【绿色粗体为原文】
真有圣诞老人吗？
Is There A Santa Claus?
Is There A Santa Claus?
我们很高兴能迅速而明确地回应以下的读者来信。同时，我们感谢这位来信的忠实作者成为《纽约太阳报》的朋友。
We are pleased to send back a clear and quick response to the below reader's letter. We also would like to thank this reader for being a loyal friend to The Sun.
We take pleasure at answering at once and thus prominently the communication below, expressing at the same time our great gratification that it's faithful author is numbered among the friends of THE ＳＵＮ．
亲爱的编辑：我现在8岁。
我的小朋友们，有些说没有圣诞老人。
爸爸说：“如果《纽约太阳报》也这么说，那就是这样的。”
请告诉我真相：真有圣诞老人吗？
Dear editor: I am 8. Some of my friends say there is no Santa Claus.
Dad says, "It is true if The Sun says so."
Would you please tell me the truth? Is there a Santa?
Virginia O'Hanlon
115 WEST NINETY-FIFTH STREET
Dear Editor, I am 8 years old.
Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus.
Papa says, "If you see it in The Sun, it's so."
Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?
Virginia O'Hanlon
115 W. 95th St.
Virginia, 你的小朋友错了。
Virginia, your friends were wrong.
Virginia, your little friends are wrong.
他 们正是处在对一切持怀疑态度的时代，并受到这一时代的怀疑论的影响。除非亲眼所见，他们对任何事物都不相信。他们觉得没有什么是他们的小脑袋不能 理解的。其实，Virgina, 无论大人还是小孩，所有的脑袋都是小的。以人对于真理和知识掌握的智能来说，相对于围绕他的那个广阔无垠的世界，人不过是浩瀚宇宙里的蝼蚁而已。
They live in an age of being skeptical to everything, and they are influenced by the skepticism of this age. They don't believe anything unless they see it with their own eyes. They don't think there is anything that is beyond the understaning of their little brains. Well, Virginia, actually all the brains are little, be it an adult's or a child's. As for the brain power in finding truth and knowledge, human beings are just like ants in a vast universe comparing to the endless world around them.
They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole truth and knowledge.
是 的，Virginia，圣诞老人是有的。他确实存在就像爱、慷慨和奉献的存在。正如你所知，它们为你的生命带来无比的华美和欢乐。呜呼哀哉！如果 没有圣诞老人，这个世界将会是多么的阴暗。就同没有Virginia的世界一样黯然无光。那样就不再有为他而存在的赤子般的忠贞信仰、诗情画意以及罗曼蒂 克。除了理性和审查，我们将不再有其他的兴致。而由稚童照亮这世界的光芒也将泯灭。
Yes Viginia, there is a Santa. He exists indeed, just like the existence of love, generosity and devotion, which, as you know, bring enormous beauty and happiness to your life. Alas! How gloomy the world would be without Santa Claus. It would be as dull as a world without Virginia. There would be no more loyal, poetic and romantic belief for him. We would have no other interest but reasoning and examination. And the ray of children's innocence that lightens the world would extinguish too.
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! How dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.
不相信圣诞老人， 你 可能也不相信仙女。你可以让你爸爸雇人在圣诞夜守着所有的烟囱以便捕获圣诞老人。但是，即使他们没有目睹圣诞老人爬下来，那又能 证明什么呢？没有人见过圣诞老人，但也没有迹象表明没有圣诞老人。世上最真实的事物往往既不是大人也不是小孩能看到的。你见到过精灵在绿茵上翩翩起舞吗？ 当然没有，但这并不证明没有他们。没有人可以想象所有这世上未曾见到也不可见到的奇妙。
You probably don't believe in fairy either if you don't believe in Santa Clause. You could ask your dad to hire people to watch all the chimneys to catch Santa Claus. But even if they don't see Santa climbing down, what can that prove? No one has ever seen Santa, but there is no evidence proving his nonexistence. The most real things in the world can usually be seen by neither adults nor chilren. Have you seen fairys dancing on the meadow? Of course not, and it doesn't prove that they are not there. No one can imagine all the wonders in the world that haven't been and counldn't be seen.
Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.
你 掰开宝宝的拨浪鼓，看看里面是什么发出声音。但是未知世界笼罩着一层面纱。即使最强壮的男人也揭不动这层纱，甚至把所 有来过这世上的最强壮的男人 的力量都集中起来也不能揭开。唯有信心、想象力、诗意、爱和浪漫情怀才能拉开这帷幕，从而领略到无上的华美和壮观……是真的吗？啊，Virginia在这 世上再没有其他更真实和永恒不变的事物了。
You rip open a baby's rattle-drum to see what's making the sound. But the unknown world is covered by a veil, which couldn't be lifted by even the strongest man, or even all the strongest men who have ever been to this world altogether. Only a believing, imaginative,poetic, loving and romantic mind can unveil it and appreciate the most magnificent ... Is it real? Ah, Virginia, there is nothing more real and persistent.
You tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.
没有圣诞老人？感谢神！他今在永在。从今以往的千年里，Virginia，不，是从今以往的十个万年里，他会一直让童心欢欢乐乐。
There is no Santa? Thanks God! He is and will always be there. In a thousand years, Oh no, Virginia, in a hundred thousand years from now, he will always make the children joyous.
No Santa Claus! Thank God he lives and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10 thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.
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