新视野大学英语视听说教程 3 Unit 9-7

MODEL 2  The Pilgrims' spirit of Thanksgiving lives on.
Script
Chris: Will Nora be spending Thanksgiving with us this year?
Susan: No, she's going home to spend the holiday with her mother and brother. She hasn't seen her family in over a year.
Chris: I know how she feels. Thanksgiving is such a big family holiday in the States.
Susan: It began as a celebration by the Pilgrims. They were happy just to have survived their first harsh winter in the new land in 1621  "
Chris: But wasn't that harsh winter followed by an abundant harvest?           
Susan: Yeah, that's good reason to celebrate: they had beaten the odds¹ and were still alive. It was a time to relax and "count your blessings²".
Chris: You know, most cultures seem to have some sort of celebration like this--don't the Chinese have a festival of moon cakes to celebrate the harvest month?
Susan: Yeah, they do. I believe the round moon cakes also symbolize³ a family reunion.
Chris: Well, today Thanksgiving in the States has developed into a major holiday.
Susan: True, it's a very emotional time. Families often travel great distances to be together and share a huge dinner. Jamie's mother will have a turkey and a ham, corn-on-the-cob, yams, peas and carrots, and to top it all off, pumpkin⁴ pie.
Chris: Just thinking about all that food makes my mouth water, and I think I'm going to gain ten pounds this year.
Susan: But you have the rest of the year to lose those unwanted pounds. And losing weight will give you something to be thankful for next Thanksgiving.

1 odds   

n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别

参考例句：

• The odds are 5 to 1 that she will win.她获胜的机会是五比一。
• Do you know the odds of winning the lottery once?你知道赢得一次彩票的几率多大吗？

2 blessings   

n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福

参考例句：

• Afflictions are sometimes blessings in disguise. 塞翁失马，焉知非福。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We don't rely on blessings from Heaven. 我们不靠老天保佑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

3 symbolize   

vt.作为...的象征，用符号代表

参考例句：

• Easter eggs symbolize the renewal of life.复活蛋象征新生。
• Dolphins symbolize the breath of life.海豚象征着生命的气息。

4 pumpkin   

n.南瓜

参考例句：

• They ate turkey and pumpkin pie.他们吃了火鸡和南瓜馅饼。
• It looks like there is a person looking out of the pumpkin!看起来就像南瓜里有人在看着你！