Thousands of pilgrims have joined local Palestinians in Christmas celebrations in the West Bank town of Bethlehem.
数千名朝圣者云集约旦河西岸城市伯利恒与当地的巴勒斯坦人一起庆祝圣诞节。
Christmas mass was celebrated at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, with carols sung in Arabic. Most of the worshippers were Palestinians, and Latin Patriarch Fouad Twal expressed solidarity with their suffering. Twal, a Jordanian who heads the Roman Catholic Church in the Holy Land, said the Israeli occupation must end.
人们在伯利恒的圣诞教堂举行圣诞弥撒，唱诗班用阿拉伯语唱着圣诞颂歌。大部分信徒是巴勒斯坦人，拉丁礼宗主教福阿德.特沃尔对他们的苦难表示声援。特沃尔是约旦人，他是圣地耶路撒冷罗马天主教会的首领。他说，以色列的占领必须结束。
"Nothing changed. And we hope, we wish and we pray that next year will be a new year full of peace, full of health, and full of security and more trust between all partners," he said.
他说：“一切都没有改变。我们盼望，我们希望，我们祈祷，明年将是新的一年，将充满和平，充满健康，充满安全，所有的伙伴之间将建立更多的信任。”
Just a few meters from where mass was celebrated, thousands of pilgrims visited the ancient grotto where according to Christian tradition, Jesus was born. Laura Wagner came from the U.S. state of Indiana.
在距离举行弥撒的教堂只有几米的地方，数千名朝圣者参拜了基督徒传统上认为是耶稣诞生地的一处古老岩洞。
"The whole story becomes even more alive here," she said. "The idea that we're just a few feet from where Jesus was born and a few miles from where the angels came to the shepherds is mind blowing; there aren't even words to describe it."
来自美国印第安纳州的劳拉.瓦格纳说：“整个故事在这里变得更加生动。我们离耶稣诞生的地方只有几英尺，离天使降临向牧羊人宣告这个消息的地方只有几英里，这简直太不可思议了，无法用任何语言来形容。”
Outside in Manger Square, the atmosphere was festive.
在教堂外面的马槽广场上到处洋溢着节日气氛。
David Bogenrief, an American who has lived in Israel for 25 years, played the classic carol "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" as a crowd gathered.
"I've come here to worship the Lord Jesus at the place where he was born. It's fun, and the fact that I come and I play trumpet, and there's people singing Christmas carols, and hopefully something goes into the heart of the people," he said.
他说：“我来这里是为了朝拜主耶稣诞生的地方。这很开心，我来这吹小号，人们在唱圣诞颂歌，希望人们内心深处能体会到一些东西。”
Sherri Heinrich of St. Paul, Minnesota in the United States said there is something for everyone.
来自美国明尼苏达州圣保罗的雪莉.海因里希说，每个人来到这里都有收获。
"It's a fantastic experience, everyone's excited, it's an amazing place to come and visit on the day that Christ was born." said Heinrich.
她说：“这是个非常棒的经历。大家都很兴奋。在耶稣诞生的这一天来这里参观真是太神奇了。”
It was a big turnout this year thanks to a lull in West Bank violence. And it was a joyous Christmas in the little town where it all began.
由于约旦河西岸暴力冲突暂时有所缓和，参加今年活动的人很多，他们在这个万事起源的伯利恒小镇度过了一个快乐的圣诞节。 |