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德克萨斯圣诞节：玉米肉卷和牛仔

In Texas, Christmas and New Year's celebrations are similar to those in the rest of the United States, but Mexican culture and the state's cowboy heritage both contribute a special flavor.

德克萨斯的圣诞节和新年的庆祝活动与美国的其他地方差不多，但是墨西哥文化和这个州的牛仔遗产给这个周增添了别样风情。

A lone¹ star, the symbol of Texas, sits atop a tall tree in front of the Alamo, a Spanish mission where Texas rebels fought to the death against the Mexican army in 1836.

德克萨斯的象征——一颗孤星，悬挂在阿拉莫前面的一棵高高的树上。阿拉莫是一座西班牙传道院，德克萨斯造反者1836年在这里和墨西哥军队拼死奋战。

But the people who gather here on cold December evenings, leading up to Christmas, seek peace and harmony.

但是，在圣诞节前的寒冷的12月夜晚，聚集到这里的人们在寻找和平与和谐。

And regardless of their ethnic² background, they favor Mexican food for the holiday.

无论人们来自哪个族裔背景，他们在节日里都钟爱墨西哥食物。

"We make our own food like tamales and menudo," said one man.

"We traditionally have tamales on Christmas eve with other kind of hors d'ouerves kind of stuff. It is really not the turkey meal that you see in the movies or maybe that is what they do up north," a woman said.

一名妇女说： “我们传统上在圣诞夜吃玉米肉卷和其他的美味食物。不是你在电影里看到的火鸡大餐，有可能那是北方人们吃的食物。”

Cowboy capital

Nearby, The Riverwalk is decorated with Christmas lights, but the cold temperatures discourage outdoor dining.

不远处，河边步道被圣诞灯装点着，但是由于气温寒冷，人们不愿在户外就餐。

On sunny days, city folk can head to Texas Hill Country, to the small town of Bandera. It calls itself The Cowboy Capital of the World.

晴天的时候，市民们可以前往德克萨斯山村庄，去班德拉小镇。这个小镇称自己为世界牛仔首都。

Cowboy singers and musicians meet frequently at Bandera's Frontier Times Museum.

这些牛仔歌手和音乐家经常在班德拉前沿时代博物馆会面。

Lew Pewterbaugh runs a ranch³ outside Bandera where he keeps several horses.

卢?皮特保尔在班德拉外经营一家牧场。他在那里养了几匹马。

"Christmas time, I generally try to give them some apples or carrots or something." he said. "I know that they do not realize that it is a special day, but they appreciate the treat."

他说：“圣诞时节，我一般尽量给他们一些苹果或者胡萝卜。我知道他们不知道这是特别的一天，但是他们很喜欢好吃的。”

Poetry has long been popular among cowboys, and Lee Haile does a cowboy variation on the classic poem The Night Before Christmas, which tells the story of Santa Claus and his reindeer⁴ sled.

诗歌在牛仔中很流行。李?黑尔将讲述圣诞老人和他的麋鹿雪橇的诗——圣诞前夜改编成了牛仔版本。

"He said, 'gittyup [get going], you old nag⁵, and as his rig disappeared off into the stars, we heard a small voice that come from afar, 'Come on you old mules⁶ or I will tan your hide, have a Merry Christmas, y'all and y'all have a good night," sang cowboy-style singer Lee Haile.

黑尔在他的祖先的牧场长大。黑尔说：“圣诞是一个家庭团聚的时刻。我们总是在牧场里庆祝，所以不生活在这里的表亲和人们都迁移回牧场，我们在那里庆祝圣诞节。”

Family tradition

Haile grew up on a ranch that served as the anchor for his extended family.

"Christmas was always a big gathering⁷ time with the family," he said. "We always ended up at the ranch out there, and so cousins and people who were no longer around [living nearby] all migrated back to the ranch and then we had Christmas there."

Today there are few family ranches⁸ in central Texas, but Haile said he and other performers keep the cowboy heritage alive for visitors from near and far.

现在德克萨斯州中部已经没有几家家庭牧场了，但是黑尔说他和其他的表演者将为远近游客保留这一遗产。

"We get people from Germany, Switzerland, England all the time, and when they get here they are already decked out [dressed in cowboy outfits], and sometimes they know as much or more about the culture as we do," he said.

他说：“我们总是有从德国、瑞士、英国来的人。当他们来这里时他们已经打扮好了。有时候他们对文化的了解和我们一样多。”

Haile said at this time of year, he feels the influence of both holiday and cowboy traditions.

黑尔说，每年的这个时候，他都能感到节日和牛仔传统的影响。