英语六级必读美文014：圣诞老人_大学英语阅读

英语六级必读美文014：圣诞老人

　　尼古拉在世时慷慨仁慈的名声衍生出他为穷人、弱者和孩子创造奇迹的许多故事。尼古拉死后，人们对他的挚爱延伸到欧洲各地。节日仪式定在12月6日举行，但是他作为赠礼者的声望，后来却与12月25日圣诞节的庆典扯上了关系。

　　After the Reformation in the 16th century, Nicholass cult disappeared in most Protestant countries of Europe. But his legend was united with old Nordic folktales of a magician who punished naughty children and rewarded good children with presents. In England, he became known as Father Christmas. But in Holland, Saint Nicholas name and reputation persisted as sinterklaas .

　　16世纪宗教改革运动以后，对尼古拉的膜拜便在多数欧洲新教国家销声匿迹了o但是有关他的传说却跟一个北欧民间故事结合了起来，故事中有位魔术师，他爱惩罚顽皮的孩子，并送礼物奖励好孩子。在英格兰，尼古拉成为家喻户晓的圣诞节之父。而在荷兰，圣人尼古拉的名声依旧以 Sinterklaas 的名字流传。

　　In the 17th century , Dutch colorusts took this tradition with them to America. Later, Sinterklaas was adopted by the English-speaking majority as Santa Claus . The resulting image of a jolly old elf driving a sleigh with eight tiny reindeef crystallized in the 19th century . That was when Clement Moore wrote the now-famous poem A Visit From Saint Nick. And the red-and-white suit? That was created by a Coca-Cola adman in the 1930s.