又到了一年一度聆听最美英音的时刻。
没错，就是英女王的圣诞电视致辞。
今年，女王的演讲主题是歌颂“鼓舞人心的无名英雄”（inspirational unsung heroes）。
女王奶奶说了不少金句：
I often draw strength from meeting ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
我常常从普通人身上汲取力量，他们平凡却做着不平凡的事。
'Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love'.
“并非每个人都能做出伟大的事情，但我们可以带着伟大的爱去做一些小事。” ——引用特蕾莎修女
The cumulative impact of thousands of small acts of goodness can be bigger than we imagine.
成千上万微不足道的善行累加起来，就能产生我们想象不到的巨大影响。
Inspiration is a gift to be given as well as received, and that love begins small but always grows.
对心的启迪和鼓舞是一个礼物，既可接纳也可赠予，而爱起于微末，却总能茁壮成长。
女王的演讲发音纯正，措辞优雅，语速适中，内容积极向上，是完美的英语听力素材。一起来看视频吧！
双语全文
There was a time when British Olympic medal winners became household names because there were so few of them.
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。
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.
而在今年的里约奥运会上，我们斩获67枚奖牌，残奥会147枚，这让白金汉宫款待大不列颠奖牌得主们的招待宴变得拥挤而欢乐。
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.
英联邦各处亦欢欣庆祝，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.
今年许多胜利者谈到，自己受到前辈的鼓舞。
Inspiration fed their aspiration; and having discovered abilities they scarcely knew they had, these athletes are now inspiring others.
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。
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.
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。
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.
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，人们很容易就被他们的奉献精神感召。
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。
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.
我常常从普通人身上汲取力量，他们平凡却做着不平凡的事：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。
unsung：未被赞颂的
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.
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”。
She once said: 'Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love'.
她曾说：“并非每个人都能做出伟大的事情，但我们可以带着伟大的爱做一些小事。”
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 came to a lunch in The Mall.
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。
patron：赞助人
Many of these organisations are modest in size but inspire me with the work they do.
许多机构并不大，它们做的事却鼓舞着我。
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.
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；它们提供动物福利；它们保护我们的土地和森林；它们无私的奉献和慷慨的精神堪为典范。
veterans：老兵
bereaved：失去亲人的人
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'.
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.
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。
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.
就我们自己而言，我们无法结束战争，扫除不公，可成千上万微不足道的善行累加起来，能产生我们想象不到的巨大影响。
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，我们又想起两千年前诞生的一个婴儿。他出生极为卑微，父母约瑟和玛丽并不觉得自己有多重要。
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.
耶稣基督一生大部分时光都籍籍无名，未能行走天下。尽管他并没无过错，但还是屡遭诋毁和排挤。
malign [mə'lain]：诽谤、污蔑
And yet, billions of people now follow his teaching and find in him the guiding light for their lives.
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。
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。
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.
圣诞传达的精神就是让我们记住，对心的启迪和鼓舞是一个礼物，既可接纳也可赠予，而爱起于微末，却总能茁壮成长。
I wish you all a very happy Christmas.
祝各位圣诞快乐。
译文参考：英文联播（微信ID：yingwenlianbo）
每年的圣诞演讲是为数不多的情况下，女王能直抒胸臆，发表一些自己的见解，而不需要征求政府的意见。
这个传统始于女王的爷爷乔治五世（King George V）在1932年首次进行的广播演讲。
BBC曾对这段背景做了如下介绍：
He was unsure about using the relatively untried medium of the wireless, but eventually agreed and read a message composed by author Rudyard Kipling.
他（乔治五世）并不确定是否使用尚未验证过的无线电波作为媒介，但最终还是同意了，并朗读了由拉迪亚德·吉卜林撰写的演讲稿。
The fixed time of 3 pm each year was chosen in 1932 because it was considered the best for reaching most of the countries in the British Empire by short wave.
演讲的时间定于每年圣诞的下午三点，这也是1932年定下的，当时是为了使短波能够最大范围覆盖大英帝国统治的国家。
但圣诞致辞真正成为每年的传统是从女王的父亲乔治六世（George VI）开始。
这位乔治六世，正是《国王的演讲》（The King's Speech）中由科林·费斯（Colin Firth）扮演的国王。
现任女王伊丽莎白二世从1952年——她继位当年——开始用广播进行她的第一次圣诞演讲。
而1957年，女王首次以电视播出的形式进行了圣诞致辞。
既然说到这，那我们不如就来看看女王首次圣诞电视致辞的珍贵视频吧。古典英伦范，特别适合做听力素材。
上一篇： 奥巴马夫妇2016圣诞演讲