英国首相卡梅伦朗读经典诗歌《圣诞前夜》

（单词翻译:单击）

The Night Before Christmas
‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug¹ in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter²,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters³ and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre⁴ of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer⁵,
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:
Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer⁶! and Vixen!
On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donder! and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!”
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St. Nicholas too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing⁸ and pawing of each little hoof⁹.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished¹⁰ with ashes and soot¹¹;
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll¹² little mouth was drawn¹³ up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump¹⁴ of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly¹⁵,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly.
He was chubby¹⁶ and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink⁷ of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread¹⁷;
He spoke¹⁸ not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night.