Christmas Card -----------圣诞贺卡

这个不错

Christmas card
　　Although it could not compete with the speed of email today, the 1800's nevertheless experienced a revolution in communication that played an important role in creating the tradition of the Christmas greeting card. Helped by the new railway system, the public postal service made corresponding a popular past time. In England, Sir Henry Cole recognized the advantage of a more efficient mail service and initiated the practice of sending Christmas greeting cards to friends.
　　The first card was designed by J.C.Horsley as a commercial endeavor. One thousand copies were sold in London, and soon others followed suit. An English artist, William Egley, produced a popular card in 1849. Louis Prang, a German born printer, working from his shop in Roxbury, Massachusetts, printed his first American cards in 1875. Even more important than his printing was the fact that he did more than anyone else to popularize the cards by instituting nationwide contests for the best Christmas designs, which were awarded cash prizes.
　　Adding to the popularity of Christmas cards was the "penny post," created by the British Postal System. This resulted in an inexpensive way to correspond with large numbers of friends, and as printing methods improved, Christmas card production increased.
　　From the beginning the themes have been as varied as the Christmas customs worldwide. Traditionally, Christmas cards showed religious pictures - Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus, or other parts of the Christmas story. Today, pictures are often jokes, winter pictures, Father Christmas, or romantic scenes of life in
　　past times.

翻译：
圣诞贺卡
虽然它不能与速度的电子邮件今天， 1800年的不过经历了革命的沟通发挥了重要作用，创造了传统的圣诞贺卡。帮助新的铁路系统，公共邮政服务取得相应的流行过去的时间。在英格兰，亨利爵士科尔承认的优势，更有效的电子邮件服务，并开始实践发送圣诞贺卡给朋友。
第一张卡的设计是由JCHorsley作为一个商业努力。其中000份共售出在伦敦，并很快效仿别人。一位英国艺术家威廉Egley ，制作了一个流行的信用卡在1849年。路易Prang ，德国出生的打印机，从他的商店在罗克斯伯里，马萨诸塞州，他的第一个印刷信用卡美国于1875年。更重要的印刷比他的事实，他更比谁都普及卡通过建立全国性的竞赛最好的圣诞设计，其中获得现金奖励。
此外，受欢迎的程度圣诞卡是“一分钱后， ”建立由英国邮政系统。这导致一种廉价的方式符合大量的朋友，和印刷方法的改进，圣诞贺卡，产量增加。
从一开始的主题已更改为全世界的圣诞节习俗。传统上，圣诞贺卡表明宗教图片-玛丽，约瑟夫和婴儿耶稣，或其他地方的圣诞故事。今天，图片往往是笑话，冬天的图片，圣诞老人，或浪漫的生活场景中
过去的时代。