VOA常速英语:为那些可能没条件得到圣诞礼物的孩子派送礼物

It’s a different type of Santa’s workshop.In this warehouse located near the nation’s capital are hundreds of bicycles and rows of bags filled with clothes,dolls and toys for more than seven thousand children.Salvation Army Tree programs like this one are taking place in most cities across the United States.
这里是圣诞老人的作坊，与其他作坊不同。这是一个临近美国首都的仓库，里面存放着好几百辆自行车和无数个大袋子，袋子里面也满是为7000多个孩子准备的圣诞礼物：衣服、布娃娃还有各种各样的玩具。在美国大多数城市，有很多像“救世军天使树”这样的项目。

“We get a bike, a bag of toys.”The program pairs donors with children in need based on their ages, gender and Christmas wish lists.According to the fate-based organization,it spreads holiday joy in a season that can be hard on working families already struggling to make ends meet.“Sometimes, I don’t have money for buying the toys.It’s good for everybody.I appreciate it.”
“我们得到了一辆自行车还有一袋子玩具。”这个项目会根据孩子们的年龄、性别以及圣诞节愿望清单，将捐赠者与需要帮助的孩子们进行认捐配对。很大程度上，这是基于缘分安排的，该组织表示，这样做有助于传播圣诞节期间的快乐，因为对于普通工薪家庭来说，挣得钱勉强够维持生计，而圣诞节无疑又是一笔花销。“有时候，会没有钱给孩子买玩具。这个项目对我们都有益处。我很感激。”

Present others waited outside in frigid weather to pick up the bags and items donated for their families.“Their faces light up when they see the bags coming to them or the bicycle or a particular toy that they know that their child wanted.”Major Lisa Hall, a local Salvation Army official says the program is making a huge impact on families in the Washington, D.C. Area.
虽然天气寒冷，现场还是有很多人排队领取别人向他们捐赠的大袋礼物和其他物品。“当父母们看到志愿者拎过来大袋大袋的礼物，或者推过来一辆自行车，或者拿来他们孩子心仪的某个玩具时，他们的脸上顿时泛起喜悦的光芒。”当地“救世军”军官、丽萨·霍尔少校表示，该项目对首都华盛顿地区很多家庭产生了重大影响。

“We helped about fourteen thousand children this Christmas alone, so multiplied that across the country,it’s hundreds of thousands of children that we’ve helped.”While all the Angel Tree gifts are donated by individuals and groups, it takes the help of volume volunteers to get these toys to their destination.Alfonzo Brown has been with the program for eight years.“You see them joyful when they come pick up (the gifts).The parents are happy.You konw, it can’t ensure that they know so much all about here or cared about, so I think that really got the passion to key part of this.”
“仅今年的圣诞节，我们就帮助了约14000名孩子收到爱心圣诞礼物，大大增加了全国范围内所帮助的孩子的数量，到目前为止，我们共帮助了几十万名孩子。”虽然“天使树”项目的所有礼物均来自于个人或团体的捐赠，但想要把这些玩具成功送到孩子们手中，则离不开一众志愿者们的帮忙。阿伦佐·布郎参与该项目已经八个年头了。“当他们来领取礼物时，全都喜气洋洋的。父母也很高兴。要知道，他们以前可能对这里并不了解或者很少关注，我认为，这个项目最棒的一点就是能给人们带来激情与欢喜。”

No little angels are forgotten here.
在这里，不会有任何一个小天使被遗忘。

Jesusemen Oni, VOA News, Washington.
VOA新闻，杰森默·奥妮于华盛顿为您播报。