，默默地把一份份爱心包裹起来，藏在圣诞树下。。。
正如Polar Express书中所说 “奥迹在信者的心中”
～Miracles are in the hearts of those who believe
～圣诞快乐～
HoHoHo
Merry Christmas