Part 1 圣诞节的来历
Part 2 The History of Santa Claus 圣诞老人的来历
Part 3 The Christmas Tree 圣诞树
Part 4 Christmas Stockings and Christmas Cards 圣诞袜和圣诞卡
Part 5 Christmas Party 庆祝圣诞节
Dialogue Script 1 对话原文 1
Peter : Merry Christmas! 
Helen: The same to you!
Peter: Are you doing anything special?
Helen: We're having some friends over. What are you doing?
Peter: Oh, I'm just taking it easy.
讲解：
1. Merry Christmas! 圣诞快乐！这是一个约定俗成的用法了，这与其他的节日祝福语不同。比如：我们可以说Happy Thanksgiving! Happy Easter. 但不能说Happy Christmas!
2. The same to you! 这里表示“也祝你圣诞快乐”，回答别人对你的问候，为了避免重复，就可以这么说，当然，你也可以回答“Merry Christmas!”。
3. Peter问Helen Are you doing anything special? 你有什么特殊的安排吗？Helen 回答说We're having some friends over. 我们会邀请一些朋友来家里玩。over这里表示“过来”，例如：I asked her over. 我请她过来的。He's coming over. 他正走过来。
4. 那么Peter会做些什么呢？他说，I'm just taking it easy. 意思是说，我自己轻轻松松的过节，不会为圣诞节而忙碌。take it easy，表示“沉住气, 别紧张，慢慢来”或者“轻松轻松，休息”。
Dialogue Script 2 对话原文 2
Helen: Are you all ready for Christmas?
Peter: Are you kidding? I haven't even started. I've done zero shopping. 
Helen: Well, you'd better get going. Christmas is only a week away.
Peter: I have to tell you that I'm one of those people who really gets stressed out by the Christmas rush.
Helen: Oh, I'm not. I love the holiday. I love the crowd, the shopping, the lights, the music, the food, the parties and all the presents.
Peter: That's just the beginning. My wife always spends too much money on Christmas. Takes me till April to pay off all our Christmas bills.
Helen: Now Peter, didn't you use to love Christmas when you were a kid? I know, maybe Christmas is for kids.
Peter: Well, kids enjoy it because they don't have to do all the shopping and pay all the bills.
Helen: Maybe that's true. But you know as well as I do, that Christmas is more than tinsel and trees. Christmas is about what's in your heart and how you can make others happy.
Peter: You're absolutely right, Helen. I'm going to try harder to be nice to people and try to keep the true spirit of Christmas in my heart.
Helen: I'm glad to hear that, Peter.
讲解：
1. Are you all ready for Christmas? 是说“你准备好过圣诞节了吗？”，all这里有强调的作用，表示“完全，全部”。Peter完全不以为然，他还没有开始准备过圣诞节呢。I haven't even started. I've done zero shopping. 我还没有开始，什么东西都没买呢。大家都知道，do shopping，是“购物”的意思，
那么do zero shopping就是什么东西都没有买的意思。
2. 为了庆祝圣诞节，西方许多家庭往往一进入12月份就开始忙着采购各种节日用品和圣诞食物及礼品等。在12月24日这天晚上，全家人一般都要相聚在一起举行圣诞晚餐。餐宴餐桌上的食品种类繁多，丰富多彩，而其中最主要的一道菜就是必不可少的传统佳肴——烤火鸡。在西方人眼里，没有烤火鸡的晚餐就算不上是圣诞晚餐。圣诞晚餐之后，人们还要上礼拜堂报告佳音，并为唱诗班预备糖果点心等。但是，为所有这一切做准备是一个非常费心费力费时间的过程。
3. 所以Helen建议Peter抓紧为圣诞节做准备，因为还有一周就是圣诞节乐。you'd better get going. Christmas is only a week away. get going是一个习惯用语，表示“开始行动”。
4. 但Peter却告诉Helen他在圣诞节的时候总是被购物狂潮搞的筋疲力尽。be stressed out，由于做某事而筋疲力尽，the Christmas rush，就是圣诞节的购物狂潮。rush这个词在这里表示“匆忙或激烈的行动，做某事的热潮”，大家一定听说过gold rush这个词组，就是指淘金热潮。
5. Helen很喜欢过圣诞节，她说她喜欢圣诞节的一切，包括购物，彩灯，音乐，礼物等等。可是Peter认为这只是噩梦的开始。因为他的妻子为圣诞节花了太多的钱，要到四月份他才能付清所有的账单，所以他才会被购物狂潮搞的筋疲力尽。pay off 还清(债务等)，付清。
6. Helen听Peter对圣诞节有如此多的抱怨，就好奇地问他，didn't you use to love Christmas when you were a kid?你小时候不喜欢过圣诞节吗？used to do something，表示“过去经常做某事”。 因为Helen也认为圣诞节是孩子们的节日。 
7. Peter说孩子们喜欢过圣诞节是因为他们不用为圣诞节购物，也不用付所有的账单。的确，大人们过节的时候会比小孩子有更多的烦恼。Helen说，虽然过圣诞节费时费力，但是圣诞节并不仅仅是亮片装饰和圣诞树，Christmas is more than tinsel and trees. Christmas is about what's in your heart and how you can make others happy. 圣诞节代表了你心中的希望和你怎样能使别人开心。
8. Peter 认为Helen说的很对，所以他下定决心要对别人更好一点，并且把圣诞节的精神长留心中。的确，过圣诞节并不只是吃吃喝喝，互赠礼物，最重要的就是把圣诞节的精神流传下去。
原文地址：国际在线 http://gb.cri.cn/5324/2004/12/17/[email protected]