2015-01-03

【Aiden in English】

        Charles Dickens, as I have said before, had a huge influence over the globe. So influencing the Byers’ Choice, a company in Chalfont of PA, made a mini Dickensian village described in Dickens’ novella of A Christmas Carol in its museum. 

        When I meant mini, I meant really, really mini like a person was the-size-of-a-pencil-mini. Byers’ Choice has a store that sells handcrafts their artisans create to those who aren’t so crazy about all the lights on Christmas. For 30 years, they have been making hundreds and hundreds of carolers and putting them on display. This year’s theme like Macy’s was Dickens Village in tiny towns, dressed in tiny old fashion clothes, had their mouths wide open, and music pumped through speakers that I couldn’t see. This gave the feeling that all tiny-tiny dolls were singing. Fake, white snow covered the grounds of the village, while Christmas ornaments hung on houses. Then, Byers’ Choice threw something I had no idea that would happen. Displays showed people celebrating Christmas world-wide. People in Scandinavia celebrated Christmas in farms, while people in England came out in their little towns to say hello.

        Byers’ Choice is certainly putting up a show and by all means. I guess that they want to say to all visitors this Christmas is for everyone. I would like them to do it again next year.

【紅霞譯文】

        正如我前面文章里所描述的那樣，查爾斯•狄更斯對全世界影響極深，遠在費城的不講，且說附近有這麼一家位於賓州查爾方特鎮名叫“拜爾斯選擇” 有限公司，就以狄更斯中篇小說《聖誕頌歌》為藍本，在自家博物館搭建了微型狄更斯村莊。

        我這裡指的微型確實特別小，小到人的高矮僅有鉛筆那麼大。“拜爾斯選擇”內設小賣部，裡面出售本公司手工藝人創造的工藝產品，深得那些並非迷戀聖誕燈顧客的青睞。過去卅年來，數以百計歡唱聖誕禮讚的人雕已與觀眾見面；今年歡慶主題與費城梅西百貨商場不謀而合，模型中的城鎮鄉間全部裝點成狄更斯村莊，小人們身着纖巧古老的服裝張開大口隨音樂高聲歡唱，人造白雪覆蓋整個大街小巷，家家戶戶披紅掛綠，顯得喜氣洋。出乎意料地，展廳里還有世界各地歡度聖誕的場景：斯堪的納維亞半島農場、英格蘭田園鄉村等。

        “拜爾斯選擇”盡其所能將聖誕傳統展現在人們面前，無非就想與廣大觀眾共享節日快樂，聖誕屬於我們每一個人，但願明年繼續展出。