The Spirit of Christmas
圣诞精神
Many would agree that when we think of Christmas, we probably think of gifts, Christmas trees and Santa Claus.
许多人都会认同，当我们想到圣诞节的时候，就会想到礼物、圣诞树和圣诞老人。
But behind all these things lies the true meaning of Christmas: the importance of sharing and giving love and joy to people around us.
但是在所有这些后面，隐藏着圣诞节的真实意义：把爱和欢乐分享和送给我们身边人们的重要性。
The story in A Christmas Carol is perhaps the best example of this.
《圣诞颂歌》的故事也许就是最好的例子。
A Christmas Carol is a famous short novel written by Charles Dickens. It is about an old man named Scrooge who never laughs or smiles.
《圣诞颂歌》是查尔斯·狄更斯写的一部著名的短片小说。它是关于一位名叫斯克鲁奇的老人的，这个人从来不笑。
He is mean and only thinks about himself. He doesn't treat others nicely. He just cares about whether he can make more money and he hates Christmas.
他十分吝啬，只想着自己。他对待其他人也不友善。他关心的只是自己能否赚到更多的钱，而且他很讨厌圣诞节。
One Christmas Eve, Scrooge sees the ghost of Jacob Marley, his dead business partner.
在一个圣诞前夜，斯克鲁奇见到了他的已故合作伙伴——雅各布.马利的灵魂。
Marley used to be just like Scrooge, so he was punished after he died. He warns Scrooge to change his ways if he doesn't want to end up like him.
马利以前就像斯克鲁奇一样，因此，他死后就受到了惩罚。他警告斯克鲁奇如果不想和他一样的下场，就要改变他的生活方式。
He also tells Scrooge to expect three spirits to visit him.
他还让斯克鲁奇等待三位幽灵的拜访。
That night, three ghosts visit Scrooge. First, the Ghost of Christmas Past takes him back to his childhood and reminds Scrooge of his happier days as a child.
那天夜里，三位幽灵都来拜访了斯克鲁奇。首先，“过去幽灵”带他回到他的儿童时代，让斯克鲁奇想到他孩提时那些快乐的日子。
Then the second spirit, the Ghost of Christmas Present, takes him to see how others are spending Christmas this year.
接着，第二个幽灵，“现在幽灵”带他去看看今年其他人是怎样过圣诞节的。
Everyone is happy, even poor people. The last one, the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, takes him to the future.
每个人都很开心，甚至穷人也是。最后一个“将来幽灵”带他去了未来。
Scrooge sees that he is dead, but nobody cares. He is so scared that he wakes up in his bed and finds out it is only the next morning——Christmas Day!
他看到他死了却没有人在意。他惊恐得从床上醒来，然后发现只是另一个早晨——圣诞节！
He decides to change his life and promises to be a better person. He happily celebrates Christmas with his relatives.
他决定改变他的生活方式并保证要做一个好人。他很开心地和他的亲戚们一起庆祝了圣诞节。
He also gives gifts to people in need. He now treats everyone with kindness and warmth, spreading love and joy everywhere he goes.
他还送给那些需要帮助的人们礼物。现在，他对每个人都很友好又热心。无论他走到哪里，他都能传递给人们爱和快乐。
And that is the true spirit of Christmas!
这才是圣诞节的真正精髓所在。
