There are several attitudes towards Christmas,

对待圣诞节有几种态度，

Some of which we may disregard:

其中一些或许是我们漠视的：

The social, the torpid, the patently commercial,

那种社交的、麻木的、赤裸裸商业化的

The rowdy (the pubs being open till midnight),

那种喧闹的（例如开到午夜的酒吧）

And the childish – which is not that of the child

以及那种幼稚的——但这并不属于孩子

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

对他们来说，蜡烛是星星，金光闪闪的小天使

Spreading its wings at the summit of the tree

在圣诞树尖上舒展翅膀

Is not only a decoration, but an angel.

不仅是装饰，而是天使

The child wonders at the Christmas Tree:

孩子在圣诞树前好奇探寻：

Let him continue in the spirit of wonder

就让他好奇的精神继续

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

将盛宴当成大事而非托词接受；

So that the glittering rapture, the amazement

以及闪亮的狂喜，记忆中

Of the first-remembered Christmas Tree,

第一次圣诞树带来的愉悦，

So that the surprises, delight in new possessions

以及获得新礼物的惊喜

(Each one with its peculiar and exciting smell),

（每一个都带着特有的、兴奋的气息），

The expectation of the goose or turkey

以及对烤鹅与火鸡的期待

And the expected awe on its appearance,

对其外形的惊叹

So that the reverence and the gaiety

这样的崇敬与欢乐

May not be forgotten in later experience,

或不会在日后的经验中被忘却

In the bored habituation, the fatigue, the tedium,

在无聊的惯性、疲惫、单调中

The awareness of death, the consciousness of failure,

在对死亡的觉察和对失败的认知中

Or in the piety of the convert

或在皈依后的虔诚中

Which may be tainted with a self-conceit

这种虔诚却可能因自负

Displeasing to God and disrespectful to children

因对上帝失敬、对孩子无礼而被玷污

(And here I remember also with gratitude

（在此，以感恩之心我也会记得

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

圣-露西，她的圣诞颂歌，她的火之花冠）

So that before the end, the eightieth Christmas

于是在结局到来之前，第八十个圣诞节时

(By “eightieth” meaning whichever is last)

（所谓“八十”，意思就是最后一个）

The accumulated memories of annual emotion

经年的情感累积成回忆

May be concentrated into a great joy

或可凝结成为一种巨大的欢乐

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

也可能是一种巨大的恐惧，在此时

When fear came upon every soul:

恐惧叩访每个灵魂：

Because the beginning shall remind us of the end

因为开始会提醒我们结束

And the first coming of the second coming.

以及再次降临的第一次降临