Christians around the world celebrate Christmas on Dec. 25, each year. For many, it's a day of merriment and giving of thanks, marked by gatherings with friends and family, shared meals and the exchange of gifts.
每年的12月25日，全世界的基督教徒們都會慶祝圣誕節(jié)。在很多人看來，圣誕節(jié)是一個充滿快樂與感恩的日子。在這一天，人們總會與自己的親友相聚，共享佳肴，互相交換禮物和祝福。

The Huffington Post editors asked readers around the world what Christmas means to them. Scroll below to read the best responses.
在今年的圣誕節(jié)來臨之際，赫芬頓郵報的編輯們向讀者詢問圣誕節(jié)對他們的意義。以下就是一些很棒的答案。

"Every year, my family goes with two or three other families (usually families we have known for many years) to sing Christmas carols at the local nursing home. Many of the residents have very few family members who visit them. Some have no Christmas visitors and are very lonely. We have one friend who lives in the nursing home who joins us every year, making his way through the halls as we push him in his wheelchair.
“每年，我們?nèi)叶紩土硗鈨扇齻€家庭（通常這些家庭都與我們是世交）一同去當?shù)氐寞燄B(yǎng)院為住在那里的人唱圣誕頌歌。住在那里的很多人常常一年到頭都很少有人探望。有些人甚至在圣誕節(jié)時也無人問津，非常孤獨。在那個療養(yǎng)院里，我們有一個朋友。每到圣誕節(jié)，我們總會推著他的輪椅，走進禮堂，與我們共同歌唱、共同歡樂。

"It is a way that my parents taught me to think of others before myself, especially during the very materialistic Christmas season. Jesus teaches us to welcome strangers and comfort those who mourn. What better time to live out His teachings than during Christmas?"
--Lauren Purser, email
“這就是我父母教給我的東西：多為他人著想，尤其是在圣誕節(jié)這樣一個物欲橫流的節(jié)日里更應該如此。耶穌教育我們要善待素不相識的人，給予傷心者以安慰。在圣誕節(jié)奉行他的教誨，豈不是一大樂事？”
——來自勞倫·鉑澤的一封電子郵件

"I don't think of Christmas as being religious or non-religious, but rather as one of the few days where everyone can relax and snuggle up somewhere warm together (at least in the Northern hemisphere), and that is how I want it to be. Like, if just for that day, everyone could forget any hatred or sadness and just have kind sentiments."
-- Koh Fujinaga, HuffPost Japan Facebook
“我覺得圣誕節(jié)不存在什么宗教非宗教的特點，它只是人們在一年之中難得的、可以放松下來與別人相依相偎、共同取暖的日子（至少在北半球是這樣的），而且我理想的圣誕也是這樣的。我希望每個人都能忘記所有的仇恨和憂愁，內(nèi)心充滿善意和溫暖，哪怕只是在圣誕節(jié)那么短短的一天。”
——藤永（日本），來自赫芬頓郵報臉書

"Our family is always together, that is our great tradition."
-- Márcia Andréia Lopes, HuffPost Brasil Facebook
“我們一家人總要團聚，這就是我們最重要的圣誕習俗。”
——馬西婭·安德爾·洛佩斯（巴西），來自赫芬頓郵報臉書

"My love for Stollen [a traditional Christmas bread] and dried fruits and nuts is endless."
-- Masae Nakamura, HuffPost Japan Facebook
“我對果子甜面包（一種傳統(tǒng)圣誕面包）、干果和堅果的愛是無窮無盡的，怎么也吃不夠。”
——來自雅枝中村（日本），赫芬頓郵報臉書

Instead of giving gifts, our family gives blessings based on what we have observed during the year #huffpostchristmas
— Evan Schellenberg (@evanbuilds) December 19, 2015
“我們家并不會互相送禮物，我們會根據(jù)各自在這一年的狀況相互給予祝福。”
——伊萬·舍倫貝格（@evanbuilds）于2015年12月19日

Favorite part of Christmas is pictures with the fam. #huffpostchristmas
— m.i.milliman (@mimilliman) December 20, 2015 10 great Christmas quotes
在圣誕節(jié)，最幸福的事情就是與家人照全家福。
——網(wǎng)友m.i.milliman (@mimilliman)于2015年12月20日

附：10句圣誕名言

1. "Bah, humbug!'
‘啊，你個騙子！’

Scrooge's catchphrase, 'Bah, humbug', is often used to express disgust with Christmas charity. Alastair Sim played Scrooge in the classic 1951 film adaptation of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.
這句話是吝嗇鬼斯克魯奇的口頭禪。在圣誕節(jié)，它常常用來表達對慈善團體的厭惡。在1951年查爾斯·狄更斯的改編電影《圣誕頌歌》中，阿拉斯塔爾·西姆扮演的吝嗇鬼角色就曾經(jīng)說過這句話。

2. 'Santa Claus has the right idea. Visit people only once a year.'
‘圣誕老人一年只拜訪人們一次，這真是個明智的決定。’

Victor Borge (1909-2000), who was born B?rge Rosenbaum, was a Danish and American comedian, conductor and pianist, affectionately known as The Clown Prince of Denmark.
這句話是來自維克托·博奇（Victor Borge），他是丹麥美國混血，是喜劇演員、指揮家和鋼琴家。他因那部戲劇《丹麥的小丑王子》而廣為人知。

3. 'The one thing women don’t want to find in their stockings on Christmas morning is their husband.'
‘圣誕節(jié)早晨，女人最不想在她們的長筒襪里發(fā)現(xiàn)的，就是她們的老公。’

--The late American comic Joan Rivers
——已故美國喜劇演員瓊·里弗斯

4. 'I stopped believing in Santa Claus when I was six. Mother took me to see him in a department store and he asked for my autograph.'
‘我六歲的時候就不相信圣誕老人的存在了。因為在那一年，媽媽帶我去一家百貨商店看圣誕老人，結果圣誕老人向我要簽名。’

--Child star actress Shirley Temple
——童星秀蘭·鄧波兒

5. 'Unless we make Christmas an occasion to share our blessings, all the snow in Alaska won’t make it white.'
‘除非我們在圣誕節(jié)共同分享祝福與愛，否則阿拉斯加所有的雪也不能帶來真正的白色圣誕節(jié)。’

--Bing Crosby (1904-1977), American actor and singer who had a million-selling hit withI'm Dreaming Of A White Christmas.
——賓·克勞斯貝（1904－1977），美國演員、歌手，其歌曲《白色圣誕》創(chuàng)下了百萬美元的不朽業(yè)績。

6. 'I felt overstuffed and dull and disappointed, the way I always do the day after Christmas.'
‘圣誕節(jié)過后的第二天，我總會覺得撐得難受，既無趣又失望。’

--Sylvia Plath, poet
——詩人西爾維婭·普拉特

7. 'Always winter but never Christmas.'
‘總是冬天但從不是圣誕。’

--CS Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
——C．S．劉易斯的《獅子，女巫和魔衣櫥》

8. 'My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others. Come to think of it, why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that?'
‘不管你覺得這太守舊亦或是太時髦，圣誕節(jié)對我來說很簡單，就是關愛他人。試著想想吧，難道我們非要等到圣誕節(jié)才這么做嗎？’

--American comedian Bob Hope
——美國喜劇演員鮑勃·霍普

9. 'It snowed last year too: I made a snowman and my brother knocked it down and I knocked my brother down and then we had tea.'
‘去年也下雪了：我做了個雪人，然后我弟弟把雪人弄塌了，于是我把弟弟打翻在地，之后我們相安無事，一起喝了杯茶。’

--Dylan Thomas, A Child's Christmas in Wales
——狄蘭·托馬斯《威爾士孩子的圣誕》

10. 'God bless us, every one!' Come on everybody . . . . 'Ahhhhh'.
‘愿上帝保佑我們每一個人！每一個人！啊！’

A sentimental ending to Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol is provided by Tiny Tim (2009 Disney version) who offers the statement, 'God bless us, every one!' at Christmas dinner, with the nice new Scrooge in mind.
這是2009年迪士尼改編的狄更斯的《圣誕頌歌》中，小蒂姆給予這部電影的一個充滿情感的結尾。在吃圣誕大餐時，想著不再吝嗇、善良的斯克魯奇，他說：“愿上帝保佑我們每一個人！”

英文來源：赫芬頓郵報、每日電訊報
譯者：葉霜艷
審校&編輯：丹妮