Good morning. On this Christmas day, as families across the nation gather in our homes to celebrate, Laura and I extend to all Americans our best wishes for the holidays. We hope this Christmas is a time of joy and peace for each of you, and we hope it offers you a chance for rest and reflection as you look forward to the new year ahead.
早上好！在圣诞节这天，当各家各户都聚集在家里庆祝的时候，劳拉和我在此向美国的所有民众致以节日最美好的祝福。我们希望这个圣诞节对你们每个人来说都是洋溢着喜悦与平和的日子。 我们也希望在你们翘首企盼着新年到来的同时，圣诞节也能为你们带来休息与思考的机会。
The Christmas season fills our hearts with gratitude for the many blessings in our lives. And with those blessings comes a responsibility to reach out to others. Many of our fellow Americans still suffer from the effects of illness or poverty, others fight cruel addictions, or cope with division in their families, or grieve the loss of a loved one.
每到圣诞季节，充盈到我们心间的总是对生活中那诸多的福祉产生的感激。而伴随这些福祉而来的是把他们传递给他人的责任。今天，我们很多的美国同胞仍然在饱受着疾病与贫穷的困扰，有的正与残酷的毒瘾作斗争，有的在承受家庭的破裂，也有的正为失去挚爱的人而苦不堪言。
Christmastime reminds each of us that we have a duty to our fellow citizens, that we are called to love our neighbor just as we would like to be loved ourselves. By volunteering our time and talents where they are needed most, we help heal the sick, comfort those who suffer, and bring hope to those who despair, one heart and one soul at a time.
圣诞季节让我们每个人意识到我们对我们的同胞有着一份义务，那就是我们应当爱我们的邻居，就如同我们自己也想被别人爱那样。通过自愿的抽出时间，依靠我们的才能为那些最需要帮助的人服务，我们就能帮助那些生病的人得以康复，安慰那些正在受苦的人们，为那些绝望中的人带去希望，一时间便同心同德。 During the holidays, we also keep in our thoughts and prayers the men and women of our Armed Forces, especially those far from home, separated from family and friends by the call of duty. In Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere, these skilled and courageous Americans are fighting the enemies of freedom and protecting our country from danger. By bringing liberty to the oppressed, our troops are helping to win the war on terror, and they are defending the freedom and
security of us all. They and their families are making many sacrifices for our nation, and for that, all Americans are deeply grateful.
在节日期间，我们在心底深处也要为军队里的男女士兵送去深深的祝福，尤其是那些离家甚远，为了完成使命而远离家人和朋友的士兵们。在阿富汗，伊拉克，以及世界的其他地方，这些专业技能娴熟的勇敢的美国人正与自由的敌人浴血奋战，保卫我们的祖国远离危险。通过给那些受压迫者带去自由，我们的军队正在通往反恐战争的道路上，同时他们也在捍卫我们每个人的自由和安全。为了我们的祖国，他们和他们的家人做出了太多的牺牲。对于这些，所有的美国人都万分感激。
The times we live in have brought many challenges to our country. And at such times, the story of Christmas brings special comfort and confidence. For 2000 years, Christmas has proclaimed a message of hope: the patient hope of men and women across centuries who
listened to the words of prophets and lived in joyful expectation, the hope of Mary who welcomed God's plan with great faith, and the hope of Wise Men who set out on a long journey, guided only by a promise traced in the stars.
我们所处的时代带给我们国家太多的挑战。在这样的时代里，圣诞节的故事为我们带来了特殊的慰藉与信心。在2000多年的岁月中，圣诞节一直在传达希望的信息：那些聆听了预言家的预言并且生活在快乐的期盼中的人们历经多个世纪的耐心的希望，带着坚定的信仰热烈欢迎上帝的计划的玛丽的希望，那些仅仅靠夜空的星星中显现出的希望而踏上漫漫征程的智慧之人的希望。
Christmas reminds us that the grandest purposes of God can be found in the humblest places, and it gives us hope that all the love and gifts that come to us in this life are the signs and symbols of an even greater love and gift that came on a holy night.
圣诞节使我们意识到，上帝最为宏大的目的总能显现于最为卑微的地方，并且它给予我们以这样的希望：我们生活中所得到的爱与恩赐预示着在一个圣洁的夜晚更多的爱与恩赐会降临到我们身上。
Thank you for listening, and Merry Christmas.
谢谢你们的收听。圣诞节快乐！
By Jessica
June 29, 2011