圣誕節(jié)的故事：耶穌的誕生

方曉

Christmas is marked on the 25 December （7 January for Orthodox Christians）.

12月25日是圣誕節(jié)（東正教的圣誕節(jié)是1月7日）。

Christmas is a Christian holy day that marks the birth of Jesus， the son of God.

圣誕節(jié)是基督教的一個神圣節(jié)日。因為它標(biāo)志著耶穌——上帝之子的誕生。

Jesus’ birth， known as the nativity， is described in the New Testament of the Bible.

圣經(jīng)新約記載了耶穌的出生，即耶穌誕生。

The Gospels of Matthew and Luke give different accounts. It is from them that the nativity story is pieced together.

馬太福音和路加福音對耶穌誕生分別作了記載，基于這兩者的記載，我們才有了流傳到現(xiàn)在的耶穌誕生的故事。

Both accounts tell us that Jesus was born to a woman called Mary who was engaged to Joseph， a carpenter. The Gospels state that Mary was a virgin when she became pregnant.

兩個版本的圣經(jīng)故事都記載了，耶穌的母親是一位叫作瑪麗的女子，她和一位叫約瑟夫的木匠訂了婚。約瑟夫聲稱，瑪麗懷孕時還是童貞女。

In Luke’s account Mary was visited by an angel who brought the message that she would give birth to God’s son. According to Matthew’s account， Joseph was visited by an angel who persuaded him to marry Mary rather than send her away or expose her pregnancy.

在路加福音中，有一位天使向瑪麗傳達(dá)了她將懷上上帝之子的消息。而在馬太福音的記錄中，天使說服約瑟夫放棄將瑪麗驅(qū)逐或是將她懷孕的消息公布于眾的念頭，最終與瑪麗結(jié)婚。

Matthew tells us about some wise men who followed a star that led them to Jesus’ birthplace and presented him with gifts of gold， frankincense and myrrh. Luke tells how shepherds were led to Bethlehem by an angel.

馬太福音中記錄了，三位博士在一顆星星的指引下來到耶穌出生的地方，并分別將黃金、乳香和沒藥（藥名，一種植物樹脂）作為禮物送給耶穌。路加福音記載的卻是一名天使如何將牧羊人指引到伯利恒（耶穌誕生地）。

According to tradition， Joseph and Mary travelled to Bethlehem shortly before Jesus’ birth. Joseph had been ordered to take part in a census in his home town of Bethlehem.

按照傳統(tǒng)，約瑟夫和瑪麗在耶穌出生前不久來到伯利恒，約瑟夫被責(zé)令參加在家鄉(xiāng)伯利恒的人口調(diào)查。

All Jewish people had to be counted so the Roman Emperor could determine how much money to collect from them in tax. Those who had moved away from their family homes， like Joseph， had to return to have their names entered in the Roman records.

羅馬皇帝要清點(diǎn)猶太人的人數(shù)，以便確定自己能從這些人那里收到多少稅收。像約瑟夫這樣從家里遷走的人，必須回到祖籍重新登記。

Joseph and Mary set off on the long， arduous 90-mile journey from Nazareth along the valley of the River Jordan， past Jerusalem to Bethlehem. Mary travelled on a donkey to conserve her energy for the birth.

約瑟夫和瑪麗踏上了他們長達(dá)90英里的漫長的旅途。他們從拿撒勒出發(fā)，沿著約旦谷，經(jīng)過耶路撒冷來到伯利恒。為了為生育節(jié)省體力，瑪麗騎著一頭驢行走。

But when they arrived in Bethlehem the local inn was already full with people returning for the census. The innkeeper let them stay in the rock cave below his house which was used as a stable for his animals.

但當(dāng)他們回到伯利恒的時候，他們發(fā)現(xiàn)當(dāng)?shù)氐穆灭^都住滿了回來參加人口調(diào)查的人。旅館的老板讓他們住在自己房子下面用來關(guān)牲口的石屋里。

It was here， next to the noise and filth of the animals， that Mary gave birth to her son and laid him in a manger.

就在這間石屋里，伴著動物的叫聲與排泄物，瑪麗將她的孩子生在了馬槽里。

（方 曉 摘編）