Every year, people all across the globe celebrate the Christmas season with all sorts of lights and decorations. But no holiday decoration is more iconic than the Christmas tree. But have you ever wondered, Why do we decorate trees to celebrate Christmas? Let's find out on today's episode of Colossal Questions.
每年，世界各地慶祝聖誕季時會佈置各式各樣的燈飾或飾品。但最具代表性的節慶裝飾物莫過於聖誕樹了。但你是否曾經好奇，為什麼慶祝聖誕節要裝飾聖誕樹呢？一起在今天這集《大哉問》中找出答案吧。
Most historians agree that the very first Christmas tree was decorated over 1,300 years ago in modern-day Germany. As the old story goes, an English missionary named Saint Boniface traveled to Germany in the 700s. While in Germany, he came across a group of Norse pagans, who were preparing to make a sacrifice to the sacred oak tree. Boniface stopped the sacrifice by cutting down the oak tree with one swing of an ax. And according to the legend, a fir tree sprang up in the spot where the oak tree had been standing. Now, that story is just an old legend. Saint Boniface never really cut down a tree, and a fir tree never really sprung up instantly in its place. But what is true is that the Christmas tree is a melding of pagan and Christian traditions.
多數歷史學家贊同，第一棵被裝飾的聖誕樹出現在一千三百年前的德國。這個古老故事是這樣的：聖波尼法爵是位英國傳教士，在西元八世紀時前往德國傳教。在那裡，他遇上一群北歐異教徒，他們正準備向神聖的橡樹獻祭。聖波尼法爵斧頭一揮砍斷橡樹，終止了獻祭儀式。據說，原先橡樹生長的地方長出了一棵冷杉樹。這故事不過是個古老傳說。聖波尼法爵從未砍倒橡樹，橡樹生長處也沒有立刻長出一棵冷杉樹。但有件事是真的，那就是聖誕樹結合了異教徒和基督教傳統。
Okay, so, that's where the Christmas tree comes from, but how did it go from a story about a fir tree to lights and ornaments in our living room? Well, it started to take shape during the Middle Ages when churches began decorating living fir trees with apples on Christmas Eve. They didn't call them Christmas trees yet, though. Back then, they were known as "Paradise Trees."
好，這是聖誕樹的由來，但這棵冷杉樹又是如何發展成我們客廳中掛滿燈飾和飾品的聖誕樹的呢？嗯，最早可以追溯到中世紀，當時教堂開始在平安夜時用蘋果裝飾冷杉樹。但那時還不叫聖誕樹。在當時，那些樹被稱作「天堂樹」。
By the mid-1500s, people started adding lit candles to the fir trees to go with the apples. Slowly but surely, the Christmas tree as we know it today was starting to take shape. It wasn't until 1841 that Christmas trees became widely known outside of Germany. That's because Queen Victoria of England married a German prince named Albert. That winter, he began the custom of decorating a large Christmas tree at the queen's castle. In those days, Queen Victoria wasn't just a queen. She was also a fashion icon. So everything she did became fashionable. So, after a print was published of the queen and her family in front of their decorated fir tree, Christmas trees became all the rage across the Western world.
到了 16 世紀中，人們開始在蘋果旁擺上蠟燭作為裝飾。從那時開始，這種傳統就緩慢而穩定地發展成我們今日熟知的聖誕樹。不過直到 1841 年，聖誕樹才在德國以外地區廣為人知。這是因為維多利亞女王嫁給德國的阿爾伯特親王。那年冬天，阿爾伯特親王在女王的城堡開啟裝飾大型聖誕樹的傳統。在當時，維多利亞女王不只是女王。更是時尚指標。因此她的一舉一動都會成為流行。當維多利亞女王一家站在裝飾的冷杉樹前的照片刊登出來，聖誕樹開始蔚為風潮，席捲了西方世界。
In the United States, Christmas trees were mostly just decorated by German immigrants who came to the U.S. and lived in places like Pennsylvania. It wasn't until the invention of the electric light that Christmas trees really took off in America. People across the country loved it. And just like that, the modern Christmas tree was born.
在美國，早期會裝飾聖誕樹的大多是來自賓州的德國移民。直到電燈發明後，聖誕樹才開始在美國盛行。聖誕樹也深受全國人民喜愛。就這樣，現代聖誕樹誕生了。
And now you know why we put up trees at Christmastime. Comment below if you have a question you'd like to know the answer to. And don't forget to subscribe for more episodes of Colossal Questions! Only on DreamWorksTV.
而現在，你已經知道我們為什麼會在聖誕時節立聖誕樹。如果有問題想問，歡迎在下方留言。另外也別忘了訂閱我們的頻道，觀看更多《大哉問》!只在 DreamWorksTV 頻道。
- 「突然出現、迅速增長」- Spring Up
And according to the legend, a fir tree sprang up in the spot where the oak tree had been standing.
據說，原先橡樹生長的地方長出了一棵冷杉樹。 - 「緩慢且穩定地」- slowly but surely
Slowly but surely, the Christmas tree as we know it today was starting to take shape.
從那時開始，這種傳統就緩慢而穩定地發展成我們今日熟知的聖誕樹。 - 「風靡一時、蔚為風潮」- all the rage
So, after a print was published of the queen and her family in front of their decorated fir tree, Christmas trees became all the rage across the Western world.
當維多利亞女王一家站在裝飾的冷杉樹前的照片刊登出來，聖誕樹開始蔚為風潮，席捲了西方世界。 - 「突然盛行、突然走紅」- take off
It wasn't until the invention of the electric light that Christmas trees really took off in America.
直到電燈發明後，聖誕樹才開始在美國盛行。 - 「立起」- put up
And now you know why we put up trees at Christmastime.
而現在，你已經知道我們為什麼會在聖誕時節立聖誕樹。
