Queen Elizabeth II's traditional Christmas Day address to the UK

25 December 2016

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There was a time when British Olympic medal winners became household names because there were so few of them. But the 67 medals at this year's Games in Rio and 147 at the Paralympics meant that the GB medallists' reception at Buckingham Palace[白金汉宫] was a crowded and happy event.

曾几何时，英国奥运奖牌获得者家喻户晓，因为他们凤毛麟角。可今年里约奥运会上我们斩获67枚奖牌，残奥会147枚，这让在白金汉宫里招待大不列颠的奖牌得主变得拥挤而欢乐。

Throughout the Commonwealth[英联邦] there were equally joyful celebrations. Grenada, the Bahamas, Jamaica and New Zealand won more medals per head of population than any other countries.

英联邦各处亦欢欣鼓舞，格林纳达、巴哈马群岛、牙买加、新西兰比其他任何国家的人均奖牌数都多。

Many of this year's winners spoke of being inspired by athletes of previous generations. Inspiration fed their aspiration[1]; and having discovered abilities they scarcely knew they had, these athletes are now inspiring others.

今年许多胜利者谈到，自己受到前辈的鼓舞。心受鼓舞令人志存高远，这些运动员发现了自己都难以置信的能力，现在他们正鼓舞着他人。

[1]aspiration：something that you hope to achieve 志向，抱负；渴望达到的目标

I've never had any political aspirations.

我从来就没什么政治抱负。

A few months ago, I saw inspiration of a different kind when I opened the new Cambridge base of the East Anglian Air Ambulance, where Prince William works as a helicopter pilot. It was not hard to be moved by the dedication of the highly skilled doctors, paramedics[护理人员] and crew, who are called out on average five times a day.

几个月前，我受到另一种鼓舞，我为东盎格鲁救援飞行队在剑桥的新基地剪彩，威廉王子是那里的直升机飞行员。训练有素的医生、医疗护理人员和机组成员，他们平均每天出勤五次，人们被他们的奉献精神感召并不困难。

But to be inspirational you don’t have to save lives or win medals.

但要鼓舞他人，你并不非定要救死扶伤或赢取奖牌。@LearnAndRecord

I often draw strength from meeting ordinary people doing extraordinary things: volunteers, carers, community organisers and good neighbours; unsung[2] heroes whose quiet dedication makes them special.

我常常从普通人身上汲取力量，他们做着不平凡的事：志愿者、老人看护、社区组织者和友善的邻居，他们是无名的英雄，默默无闻的奉献让他们与众不同。

[2]unsung：not noticed or praised for hard work, courage, or great achievements （勤奋工作、英勇行为、巨大成就）被埋没的，未得到赞扬的

an unsung hero/heroine

无名英雄／女英雄

They are an inspiration to those who know them, and their lives frequently embody a truth expressed by Mother Teresa, from this year Saint Teresa of Calcutta. She once said: 'Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love'.

他们鼓舞着认识他们的人，他们的生活每每体现着特雷莎修女表达的真理，今年特雷莎封圣为“加尔各答的圣特雷莎”。她曾说：“并非每个人都能建立丰功伟业，但我们可以满怀着爱做一些小事。”

This has been the experience of two remarkable organisations, the Duke of Edinburgh's Award and the Prince's Trust, which are 60 and 40 years old this year. These started as small initiatives but have grown beyond any expectations, and continue to transform young people's lives.

有两个出色的组织正是如此，它们是今年六十周年的爱丁堡公爵奖和四十周年的王子信托基金。它们从小做起，如今却超乎预料，并继续改变着年轻人的生活。

To mark my 90th birthday, volunteers and supporters of the six hundred charities of which I have been patron[3] came to a lunch in the Mall. Many of these organisations are modest in size but inspire me with the work they do.

为纪念我九十岁生日，来自600个慈善团体的志愿者和支持者来林荫大道参加午宴，我一直以来资助这些团体。许多机构并不大，它们做的事却鼓舞着我。

[3]patron：a person or group that supports an activity or organization, especially by giving money 赞助者，资助人

The Princess Royal is a well-known patron of several charities.

众所周知长公主是几家慈善机构的赞助人。

From giving friendship and support to our veterans, the elderly or the bereaved[4]; to championing music and dance; providing animal welfare; or protecting our fields and forests, their selfless devotion and generosity of spirit is an example to us all.

它们把友谊和支持给予退伍老兵、老年人和丧亲之人；它们赞助音乐和舞蹈；它们推动动物福利；它们保护我们的土地和森林；它们无私的风险和慷慨堪为典范。

[4]bereaved：having a close relation or friend who has recently died 失去亲友的

a bereaved widow

失去亲人的寡妇

The bereaved parents wept openly.

死者的双亲号啕大哭。

When people face a challenge they sometimes talk about taking a deep breath to find courage or strength. In fact, the word 'inspire' literally means 'to breathe in'.@LearnAndRecord

遭遇挑战的人们有时会说，深吸一口气，拿出勇气和力量。事实上，“鼓舞”的字面意思就是“吸气”。

But even with the inspiration of others, it's understandable that we sometimes think the world's problems are so big that we can do little to help. On our own, we cannot end wars or wipe out injustice, but the cumulative impact of thousands of small acts of goodness can be bigger than we imagine.

可即便受到他人鼓舞，我们有时还是发现，这个世界的问题太大，我们所做的不过杯水车薪，这是可以理解的。就我们自己而言，我们无法结束战争，扫荡不公，可成千上万微不足道的善行累加起来，却产生我们想象不到的影响。[勿以善小而不为]

At Christmas, our attention is drawn to the birth of a baby some two thousand years ago. It was the humblest of beginnings, and his parents, Joseph and Mary, did not think they were important.

圣诞之际，我们回想两千年前诞生的一个婴儿。他生于忧患，起于毫末，父母约瑟和玛丽并没以为他们算什么重要人物。

Jesus Christ lived obscurely[鲜为人知的;默默无闻的] for most of his life, and never travelled far. He was maligned[5] and rejected by many, though he had done no wrong. And yet, billions of people now follow his teaching and find in him the guiding light for their lives.

耶稣基督一生微不足道，从未能行走天下，尽管自己并没做错什么，很多人还是排挤他。

然而如今，数十亿人追随他的教诲，从他身上发现生命中引路的明灯。

[5]malign：to say false and unpleasant things about someone, or to criticize someone unfairly 诽谤，污蔑，中伤

She has recently been maligned in the gossip columns of several newspapers.

她最近受到几家报纸漫谈专栏的污蔑。@LearnAndRecord

I am one of them because Christ's example helps me see the value of doing small things with great love, whoever does them and whatever they themselves believe.

我就是其中一员，因为基督之范让我看到以大爱行小善的价值，无论是谁，无论他信仰什么。@LearnAndRecord

The message of Christmas reminds us that inspiration is a gift to be given as well as received, and that love begins small but always grows.

今年的圣诞致辞让我们不要忘记，鼓舞是一种既要赠予又要接纳的礼物，爱起于垒土，却终成九层之台。

I wish you all a very happy Christmas.

祝君圣诞快乐。

英文原文：http://t.cn/RITOEt9

中文原文：http://t.cn/RITWx3f

翻译来源：英文联播（仅供参考）

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