事情是这样的，英国人对于文学的热爱和对书信的依赖从历史一直延续到现在：他们到现在还会有很多阅读会，包括有一个盛会叫Letter Live， 是请名人来朗读书中的片段。明年3月10~15日这个盛会又要在伦敦开幕，于是为了庆祝盛会归来，组织者在12月7日，也就是英国国家写信日，邀请了一些名人名士写一封信给我们大家最熟悉的老爷爷Father Christmas 圣诞老人。其中就包括本尼迪特Benedict Cumberbatch，我们最熟悉的夏洛克Sherlock的饰演者。
在大家印象里，他机智、幽默，也有些高冷，然而没有想到在他给圣诞老人的信里，我们看到了他细腻多思的另一面……
以下是此信全文翻译，后跟原文及真迹图片。
亲爱的圣诞老人：
我的朋友叫我写信给你。。。我不得不承认实在很难知道该对你说什么。主要是因为像大部分成年人一样，我觉得对你要求点什么好像很荒谬，因为我们和你已经没有交集了。现在的我们自己给自己买礼物，掌握自己的命运，对自己的行为负责，并且生活在我们自己的创造的世界里面。。。所以我们没有理由找你帮忙来解决我们自己所造成的那些问题，比如环境问题、移民危机、NHS医保系统、教育、食物银行、人权、原教旨主义和战争。尽管天晓得，我们真的需要任何能得到的帮助来面对这些人造的危机和麻烦。
并不是说你没有同情心或者没有充满欢乐。你很棒。尽管你被各种商业机构篡改得面貌全非，被妖魔化而代表了疯狂的拜金主义——简直像异教徒的仪式一般每到这个季节就要求礼物填满欲望，比如那种有可能突然就自燃了的悬滑板（Hoverboards 见下图，在英国青少年里特别流行。）那些童心未灭的成人们冷笑着指出你是在浪费每个人的宝贵时间，却忘了他们自己也曾相信你。因为你不是他们的。你是孩子们的。那些孩子们需要你的魔力，因为在这个世界，天真与责任、充满乐趣的想象力与冰冷的成人的障碍之间的界限正在不断的萎缩逝去。
这才是我想请求你帮助的。让孩子们有更多的时间只做孩子吧。延伸这魔力与乐趣的时间。让他们不去关注这疯狂的真实世界，让他们可以欢笑而不是流泪。尤其是那些不得不照顾家庭的、身患疾病的、受饿受穷的孩子们。尤其是那些藏身在位于爆炸雨里的建筑中、或不得不又冻又怕的颤抖着被塞进船里才能逃出灾难和战争环境中的孩子们。请你照亮他们的世界，给他们一丝希望和欢乐。
当我想到今年你的处境艰难的时候。。。当我仔细思考，我不能确定找你要一把星球大战里面的光剑并且真的得到它（额，并不曾得到过）能胜过控制时空介质而令美好的童年再多停留一阵子。
但对于那些真的给你写信、憧憬着你会在天明前给他们放好礼物而入睡的孩子们，你带来了好奇和敬畏。你激发了善行，并且至少在记忆里，孩子们在最后一分钟试图弥补做错的事情并希望不会因为做错事而被你惩罚。还希望你要照顾一下上百万的不能读写的人们，他们想要给你写信却不行。倾听他们的声音，给他们时间和机会学习读和写，这样他们就可以过上更好的生活，逃离贫困的处境。
我现在对你感到抱歉了。我好像刚刚做了我明明说了我不会做的事。。。我希望你能帮忙解决成人制造的麻烦，缓解我们对我们的孩子最大的担忧。我保证你，我会给你留超多的肉馅饼的！！
爱你哟
Benedict , 么么哒
P.S. 现在我能拿到我的光剑了吗？
以下为英文原文：
Dear Father Christmas,
So my friend has asked me to write to you… I have to confess it’s been hard to know what to say. Mainly because like most adults I feel preposterous asking anything of you because our time with you is surely done. Now we get our own presents, control our own fates, take responsibility for our own actions, and live in the world we have created… so it’s not for us to turn around and plead for 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-made 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 bastardised to represent materialism gone mad – despite probably originating in some season based pagan druid ritual a million thought miles from requests for spontaneously combusting hoverboards… Kidadults cynically pointing this out 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 were 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 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 caring for 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 controlling the space time continuum 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 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 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?
主页君看了好感动…如果你也感动请转发出去让更多的人知道卷福不仅是高智商也是个太有爱的人好嘛！！！
图片来源：bbc, fansshare, maxresdefault, Youtube, telegraph
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