【綠色粗體為原文】
真有聖誕老人嗎？
Is There A Santa Claus?
Is There A Santa Claus?
我們很高興能迅速而明確地回應以下的讀者來信。同時，我們感謝這位來信的忠實作者成為《紐約太陽報》的朋友。
We are pleased to send back a clear and quick response to the below reader's letter. We also would like to thank this reader for being a loyal friend to The Sun.
We take pleasure at answering at once and thus prominently the communication below, expressing at the same time our great gratification that it's faithful author is numbered among the friends of THE ＳＵＮ．
親愛的編輯：我現在8歲。
我的小朋友們，有些說沒有聖誕老人。
爸爸說：“如果《紐約太陽報》也這麽說，那就是這樣的。”
請告訴我真相：真有聖誕老人嗎？
Dear editor: I am 8. Some of my friends say there is no Santa Claus.
Dad says, "It is true if The Sun says so."
Would you please tell me the truth? Is there a Santa?
Virginia O'Hanlon
115 WEST NINETY-FIFTH STREET
Dear Editor, I am 8 years old.
Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus.
Papa says, "If you see it in The Sun, it's so."
Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?
Virginia O'Hanlon
115 W. 95th St.
Virginia, 你的小朋友錯了。
Virginia, your friends were wrong.
Virginia, your little friends are wrong.
他 們正是處在對一切持懷疑態度的時代，並受到這一時代的懷疑論的影響。除非親眼所見，他們對任何事物都不相信。他們覺得沒有什麽是他們的小腦袋不能 理解的。其實，Virgina, 無論大人還是小孩，所有的腦袋都是小的。以人對於真理和知識掌握的智能來說，相對於圍繞他的那個廣闊無垠的世界，人不過是浩瀚宇宙裏的螻蟻而已。
They live in an age of being skeptical to everything, and they are influenced by the skepticism of this age. They don't believe anything unless they see it with their own eyes. They don't think there is anything that is beyond the understaning of their little brains. Well, Virginia, actually all the brains are little, be it an adult's or a child's. As for the brain power in finding truth and knowledge, human beings are just like ants in a vast universe comparing to the endless world around them.
They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole truth and knowledge.
是 的，Virginia，聖誕老人是有的。他確實存在就像愛、慷慨和奉獻的存在。正如你所知，它們為你的生命帶來無比的華美和歡樂。嗚呼哀哉！如果 沒有聖誕老人，這個世界將會是多麽的陰暗。就同沒有Virginia的世界一樣黯然無光。那樣就不再有為他而存在的赤子般的忠貞信仰、詩情畫意以及羅曼蒂 克。除了理性和審查，我們將不再有其他的興致。而由稚童照亮這世界的光芒也將泯滅。
Yes Viginia, there is a Santa. He exists indeed, just like the existence of love, generosity and devotion, which, as you know, bring enormous beauty and happiness to your life. Alas! How gloomy the world would be without Santa Claus. It would be as dull as a world without Virginia. There would be no more loyal, poetic and romantic belief for him. We would have no other interest but reasoning and examination. And the ray of children's innocence that lightens the world would extinguish too.
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! How dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.
不相信聖誕老人， 你 可能也不相信仙女。你可以讓你爸爸雇人在聖誕夜守著所有的煙囪以便捕獲聖誕老人。但是，即使他們沒有目睹聖誕老人爬下來，那又能 證明什麽呢？沒有人見過聖誕老人，但也沒有跡象表明沒有聖誕老人。世上最真實的事物往往既不是大人也不是小孩能看到的。你見到過精靈在綠茵上翩翩起舞嗎？ 當然沒有，但這並不證明沒有他們。沒有人可以想象所有這世上未曾見到也不可見到的奇妙。
You probably don't believe in fairy either if you don't believe in Santa Clause. You could ask your dad to hire people to watch all the chimneys to catch Santa Claus. But even if they don't see Santa climbing down, what can that prove? No one has ever seen Santa, but there is no evidence proving his nonexistence. The most real things in the world can usually be seen by neither adults nor chilren. Have you seen fairys dancing on the meadow? Of course not, and it doesn't prove that they are not there. No one can imagine all the wonders in the world that haven't been and counldn't be seen.
Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.
你 掰開寶寶的撥浪鼓，看看裏麵是什麽發出聲音。但是未知世界籠罩著一層麵紗。即使最強壯的男人也揭不動這層紗，甚至把所 有來過這世上的最強壯的男人 的力量都集中起來也不能揭開。唯有信心、想象力、詩意、愛和浪漫情懷才能拉開這帷幕，從而領略到無上的華美和壯觀……是真的嗎？啊，Virginia在這 世上再沒有其他更真實和永恒不變的事物了。
You rip open a baby's rattle-drum to see what's making the sound. But the unknown world is covered by a veil, which couldn't be lifted by even the strongest man, or even all the strongest men who have ever been to this world altogether. Only a believing, imaginative,poetic, loving and romantic mind can unveil it and appreciate the most magnificent ... Is it real? Ah, Virginia, there is nothing more real and persistent.
You tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.
沒有聖誕老人？感謝神！他今在永在。從今以往的千年裏，Virginia，不，是從今以往的十個萬年裏，他會一直讓童心歡歡樂樂。
There is no Santa? Thanks God! He is and will always be there. In a thousand years, Oh no, Virginia, in a hundred thousand years from now, he will always make the children joyous.
No Santa Claus! Thank God he lives and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10 thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.
