正文
came to a lunch in The Mall.
为纪念我九十岁生日，来自600个慈善团体的志愿者和支持者来林荫大道参加午宴，我一直以来资助这些团体。
patron：赞助人
Many of these organisations are modest in size but inspire me with the work they do.
许多机构并不大，它们做的事却鼓舞着我。
From giving friendship and support to our
veterans
, the elderly or the
bereaved
; to championing music and dance; providing animal welfare; or protecting our fields and forests, their selfless devotion and generosity of spirit is an example to us all.
它们把友谊和支持给予退伍老兵、老年人和丧亲之人；它们赞助音乐和舞蹈；它们提供动物福利；它们保护我们的土地和森林；它们无私的奉献和慷慨的精神堪为典范。
veterans：老兵
bereaved：失去亲人的人
When people face a challenge they sometimes talk about taking a deep breath to find courage or strength. In fact, the word 'inspire' literally means 'to breathe in'.
遭遇挑战的人们有时会说，深吸一口气，拿出勇气和力量。事实上，“鼓舞”的字面意思就是“吸气”。
But even with the inspiration of others, it's understandable that we sometimes think the world's problems are so big that we can do little to help.
可即便受到他人鼓舞，我们有时还是发现，这个世界的问题太大，我们所做的不过杯水车薪，这是可以理解的。
On our own, we cannot end wars or wipe out injustice, but the cumulative impact of thousands of small acts of goodness can be bigger than we imagine.
就我们自己而言，我们无法结束战争，扫除不公，可成千上万微不足道的善行累加起来，能产生我们想象不到的巨大影响。
At Christmas, our attention is drawn to the birth of a baby some two thousand years ago. It was the humblest of beginnings, and his parents, Joseph and Mary, did not think they were important.
圣诞之际，我们又想起两千年前诞生的一个婴儿。他出生极为卑微，父母约瑟和玛丽并不觉得自己有多重要。
Jesus Christ lived obscurely for most of his life, and never travelled far. He was
maligned
and rejected by many, though he had done no wrong.
耶稣基督一生大部分时光都籍籍无名，未能行走天下。尽管他并没无过错，但还是屡遭诋毁和排挤。
malign [mə'lain]：诽谤、污蔑
And yet, billions of people now follow his teaching and find in him the guiding light for their lives.
而如今，数十亿人追随他的教诲，从他身上发现生命中引路的明灯。
I am one of them because Christ's example helps me see the value of doing small things with great love, whoever does them and whatever they themselves believe.
我就是其中一员，因为基督之范让我看到以大爱行小善的价值，无论是谁，无论他信仰什么。
The message of Christmas reminds us that inspiration is a gift to be given as well as received, and that love begins small but always grows.
圣诞传达的精神就是让我们记住，对心的启迪和鼓舞是一个礼物，既可接纳也可赠予，而爱起于微末，却总能茁壮成长。
I wish you all a very happy Christmas.
祝各位圣诞快乐。
译文参考：英文联播（微信ID：yingwenlianbo）
每年的圣诞演讲是为数不多的情况下，女王能直抒胸臆，发表一些自己的见解，而不需要征求政府的意见。
这个传统始于女王的爷爷乔治五世（King George V）在1932年首次进行的广播演讲。
英国国王乔治五世1935年圣诞日的广播演讲
BBC曾对这段背景做了如下介绍：
He was unsure about using the relatively untried medium of the wireless, but eventually agreed and read a message composed by author Rudyard Kipling.
他（乔治五世）并不确定是否使用尚未验证过的无线电波作为媒介，但最终还是同意了，并朗读了由拉迪亚德·吉卜林撰写的演讲稿。
The fixed time of 3 pm each year was chosen in 1932 because it was considered the best for reaching most of the countries in the British Empire by short wave.
演讲的时间定于每年圣诞的下午三点，这也是1932年定下的，当时是为了使短波能够最大范围覆盖大英帝国统治的国家。
但圣诞致辞真正成为每年的传统是从女王的父亲乔治六世（George VI）开始。
