如果说投票选出英国人圣诞节最有特色的必备节目，一定是听25日圣诞节当日下午3点女王的圣诞致辞。这是由女王亲自撰稿、英国政府不提供意见的情况下，公开发表个人看法的演讲。这种演讲每年只有一次，今年是第64次。
女王的圣诞致辞每年都会有一个主题，2015年因为恐袭，数百万人难民逃离家园，女王的主题是“鼓励人们在黑暗中寻找希望。”她在致辞中表示：“今年，我们确实面对了诸多黑暗时刻。可《约翰福音》有一句充满希望的话这样说，圣诞赞歌中常常朗诵，‘光明照亮了黑暗，黑暗却无法蒙蔽光明’。”
今年圣诞致辞女王传达的核心思想则是“勿以善小而不为”，号召大家一起为更加美好的世界而努力。
90岁女王的圣诞致辞录
圣诞致辞的传统可以追溯到1932年，那时女王的祖父乔治五世在圣诞节当天，用广播的形式对一年来的大事件进行了总结和展望。然而真正将君主圣诞致辞这一传统巩固下来的是1939年的圣诞演讲。时值二战爆发，世界大部分地区都面临一个不确定的未来。身着海军上将的制服，英王乔治六世在英国民众最需要鼓励和勇气的时候出现在了无线电台，将他的信念通过讲演传达给自己的人民。
圣诞演讲鼓舞了士气，强化了信念，团结了民众，国王的演讲被称为“世界上最动听的声音”。因此当战争结束时，圣诞讲话理所当然地成为了英国王室传统。而女王伊丽莎白二世的居前次圣诞演讲则是从1952年起开始的。
继承父亲的传统，伊丽莎白二世从1952年起开始了她的居前次圣诞演讲；1957年，圣诞演讲居前次以电视播出的形式面向大众；2012年，女王演讲又以较新的3D形式录制并在电视台上播放，这充分体现了她对于新事物的接纳。
女王不仅把每年的圣诞致辞看作一种职责和义务，更是和民众直接交流的机会，并借此表达对民众关注的感谢。
2016英国女王圣诞致辞
There was a time when British Olympic medal winners became household names because there were so few of them.
英国奥运奖牌获得者的名字曾经家喻户晓，因为他们人数寥寥。
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.
但今年里约奥运的67位奖牌获得者和147位残奥会奖牌获得者让白金汉宫的庆祝仪式变得热闹而幸福。
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.
在英联邦国家中也有同样充满喜悦的庆典——格林纳达、巴哈马、牙买加和新西兰获得的人均奖牌数超越了其他国家。
Many of this year's winners spoke of being inspired by athletes of previous generations.
今年的获胜者们都提到，他们曾受到前辈运动员的启迪。
Inspiration fed their aspiration; and having discovered abilities they scarcely knew they had, these athletes are now inspiring others.
这种启迪让他们充满雄心壮志，也激发了他们未曾自知的潜能。现在，他们也成为了引领其他运动员前进的力量。
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，我在为东英格兰空中救援剑桥基地成立剪彩时，发现了另一种启迪。这里也是威廉王子作为直升机飞行员工作的地方。
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.
被平均每天平均要紧急出勤5次以上的医生、伞兵军医和空乘人员的奉献感动不是一件难事。
But to be inspirational you don't have to save lives or win medals.
但你不需要通过拯救生命或赢得奖牌而启发别人。
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.
我经常在面对从事普通岗位的普通人时获得力量：志愿者、护工、社区组织者和友好的邻里——不被歌颂的英雄因沉默奉献而与众不同。
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.
他们是周围人的榜样，而他们的人生也不断具象地表达着特蕾莎修女——从今年起她就是加尔各答的圣特蕾莎了——所体现的真理。
She once said: 'Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love'.
特蕾莎修女曾说：“不是每个人都能成大事，但我们可以做充满大爱的小事。”
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.
这也是两个伟大的慈善组织——成立60年的“爱丁堡公爵奖”和成立40年的“王子基金会”一直以来的经验。他们从自发的小型慈善开始，逐渐成长为出人意料、能够一直改善年轻人生活的慈善组织。
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.
为了庆祝我的90岁生日，来自由我赞助的600个慈善机构的志愿者和支持者们齐聚白金汉宫前林荫道，共进午餐。
Many of these organisations are modest insize but inspire me with the work they do.
很多这样的机构规模有限，但它们的工作依然令我备受感动。
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.
那些为我们年岁已暮或孑然一身的老兵提供陪伴与帮助的人们，那些在音乐舞蹈领域大放异彩的人们，那些为动物权益奔走奋斗的人们，那些保护我们的田野与森林的人们……他们的无私投入和奉献精神是我们所有人共同的榜样。
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'.
当人们面临挑战，有时他们会告诉自己深呼吸来寻求勇气和力量。其实，“鼓舞”这个词本身字面上就是“吸气”的意思。
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.
但即使怀抱着他人带来的启迪，这个世界上存在的问题确实太大，我们很难从实质上改变它，这种想法是可以理解的。
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.
作为个体，我们无法平息战乱或是消灭不公，但千千万万的小小善举汇聚到一起所带来的影响，远比我们想象中要大。
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.
在圣诞佳节之际，我们的注意力都集中到了一个大概2000年前出生的婴儿身上。那是人生多么平凡的一种开始，而他的父母约瑟和玛利亚也不曾意识到自己有多么重要。
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.
耶稣基督人生的大部分时候都过得谦逊低调，甚至不曾远行。即便他未曾行差踏错，也被许多人毁谤厌弃。
And yet, billions of people now follow his teaching and find in him the guiding light for their lives.
即便如此，如今有数十亿的人跟随他的教诲，把他视作人生的领航灯。
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.
我也是其中之一，因为基督的榜样，我看到了以大爱行小善的意义所在。无论行此善举的人究竟是谁，也无论他们究竟有何信仰。
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.
圣诞节的到来，提醒我们启迪与鼓舞是彼此能够传递的礼物，而爱即使生为星火，也可以长而燎原。
I wish you all a very happy Christmas.
祝愿各位圣诞快乐。
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