世界最古老聖誕樹 124年後再放光彩
Families all over the country follow the same annual tradition of getting the artificia Christmas tree out of its box when the time comes to put up the the Parker family has been doing it longer than any other because they are still using a tree they first bought in lete with the original baubles and tinsel, their 14 inch tree is in its 124th year and has been authenticated as the world's oldest imitation Christmas cost six pence when it was bought in the mid-Victorian era but was last valued at ?1,000 by experts at the Antiques Road Show in 2005.
這是英國家庭中的一個習俗：佳節前夕，他們從儲物盒中取出人造聖誕樹，並將之裝飾一新。而帕克一家的這一傳統似乎要比別家久遠得多，因爲他們依舊使用着一棵購買於1886年的聖誕樹。這課“樹齡”已達124年，它的金屬枝幹與掛飾均保存完好，被認爲現存最古老的仿真聖誕樹。在當時的維多利亞時代，這棵樹的售價爲六個便士，而在2005年的一次古董展上，它的估價以飛漲至1000英鎊。
Owner Paul Parker received the delicate ornament after his mother, Janet, passed away at the age of 69 in 2008, and is the third generation of his family to enjoy laying the tree for the first time since his mother's death, Mr Parker is delighted to be carrying on the family tradition. 'I will proudly be displaying the tree this year,' said Mr Parker, 45, a mathematician from Bath. 'My mother treasured it when she was alive and my father Grahame is comforted that I will be carrying on the family tradition.
聖誕樹的主人珍妮於2008年辭世，保羅“繼承”了這一精緻的裝飾品，而今年也是自08年之後，外界首次一睹這株聖誕樹的風采，“今年能向大家展示這株樹，我非常的自豪，”現年45歲的保羅說，“我母親健在時，將之視爲珍寶，我會延續家族的這一傳統。”
'It may not look like much but it has been part of our Christmas celebrations for so many years. It was one of those things the we just grew up everything changed when mum saw an advert in the local paper asking for the oldest thought that our old Christmas tree could be important - and she was right.'
“他可能看起來並不起眼，但卻陪伴我們從小到大，度過了很多個聖誕佳節。我的母親在本地報紙上看到了徵集古早裝飾品的廣告，她意識到了樹的價值，的確，她是對的。”
'It was never meant as a replacement tree, it's ornamental,' said Mr Parker, who was given the tree by his 88-year-old father.
'Christmas really took off for the Victorians because of the influence of Prince Albert and the German tradition of the Tannenbaum Christmas tree.
'This little tree would have been produced for the same reason ornaments of nativity scenes were made, as a Christmas symbol for the family.'
“它的價值不在於是作爲真樹的替代品，而是具有了很高的觀賞性。”保羅解釋道，“聖誕節這一習俗是在維多利亞時期受到阿爾貝親王與德國傳統的坦南鮑姆聖誕樹雙重影響所普遍開來的。這棵小樹是作爲對於耶穌誕生的紀念，對於家庭來說更是聖誕節的象徵。”
On Christmas day 2010 the aged tree will be on display on the mantle piece of Mr Parker
home as he shares a turkey dinner and glass of wine with his father.
在今年的聖誕之時，這個“古董樹”將在保羅-帕克的家裏重放光彩，大家會在它的陪伴下，共享美食佳餚。
