在人們的認知中，聖誕老人是位身穿紅色外套、留著白鬍子、大塊頭、傳遞歡樂的老爺爺。事實上，在1931年以前，聖誕老人的形象曾是一個高個子憔悴的人，也曾是一個面目猙獰的精靈。聖誕老人形象的演變，和可口可樂公司密不可分。
1. Santa Has Been Featured in Coke Ads Since the 1920s
從20世紀20年代起，聖誕老人就出現在可口可樂的廣告中
The Coca-Cola Company began its Christmas advertising in the 1920s with shopping-related ads in magazines. The first Santa ads used a strict-looking Claus.
可口可樂公司從20世紀20年代開始在雜誌上刊登與購物有關的廣告。第一個聖誕老人的廣告使用了一個看起來很嚴格的聖誕老人形象。
2. Coca-Cola Helped Shape the Image of Santa
可口可樂幫助塑造了聖誕老人的形象
In 1931 the company began placing Coca-Cola ads in popular magazines. For inspiration, illustrator Haddon Sundblom turned to Clement Clark Moore's 1822 poem "Twas the Night Before Christmas". Moore's description of St. Nick led to an image of a warm, friendly, pleasantly plump and human Santa. (And even though it's often said that Santa wears a red coat because red is the color of Coca-Cola, Santa appeared in a red coat before Sundblom painted him.)
1931年，公司開始在流行雜誌上刊登可口可樂廣告。插畫師哈登·桑德布洛姆從1822年克萊門特·克拉克·摩爾的詩歌《聖誕節前夜》中獲得靈感。摩爾對聖尼克的描述讓人聯想到一個溫暖、友好、令人愉快的豐滿的真人聖誕老人。（儘管人們常說聖誕老人穿紅色外套是因為紅色是可口可樂的顏色，但在桑德布洛姆給他上色之前，聖誕老人穿紅外套的形象就已經出現了。）
Sundblom created his final version of Santa Claus in 1964, but for several decades to follow, Coca-Cola advertising featured images of Santa based on Sundblom’s original works.
1964年，桑德布洛姆創作了他最後一個版本的聖誕老人，但在接下來的幾十年裡，可口可樂的廣告以桑德布洛姆的原創作品為基礎，展示聖誕老人的形象。
3. The "New Santa" Was Based on a Salesman
新版聖誕老人的原型是推銷員
In the beginning, Sundblom painted the image of Santa using a live model — his friend Lou Prentiss, a retired salesman. When Prentiss passed away, Sundblom used himself as a model, painting while looking into a mirror. Finally, he began relying on photographs to create the image of St. Nick.
一開始，桑德布洛姆是以他的朋友盧·普倫蒂斯——一名退休的推銷員為原型塑造的聖誕老人的形象。普倫蒂斯去世後，桑德布洛姆把自己當模特，一邊對著鏡子畫畫。最後，他開始依靠照片來塑造聖尼克的形象。
People loved the Coca-Cola Santa images and paid such close attention to them that when anything changed, they sent letters to The Coca-Cola Company. One year, Santa's large belt was backwards (perhaps because Sundblom was painting via a mirror). Another year, Santa Claus appeared without a wedding ring, causing fans to write asking what happened to Mrs. Claus.
人們喜歡並時刻關注著可口可樂聖誕老人的形象。當發生變化時，他們會給可口可樂公司寫信。有一年，聖誕老人的大腰帶是向後的（也許是因為桑德布洛姆是通過鏡子畫的）；又一年，聖誕老人沒有戴結婚戒指就出現了，粉絲們紛紛寫信詢問聖誕老人夫人的遭遇。
4. Santa Claus Got a New Friend in 1942
聖誕老人在1942年交了新朋友
In 1942, Coca-Cola introduced "Sprite Boy," a character who appeared with Santa Claus in Coca-Cola advertising throughout the 1940s and 1950s. Sprite Boy, who was also created by Sundblom, got his name due to the fact that he was a sprite, or an elf.
1942年，可口可樂推出了「雪碧男孩」，一個在上世紀四五十年代與聖誕老人一起出現在可口可樂廣告中的角色。同樣由桑德布洛姆創作的「雪碧男孩」因其是精靈而得名。
5. Santa Became Animated in 2001
聖誕老人在2001年開始成為動畫形象
In 2001, the artwork from Sundblom's 1963 painting was the basis for an animated TV commercial starring the Coca-Cola Santa. The ad was created by Academy Award-winning animator Alexandre Petrov.
2001年，桑德布洛姆1963年畫作中的藝術品成為可口可樂聖誕老人卡通電視廣告的原型。這則廣告是由奧斯卡獎動畫師亞歷山大·彼得羅夫創作的。
Cite From:
https://www.coca-colacompany.com/company/history/five-things-you-never-knew-about-santa-claus-and-coca-cola
Vocabulary
1. Illustrator 插畫師
2. Plump 豐滿的
3. Sprite 精靈
4. Elf 小精靈
5. Animator 動畫師
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