常春藤生活英语【102】圣诞节的真谛

Christmas is a holiday that is over 2,000 years old. When we speak of Christmas, we tend to think of decorations, shiny lights, snow, presents, and trees. But some of these are quite recent traditions. What is the real story behind Christmas? Christmas is a holiday to celebrate the birth of Jesus, the son of God in the Christian1 religion2. Over 2,000 years ago, Joseph and his pregnant wife Mary had to leave their home and travel to Bethlehem.

When they arrived in Bethlehem, all of the inns3 were full and they couldn't find any place to spend the night. To make matters worse, Mary started going into labor4. In the end, a kind-hearted man let them stay in his stable5 with the donkeys and sheep. Jesus was born that night, and he had to sleep in a manger6 because there was no bed for him.

　　On that same night, a bright star rose in the sky above the stable. Three wise men saw this star and realized it was a sign from God. They followed the star and found Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. To celebrate Jesus' birth, they each gave him a present. This is why we exchange gifts at Christmas.

圣诞节是一个历史超过两千年的节日。当我们提起圣诞节，我们往往会想到装饰品、闪亮的灯饰、瑞雪、礼物和圣诞树。不过这当中有一些是相当近代的传统。圣诞节背后真正的故事究竟为何？圣诞节是庆祝耶稣诞生的节日，在基督教的信仰中，他是上帝之子。于两千多年前，乔瑟夫和他大腹便便的妻子玛利亚必须离开家园，长途跋涉到伯利恒（编按：伯利恒为古代以色列的城市，位于约旦河西岸，距耶路撒冷仅有数公里之遥）。

当他们抵达伯利恒时，当地所有的旅馆都客满，因此他们找不到地方过夜。更糟的是，玛利亚又即将临盆。最后一名好心的男子让他们借住于马厩中，与驴子和羊只同睡。耶稣于当晚出生，由于那里没有床，所以他只好睡在马槽里。

当天夜晚，马厩上空升起了一颗明亮的星星。三位智者看到这颗星星，便明了那是上帝的启示。他们追寻着星星，找到了耶稣、玛利亚和乔瑟夫。为了庆祝耶稣的诞生，他们分别送了一样礼物给耶稣。这就是为什么我们会在圣诞节互换礼物的原因。

Building Your Vocabulary

1. pregnant　a. 怀孕的
Michelle is now eight months pregnant.
米歇尔目前已经怀胎八月了。
2. kind-hearted　a. 好心的；仁慈的
The kind-hearted lady gave her seat to me.
那位好心的女士让位给我。
3. exchange　vt. 交换；调换
We exchanged our opinions on this movie.
我们就这部电影做了看法上的交流。

Phrases for Learning

1. speak of... 　　谈及∕提起……
I rarely speak of my family to my friends.
我很少对我的朋友谈起我家人的事。
2. spend the night　　过夜
Patrick spent the night at his co-worker's house after he got drunk.
帕特里克喝醉后在他同事家里过了一晚。
3. to make matters worse　　使不好的情况更糟
It started to rain, and to make matters worse, I forgot to bring an umbrella.
天空开始下起雨来，而更糟的是，我忘了带伞。

Extra Words

1. Christian¹　a. 基督教的 & n. 基督徒
2. religion　n. 宗教；宗教信仰
3. inn　n. 小旅馆
4. go into labor²　　分娩；开始阵痛
5. stable　n. 马厩；畜舍
6. manger　n.（牲畜的）食槽

Tips In Use

What is the real story behind Christmas?
（圣诞节背后真正的故事究竟为何？）
behind 用以表『在……后面∕之后』时，其用法
与 after 不同。after 通常与动词并用，表动态的『追逐』之意。behind 则多使用于静态下。
There is a tree after the house. (×)
→ There is a tree behind the house. (○)
（房子后面有一颗树。）
Laura is standing³ behind the door.
（劳拉正站在门后。）
The police officer is chasing after the bad guy.
（警官正在追坏人。）

1 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

2 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

3 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。