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全国英语等级考试三级备考资料阅读赏析二

Stories of Christmas
In many countries of the world,The celebration of Christmas on December 25th is a high point of the year.From November onward,it is impossible to forget that Christmas is coming.Colored lights decorate many town centers and shops,along with shimmy decorations and artificial snow painted on shop windows.In streets and shops,“Christmas trees”(real or plastic evergreen conifer trees)will also be decorated with lights and Christmas ornaments.Shopping centers become busier as December approaches and often stay open till late.By mid-December,most homes will also be decorated with Christmas trees,colored lights and paper or plastic decorations around the rooms.These days many more people also decorate garden trees or house walls with colored electric lights,a habit,which has been long popular in USA.In many countries,most people post Christmas greeting cards to their friends and families,and these cards will be hung on the walls of their homes.
The custom of sending Christmas cards started in Britain in 1840 when the first“Penny Post”public postal deliveries began.(Helped by the new railway system,the public postal service was the 19th century’s communication revolution,just as e-mail is for us today.)As printing method improved,Christmas cards were produced in large numbers from about 1860.Today,pictures are often about jokes,winter pictures,Father Christmas,or romantic scenes of life in past times.
Father Christmas(or Santa Claus)has become the symbol of Christmas.Pictures will be seen everywhere of the old man with long white beard,red coat,and bag of toys.Children are taught that he brings them presents the night before Christmas,and many children up to the age 7 or 8 really believe this is true.In most countries,it is said that he lives near the North Pole,and arrives through the sky on a sledge(snow-cart)pulled by reindeer.He comes into houses down the chimney at midnight and places presents for the children in socks or bags by their beds or in front of the family Christmas tree.In shops or at children’s parties,someone will dress up as Father Christmas and give small presents to children,or ask them what gifts they want for Christmas.Christmas can be a time of magic and excitement for children.
Father Christmas is based on a real person,St.Nicholas,which explains his other name“Santa Claus”which comes from the Dutch“Sinterklaas.”Nicholas was a Christian leader from Myra(in modern-day Turkey)in the 4th century AD.He was very shy,and wanted to give money to the poor people without their knowing about it.It is said that one day,he climbed up the roof of a house and dropped a purse of money down the chimney.It happened to land in the stocking which a girl had put to dry by the fire!This may explain the belief that Father Christmas comes down the chimney and places gifts in children’s stockings.
In English speaking countries,the day following Christmas Day is called“Boxing Day.”This word comes from the custom which started in the Middle Ages around 800 years ago:Churches would open their“alms box”(boxes in which people had placed gifts of money)and distribute the contents to poor people in the neighborhood on the day after Christmas.The tradition continues today.
参考译文:
圣诞节的故事
在世界上许多国家,12月25日的圣诞节庆祝活动是一年的高潮。从十一月起,不可能忘记圣诞节即将来临。彩灯装饰着许多市中心和商店,还有摆设的装饰品和涂在商店橱窗上的人造雪。在街道和商店,“圣诞树”(真正的或塑料的常绿针叶树)也将装饰灯和圣诞饰品。随着十二月的临近,购物中心变得越来越繁忙,经常营业到很晚。到十二月中旬,大多数家庭也将用圣诞树、彩灯和房间周围的纸或塑料装饰品来装饰。现在还有更多的人用彩色电灯装饰花园树或房屋墙壁,这种习惯在美国很流行。在许多国家,大多数人把圣诞贺卡寄给他们的朋友和家人,这些贺卡会挂在他们家的墙上。
寄圣诞卡片的习俗始于1840年的英国,当时第一批“便士邮政”公用邮政开始投递圣诞卡。(在新铁路系统的帮助下,公共邮政是19世纪的通信革命,就像电子邮件对我们今天一样。)随着印刷方法的改进,圣诞卡从1860年开始大量生产。今天,图片经常是关于笑话,冬季图片,圣诞老人,或过去的浪漫生活场景。
圣诞老人(或圣诞老人)已成为圣诞节的象征。到处都是长着白胡子、红色外套和一袋玩具的老人的照片。孩子们被教导他在圣诞节前夜给他们带礼物,许多7到8岁的孩子真的相信这是真的。在大多数国家,据说他住在北极附近,乘着驯鹿拉的雪橇(雪车)从天而降。午夜时分,他顺着烟囱走进房子,在床边或家庭圣诞树前放上袜子或袋子给孩子们的礼物。在商店或儿童聚会上,有人会装扮成圣诞老人,给孩子们送小礼物,或者问他们圣诞节想要什么礼物。圣诞节对孩子们来说是一个充满魔力和兴奋的时刻。
圣诞老人取材于一个真实的人,圣·尼古拉斯,这个名字解释了他的另一个名字“圣诞老人”,这个名字来自荷兰的“辛特克拉斯”。尼古拉斯是公元4世纪时来自迈拉(在现代土耳其)的基督教领袖。他很害羞,想给穷人钱。他们不知道这件事。据说有一天,他爬上屋顶,把一个钱包掉到烟囱里。它恰巧落在一个女孩放在炉火里烘干的袜子里!这也许可以解释为什么圣诞老人会从烟囱里下来,把礼物放在孩子们的长筒袜里。
在讲英语的国家,圣诞节后的第二天被称为“节礼日”。这个词来源于大约800年前中世纪开始的习俗:教堂会打开他们的“施舍盒”(人们把钱放在盒子里),然后把里面的东西分发给圣诞节后一天附近的穷人。传统延续至今。

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