第1414期:Christmas kindness

I'll be working this Christmas. My job? Santa Claus! White beard and red clothes are optional. 今年圣诞节我要工作。我的工作？圣诞老人！白胡子和红衣服是可选的。
I'll be joining thousands of volunteers in Britain who go and help homeless and elderly people as well as poor children.我将加入英国成千上万的志愿者，他们去帮助无家可归者、老年人以及贫困儿童。
Solidarity comes to life at this time of the year. 团结在一年中的这个时候变得生动起来。
It's cold and many people feel lonely. 天气很冷，很多人都感到孤独。
I'll be there for them. I was inspired by a woman in Scotland - Beatrice Cadell has just celebrated her 80th birthday and instead of presents for her, she asked her friends to buy toys. 我会在他们身边。我受到苏格兰一位女士的启发——Beatrice Cadell 刚刚庆祝了她的 80 岁生日，她没有给她礼物，而是让她的朋友们买玩具。
They'll be donated to a toy bank - free toys for children whose parents can't afford to buy them any.他们将被捐赠给一家玩具银行——为那些父母买不起玩具的孩子免费提供玩具。
Cadell said: "Everyone that turned up to my birthday do was absolutely brilliant! Somebody else can benefit.卡德尔说：“在我生日那天出现的每个人都非常出色！其他人可以从中受益。 
We don't need it. We're old."我们不需要它。我们老了。”
There are plenty of places which welcome a helping hand at Christmas. 在圣诞节有很多地方欢迎伸出援助之手。
The charity Crisis at Christmas, for example, has been looking for more than 10,000 volunteers to assist guests in their centres for homeless people. 例如，慈善机构“圣诞节危机”一直在寻找 10,000 多名志愿者来帮助他们为无家可归者服务的中心的客人。
Volunteers with specialist skills like dentists, hairdressers, lorry drivers and performers are particularly welcome.特别欢迎具有专业技能的志愿者，如牙医、美发师、卡车司机和表演者。
Another organisation, Community Christmas, is keen on volunteers who wish to offer companionship to lonely, elderly people on Christmas Day – it can be over a full lunch or just a cup of tea.另一个组织，社区圣诞节，热衷于希望在圣诞节为孤独的老年人提供陪伴的志愿者——这可以是一顿丰盛的午餐或一杯茶。
They have a website with a location page so that good Samaritans can register their interest in helping out and find out more.他们有一个带有位置页面的网站，这样好心的撒玛利亚人就可以登记他们有兴趣提供帮助并了解更多信息。
Scrooge is a character very much associated with this time of year.斯克罗吉是一个与一年中的这个时候非常相关的角色。
He's the central figure in A Christmas Carol, a classic by the English writer Charles Dickens. 他是英国作家查尔斯狄更斯的经典著作《圣诞颂歌》的中心人物。
Scrooge is a selfish man who only helps himself. 斯克罗吉是个自私的人，只会帮助自己。
In the world of volunteering, there's no Scrooge in sight.在志愿服务的世界里，看不到斯克罗吉。
We're all proud and happy Santas. Merry Christmas!我们都是骄傲和快乐的圣诞老人。圣诞节快乐！

词汇表

Santa Claus  圣诞老人
volunteer  志愿者
homeless  无家可归的
solidarity  团结一致
to be there for someone  在（某人）身边（提供帮助或支持）
to donate  捐献
do (noun)  聚会
to benefit  受益
a helping hand  援助之手
charity  慈善
to assist  协助
companionship  陪伴，友谊
good Samaritans  好心人，乐善好施的人
Scrooge (as an adjective)  吝啬鬼，守财奴
volunteering  志愿活动