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。描寫圣誕節與圣誕老人的書不勝其數，但是其中很少能彰顯主題，從而成為一本獨具特色、富有深意的好書。下面就有十本絕佳的圣誕之書。在評論里寫下你最喜歡的那幾本吧。
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。奧斯勒在這本描述耶穌生平的書中，為新約的四本福音書添加了豐富的情節與對話，并賦予人物以個性，從而讓整部福音書鮮活起來。這些引人入勝的故事始終以圣經為范本。作者以深刻的筆觸刻畫了耶穌——這個慈悲為懷但不屈不撓的上帝之子——和他在政治、宗教、社會都處于一片混亂的世紀之初所承擔的歷史使命。這本書傳達出的訊息意義雋永，將會流芳百世、深入人心。
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.
書中講了這樣一個故事，圣誕節前夕，一個小男孩耐心地躺在床上，突然，一列喚作“極地特快”的魔法列車停在了他的房前，小男孩獲邀乘車旅行前往北極。車上還有許許多多穿著睡衣的小孩子。列車載著小男孩和其他孩子們到達了北極，映入眼簾的是，成千上萬的小精靈在小鎮的中心歡送著圣誕老人。小男孩被圣誕老人選中，來接受今年圣誕節的第一份禮物。小男孩知道自己可以挑選世界上的任何一樣東西，但他只要了圣誕老人雪橇上一只悅耳的小銀鈴兒。他把小銀鈴放進了睡袍的
口袋里，和其他孩子們一起看著圣誕老人起飛，去派送一年一度的圣誕禮物。但在回家的時候，小男孩發現睡袍的口袋破了個洞，小銀鈴不見了。圣誕節的早晨，小男孩的姐姐圣誕樹下一堆禮物的后面發現了一個精心包裝過的小禮物。小男孩打開盒子，小銀鈴正躺在里面。原來圣誕老人在雪橇的座椅上發現了這只小鈴鐺。小男孩一吹響小銀鈴，那動聽的聲音讓他和姐姐驚嘆不已。可是，他們的爸爸媽媽卻聽不到任何聲響，說是鈴鐺壞掉了。然而，只有相信圣誕老人真的存在，才能聽到小銀鈴清脆的響聲。
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的到來，因為他得挑選這兒最大的圣誕樹，這可不是一件輕松的活兒。所以，當他早早地在一個春天就發現一棵極好的圣誕樹時興奮壞了，而且猜到了他能不費吹灰之力就讓這塊地的主人把這棵樹讓給他。后來他遇到了安東尼小姐，安東尼小姐在很小的時候就成了孤兒并來到了這家修道院，她和這顆挪威云杉成了很好的朋友，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，所以別的小動物常常撇下他不帶他玩兒。但是，當他意識到因為自己的與眾不同竟然身處耶穌降生的馬棚里時，他破涕為笑了。無論是經典的故事情節還是出人意料的結局，這個溫暖的小故事告訴小朋友們，上帝為每個人都做了特別的安排。
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.
故事講述了一對夫婦——理查德（故事由他講述）和凱麗——接受了一個任務：在一幢維多利亞的大宅子里照顧一個孤獨的寡婦瑪麗.帕金。圣誕節的腳步越來越近了，瑪麗開始擔心理查德太醉心于獲得成功而沒有時間陪他的家人。她勸他重新思考一下，對他來說什么才是最重要的，但他總是沒有時間聽取瑪麗的意見。直到瑪麗臨終之際，理查德在一個圣誕禮盒里發現了一沓厚厚的信，在這些信里他讀到了瑪麗深藏的悲傷，方才明白瑪麗一直想要告訴他的道理，這個道理關乎于愛。當然，讀者即使有頑石之心，也會為埃文斯細膩的筆觸與生動的描寫而動容。
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，小鎮每到圣誕節都會上演圣經上的圣誕故事，但故事的內容始終如一。愛麗絲.文德爾總是扮演瑪麗，牧師的兒子埃爾默.霍普金斯總是扮演約瑟夫。但是，這一年情況有所改變。海倫.阿姆斯特朗女士一直是往年的導演，這一年她的腿受傷了，所以就由主婦格蕾絲.布拉德利來擔任。這個消息對她的孩子貝思和查理來說，真是糟糕透了。孩子們很不想參加圣誕慶典但又不得不去，格蕾絲的丈夫也是如此感受，圣誕慶典那天他總是想方設法待在家里。但是事情比想象得還要糟糕。小鎮上的人把牧娃們（拉爾夫、伊莫金、勒羅伊、奧利、克勞德和格拉蒂絲）視為世界上最壞的孩子，查理告訴勒羅伊因為在主日學校可以得到點心，偷走他的午餐也不礙事，這之后，牧娃們就得知了圣誕慶典的消息。因為沒有人愿意與他們為伍，所以牧娃們一出現就搶走了所有的主要角色。臨演之前那幾周的彩排簡直如災難一般。這場慶典看起來似乎會跟往常一樣糟糕，但是后來牧娃們齊心協力讓它成為有史以來最好的圣誕慶典。
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，稍顯復雜與冗長。書中，一個受傷的山區小男孩在圣誕節之際，困在了一場暴風雪之中。住在小木屋中的婦人把小男孩帶回了家，小木屋的搭建者正是小男孩的爺爺。這對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。這時候婦人開始給小男孩講起圣誕故事來——以創世紀為始，以耶穌復活而終。故事的設置似乎不太靈活，但當主要情節上演時，故事就變得更加惟妙惟肖。沃森為這本書所作的插圖也精彩極了，極大地增強了整本書的視覺感染力。書中承載了作者遠大的理想，也的的確確濃縮了整部圣經的精華。耶穌出生的場景占了兩頁篇幅，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。
3. Twas The Night Before ChristmasClement Moore
3.《圣誕節前夜》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》首次發表于1823年，（根據該詩的第一行，又可叫做《圣誕節前夜》）。今天美國人心目中圣誕老人的形象正是來自于這首詩，圣誕老人的外貌、來訪之夜、出行方式、馴鹿的數量和首次印刷時的名字，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》 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，他很討厭呼威爾鎮到處洋溢著的節日氣氛，所以計劃偷走所有的禮物以阻止圣誕節的到來。出乎意料的是，圣誕節還是如期而至，而格林奇最后也領悟到了節日的真正意義。
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》講的是維多利亞時代的一個道德故事，故事的主人公叫做埃比尼澤.斯克魯奇，他是一位滿頭白發、尖酸刻薄的守財奴，后來在一夜之間經歷了一次深刻的救贖。斯克魯奇是個金融家或者說是個貨幣兌換商，一生都致力于斂財。除了錢，他鄙視世間的一切，包括友情、愛和圣誕節。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，而不是五個章節。狄更斯用這個小玩笑貫穿了整個故事，這為故事增加了幾分幽默，也讓故事與標題更加緊密地聯系在一起，因為一首歌是一段音樂的一部分，而頌歌就是一種音樂。
