Because that’s what this season is all about. For my family and the millions, it’s a time to celebrate the birth of Christ. To reflect on His life and learn from His example. Every year, we commit to love one another. To give of ourselves. To be our brother’s keeper. To be our sister’s keeper. But those ideas are not just part of our faith. They’re part of all faiths.

      Pope Benedict prayed for peace, especially in the Middle East, in his Christmas Eve mass, as Christians around the world prepared to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ more than 2,000 years ago.
教皇本篤16世在聖誕夜彌撒時祈禱和平、特別是中東地區，同時，全世界的基督徒準備慶祝耶穌在2000多年前誕生。

      Addressing the faithful in a packed St. Peter's Basilica late Monday, the pontiff called for an end to the bloodshed in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and their neighbors. He also prayed that the Israelis and Palestinians may be able to live together in peace.
星期一晚間，教皇在擠滿信眾的聖彼得大教堂呼籲結束敘利亞、黎巴嫩、伊拉克以及中東其他地區的流血衝突。他還祈禱以色列和巴勒斯坦能夠和平相處。

      Thousands of tourists from all over the world gathered in the West Bank town of Bethlehem to celebrate the holiday at the place where Christians believe Jesus was born.
來自世界各地的成千上萬遊客聚集在約旦河西岸的伯利恒，歡度聖誕。基督徒相信他們的救世主耶穌基督誕生在這裏。

      This year's holiday was particularly joyous for their Palestinian hosts, who just last month received United Nations recognition for an independent state of Palestine.
今年的耶誕節對東道主巴勒斯坦來說格外喜慶，因為聯合國上個月承認巴勒斯坦為一個獨立國家。

      In his annual pre-Christmas homily, the top Roman Catholic bishop in the area, Fouad Twal, celebrated that achievement for the Palestinians and urged them to work with the Israelis to end the region's seemingly endless conflict.
在每年一度的聖誕前佈道中，耶路撒冷教區 最高的羅馬天主教大主教祝賀巴勒斯坦人取得的成就，並敦促他們同以色列一道結束該地區似乎永無休止的衝突。

      Despite cold weather, the festivities continued late into the evening, with some tourists calling it a moving experience.
雖然天氣很冷，慶祝活動一直持續到深夜。一些遊客說，此情此景令人感動。

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      A 'dad' is tenth most popular Christmas list request for children with youngsters happy to forgo the latest iPad, toy or new pet, a survey has found.
      When it comes to Christmas, it might be safe to assume children will ask Santa for an extensive list of toys, games and treats.
      But a survey of their typical lists for Father Christmas has shown many have more serious concerns, requesting "a dad" instead.
      A study of 2,000 British parents found most children will put a new baby brother or sister at the top of their Christmas list, closely followed by a request for a real-life reindeer.
      A "pet horse" was the third most popular choice, with a "car" making a bizarre entry at number four.
      Despite their material requests, the tenth most popular Christmas wish on the list was a "Dad".
      The survey, of consumers at Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City, found children aged three to 12 years also wanted a dog, chocolate and a stick of rock.
      Traditional hopes for a white Christmas were represented by a wish for "snow" in ninth place, with sensible youngsters also requesting a "house".
      Of the top 50 festive requests, 17 related to pets and animals, with some imaginative children hoping for a donkey, chicken and elephant.
      iPhones and iPads also appeared on the list, with some quirky children asking for the moon, a time machine, a pond cover and beetroot. One child asked for Eva Longoria and another wanted Harry Styles from One Direction.
      A request for a "mum" reached number 23 on the list.

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      Tonight is a chance to get in the Christmas spirit; to spread some joy and sing along with artists who have much better voices than we do. (Laughter.) But it’s also a chance to make a real difference in the lives of some very brave young people being treated at Children’s National Medical Center. Many of these kids and their parents are going through tough times right now, and your support helps give them a reason to hope –- not just during the holidays, but all year round.
     借今晚的機會談談聖誕精神，傳播一些歡樂，與擁有比我們更好嗓子的藝術家一同唱歌。但這同樣是一個機會，影響那些在美國國立兒童醫學中心接受治療的一些非常勇敢的年輕人的一生。現在許多這些孩子和他們的父母正經歷艱難時光，你們的支持給他們希望之源——不僅僅是在假期裏，而是每一天。

      And that’s really what Christmas is all about. Each of us is incredibly blessed in so many ways. But those blessings aren’t just meant to be enjoyed -- they’re meant to be used and shared with those who have less. The Christian faith teaches us that on this day a child was born so that we might have eternal life. And at the heart of many of the world’s great religions is the idea that we’re all better off when we treat our brothers and sisters with the same love and compassion that we want for ourselves.
      這就是耶誕節的意義所在。我們每個人都以這麼多不同的方式被護佑著，但這些賜福不僅僅意味著享受，更是用來與那些賜福少的人分享。基督教信仰告訴我們，在這一天孩子出生這樣我們可能會得到永生。世界上許多偉大的宗教的核心都是這樣的思想，當我們以自己想要的愛和同情來對待我們的兄弟姐妹，我們都會變得更好。