走遍全世界63: 感恩节的由来

Thanksgiving Day is the most truly American of the national holidays in the United States and is most closely connected with the earliest history of the country.

感恩节是美国国定假日中最地道、最美国式的节日，而且它和早期美国历史最为密切相关。

In 1620, the settlers, or Pilgrims, they saild to America on the May flower, seeking a place where they could have freedom of worship. After a two-month voyage they landed at an icy November, what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts.

1620年，一些朝圣者（或称为清教徒）乘坐“五月花”号船去美国寻求宗教自由。他们在海上航行了两个月之后，终于在酷寒的十一月里，在现在的马萨诸塞州的普里茅斯登陆。

During their first winter, over half to the settlers died of starvation or epidemics². Those who survived began sowing in the first spring. All summer long they waited for the harvests with great anxiety, knowing that their lives and the future existence of the colony depended on the coming harvest.

在第一个冬天，半数以上的移民都死于饥饿和传染病，活下来的人们在第一个春季开始播种。整个夏天他们都热切地盼望着丰收的到来，他们深知自己的生存以及殖民地的存在与否都将取决于即将到来的收成。

Finally the fields produced a yield rich beyond expectations. And therefore it was decided³ that a day of thanksgiving to the Lord be fixed⁴. Years later, President of the United States proclaimed the fourth Thursday of November as Thanksgiving Day every year. The celebration of Thanksgiving Day has been observed on that date until today.

后来，庄稼获得了意外的丰收，所以大家决定要选一个日子来感谢上帝的恩典。多年以后，美国总统宣布每年十一月的第四个星期四为感恩节。感恩节庆祝活动便定在这一天，直到今天。

The pattern of the Thanksgiving celebration has never changed through the years. The big family dinner is planned months ahead. On the dinner table, people will find apples, oranges, chestnuts⁶, walnuts⁸ and grapes. There will be plum pudding, mince⁹ pie, other varieties of food and cranberry¹⁰ juice and squash. The best and most attractive among them are roast turkey and pumpkin¹¹ pie. They have been the most traditional and favorite food on Thanksgiving Day throughout the years.

感恩节庆祝模式许多年来从未改变。丰盛的家宴早在几个月之前就开始着手准备。人们在餐桌上可以吃到苹果、橘子、栗子、胡桃和葡萄，还有葡萄干布丁、碎肉馅饼、各种其他食物以及红梅苔汁和鲜果汁，其中最妙和最吸引人的大菜是烤火鸡和南瓜馅饼，这些菜一直是感恩节中最富于传统意义和最受人喜爱的食品。

Thanksgiving today is, in every sense, a national annual holiday on which Americans of all faiths and backgrounds join in to express their thanks for the year's bounty¹² and reverently¹³ ask for continued blessings¹⁴.

今天的感恩节是一个不折不扣的国定假日。在这一天，具有各种信仰和各种背景的美国人，共同为他们一年来所受到的上苍的恩典表示感谢，虔诚地祈求上帝继续赐福。

英语词汇整理：

1. worship n. 崇拜，崇敬

eg: He deserves all the praise and worship.
他值得我们一切的赞美和崇拜。

相关短语：
worship as 把……崇拜为…… 
worship at 拜谒…… 
worship by hymns¹⁵ 唱赞美歌做礼拜
freedom of worship 信仰自由

2. voyage vi. 航海，航行

eg: They planned to voyage across the Pacific Ocean.
他们计划做穿越太平洋的旅行。

相关短语：
on the voyage 在航行中
voyage from...to 从……至……的航行
voyage to 到……航行

3. epidemic¹ n. 流行病；传染病

eg: A flu epidemic is sweeping¹⁶ through Moscow.
一场流感正席卷莫斯科。

相关短语：
control an epidemic 控制流行病
touch off an epidemic 引发流行病
an epidemic of 盛行……

4. proclaim vt. 宣告，宣布

eg: The government proclaimed a state of emergency.
政府宣布全国进入紧急状态。

相关短语：
proclaim to 向某人宣布......
proclaim the birth of sb 宣布某人的诞生

5. celebration n. 庆祝（会）；庆典

eg: Preparations for a big celebration were under way.
盛大庆祝的准备工作正在进行中。

相关短语：
in celebration of 为庆祝……

6. chestnut⁵ n. 栗子；栗色；栗树

eg: The chestnut trees were breaking into green.
栗树一下就绿了。

7. walnut⁷ n. 胡桃木；胡桃

eg: Are there walnuts in this sauce?
这种调味汁里面有胡桃吗?

相关短语：
over the walnuts and the wine [戏谑语]在吃甜食的时候，在饭后的谈话中
walnut kernel¹⁷ 核桃仁
black walnut 黑胡桃；黑胡桃木
walnut oil 核桃油；胡桃油
walnut shell 胡桃壳

8. mince n. 切碎物

eg: Perhaps I'll buy lean meat and mince it myself.
也许我会买点瘦肉自己绞。

相关短语：
mince up 把……切碎
mince words/ mince matters/ mince the matter) [常用于否定句]婉转地说，说话婉转，半吞半吐地讲
not mince matters 坦率地说，直言不讳地说，直截了当地说，老实不客气地说

9. squash n. 南瓜

eg: I grow corn, tomatoes, potatoes and squash.
我种玉米、西红市、土豆和南瓜。

相关短语：
go to squash 被压碎，被压烂，被毁掉
summer squash 西葫芦；矮性南瓜
winter squash 冬南瓜；印度南瓜
squash court 壁球场，壁球室

10. reverently adv. 虔诚地；恭敬地；尊敬地

eg: Drop on to their knees reverently.
虔诚地屈膝下跪。

1 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

2 epidemics   

n．流行病

参考例句：

• Reliance upon natural epidemics may be both time-consuming and misleading. 依靠天然的流行既浪费时间，又会引入歧途。
• The antibiotic epidemics usually start stop when the summer rainy season begins. 传染病通常会在夏天的雨季停止传播。

3 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

4 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

5 chestnut   

n.栗树，栗子

参考例句：

• We have a chestnut tree in the bottom of our garden.我们的花园尽头有一棵栗树。
• In summer we had tea outdoors,under the chestnut tree.夏天我们在室外栗树下喝茶。

6 chestnuts   

n.栗子( chestnut的名词复数 )；栗色；栗树；栗色马

参考例句：

• A man in the street was selling bags of hot chestnuts. 街上有个男人在卖一包包热栗子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Talk of chestnuts loosened the tongue of this inarticulate young man. 因为栗子，正苦无话可说的年青人，得到同情他的人了。 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说

7 walnut   

n.胡桃，胡桃木，胡桃色，茶色

参考例句：

• Walnut is a local specialty here.核桃是此地的土特产。
• The stool comes in several sizes in walnut or mahogany.凳子有几种尺寸，材质分胡桃木和红木两种。

8 walnuts   

胡桃（树）( walnut的名词复数 )； 胡桃木

参考例句：

• Are there walnuts in this sauce? 这沙司里面有核桃吗？
• We ate eggs and bacon, pickled walnuts and cheese. 我们吃鸡蛋，火腿，腌胡桃仁和干酪。

9 mince   

n.切碎物；v.切碎，矫揉做作地说

参考例句：

• Would you like me to mince the meat for you?你要我替你把肉切碎吗？
• Don't mince matters,but speak plainly.不要含糊其词，有话就直说吧。

10 cranberry   

n.梅果

参考例句：

• Turkey reminds me of cranberry sauce.火鸡让我想起梅果酱。
• Actually I prefer canned cranberry sauce.事实上我更喜欢罐装的梅果酱。

11 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！

12 bounty   

n.慷慨的赠予物，奖金；慷慨，大方；施与

参考例句：

• He is famous for his bounty to the poor.他因对穷人慷慨相助而出名。
• We received a bounty from the government.我们收到政府给予的一笔补助金。

13 reverently   

adv.虔诚地

参考例句：

• He gazed reverently at the handiwork. 他满怀敬意地凝视着这件手工艺品。
• Pork gazed at it reverently and slowly delight spread over his face. 波克怀着愉快的心情看着这只表，脸上慢慢显出十分崇敬的神色。

14 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》

15 hymns   

n.赞美诗，圣歌，颂歌( hymn的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• At first, they played the hymns and marches familiar to them. 起初他们只吹奏自己熟悉的赞美诗和进行曲。 来自英汉非文学 - 百科语料821
• I like singing hymns. 我喜欢唱圣歌。 来自辞典例句

16 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

17 kernel   

n.(果实的)核，仁；(问题)的中心，核心

参考例句：

• The kernel of his problem is lack of money.他的问题的核心是缺钱。
• The nutshell includes the kernel.果壳裹住果仁。