1、ThanksgivingDayisthemosttrulyAmericanofthenationalHolidaysintheUnitedStatesandismostcloselyconnectedwiththeearliesthistoryofthecountry.
感恩節是美國國定假日中最地道、最美國式的節日,而且它和早期美國歷史最為密切相關。
2、In1620,thesettlers,orPilgrims,theysailedtoAmericaontheMayflower,seekingaplacewheretheycouldhavefreedomofworship.Afteratempestuoustwo-monthvoyagetheylandedatinicyNovember,whatisnowPlymouth,Massachusetts.
1620年,壹些朝聖者乘坐“五月花”號船去美國尋求宗教自由。他們在海上顛簸折騰了兩個月之後,終於在酷寒的十壹月裏,在現在的馬薩諸塞州的普裏茅斯登陸。
3、Duringtheirfirstwinter,overhalfofthesettlersdiedof[1]starvationorepidemics.Thosewhosurvivedbegansowinginthefirstspring.Allsummerlongtheywaitedfortheharvestswithgreatanxiety,knowingthattheirlivesandthefutureexistenceofthecolonydependedonthecomingharvest.Finallythefieldsproducedayieldrichbeyondexpectations.AndthereforeitwasdecidedthatadayofthanksgivingtotheLordbefixed[2].Yearslater,PresidentoftheUnitedStatesproclaimedthefourthThursdayofNovemberasThanksgivingDayeveryyear.ThecelebrationofThanksgivingDayhasbeenobservedonthatdateuntiltoday.
在第壹個冬天,半數以上的移民都死於饑餓和傳染病,活下來的人們在第壹個春季開始播種。整個夏天他們都熱切地盼望著豐收的到來,他們深知自己的生存以及殖民地的存在與否都將取決於即將到來的收成。後來,莊稼獲得了意外的豐收,所以大家決定要選壹個日子來感謝上帝的恩典。多年以後,美國總統宣布每年十壹月的第四個星期四為感恩節。感恩節慶祝活動便定在這壹天,直到如今。
4、ThepatternoftheThanksgivingcelebrationhasneverchangedthroughtheyears.Thebigfamilydinnerisplannedmonthsahead.Onthedinnertable,peoplewillfindapples,oranges,chestnuts,walnutsandgrapes.Therewillbeplumpudding,mincepie,othervarietiesoffoodandcranberryjuiceandsquash.Thebestandmostattractiveamongthemareroastturkeyandpumpkinpie.TheyhavebeenthemosttraditionalandfavoritefoodonThanksgivingDaythroughouttheyears.
感恩節慶祝模式許多年來從未改變。豐盛的家宴早在幾個月之前就開始著手準備。人們在餐桌上可以吃到蘋果、桔子、栗子、胡桃和葡萄,還有葡萄幹布丁、碎肉餡餅、各種其它食物以及紅莓苔汁和鮮果汁,其中最妙和最吸引人的大菜是烤火雞和番瓜餡餅,這些菜壹直是感恩節中最富於傳統意義和最受人喜愛的食品。
5、Everyoneagreesthedinnermustbebuiltaroundroastturkeystuffedwithabreaddressing[3]toabsorbthetastyjuicesasitroasts.Butascookingvarieswithfamiliesandwiththeregionswhereonelives,itisnoteasytogetaconsensuson[4]theprecisekindofstuffingfortheroyalbird.
人人都贊成感恩節大餐必需以烤火雞為主菜。火雞在烘烤時要以面包作填料以吸收從中流出來的美味汁液,但烹飪技藝常因家庭和地區的不同而各異,應用什麽填料也就很難求得壹致。
6、Thanksgivingtodayis,ineverysense,anationalannualholidayonwhichAmericansofallfaithsandbackgroundsjoinintoexpresstheirthanksfortheyearsbountyandreverentlyaskforcontinued[5]blessings.
今天的感恩節是壹個不折不扣的國定假日。在這壹天,具有各種信仰和各種背景的美國人,***同為他們壹年來所受到的上蒼的恩典表示感謝,虔誠地祈求上帝繼續賜福。