每年的圣诞节，伊丽莎白女王都会准时出现，用最标准的皇室英腔，带给大家一段圣诞贺词。一年出一次不到10分钟的视频，太珍贵。女王殿下每年都坚持亲自撰写演讲稿，严谨的文风和措辞，让我们这群“乡巴佬”望尘莫及啊!

伊丽莎白 2015

For Elizabeth

At this time of year, few sights evoke more feelings of cheer and goodwill than the twinkling lights of a Christmas tree.
每年的这个时候，很少有别的东西能比圣诞树上闪亮的彩灯更能唤起人们欢乐愉悦的心情了。

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.
圣诞树的流行一部分归功于我的曾曾祖父母。下面这幅触动人心的画作被公布后，很多家庭都想要一颗属于自己的圣诞树，之后这个风俗迅速开始流行起来。

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，作为一位海军军人的新婚妻子，我在Malta度过了圣诞节。之后的这些年，我多次回到那个岛上。上个月，我还去那里参加了英联邦领袖峰会。今年我见到了另一群领袖：女王的青年领袖。他们鼓舞人心，分别都是各自联邦团体的希望。
　　【注】1949年的时候女王并未继位，还是伊丽莎白公主，此时菲利普亲王服役英国皇家海军，部队驻扎在Malta.

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.
围坐在圣诞树旁让我们展望新的一年。尽管有人告诉过我，我可能要过不只一次生日，不过我还是非常期待接下来繁忙的2016年的。
　　【注】女王真正的生日是4月21日，不过在英国她还有一个官方生日(Official Birthday)，定在每年6月的第一、第二或者第三个星期六。因为这天需要举行隆重的阅兵式，而阅兵式是需要好天气的，阴雨连绵的英国，大家懂的… 所以女王的官方生日被定在6月份。而英联邦成员国则自行决定女王的官方生日。所以女王一年要过好几次生日，任性吧!

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.
同时这也让我们回顾过去的一年，想想那些不在我们身边和离我们而去的人们。很多人说失去挚爱的第一个圣诞节特别难熬，不过此刻，我们也要铭记我们需要感恩的人。

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'.
这一年，世界确实经历了很多黑暗的时刻。不过约翰福音中有一段经常在圣诞颂歌里吟诵的关于“希望”的章节：“光明照进黑暗，黑暗永远不能战胜光明”。

One cause for thankfulness this summer was marking 70 years since the end of the Second World War. On VJ Day, we honored the remaining veterans of that terrible conflict in the Far East, as well as remembering the thousands who never returned.
今年夏天需要感恩的是二战结束70周年。在二战胜利纪念日，我们向那些曾在远东浴血奋战的幸存老兵致敬，同时缅怀那些战死沙场的将士。
　【注】VJ Day = Victory over Japan Day，即二战日本投降纪念日。也就是每年的8月15日。

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.
从皇家骑兵卫队阅兵场到威斯敏斯特教堂的二战老兵队列走的很慢，因为太多的想跟跟他们说一声“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 500 light bulbs 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，挪威首都奥斯陆的市民开始每年向英国的特拉法加广场寄送圣诞树作为圣诞礼物。树上挂有500个圣诞彩灯，照亮了所有人，即便不是基督徒，即便并不持有任何信仰。在树的最顶端有一颗很亮的星星，代表着“圣诞星”。
　　【注】圣诞星出自《马太福音》，Bethlehem位于耶路撒冷南方六英里处，是耶稣的诞生地。

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.
在树的顶端放装饰物的习俗也源自我的曾曾祖父阿尔伯塔亲王时期。在装饰他自家圣诞树的时候，他选择了一只天使，来提醒我们圣诞故事的核心是那个特定的家庭。
　　【注】《路加福音》中有“天使报喜讯”的章节。天使说“不要惧怕!我报给你们大喜的信息，是关于万民的。因今天在大卫的城里，为你们生了救主，就是主基督。你们要看见一个婴孩，包着布，卧在马槽里，那就是记号了。”也就是女王接下来要提到的基督的降生。

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.
对于约瑟和玛丽亚来说，耶稣出生时的环境极其艰苦，因为他是在马厩里诞生的，但是更糟的是，这一家在后来要被迫背井离乡。这样一个人性化的故事至今仍然能让人们浮想联翩并启迪着全世界的基督徒们，一点儿都不意外。
　　【注】Mary是耶稣的生母，但是当她还是处女时受圣灵感应而怀孕诞下耶稣。Joseph是Mary的丈夫。
　　
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. 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.
尽管在耶稣短暂的一生中经历了背井离乡、流离失所、惨遭迫害，但他一直向我们传达着不变的信息，那信息里没有仇恨没有暴力，而是单纯的告诉人们要互相关爱。即使做到这一点很难，我们也不应该气馁。相反，它鼓舞我们要更加努力：感谢那些给我们带来爱和幸福的人，并且无论何时何地，我们都要想办法把这些爱传递给其他人。

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!
长寿的乐趣之一就是能够看到一代一代人来帮忙装饰圣诞树，刚开始是自己的孩子，后来是孙子辈一起，再后来重孙子辈也来帮忙。今年我家又喜迎另一位新成员，来一起享受这快乐的时光。
　　【注】2015年5月2日，凯特王妃和威廉王子的第二个孩子诞生。
　　
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.
尽管电灯泡已经替代了最初的蜡烛，人们今天习惯上用的圣诞树装饰物跟当时维多利亚女王和阿尔伯塔亲王所用的并没有太大差别。
　　
There's an old saying that 'it is better to light a candle than curse the darkness'.
有句古话叫做：与其诅咒黑暗，不如点亮明烛。
　　
There are millions of people lighting candles of hope in our world today. Christmas is a good time to be thankful for them, and for all that brings light to our lives.
现在有无数的人点亮了希望之光，圣诞节是一个向他们表达感恩之情的美好契机，我们要感谢那些照亮我们生命的人。
　　
I wish you a very happy Christmas.
祝大家度过一个愉快的圣诞节。