As winter rolls around again this year and the days become chillier^{1, millions of people around the world will break out their winter coats and look forward with anticipation2 to the approaching holiday season. That's right, Christmas is upon us again. For some, that means digging out those old lights and ornaments3 out of the closet to hang on the Christmas tree. For others, it means frantic4 days of gift-shopping at the mall. For many children, Christmas is the season of Santa Claus, that mysterious and jolly invader5 of chimneys, soaring through the sky on his magical sled, bearing gifts for the nice and coal for the naughty.
當冬季的腳步漸行漸近之時，天氣也愈加冷，全球各地的數百萬人都會將冬衣籌備好并期待假期的到來。沒錯，圣誕來了！對一些人而言，這意味著要將櫥柜里往年的裝飾燈具和裝裝飾品倒騰出來掛在圣誕節樹上了。對另外一些人而言，這意味著要在商廈里瘋狂地選擇和購買禮物了。但對一些孩子來講，圣誕是那個神秘又高興、會爬煙囪、在他魔幻般的雪橇上從天空呼嘯而過并給乖孩子送禮物物向調皮鬼扔煤球的老人--圣誕節老人的節日。}

Most people who celebrate Christmas are familiar with the figure of Santa Claus. However, few know the details of his origins or the fairly complex history of his development.
大部分慶祝圣誕節的人對圣誕節老人都很了解。但，幾乎無人了解他的由來及其復雜的進步史。

The figure of Santa Claus actually has many different origins and is derived^{6 from a variety of traditions. Elements from these different traditions became incorporated together with time and produced the Santa Claus that we know today. The primary inspiration for Santa Claus is the 4th century Christian7 bishop8 Saint Nicholas of Myra. Nicholas resided in the ancient Lycian town of Myra, located in Byzantine Anatolia. Having devoted9 his entire life to Christianity at a young age, Nicholas became known for his generous gifts to the poor. One famous story tells of how he presented three impoverished10 daughters of a faithful Christian with dowries so that they would not have to become prostitutes. Today, we continue to use Saint Nicholas as a pseudonym11 for Santa Claus.
事實上，圣誕節老人這個形象起源多樣，來自不一樣的傳統。而這類來自不同傳統的原因伴隨時間的流逝漸漸融合，最后形成了大家今天所熟知的圣誕節老人。剛開始的圣誕節老人形象來源于4世紀的邁拉基督主教圣尼克拉斯，他居住在小亞細亞拜占庭的古利西亞小鎮邁拉。他在年輕的時候就將我們的一生都獻給了基督教并因慷慨地為貧弱之人捐獻禮物而聞名。其中一個有名的故事講述了他是怎么樣資助3名真誠而又貧弱無助的基督徒，為她們置辦嫁妝而讓她們不至于淪落為妓女的事情。今天，大家仍然用圣尼克拉斯（或者圣尼克）作為圣誕節老人的別稱。}

Elements of Santa Claus folklore^{12 are also derived from Germanic traditions. In Proto-Germanic mythology14, the god Odin would host a great hunting party for the gods and fallen warriors15 each year at Yule. It was an old tradition for children to fill their boots with carrots, straw, or sugar and place them near the chimney for Odin's flying horse, Sleipnir, to eat. Odin would then replace Sleipnir's food with gifts or candy to reward those children for their kindness. These practices survived after Germany's Christianization and the practice became associated with Saint Nicholas. Today, children continue to place stockings or socks near the chimney for Santa to place gifts in.
圣誕節老人民間傳聞的原因還源于德國的傳統。在德國古老的神話中，歐丁神會在圣誕那天為眾神和過世的勇士舉辦盛大的打獵狂歡會。所以對于孩子來講，這是個古老的傳統，他們會在我們的靴子里塞滿胡蘿卜、稻草或者糖塊并將靴子放在煙囪的附近，以便讓歐丁奔馳的駿馬斯雷皮涅來吃。歐丁會把麋鹿的食物換成禮物或者糖果，作為好心孩子的回報。這類習慣在德國（還有比利時和荷蘭）被基督化后保留了下來并和圣尼克拉斯聯系起來。今天，孩子們仍然將長襪或者短襪放在煙囪的附近，以便圣誕節老人放禮物進來。}

In the Netherlands, Saint Nicholas is also known by the shortened form of his name Sinterklass. The popular North American form Santa Claus is actually a mispronunciation of the Dutch form. Parallels in the lore^{13 of Santa's helpers can also be traced to stories told in the Netherlands about a young Ethiopian slave boy named Peter. According to the story, Saint Nicholas freed Peter from a Myra market, and the boy was so thankful he decided16 to stay with Nicholas as a helper. In Dutch, Nicholas's helper is known as Zwarte Piet . Many have felt the name to contain racial connotations. Today, Zwarte Piet has become a modern servant who has a black face because he climbs through chimneys and gets soot17 all over him.
在荷蘭，圣尼克拉斯被簡稱為圣特克拉斯。北美常見的稱呼Santa Claus事實上源于荷蘭發錯音的Sinterklass。而談到圣誕節老人的助手，可追溯到荷蘭的民間故事，那是有關一個叫做皮特的年少埃塞俄比亞奴隸男生的故事：圣?尼克拉斯在邁拉的市場上給皮特贖身，皮特對此感激涕零，決定成為尼克拉斯的助手。在荷蘭，尼克拉斯的助手被叫做Zwarte Piet（黑皮特），不少人覺得這個稱呼包括種族方面的言外之意。今天，Zwarte Piet成為了現代的仆人，他因爬煙囪沾得滿身煙灰，面色由此變黑。}