卷福寫給圣誕老人的信

繪/木 南

卷福寫給圣誕老人的信

A Letter to Father Christmas from Benedict Cumberbatch

繪/木 南

Dear Father Christmas,

So my friend has asked me to write to you... I have to confess①confess 英 ［k?n'fes］ 美 ［k?n'f?s］ vt. vi.承認；坦白；懺悔；供認eg. Now， I must confess that I'm at my wit's end. 現在我必須承認我已毫無辦法。it's been hard to know what to say. Mainly because like most adults I feel preposterous②preposterous 英 ［pr?'p?st（?）r?s］ 美 ［pr?'pɑst?r?s］ adj. 荒謬的；可笑的asking anything of you because our time with you is surely done. Now we get our own presents, control our own fates, take responsibility for③takeresponsibilityfor對……負責eg.You'llneverhavethepowertochangethesituationuntilyoutakeresponsibilityforit.你永遠不會行使自己的權力去改變這個情況，直到有一刻你承擔了這個責任。our own actions, and live in the world we have created... so it's not for us to turn around and plead for④plead for v. 請求；為……辯護your help with the environment, the migrant crisis, the NHS, education, food banks, human rights, fundamentalism and wars. Though God knows we need all the help we can get with all these man-made⑤man-made 美 ［'m?n'med］ adj. 人造的；人工的；合成的problems and more.

And it's not that you aren't compassionate and full of joy. You're great. In spite of you being changed into different colours for corporations and being bastardised⑥bastardised bastardise的過去式 bastardise ［'b?st?daiz］ ［主英國英語］ = bastardize vi. 退化；變劣vt. 使……品質低落；判定……為私生子to represent materialism⑦materialism 英 ［m?'t??r??l?z（?）m］ 美 ［m?'t?r??l?z?m］ n. 唯物主義；唯物論；物質主義gone mad—despite probably originating in some season based pagan druid ritual a million thought miles from requests for spontaneously⑧spontaneously英 ［sp?n'te?n??sl?］ 美 ［sp?n'teni?sli］ adv. 自發地；自然地；不由自主地combusting⑨combust 英 ［k?m'b?st］ vt. 燃燒；消耗 n. 燃料hoverboards... Kidadults cynically pointing this out⑩point out 指出，指明after having their moment of belief in you are wasting everyone's precious time. Because you are not for them. You are for the children. Children who need some magic in a world where the borders between innocence and responsibility, playful imagination and cold, adult obstacles are continually shrinking.

This is what I'd like to ask you to help with. A little more time for children to be children. Stretch?combust 英 ［k?m'b?st］ vt. 燃燒；消耗 n. 燃料the moment of magic and playfulness. Distract them from the realities of a world gone mad so that they can laugh with their breath rather than sob with their tears. Especially those caringfor family members, or suffering illness, hunger or poverty. Especially those hiding in buildings as bombs rain down, or being handed shaking with fear or cold into a boat to escape environmental disaster or war. Please help to light up their worlds with a moment of joy and hope.

When I think about it you've got it tough this year... And when I really think about it I'm not sure that asking you for a lightsaber and getting one (not that I ever did by the way) is equatable with?beequatablewith與……等同controlling the space time continuum?continuum英 ［k?n't?nj??m］ 美 ［k?n't?nju?m］ n. ［數］ 連續統；［經］ 連續統一體；閉聯集and making the good of childhood last a little longer.

But you do inspire wonder and awe amongst those that write you letters and go to sleep hoping there might be a new object in their possession come dawn. You inspire good behaviour and, at least in my memory, some desperate last minute attempts to redeem?redeem 英 ［r?'di?m］ 美 ［r?'dim］ vt. 贖回；挽回；兌換；履行；補償；恢復bad behaviour so as not to be overlooked. Spare a thought too for those millions who want to write to you but through illiteracy can't. Hear their words and help to give them the time and chance to learn how to read and write so they can better their lives and escape their impoverished?impoverished 英 ［?m'p?v?r??t］ 美 ［?m'pɑv?r??t］ adj. 窮困的；用盡了的，無創造性的beginnings.

I feel a little sorry for you. And I guess I've done exactly what I said I wouldn't... Asked you to help with adult problems and solve some of the greatest worries we have for our children. I promise to leave some extra port and mince pies for you!

Lots of love

Benedict x

P.S. Please could I have that lightsaber now?

親愛的圣誕老人：

我的朋友叫我寫信給你……我不得不承認實在很難知道該對你說什么。主要是因為像大部分成年人一樣，我覺得對你要求點什么好像很荒謬，因為我們和你已經沒有交集了。現在的我們自己給自己買禮物，掌握自己的命運，對自己的行為負責，并且生活在我們自己創造的世界里面……所以我們沒有理由找你幫忙來解決我們自己所造成的那些問題，比如環境問題、移民危機、NHS醫保系統、教育、食物銀行、人權、原教旨主義和戰爭。盡管天曉得，我們真的需要任何能得到的幫助來面對這些人造的危機和麻煩。

并不是說你沒有同情心或者沒有讓我們快樂。你很棒。盡管你被各種商業機構篡改得面貌全非，被妖魔化而代表了瘋狂的拜金主義——簡直像異教徒的儀式，一般每到這個季節就要求禮物填滿欲望，比如那種有可能突然就自燃了的懸滑板。那些童心未泯的成人冷笑著指出你是在浪費每個人的寶貴時間，卻忘了他們自己也曾相信你。因為你不是他們的。你是孩子們的。那些孩子需要你的魔力，因為在這個世界上，天真與責任、充滿樂趣的想象力與冰冷的成人的障礙之間的界限正在不斷地萎縮逝去。

這才是我想請求你幫助的。讓孩子們有更多的時間只做孩子吧。延伸這魔力與樂趣的時間。讓他們不去關注這瘋狂的真實世界，讓他們可以歡笑而不是流淚。尤其是那些不得不照顧家庭的、身患疾病的、挨餓受窮的孩子們。尤其是那些藏身在位于爆炸雨里的建筑中，或不得不又凍又怕的顫抖著被塞進船里才能逃出災難和戰爭環境中的孩子。請你照亮他們的世界，給他們一絲希望和歡樂。

當我想到今年你的處境艱難的時候……當我仔細思考，我不能確定找你要一柄星球大戰里面的光劍并且真的得到它（呃，并不曾得到過）能勝過控制時空介質而令美好的童年再多停留一陣子。

但對于那些真的給你寫信、憧憬著你會在天明前給他們放好禮物而入睡的孩子們，你帶來了好奇和敬畏。你激發了善行，并且至少在記憶里，孩子們在最后一分鐘試圖彌補做錯的事情并希望不會因為做錯事而被你懲罰。還希望你要照顧一下上百萬的不能讀寫的人們，他們想要給你寫信卻不行。傾聽他們的聲音，給他們時間和機會學習讀和寫，這樣他們就可以過上更好的生活，逃離貧困的處境。

我現在對你感到抱歉了。我好像剛剛做了我明明說了我不會做的事……我希望你能幫忙解決成人制造出來的麻煩，緩解我們對我們的孩子最大的擔憂。我向你保證，我會給你留超多的肉餡餅的！

愛你喲

Benedict ， 么么噠

P.S. 現在我能拿到我的光劍了嗎？