英国老师：我该教中国孩子去了解圣诞节吗？ | 歪果仁读中国
以下文章选自《环球时报英文版》
后天就是圣诞节啦！
对于咱们大多数人来说，就算过圣诞，也无非是逛街聚餐看表演，以娱乐为主。
但是对于有过圣诞传统的老外——尤其信基督教的老外来说——这个节日，就没那么简单了……
今天给咱们投稿的，是一枚在上海教书的英国老师。
外教老师应该教中国学生认识和了解圣诞节吗？ 对于这个问题，这枚老师有着她自己的看法。
来听听她说了些啥吧——
Sabrina Samra, UK
中国是一个以无神论为主的国家，但最近几十年啊，它倒是对越来越对基督教敞开怀抱、对有宗教信仰的老外们也越来越欢迎了。
China is technically an Atheist country, but in recent decades it has begun to accept the re-emerging presence of Christianity. Additionally, China is increasingly welcoming of devoutly faithful foreigners.
这在上海尤为明显。魔都的歪果仁众多，似乎的教堂和寺庙等也相应地多了起来。但是……如果让本地学校的外教老师们去教学生了解基督教的节日，中国人还会那么乐意吗？难说了。
This is especially prevalent in Shanghai, where the city's large expat population is privileged to have an equally large number of churches and temples. But when it comes to teaching Christian holidays at Chinese schools, how far is the city willing to let foreigners go?
比方说圣诞节。这个节日举世闻名，在西方国家更几乎是百分之百的重大节庆日，大家会用各种各样的方式来欢度圣诞。在我们英国呢，过节的方法挺主流的：公司放假，学校放假，家人团聚在一起看电视（比如圣诞主题的节目啥的），然后还有买买买咯。
Christmas is, almost internationally and definitely in Western countries, celebrated one way or another by all. Our societies literally embrace this spiritual holiday by giving everyone time off from work and school to be together with our families, watch Christmas-themed television programming, and, yes, shop.
就算你不搞那些装扮圣诞树之类的套路，就单单在25号放个假休息会儿，那也算是过了节啦。
Even if you do not attend mass or buy a Christmas tree for your living room, simply by taking a day off on December 25 you are part of the festivities.
而在上海这个“购物之都”呢，现在整座城市已经被各种blingbling的装饰品、五颜六色的灯光及巨大的（假）圣诞树给包围了。看上真是华丽丽的，但上海真的就发自内心接纳了圣诞的文化和观念了么？我看未必。
In Shanghai, China's shopping capital, the entire city is currently completely covered in tinsel and lights and large fake Christmas trees. And yet, the soul of Shanghai has not yet embraced the concept of Christmas.
什么叫“发自内心”呢？你看，现在上海的各大商场的确都装扮得非常浮夸了，但真正能了解圣诞背后的历史及含义的中国人，估计依旧少之又少。
By my reference to "soul," I mean that beyond all the superficial decorations and shopping mall sales, the average Chinese has absolutely no understanding of the true meaning of, or history behind, Christmas.
不过，我也遇到过一些比较开明的家长，他们希望孩子能更多地接触西方文化，以便今后能更好地在这个愈加全球化的世界生活与发展。于是问题来了：咱们应该在中国的学校里教孩子们去了解圣诞节吗？
But I have on occasion met some open-minded Chinese families who want to incorporate more Western culture into their child's life to prepare them for their future lives in a globalized world. This brings me to the debate on whether foreigners should be teaching Christmas in schools in China.
但是换个角度，我又觉得我们有责任去把自己国家的文化习俗介绍给中国学生们，帮助他们开拓眼界。
On the one hand, it seems that we bear a responsibility to explain our cultures and customs from back home to Chinese students to enlighten their minds.
毕竟，作为老师，我相信自己的职责不光是教好书本上的那点知识，更应该帮助学生去更好地认识世界。
As a teacher, I believe that my role is not just to teach academics but also inspire and expand their understanding of the world.
不过，相比起去死磕圣诞的宗教成分，我倒建议咱们外教老师能侧重介绍它文化层面的内容。毕竟在英美等国家，过圣诞本来就注重社交层面胜过宗教因素，死磕圣诞的宗教内涵也会有些尴尬。
But rather than dwell on the religious elements of Christmas - because this is a touchy issue even in England and the US, where Christmas is often celebrated for social rather than spiritual reasons - I suggest that we focus on whether foreign educators in China should teach the more cultural aspects of Christmas.
有些中国老师觉得过圣诞的套路挺傻的，什么圣诞老人啦，麋鹿啦，小精灵啦，还交换礼物啦，哄小孩儿呢。但对于中国孩子来说，这的确可以是很好玩的互动体验啊，还能在不觉中吸收和消化国外的一些观念。先上这些轻松有趣的，之后再教授更严肃复杂的东西。我坚信，想要教好一门语言，文化是必不可少的催化剂。
Chinese teachers tend to view as silly things like Santa Claus, reindeer, elves and even gift exchanges. But this can be the fun, interactive experience that Chinese children need to absorb and assimilate foreign concepts. The heavy, serious stuff comes later. I do believe that teaching about culture aids teaching a new language.
也许本地的老师认为，中国已经有许多历史悠久的传统节日和习俗了，还要再教孩子们圣诞节之类的东西，会不会太多了点儿？
Perhaps Chinese teachers think it is too much to teach Chinese children about Christmas alongside their own various festivals, as China has many ancient traditions that have lived on over the millennia.
话虽这么说，但圣诞的确有它特有的“魔力”。它让一代又一代的西方孩子通过圣诞接触并接纳了许多宝贵的家庭观念，而这同样也能让中国家庭受益。说真的，即使在我20多岁时，过圣诞依然让我兴奋不已，它所传递的精神让我分外思念故乡。
Nevertheless, Christmas is a unique, "magical" holiday that has bestowed family values on generations of Western children and can do the same for Chinese families. If I can be honest here, even in my 20s I often get caught up in the excitement of the Christmas spirit because it reminds me of home.
它早已成为我们的文化与生活中不可分割的一部分，深刻心底，浸入灵魂。所以，所以，即便今年的圣诞我无法回家，这周末我依旧会和其他歪果仁们在上海过节，我还在卧室里摆了一棵真正的圣诞树。并且，我会坚持教我的学生们去认识与了解这个节日。
And even though I won't be coming home for Christmas this year, the reason my fellow expats and I are celebrating the holiday in Shanghai this weekend, the reason I currently have a real Christmas tree in my bedroom and the reason I persist in teaching Christmas at my school is because the occasion is indelibly part of our culture, our lives and our hearts and our souls.
我希望，我所写下的这些东西能让同在上海教书的老外们有所思考：带孩子们认识圣诞节，主要是为了增加他们的阅历、启发他们探索多元的世界，而不是为了满足咱们内心小小的孤独与乡愁。
I hope this discussion will prompt more consideration of whether we as foreigners are teaching Christmas to educate and inspire our Chinese students or rather just to satisfy our own homesickness and loneliness.
毕竟，我们又无法在中国的课堂上给孩(zi)子(ji)营造出完全西方化的圣诞氛围，这样“假公济私”并无太多意义。
Because unless we can actually manage to provide our students that same magical feeling in class that Westerners feel on Christmas morning, is there really any point?
所以咯，就简简单单地教学生们唱唱圣诞歌，画画圣诞卡片，再教点“麋鹿”这类平常他们几乎用不到的单词——就这样浅浅感受一下圣诞就好啦！有趣又轻松，何乐不为呢？
After all, just singing some Christmas carols, asking your students to draw a card and teaching them vocabulary like "reindeer" holds little significance for them and just clutters up their brains with yet another English word they'll never really need to know in their lives.
原文：Sabrina Samra
翻译：lanlan
图：Chen Xia、网络
更多精彩讯息，请关注环球时报英文版：
twitter: @globaltimesnews
facebook: @Global Times
后天就是圣诞节啦！
对于咱们大多数人来说，就算过圣诞，也无非是逛街聚餐看表演，以娱乐为主。
但是对于有过圣诞传统的老外——尤其信基督教的老外来说——这个节日，就没那么简单了……
今天给咱们投稿的，是一枚在上海教书的英国老师。
外教老师应该教中国学生认识和了解圣诞节吗？ 对于这个问题，这枚老师有着她自己的看法。
来听听她说了些啥吧——
Sabrina Samra, UK
中国是一个以无神论为主的国家，但最近几十年啊，它倒是对越来越对基督教敞开怀抱、对有宗教信仰的老外们也越来越欢迎了。
China is technically an Atheist country, but in recent decades it has begun to accept the re-emerging presence of Christianity. Additionally, China is increasingly welcoming of devoutly faithful foreigners.
这在上海尤为明显。魔都的歪果仁众多，似乎的教堂和寺庙等也相应地多了起来。但是……如果让本地学校的外教老师们去教学生了解基督教的节日，中国人还会那么乐意吗？难说了。
This is especially prevalent in Shanghai, where the city's large expat population is privileged to have an equally large number of churches and temples. But when it comes to teaching Christian holidays at Chinese schools, how far is the city willing to let foreigners go?
比方说圣诞节。这个节日举世闻名，在西方国家更几乎是百分之百的重大节庆日，大家会用各种各样的方式来欢度圣诞。在我们英国呢，过节的方法挺主流的：公司放假，学校放假，家人团聚在一起看电视（比如圣诞主题的节目啥的），然后还有买买买咯。
Christmas is, almost internationally and definitely in Western countries, celebrated one way or another by all. Our societies literally embrace this spiritual holiday by giving everyone time off from work and school to be together with our families, watch Christmas-themed television programming, and, yes, shop.
就算你不搞那些装扮圣诞树之类的套路，就单单在25号放个假休息会儿，那也算是过了节啦。
Even if you do not attend mass or buy a Christmas tree for your living room, simply by taking a day off on December 25 you are part of the festivities.
而在上海这个“购物之都”呢，现在整座城市已经被各种blingbling的装饰品、五颜六色的灯光及巨大的（假）圣诞树给包围了。看上真是华丽丽的，但上海真的就发自内心接纳了圣诞的文化和观念了么？我看未必。
In Shanghai, China's shopping capital, the entire city is currently completely covered in tinsel and lights and large fake Christmas trees. And yet, the soul of Shanghai has not yet embraced the concept of Christmas.
什么叫“发自内心”呢？你看，现在上海的各大商场的确都装扮得非常浮夸了，但真正能了解圣诞背后的历史及含义的中国人，估计依旧少之又少。
By my reference to "soul," I mean that beyond all the superficial decorations and shopping mall sales, the average Chinese has absolutely no understanding of the true meaning of, or history behind, Christmas.
不过，我也遇到过一些比较开明的家长，他们希望孩子能更多地接触西方文化，以便今后能更好地在这个愈加全球化的世界生活与发展。于是问题来了：咱们应该在中国的学校里教孩子们去了解圣诞节吗？
But I have on occasion met some open-minded Chinese families who want to incorporate more Western culture into their child's life to prepare them for their future lives in a globalized world. This brings me to the debate on whether foreigners should be teaching Christmas in schools in China.
但是换个角度，我又觉得我们有责任去把自己国家的文化习俗介绍给中国学生们，帮助他们开拓眼界。
On the one hand, it seems that we bear a responsibility to explain our cultures and customs from back home to Chinese students to enlighten their minds.
毕竟，作为老师，我相信自己的职责不光是教好书本上的那点知识，更应该帮助学生去更好地认识世界。
As a teacher, I believe that my role is not just to teach academics but also inspire and expand their understanding of the world.
不过，相比起去死磕圣诞的宗教成分，我倒建议咱们外教老师能侧重介绍它文化层面的内容。毕竟在英美等国家，过圣诞本来就注重社交层面胜过宗教因素，死磕圣诞的宗教内涵也会有些尴尬。
But rather than dwell on the religious elements of Christmas - because this is a touchy issue even in England and the US, where Christmas is often celebrated for social rather than spiritual reasons - I suggest that we focus on whether foreign educators in China should teach the more cultural aspects of Christmas.
有些中国老师觉得过圣诞的套路挺傻的，什么圣诞老人啦，麋鹿啦，小精灵啦，还交换礼物啦，哄小孩儿呢。但对于中国孩子来说，这的确可以是很好玩的互动体验啊，还能在不觉中吸收和消化国外的一些观念。先上这些轻松有趣的，之后再教授更严肃复杂的东西。我坚信，想要教好一门语言，文化是必不可少的催化剂。
Chinese teachers tend to view as silly things like Santa Claus, reindeer, elves and even gift exchanges. But this can be the fun, interactive experience that Chinese children need to absorb and assimilate foreign concepts. The heavy, serious stuff comes later. I do believe that teaching about culture aids teaching a new language.
也许本地的老师认为，中国已经有许多历史悠久的传统节日和习俗了，还要再教孩子们圣诞节之类的东西，会不会太多了点儿？
Perhaps Chinese teachers think it is too much to teach Chinese children about Christmas alongside their own various festivals, as China has many ancient traditions that have lived on over the millennia.
话虽这么说，但圣诞的确有它特有的“魔力”。它让一代又一代的西方孩子通过圣诞接触并接纳了许多宝贵的家庭观念，而这同样也能让中国家庭受益。说真的，即使在我20多岁时，过圣诞依然让我兴奋不已，它所传递的精神让我分外思念故乡。
Nevertheless, Christmas is a unique, "magical" holiday that has bestowed family values on generations of Western children and can do the same for Chinese families. If I can be honest here, even in my 20s I often get caught up in the excitement of the Christmas spirit because it reminds me of home.
它早已成为我们的文化与生活中不可分割的一部分，深刻心底，浸入灵魂。所以，所以，即便今年的圣诞我无法回家，这周末我依旧会和其他歪果仁们在上海过节，我还在卧室里摆了一棵真正的圣诞树。并且，我会坚持教我的学生们去认识与了解这个节日。
And even though I won't be coming home for Christmas this year, the reason my fellow expats and I are celebrating the holiday in Shanghai this weekend, the reason I currently have a real Christmas tree in my bedroom and the reason I persist in teaching Christmas at my school is because the occasion is indelibly part of our culture, our lives and our hearts and our souls.
我希望，我所写下的这些东西能让同在上海教书的老外们有所思考：带孩子们认识圣诞节，主要是为了增加他们的阅历、启发他们探索多元的世界，而不是为了满足咱们内心小小的孤独与乡愁。
I hope this discussion will prompt more consideration of whether we as foreigners are teaching Christmas to educate and inspire our Chinese students or rather just to satisfy our own homesickness and loneliness.
毕竟，我们又无法在中国的课堂上给孩(zi)子(ji)营造出完全西方化的圣诞氛围，这样“假公济私”并无太多意义。
Because unless we can actually manage to provide our students that same magical feeling in class that Westerners feel on Christmas morning, is there really any point?
所以咯，就简简单单地教学生们唱唱圣诞歌，画画圣诞卡片，再教点“麋鹿”这类平常他们几乎用不到的单词——就这样浅浅感受一下圣诞就好啦！有趣又轻松，何乐不为呢？
After all, just singing some Christmas carols, asking your students to draw a card and teaching them vocabulary like "reindeer" holds little significance for them and just clutters up their brains with yet another English word they'll never really need to know in their lives.
原文：Sabrina Samra
翻译：lanlan
图：Chen Xia、网络
更多精彩讯息，请关注环球时报英文版：
twitter: @globaltimesnews
facebook: @Global Times
