对待圣诞节有几种态度，

There are several attitudes towards Christmas,

其中一些或许是我们漠视的：

Some of which we may disregard:

那种社交的、麻木的、赤裸裸商业化的

The social, the torpid, the patently commercial,

那种喧闹的（例如开到午夜的酒吧）

The rowdy (the pubs being open till midnight),

以及那种幼稚的——但这并不属于孩子

And the childish – which is not that of the child

对他们来说，蜡烛是星星，金光闪闪的小天使

For whom the candle is a star, and the gilded angel

在圣诞树尖上舒展翅膀

Spreading its wings at the summit of the tree

不仅是装饰，而是天使

Is not only a decoration, but an angel.

孩子在圣诞树前好奇探寻：

The child wonders at the Christmas Tree:

就让他好奇的精神继续

Let him continue in the spirit of wonder

将盛宴当成大事而非托词接受；

At the Feast as an event not accepted as a pretext;

以及闪亮的狂喜，记忆中

So that the glittering rapture, the amazement

第一次圣诞树带来的愉悦，

Of the first-remembered Christmas Tree,

以及获得新礼物的惊喜

So that the surprises, delight in new possessions

（每一个都带着特有的、兴奋的气息），

(Each one with its peculiar and exciting smell),

以及对烤鹅与火鸡的期待

The expectation of the goose or turkey

对其外形的惊叹

And the expected awe on its appearance,

这样的崇敬与欢乐

So that the reverence and the gaiety

或不会在日后的经验中被忘却

May not be forgotten in later experience,

在无聊的惯性、疲惫、单调中

In the bored habituation, the fatigue, the tedium,

在对死亡的觉察和对失败的认知中

The awareness of death, the consciousness of failure,

或在皈依后的虔诚中

Or in the piety of the convert

这种虔诚却可能因自负

Which may be tainted with a self-conceit

因对上帝失敬、对孩子无礼而被玷污

Displeasing to God and disrespectful to children

（在此，以感恩之心我也会记得

(And here I remember also with gratitude

圣-露西，她的圣诞颂歌，她的火之花冠）

St.Lucy, her carol, and her crown of fire):

于是在结局到来之前，第八十个圣诞节时

So that before the end, the eightieth Christmas

（所谓“八十”，意思就是最后一个）

(By “eightieth” meaning whichever is last)

经年的情感累积成回忆

The accumulated memories of annual emotion

或可凝结成为一种巨大的欢乐

May be concentrated into a great joy

也可能是一种巨大的恐惧，在此时

Which shall be also a great fear, as on the occasion

恐惧叩访每个灵魂：

When fear came upon every soul:

因为开始会提醒我们结束

Because the beginning shall remind us of the end

以及再次降临的第一次降临

And the first coming of the second coming.