世界节假日博览 第124期:美国独立日

 Independence Day in the United States is also known as the Fourth of July. It is a national holiday that commemorates¹ the Declaration² of Independence on July 4, 1776. This was the day the USA was born and became independent from Great Britain. The terms “Independence Day” and the “Fourth of July” are a well-known part of the USA’s cultural language. People celebrate with national pride. There are fireworks, parades, sporting events and lots more. It is one of the biggest days on America’s holiday calendar. Politicians make speeches celebrating America’s history and traditions. In particular, attention turns to Thomas Jefferson’s speech that declared the United States of America as an independent nation.

每年的7月4日为美国独立日。1776年的7月4日，美国签署《独立宣言》，该节日旨在庆祝该宣言的签署。从此，美国脱离英国殖民统治，美国正式独立。“Independence Day” 和“Fourth of July”也是文化语言的一部分。民族自豪感高涨。人们会举办烟火表演，节日游行以及体育活动等。它也是美国最为重要的节日之一。政界人士发表演讲，重温历史与传统。特别是托马斯·杰弗逊发表的独立演讲。

Independence Day is a red, white and blue affair. The whole of the country displays American flags and banners³. There are many festivals that enact⁴ famous events from America’s history. It is also a day when the nation gets outdoors. Picnics and barbecues with family and friends are the most popular ways to celebrate. In the evening, there are thousands of fireworks displays across the country. One of the most popular is the Macy’s department store show on New York’s East River. This is televised nationwide by the NBC TV channel. Also in New York, you can witness the Hot Dog Eating Contest on Coney Island. Indeed, American food is of course a big part of the day and millions of hot dogs, burgers and pizzas are eaten.

独立日是星条旗的盛宴。全国境内插满国旗。还会举办许多纪念历史事件的活动。此外，户外活动也是独立日的特色。和朋友家人野餐烧烤是最普遍的庆祝方式。当天晚上，全国会举办数千场烟火表演。最有名的是梅西百货在纽约东河举行的烟火节。美国全国广播公司（NBC）将进行电视直播。还是在纽约，你可以目睹康尼岛的吃热狗大赛。美国食品是独立日的重头戏，那天会吃光数百万个热狗、汉堡和披萨。

1.be known as 被认为是

例句：Will I be known as the philosopher⁵?

会推崇我是个哲学家？

2.well-known 众所周知的

例句：He surrounds himself with attractive, intelligent, or well-known people.

他混迹于有魅力、有学问或有名气的人当中。

3.of course 当然

例句：Of course there were lots of other interesting things at the exhibition.

当然，展览上还有很多其他有趣的展品。

4.hot dog 热狗

例句：He bought a hot dog and had it covered with all the fixings.

他买了一个热狗，在上面撒满了各色配菜。

1 commemorates   

n.纪念，庆祝( commemorate的名词复数 )v.纪念，庆祝( commemorate的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• A tombstone is erected in memory of whoever it commemorates. 墓碑是为纪念它所纪念的人而建的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A tablet commemorates his patriotic activities. 碑文铭记他的爱国行动。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

2 declaration   

n.宣布，宣告，宣言，声明（书），申报

参考例句：

• We read the declaration posted on the bulletin board.我们读了贴在布告板上的声明。
• At the recent convention a declaration was adopted.在最近举行的大会上通过了一项宣言。

3 banners   

横幅( banner的名词复数 )； 旗，旗帜； 虹采

参考例句：

• They were carrying placards and banners demanding that he resign. 人们手持标语牌和横幅，要求他下台。
• The city's main streets were decked with multi-coloured banners. 市区的主要街道装饰着各种颜色的彩旗。

4 enact   

vt.制定(法律)；上演，扮演

参考例句：

• The U.S. Congress has exclusive authority to enact federal legislation.美国国会是唯一有权颁布联邦法律的。
• For example,a country can enact laws and economic policies to attract foreign investment fairly quickly.例如一个国家可以很快颁布吸引外资的法令和经济政策。

5 philosopher   

n.哲学家，哲人

参考例句：

• The philosopher has his ideas built on the rock of reason.那位哲学家把思想稳固地建立于理性之上。
• What a philosopher seeks after is truth.一个哲学家所追求的是真理。