Nothing quite celebrates the feeling of the Holiday season like an engrossing and wonderful book. Many stories have been written about Christmas and Santa Claus, but very few of those take the theme and make it into something truly special and important. Here are ten of the finest examples. ?Be sure to post your favorites in the comments.
唯有一本精妙絕倫的好書，方能慶祝假日季的美好心情篡撵。描寫圣誕節(jié)與圣誕老人的書不勝其數(shù)判莉，但是其中很少能彰顯主題，從而成為一本獨(dú)具特色酸休、富有深意的好書。下面就有十本絕佳的圣誕之書祷杈。在評(píng)論里寫下你最喜歡的那幾本吧斑司。
10. The Greatest Story Ever ToldFulton Oursler
10. 《萬世流芳》富爾頓.奧斯勒
In this highly regarded 1949 account about the life of Jesus, Oursler imbued the New Testament gospels with life, embellishing them with descriptive detail, dialog and personality. The compelling fictionalized narrative remains faithful to the scriptures throughout. The author captures the essence of the compassionate, yet forceful Son of God and his mission amidst the political, religious and social turmoil of the early first century. This program’s messages are timeless and ever relevant and will have wide appeal.
《萬世流芳》在1949年出版以后廣受好評(píng)。奧斯勒在這本描述耶穌生平的書中但汞，為新約的四本福音書添加了豐富的情節(jié)與對(duì)話宿刮，并賦予人物以個(gè)性，從而讓整部福音書鮮活起來私蕾。這些引人入勝的故事始終以圣經(jīng)為范本僵缺。作者以深刻的筆觸刻畫了耶穌——這個(gè)慈悲為懷但不屈不撓的上帝之子——和他在政治、宗教踩叭、社會(huì)都處于一片混亂的世紀(jì)之初所承擔(dān)的歷史使命磕潮。這本書傳達(dá)出的訊息意義雋永，將會(huì)流芳百世容贝、深入人心自脯。
9. The Polar Express Chris Van Allsburg
9.《極地特快》 克里斯.凡.艾斯伯格
It tells the story of a young boy on Christmas Eve, patiently lying in bed. Suddenly, a magical train called the Polar Express pulls up in front of his house, and the boy is invited to journey to the North Pole. The train is filled with many other children, all dressed in their pajamas. As the train reaches the North Pole, the boy and the other children see thousands of elves gathered at the center of town to send Santa on his way. The boy is handpicked by Santa Claus to receive the first gift of Christmas. Realizing that he could choose anything in the world, the boy asks for one beautiful-sounding silver bell from Santa’s sleigh. The boy places the bell in the pocket of his robe and all the children watch as Santa takes off for his yearly delivery. Later, on the train, the boy discovers that the bell has fallen through a hole in his pocket. On Christmas morning, his sister finds a small present wrapped under the tree, behind all of the other gifts. The boy opens the box and discovers that it is the bell, delivered by Santa, who found it on the seat of his sleigh. When the boy rings the bell, both he and his sister marvel at the beautiful sound. His parents, however, are unable to hear the bell and remark that it must be broken. However, those who believe can hear it.
書中講了這樣一個(gè)故事，圣誕節(jié)前夕斤富，一個(gè)小男孩耐心地躺在床上膏潮，突然，一列喚作“極地特快”的魔法列車停在了他的房前满力，小男孩獲邀乘車旅行前往北極焕参。車上還有許許多多穿著睡衣的小孩子轻纪。列車載著小男孩和其他孩子們到達(dá)了北極，映入眼簾的是叠纷，成千上萬的小精靈在小鎮(zhèn)的中心歡送著圣誕老人刻帚。小男孩被圣誕老人選中，來接受今年圣誕節(jié)的第一份禮物讲岁。小男孩知道自己可以挑選世界上的任何一樣?xùn)|西我擂，但他只要了圣誕老人雪橇上一只悅耳的小銀鈴兒。他把小銀鈴放進(jìn)了睡袍的
口袋里缓艳，和其他孩子們一起看著圣誕老人起飛校摩，去派送一年一度的圣誕禮物。但在回家的時(shí)候阶淘，小男孩發(fā)現(xiàn)睡袍的口袋破了個(gè)洞衙吩，小銀鈴不見了。圣誕節(jié)的早晨溪窒，小男孩的姐姐圣誕樹下一堆禮物的后面發(fā)現(xiàn)了一個(gè)精心包裝過的小禮物坤塞。小男孩打開盒子，小銀鈴正躺在里面澈蚌。原來圣誕老人在雪橇的座椅上發(fā)現(xiàn)了這只小鈴鐺摹芙。小男孩一吹響小銀鈴，那動(dòng)聽的聲音讓他和姐姐驚嘆不已宛瞄「『蹋可是，他們的爸爸媽媽卻聽不到任何聲響份汗，說是鈴鐺壞掉了盈电。然而，只有相信圣誕老人真的存在杯活，才能聽到小銀鈴清脆的響聲匆帚。
8. The Christmas Tree Judy Salamon
8.《圣誕樹》 朱迪.撒拉蒙
The chief gardener at Rockefeller Center dreads Christmas because one of his responsibilities is the selection of the center’s giant Christmas tree, which is not an easy job. Thus, he is thrilled one spring to have found the perfect tree so early, and foresees no problem in persuading the nuns who own the property on which the tree stands to let him have it. Then he meets Sister Anthony, who came to the convent as a young orphan and made a close friend of the Norway Spruce she calls “Tree.”
洛克菲勒中心的首席園丁十分害怕圣誕節(jié)的到來，因?yàn)樗锰暨x這兒最大的圣誕樹旁钧，這可不是一件輕松的活兒吸重。所以，當(dāng)他早早地在一個(gè)春天就發(fā)現(xiàn)一棵極好的圣誕樹時(shí)興奮壞了歪今，而且猜到了他能不費(fèi)吹灰之力就讓這塊地的主人把這棵樹讓給他晤锹。后來他遇到了安東尼小姐，安東尼小姐在很小的時(shí)候就成了孤兒并來到了這家修道院彤委，她和這顆挪威云杉成了很好的朋友鞭铆，親密地叫它“樹”。
7. The Crippled LambMax Lucado
7.《跛腳的小羊》 馬克思.陸可鐸
Joshua the Lamb is crippled, so the other animals leave him behind in the stable. His tears of loneliness turn to joy, however, when he realizes that because of his difference, he gets to be right there when Jesus is born! From the classic art to the surprise ending, this tender story will help all children see that God has a very special plan for their lives.
小羊約書亞的腳是跛的，所以別的小動(dòng)物常常撇下他不帶他玩兒车遂。但是封断，當(dāng)他意識(shí)到因?yàn)樽约旱呐c眾不同竟然身處耶穌降生的馬棚里時(shí)，他破涕為笑了舶担。無論是經(jīng)典的故事情節(jié)還是出人意料的結(jié)局坡疼，這個(gè)溫暖的小故事告訴小朋友們，上帝為每個(gè)人都做了特別的安排衣陶。
6. The Christmas BoxRichard Paul Evans
6.《圣誕禮盒》理查德.保羅.埃文斯
The story relates how a young couple, Richard (who narrates) and Keri, accept a position to care for a lonely widow, Mary Parkin, in her spacious Victorian mansion. As Christmas draws near, Mary becomes anxious about Richard’s obsession with success and his failure to make time for his family. She urges him to reconsider his priorities, but he is always too busy to heed her advice. It is only when Mary is on her deathbed, and her secret sorrow is revealed through the letter-laden Christmas box of the title, that Richard realizes what she has been trying to tell him. The message concerns love, of course, and the strings Evans pulls to vivify it should squeeze sobs from even the stoniest of hearts.
故事講述了一對(duì)夫婦——理查德（故事由他講述）和凱麗——接受了一個(gè)任務(wù)：在一幢維多利亞的大宅子里照顧一個(gè)孤獨(dú)的寡婦瑪麗.帕金柄瑰。圣誕節(jié)的腳步越來越近了，瑪麗開始擔(dān)心理查德太醉心于獲得成功而沒有時(shí)間陪他的家人剪况。她勸他重新思考一下教沾，對(duì)他來說什么才是最重要的，但他總是沒有時(shí)間聽取瑪麗的意見译断。直到瑪麗臨終之際授翻，理查德在一個(gè)圣誕禮盒里發(fā)現(xiàn)了一沓厚厚的信，在這些信里他讀到了瑪麗深藏的悲傷孙咪，方才明白瑪麗一直想要告訴他的道理堪唐，這個(gè)道理關(guān)乎于愛。當(dāng)然翎蹈，讀者即使有頑石之心淮菠，也會(huì)為埃文斯細(xì)膩的筆觸與生動(dòng)的描寫而動(dòng)容。
5. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever Barbara Robinson
5.《最好的圣誕慶典》芭芭拉.羅賓森
Year after year a small town puts on their re-telling of the Christmas Story from the Bible, and year after year it’s always the same. Alice Wendleken is always Mary while Elmer Hopkins, son of the minister, is always Joseph. But this year that changes. After the usual director, Ms.Helen Armstrong, breaks her leg, housewife Grace Bradley steps up to direct. This is bad news for her children, Beth and Charlie, who are always in the pageant, but never want to be, as well as her husband Bob, who puts his best effort into staying home for the pageant. But things get even worse. The Herdmans (Ralph, Imogene, Leroy, Ollie, Claude and Gladys), who are deemed the worst kids in the world, find out about the pageant after Charlie tells Leroy that it doesn’t matter if he steals his lunch because he can get refreshments at Sunday School. The Herdmans show up and get all the leading roles because no one wants to be anywhere near them. During the weeks leading up to the show all of the rehearsals are a disaster. And just as it looks like the pageant would be terrible as well, the Herdmans seem to pull their act together to turn it into the Best Christmas Pageant Ever.
一年一年又一年荤堪，小鎮(zhèn)每到圣誕節(jié)都會(huì)上演圣經(jīng)上的圣誕故事合陵，但故事的內(nèi)容始終如一。愛麗絲.文德爾總是扮演瑪麗逞力，牧師的兒子埃爾默.霍普金斯總是扮演約瑟夫曙寡。但是糠爬，這一年情況有所改變寇荧。海倫.阿姆斯特朗女士一直是往年的導(dǎo)演，這一年她的腿受傷了执隧，所以就由主婦格蕾絲.布拉德利來擔(dān)任揩抡。這個(gè)消息對(duì)她的孩子貝思和查理來說，真是糟糕透了镀琉。孩子們很不想?yún)⒓邮フQ慶典但又不得不去峦嗤，格蕾絲的丈夫也是如此感受，圣誕慶典那天他總是想方設(shè)法待在家里屋摔。但是事情比想象得還要糟糕烁设。小鎮(zhèn)上的人把牧娃們（拉爾夫、伊莫金、勒羅伊装黑、奧利副瀑、克勞德和格拉蒂絲）視為世界上最壞的孩子，查理告訴勒羅伊因?yàn)樵谥魅諏W(xué)辛堤罚可以得到點(diǎn)心糠睡，偷走他的午餐也不礙事，這之后疚颊，牧娃們就得知了圣誕慶典的消息狈孔。因?yàn)闆]有人愿意與他們?yōu)槲椋阅镣迋円怀霈F(xiàn)就搶走了所有的主要角色材义。臨演之前那幾周的彩排簡(jiǎn)直如災(zāi)難一般均抽。這場(chǎng)慶典看起來似乎會(huì)跟往常一樣糟糕，但是后來牧娃們齊心協(xié)力讓它成為有史以來最好的圣誕慶典母截。
4. One Wintry NightRuth Bell Graham
4.《冬天里的故事》 露絲.鐘路德
In a complex, lengthy picture book for older readers, an injured mountain boy, caughtin a snowstorm at Christmastime, is taken in by a woman who lives in a log home the boy’s grandfather helped build years before. After the snowbound pair become acquainted and the grandfather is notified of the boy’s whereabouts, the woman launches into a telling of the Christmas story–beginning with the Creation and ending with the Resurrection. The setup seems awkward, but once the main story gets under way, things become more believable. Watson’s artwork is unusually arresting, offering plenty of visual subtext to support the ambitious undertaking, which is actually a condensed retelling of the entire Bible. The double-spread Nativity scene truly commands attention, particularly the striking face of the young girl Anna, who has come to see the Christ child.
這是一本寫給大孩子的漫畫書到忽，稍顯復(fù)雜與冗長(zhǎng)。書中清寇，一個(gè)受傷的山區(qū)小男孩在圣誕節(jié)之際喘漏，困在了一場(chǎng)暴風(fēng)雪之中。住在小木屋中的婦人把小男孩帶回了家华烟，小木屋的搭建者正是小男孩的爺爺翩迈。這對(duì)被雪困住的人兒開始熟悉了彼此，小男孩的爺爺也獲知了他的行蹤盔夜。這時(shí)候婦人開始給小男孩講起圣誕故事來——以創(chuàng)世紀(jì)為始负饲，以耶穌復(fù)活而終宇整。故事的設(shè)置似乎不太靈活软族，但當(dāng)主要情節(jié)上演時(shí)，故事就變得更加惟妙惟肖肛捍。沃森為這本書所作的插圖也精彩極了椭微，極大地增強(qiáng)了整本書的視覺感染力洞坑。書中承載了作者遠(yuǎn)大的理想，也的的確確濃縮了整部圣經(jīng)的精華蝇率。耶穌出生的場(chǎng)景占了兩頁篇幅迟杂，很為吸人眼球，特別是來看圣嬰的小女孩安娜的表情尤為光彩奪目本慕。
3. Twas The Night Before ChristmasClement Moore
3.《圣誕節(jié)前夜》克萊蒙特.莫爾
The poem, ‘A Visit From St. Nickolas’ (also known as ‘The Night Before Christmas’, and ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas’ (from its first line), first published in 1823, is largely responsible for the contemporary American conception of Santa Claus, including his physical appearance, the night of his visit, his mode of transportation, the number and first-ever printing of the names of his reindeer, and his delivery of toys to children.
《尼古拉的來訪》首次發(fā)表于1823年排拷，（根據(jù)該詩的第一行，又可叫做《圣誕節(jié)前夜》）锅尘。今天美國(guó)人心目中圣誕老人的形象正是來自于這首詩监氢，圣誕老人的外貌、來訪之夜、出行方式浪腐、馴鹿的數(shù)量和首次印刷時(shí)的名字何鸡，還有派送禮物給孩子們都是深受該詩的影響。
2. How The Grinch Stole ChristmasDr. Seuss
2. 《格林奇如何偷走圣誕節(jié)》 蘇斯博士
The Grinch, whose heart is two sizes too small, hates Who-ville’s holiday celebrations, and plans to steal all the presents to prevent Christmas from coming. To his amazement, Christmas comes anyway, and the Grinch discovers the true meaning of the holiday.
格林奇的心臟只有正常人的四分之一大牛欢，他很討厭呼威爾鎮(zhèn)到處洋溢著的節(jié)日氣氛骡男，所以計(jì)劃偷走所有的禮物以阻止圣誕節(jié)的到來。出乎意料的是傍睹，圣誕節(jié)還是如期而至隔盛，而格林奇最后也領(lǐng)悟到了節(jié)日的真正意義。
1. A Christmas CarolCharles Dickens
1.《圣誕頌歌》 查爾斯.狄更斯
A Christmas Carol is a Victorian morality tale of an old and bitter miser, Ebenezer Scrooge, who undergoes a profound experience of redemption over the course of one evening. Mr Scrooge is a financier/money-changer, who has devoted his life to the accumulation of wealth. He holds anything other than money in contempt, including friendship, love and the Christmas season. In keeping with the musical analogy of the title, A Christmas Carol, Dickens divides his literarywork into five “staves” instead of chapters. This is a little joke Dickens has carried out throughout the story, it adds humour to the story and links in, because a stave is something you will find in a piece of music, and a “carol” is a type of music/song.
《圣誕頌歌》講的是維多利亞時(shí)代的一個(gè)道德故事拾稳，故事的主人公叫做埃比尼澤.斯克魯奇吮炕，他是一位滿頭白發(fā)、尖酸刻薄的守財(cái)奴访得，后來在一夜之間經(jīng)歷了一次深刻的救贖龙亲。斯克魯奇是個(gè)金融家或者說是個(gè)貨幣兌換商，一生都致力于斂財(cái)悍抑。除了錢鳄炉，他鄙視世間的一切，包括友情搜骡、愛和圣誕節(jié)拂盯。為了符合題目——《圣誕頌歌》的音樂韻味，狄更斯把這部作品分為五首歌记靡，而不是五個(gè)章節(jié)谈竿。狄更斯用這個(gè)小玩笑貫穿了整個(gè)故事，這為故事增加了幾分幽默摸吠，也讓故事與標(biāo)題更加緊密地聯(lián)系在一起空凸，因?yàn)橐皇赘枋且欢我魳返囊徊糠郑灨杈褪且环N音樂寸痢。
