圣诞节的故事英语版

时间:2016-12-02 10:36:43     编辑:Ky02
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  西方的传统节日圣诞节本是宗教节日,在十九世纪随着节日文化发展和传播也变得开始渐渐流行起来,其中也有很多关于圣诞节的小故事。那么关于圣诞节的故事英语版您知道多少呢,下面不妨快来了解看看吧!

圣诞节的故事英语版

圣诞节的故事英语版

  

  圣诞节的故事英语版(一)

  The Elves and the Shoemaker

  A shoemaker, through no fault of his own, had become so poor that he had only leather enough for a single pair of shoes. He cut them out one evening, then went to bed, intending to finish them the next morning. Having a clear conscience, he went to bed peacefully, commended himself to God, and fell asleep.

  The next morning, after saying his prayers, he was about to return to his work when he found the shoes on his workbench, completely finished. Amazed, he did not know what to say. He picked up the shoes in order to examine them more closely. They were so well made that not a single stitch was out of place, just as if they were intended as a masterpiece. A customer soon came by, and he liked the shoes so much that he paid more than the usual price for them.

  The shoemaker now had enough money to buy leather for two pairs of shoes. That evening he cut them out, intending to continue his work the next morning with good cheer. But he did not need to do so, because when he got up they were already finished. Customers soon bought them, paying him enough that he now could buy leather for four pairs of shoes. Early the next morning he found the four pairs finished. And so it continued; whatever he cut out in the evening was always finished the following morning. He now had a respectable income and with time became a wealthy man.

  One evening shortly before Christmas, just before going to bed, and having already cut out a number of shoes, he said to his wife, "Why don't we stay up tonight and see who is giving us this helping hand."

  His wife agreed to this and lit a candle. Then they hid themselves behind some clothes that were hanging in a corner of the room. At midnight two cute little naked men appeared. Sitting down at the workbench, they picked up the cut-out pieces and worked so unbelievable quickly and nimbly that the amazed shoemaker could not take his eyes from them. They did not stop until they had finished everything. They placed the completed shoes on the workbench, then quickly ran away.

  The next morning the wife said, "The little men have made us wealthy. We must show them our thanks. They are running around with nothing on, freezing. Do you know what? I want to sew some shirts, jackets, undershirts, and trousers for them, and knit a pair of stockings for each of them, and you should make a pair of shoes for each of them."

  The husband said, "I agree," and that evening, when everything was finished, they set the presents out instead of the unfinished work. Then they hid themselves in order to see what the little men would do. At midnight they came skipping up, intending to start work immediately. When they saw the little clothes instead of the cut-out leather, they at first seemed puzzled, but then delighted. They quickly put them on, then stroking the beautiful clothes on their bodies they sang:

  Sind wir nicht Knaben glatt und fein? Was sollen wir linger Schuster sein! Are we not boys, neat and fine? No longer cobblers shall we be!(算命www.bmfsm.com)

  Then they hopped and danced about, jumping over chairs and benches. Finally they danced out of the house. They never returned, but the shoemaker prospered, succeeding in everything that he did.

  圣诞节的故事英语版(二)

  The Gold and Ivory Tablecloth

  at christmastime, men and women everywhere gather in their churches to wonder anew at the greatest miracle the world has ever known. but the story i like best to recall was not a miracle—not exactly.

  it happened to a pastor who was very young. his church was very old. once, long ago, it had flourished. famous men had preached from its pulpit, prayed before its altar. rich and poor alike had worshiped there and built it beautifully. now the good days had passed from the section of town where it stood. but the pastor and his young wife believed in their run-down church. they felt that with paint, hammer, and faith, they could get it in shape. together they went to work.

  but late in december, a severe storm whipped through the river valley, and the worst blow fell on the little church—a huge chunk of rain-soaked plaster fell out of the inside wall just behind the altar. sorrowfully the pastor and his wife swept away the mess, but they couldn’t hide the ragged hole. the pastor looked at it and had to remind himself quickly, “thy will be done!”

  the joyful purpose of the storm that had knocked a hole in the wall of the church was now quite clear.

  but his wife wept, “christmas is only two days away!”

  that afternoon the dispirited couple attended an auction held for the benefit of a youth group. the auctioneer opened a box and shook out of its folds a handsome gold-and-ivory lace tablecloth. it was a magnificent item, nearly 15 feet long. but it, too, dated from a long-vanished era. who, today, had any use for such a thing? there were a few halfhearted bids. then the pastor was seized with what he thought was a great idea. he bid it in for six dollars and fifty cents.

  he carried the cloth back to the church and tacked it up on the wall behind the altar. it completely hid the hole! and the extraordinary beauty of its shimmering handwork cast a fine, holiday glow over the chancel. it was a great triumph. happily he went back to preparing his christmas sermon.

  just before noon on the day of christmas eve, as the pastor was opening the church, he noticed a woman standing in the cold at the bus stop.

  “the bus won’t be here for 40 minutes!” he called, and he invited her into the church to get warm.

  she told him that she had come from the city that morning to be interviewed for a job as governess to the children of one of the wealthy families in town but she had been turned down. a war refugee, she had imperfect english.

  the woman sat down in a pew and chafed her hands and rested. after a while, she dropped her head and prayed. she looked up as the pastor began to adjust the great gold-and-ivory lace cloth across the hole. she rose suddenly and walked up the steps of the chancel. she looked at the tablecloth. the pastor smiled and started to tell her about the storm damage, but she didn’t seem to listen. she took up a fold of the cloth and rubbed it between her fingers.

  “it is mine!” she said. “it is my banquet cloth!” she lifted up a corner and showed the surprised pastor that there were initials monogrammed on it. “my husband had the cloth made especially for me in brussels! there could not be another like it!”

  for the next few minutes, the woman and the pastor talked excitedly together. she explained that she was viennese, that she and her husband had opposed the nazis and decided to leave the country. they were advised to go separately. her husband put her on a train for switzerland. they planned that he would join her as soon as he could arrange to ship their household goods across the border.

  she never saw him again. later she heard that he had died in a concentration camp.

  “i have always felt that it was my fault—to leave without him,” she said. “perhaps these years of wandering have been my punishment!”

  the pastor tried to comfort her, urged her to take the cloth with her. she refused. then she went away.

  as the church began to fill on christmas eve, it was clear that the cloth was going to be a great success. it had been skillfully designed to look its best by candlelight.

  after the service, the pastor stood at the doorway; many people told him that the church looked beautiful. one gentle-faced, middle-aged man—he was the local clock-and-watch repairman—looked rather puzzled.

  “it is strange,” he said in his soft accent. “many years ago, my wife—god rest her—and i owned such a cloth. in our home in vienna, my wife put it on the table”—and here he smiled—“only when the bishop came to dinner!”

  the pastor suddenly became very excited. he told the jeweler about the woman who had been in church earlier in the day.(算命www.bmfsm.com)

  the startled jeweler clutched the pastor’s arm. “can it be? does she live?”

  together the two got in touch with the family who had interviewed her. then, in the pastor’s car, they started for the city. and as christmas day was born, this man and his wife—who had been separated through so many saddened yuletides—were reunited.

  to all who heard this story, the joyful purpose of the storm that had knocked a hole in the wall of the church was now quite clear. of course, people said it was a miracle, but i think you will agree it was the season for it!

  

  圣诞节的故事英语版(三)

  The Little Drummer Boy

  david grew up in the kitchen of the inn. his father was the innkeeper. his mother cooked the food. david's older sisters cleaned the rooms, and his older brother swept the stable. david loved to sing. he would sing to his mother as she cooked the food. david made up songs and banged on pots and bowls as he sang to her. david's mother smiled at him. "someday you will sing in the temple, my son," his mother said. david grinned at his mother. "tem-ple," david said very carefully.

  david's father came into the kitchen. "how is my big boy?" david's father asked as he swung david onto his shoulders. "pum pum pum! tem-ple come!" david sang as he drummed on his father's head with a wooden spoon. david's father smiled as his son kept on drumming. "we must find this boy a drum or my poor head will not survive!" said david's father, with a laugh.

  a few years later david got a small drum for his birthday. soon he was beating rhythms on his drum wherever he went. pat-a-rum, pat-a-rum, pat-a-rum, david drummed to copy the donkeys on the road. swish-click-click-tum, swish-click-click-tum, went david's drumming to copy his brother sweeping straw in the stable.

  one day david's father said to his family, "we are going to be very busy. caesar augustus has ordered a count of all the families in all the towns." "pum pum. pa-rum-pum-pum-pum. i counted six of us!" david sang. "why does this make us busy?" "because people will come to bethlehem to be counted with their families," said david's father. "they will need a place to stay. they will stay with us, and we will be very busy."

  david's mother cooked more food. david's sisters cleaned the rooms. david's brother swept out the stable and put new hay and pots of water in the stalls. david's father greeted the people as they came into town. soon the inn was very full. david played his drum and sang his songs for the people.

  late one night there was a knock at the door. david peeked around his father at the young man and his wife, who was on a donkey. they had no room for these people! what could they do? david's father was a kind man. "you can stay in the stable," he said. "it is warm and dry there. i can send food out to you." the young man thanked david's father and walked the donkey to the stable.

  david helped his mother carry bread and cheese out to the young couple. his mother told him the woman was going to have a baby soon. the next day there was a lot of excitement. "the young woman who stayed in the stable last night had her baby," david's mother told him. "the baby is the king of kings, they say!" said david's father.

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