2016年英国女王圣诞致辞

2016年12月25日下午3点，英国女王伊丽莎白二世发表了每年一度的圣诞致辞。在今年的讲话中，女王没有对英国脱欧或特朗普上台有什么评论，她以她一贯的平稳和和蔼的语气，赞扬了普通人给她带来的激励，提倡千千万万的普通人“怀大爱心，做小事情”（Do small things with great love）。

主页君听了女王的演讲，为大家做了翻译。由于时间有限，主页君英文水平有限，错误之处在所难免，请大家谅解。

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 was a crowded and happy event.

有一段时间，英国奥运代表团的运动员在英国几乎人人皆知，他们所以能家喻户晓，因为他们实在寥寥无几。在今年里约的奥运会上，他们取得67块奥运奖牌，147块残奥会奖牌的好成绩，在白金汉宫欢迎英国奥运代表团胜利归来的活动上，人头涌动，气氛愉快异常。

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

在整个英联邦，我们分享了胜利的喜悦。在格林纳达、巴哈马、牙买加、和新西兰，按照人口和奖牌比来算，他们的奥运成绩，超过了所有其它国家。

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

很多今年奥运奖牌的获得者都提到，他们都受到过前代田径运动员的激励。激励带来他们的努力，这种激励让发现了他们不曾想象自己拥有的潜能。这些运动员现在在激励很多其他人。

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 and crew, who are called out on average five times a day.

几个月以前，我看到另外一种形式的激励。我去东安格利亚，为剑桥新落成的飞行急救中心开幕剪彩，威廉王子就在那里担任救护直升机驾驶员。我很难不被那里的医生、急救员、机组的多做所为感动，他们每天平均要执行5次急救任务。

But to be inspirational you don't have to save lives or win medals. I often draw strength from meeting ordinary people doing extraordinary things: volunteers, carers, community organisers and good neighbours; unsung heroes whose quiet dedication makes them special.

但是，去激励别人，不是说一定要去营救别人的生命，或者去赢得奖牌。我也经常从我所见过的普通人那里获得力量。他们虽普通，但做出了不起的事情。他们是志愿者、护工、社区组织者、好邻居。他们是没有被歌颂的英雄，做出了不起的贡献，这就让他们与众不同。

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'.

他们激励了认识他们的人。他们的所做所为，也印证了玛莎修女所揭示的事实。玛莎修女曾说，“不是所有人都能做伟大的事情，但我们可以怀着大爱去做微小的事情”。

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.

这也正是两个很了不起的组织所感受到的，它们是“爱丁堡公爵奖”和“查尔斯王子基金会”，到今年，它们已分别运营了60年和40年。它们都是从很小开始，但成长已经超过了所有人的期待，而且他们继续在改变很多年轻人的生活。

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

为了庆祝我的90岁生日，我款待600多个慈善机构的自愿者和支持者来伦敦的林荫大道参加庆祝午餐，很多机构非常小，但他们所做的事情同样给我很大的激励。

From giving friendship and support to our veterans, the elderly or the bereaved; 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

有的机构为退伍兵、老人、或鳏寡人群提供帮助和友谊；有的倡导推动音乐和舞蹈；有的为动物福利去奔走；有的保护我们的森林和土地。他们无私和慷慨的精神为我们树立了榜样。

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'.

当人们面对挑战，他们有时候会说深呼吸，去发现勇气和力量。事实上，“激励”这个词，其实说的也是一种“呼吸”。

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.

尽管我们会被激励，但我们也可以理解，世界的问题太大，我们根本无法改变什么。靠我们自己，我们无法去阻止一场战争，或去主持公正，但无数细小的善行汇集起来的力量，比我们想象的都要大。

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. Jesus Christ lived obscurely for most of his life, and never travelled far. He was maligned and rejected by many, though he had done no wrong.

在圣诞节，我们的目光都会汇聚在一个出生在2000多年前的婴儿身上。他出身卑微，他的父母，约瑟和玛丽，没人认为他会成为多么伟大的人物。耶稣的一生几乎默默无闻，也没有走到多远的地方。虽然他没做错过什么，但他依然被很多人拒绝。

And yet, billions of people now follow his teaching and find in him the guiding light for their lives. 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.

但现在，数十亿人听从他的教诲，把他当成指导自己生命的光芒。我就是其中的一个，耶稣教诲我做小事情，怀大爱心，不管他是谁，无论他信仰什么。

'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.

圣诞提醒着我们，所谓激励是一种礼物，是接受也是一种给予。爱从小开始，但一直在成长。

I wish you all a very happy Christmas.

我祝所有人圣诞快乐。

听译：Sam