节日歌曲中的寓意

Everyone loves the story of this little reindeer with a feature that makes him different. He has that *fluorescent red nose, which sets him apart from all his reindeer friends. But let’s be clear: They’re no friends. They ridicule Rudolph because he’s different.
人人都爱这个故事，一头小驯鹿因为容貌上的一个特征而让它与众不同。它长着闪光的红鼻子，这使它在朋友中间显得尤为突出。但我们必须清楚：它们不是鲁道夫的朋友。它们嘲笑鲁道夫，因为它与众不同。

They probably never met another reindeer that looked different. Maybe they’re just jealous. After all, their noses are only good for breathing and smelling, while Rudolph’s also acts as a light bulb – if anything, he should be the one laughing and calling the other reindeer names. But Rudolph’s too *classy to do that, and the bullies are evidently too clueless to see his advantage. Unfortunately, his silence doesn’t end the laughing and name-calling from the other side. It gets worse. Those other reindeer also won’t let Rudolph join in their reindeer games.
它们很可能从未见过其它长相不同的驯鹿，或者它们只是嫉妒。毕竟，它们的鼻子只能用来呼吸和闻味儿，而鲁道夫的鼻子还可以当灯泡。如果真要嘲笑，也应该是它嘲笑其它驯鹿，羞辱它们！但鲁道夫太有风度了，它没有那么做。很显然，这些恶棍太过愚蠢，没有看出鲁道夫的优势。很不幸，它的沉默并没有阻止对方的嘲笑和谩骂。更糟糕的是，其它驯鹿还不让鲁道夫加入它们的游戏。

Yes, I know, the story has a happy ending. When Santa asks Rudolph “with your nose so bright” to guide his *sleigh, he’s showing the bullies that their punching bag has advantages useful to the most popular guy on Christmas. But can you really say the reindeer now “love” Rudolph and celebrate his going down in history? Fat chance – they’re just being opportunists. What have they really learned? Where’s Rudolph’s apology?
是的，我知道，这个故事有一个美好的结局。当圣诞老人让鲁道夫“用你那闪亮的鼻子”去引导它的雪橇时，就是在告诉那些欺凌者，它们的受气包身上有对圣诞节最受欢迎的人非常有帮助的优点。但你能说其它驯鹿现在就“喜爱”鲁道夫，为它被载入史册而庆祝吗？希望不大，它们只是机会主义者。它们真的学到了什么？它们向鲁道夫道歉了吗？

The good news is that Hawaii-born musician Jack Johnson shares a different ending to the story, in which Rudolph gets empowered, and the other reindeer get the message.
好消息是夏威夷出生的歌手杰克•约翰逊分享了一个不同的结局，在这个版本中，鲁道夫被赋予了权力，而其它驯鹿也认识了错误。

So the story has many morals, beginning with the importance of parents and institutions teaching young reindeer to be accepting of all. What if a *bystander reindeer had stepped in and helped Rudolph? In fact, instead of higher-ups resolving the situation individually, what if the decent reindeer started a grassroots movement, compelling the *rogue ones to see the errors of their ways, make *amends and join the movement? What if Rudolph went down in history not for his personal achievement, but for making things better for all future red-nosed and otherwise different reindeer?
因此，这个故事有很多寓意，首先是父母和学校教育年轻驯鹿接受他人的重要性。如果一个旁观的驯鹿插手去帮助鲁道夫，结果会怎么样？事实上，如果不是由上级来解决这种状况，而是这个正直的驯鹿独自地开始一个草根行动，强迫那些无赖去正视他们的错误，让他们赔礼并加入这种草根行动，结果该如何？如果鲁道夫被记录史册不是因为个人成就，而是因为让红鼻子或者有其它不同特征的驯鹿受到更好的对待，结果又该如何？

It feels good to set aside politics in favor of fantasy for a while. Or maybe we get to write our own endings.
暂时放下政治，重拾幻想的感觉真好。或许我们也可以开始书写我们自己的结局了。