'Twas the Night Before Christmas
聖誕前夜 朗誦·翻譯 京燕
Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with the obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of toys, and St Nicholas too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.
His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"
附上：京燕兒譯的打油詩《聖誕前夜》
聖誕前夜全屋靜 小小老鼠亦無聲
細心將襪掛壁爐 聖誕老人快來到
孩子熟睡蜷床上 甜李仙子舞夢中
媽戴花巾我戴帽 欲享綿綿長冬夜
忽聞草坪滴答聲 縱身躍起探究竟
飛向窗前如閃電 拉開百葉抬窗框
月光如水映新雪 窗外美景似白晝
映入眼簾奇景現 八隻麋鹿拉雪橇
迅敏活躍小司機 一看便識聖尼克
駿鹿飛馳賽雄鷹 口哨呼喚麋鹿名
大師舞者躍進狐 彗星愛神閃電鹿
飛簷走壁他指揮 麋鹿飛躍全上陣
猶如幹葉颶風卷 遇阻飄然飛上天
裝滿玩具雪橇車 聖誕老人當中坐
側耳傾聽簷上音 麋鹿小蹄噠噠響
我欲回身轉頭望 聖誕老人壁爐降
從頭到腳穿皮草 衣衫全被爐灰遮
一包玩具背身後 恰似商販開箱包
眼睛閃爍酒窩笑 麵似玫瑰櫻桃鼻
小嘴翹起如彎弓 下巴胡須賽白雪
牙叼一管旱煙鬥 青煙繚繞如花環
麵部寬闊肚皮圓 嘻笑顫抖似果凍
胖墩墩來樂陶陶 我禁不住也捧腹
擠個眉眼頭一扭 讓我安心莫懼怕
默不作聲去幹活 裝滿長襪就起身
他將手指放鼻側 點頭示意升壁爐
飛身躍上麋鹿車 口哨吹響隊伍整
輕似絨毛與天齊 邊走邊聽他大喊
聖誕快樂大家享 好夢晚安全體樂
～京燕兒譯～
～聖誕快樂～
聖誕前夜Twas the night before Christmas 這首詩是大約二百年前Clement Moore先生為自家孩子所作，語言詼諧而充滿神秘感，朗朗上口，如今已經成為家喻戶曉的聖誕經典。去年我把它譯成中文，城裏改版丟了鏈接。在此聖誕將臨之際，傳統節目再讀一遍。此刻，相信你正忙著做聖誕老人好幫手。選什麽好？不要急不要慌，送什麽禮物不重要，那份心意最珍貴~~it is the thought that counts.
這個周末是聖誕將臨期第四主日，點亮將臨蠟燭，也點燃一盞心燈，守住一團愛火，Christmas is here，happy Birthday, baby Jesus!
聖誕節是收獲的季節，更是給予的季節，分享一份愛心，一份喜樂。聖誕老人的原型就是聖尼克（St Nicholas), 三世紀出生於雅典，家境富裕，後來受到神召，放棄財產追隨主，並成為大主教，以慷慨著稱，深受人們喜愛。
每年的聖誕節，孩子們最盼望聖誕老人的到來了。孩子們爺爺有一套聖誕老人的衣服，孩子小時候，他就裝扮成聖誕老人來敲門，記得大寶一歲時，聖誕老人親自給他做了個小搖馬送來了，還印上了他的小手印兒，可大寶一點兒不領情，聖誕老人剛張口 hohoho... 就嚇得大寶抓住爸爸的衣襟哇哇大哭。。。
還有一次爺爺奶奶來我家過聖誕夜，奶奶使了個眼色，爺爺一聲不響溜出了們，正玩得起興兒的大寶雪兒突然聽到清脆的鈴鐺聲，聖誕老人提前送禮物來啦！他們爬到聖誕老人身上摸摸他的胡子，這兩個機靈的小家夥，說“Grandpa, are you Grandpa? ” 然後就開始拉扯他的帽子和胡子：為什麽你的鞋像是Grandpa的? 為什麽你戴了眼鏡像Grandpa? 聖誕老人連忙說我還得趕路給別的孩子們送禮物，奪門而出。。。
後來孩子們發現了爺爺的這套衣服，自己也套上來玩一玩，每個表兄妹們都坐在滿臉稚氣的聖誕老人身上說說自己的小小心願。那時他們還非常相信聖誕老人，每年給Santa寫信，地址是北極，聖誕糖街（candy cane lane, north pole)，要是趕上寄出去的早，還可能幸運地收到Santa的回信，孩子的心裏就吃了一顆定心丸。
大寶11歲那年，Santa辛辛苦苦地給他送來一套架子鼓，他那個樂呀！然後就聽他和好朋友開始納悶兒：這麽大的鼓，Santa是怎麽把它從壁爐裏送下來的呢？後來他發現了蛛絲馬跡：由於聖誕老婆婆（Mrs Claus）好心，在聖誕節後發現了銅鑔的套兒，悄悄把它放到大寶的櫃櫥裏了。。。大寶窮追不舍，爸爸終於拍拍他肩膀說：“你現在有更重要的任務了，就是要好好替妹妹和表弟表妹保護好他們心中的Santa形象。你要開始扮演聖誕老人了。”
因為先生比他最小的妹妹大十歲，所以他很懂得兒童心理。多年來他一次次地對雪兒說，“你要是想冒險不信Santa， 那他可能就不來給你送禮啦。”雪兒果然好哄，前些年迷上了《the Polar Express》這部電影，聖誕節前她每天看呀看呀，靈感來了～找Santa要一張坐上北極特快列車的票。。。參加完聖誕夜教堂子夜彌撒（Christmas=Christ Mass，聖誕節這個詞的起源就是耶穌基督的彌撒，holiday=Holy Day ），回到家她就穿好了睡衣，盼望著列車經過家門口把她捎上。多麽美麗的夢啊，這可難為了聖誕老人！雪兒熬夜熬呀熬呀，朦朧中真的聽到了Santa的麋鹿拉雪橇的鈴聲。。。叮鈴鈴。。。叮鈴鈴。。。（後來這個鈴鐺被藏在媽媽的抽屜裏一年沒敢露麵）雪兒醒來後還是很後悔沒能搭上北極特快，但那清脆的鈴聲在她的心中回蕩著。。。
現在大寶雪兒在生活中會扮演一下Santa的角色，從教堂的天使樹上摘下幾個小天使，看看社區的孩子們有什麽需求，送一些禮物回去讓每個孩子都過上歡樂的聖誕節。仿效聖誕老人原型主教聖尼古拉( St. Nicholas), ，他會在出不起嫁妝的女孩家門外悄悄放幾個金幣。。。
現在聖誕老人的形象有些商品化了，但在孩子們心中他還是那麽高大，那麽可親。父母也絲毫不會計較去和聖誕老人“爭寵”，默默地把一份份愛心包裹起來，藏在聖誕樹下。。。
正如Polar Express書中所說 “奧跡在信者的心中”
～Miracles are in the hearts of those who believe
～聖誕快樂～
HoHoHo
Merry Christmas
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