VOA常速英语2013--美国庆祝劳动节（在线收听）

Labor Day 美国庆祝劳动节

On the first Monday of September every year, America pauses to honor its workers and the contributions they make to our nation’s strength and prosperity.

在每年九月份的第一个星期一,美国停下工作赞扬其工人及为我们国家的强盛和繁荣做出的贡献。

The notion that work is valued, and even noble, dates to the ancients.

工作是有价值的,甚至是高尚的这一概念可以追溯到古代。

"Seest thou a man diligent in his labor?" the Book of Proverbs asks.

“凡一生辛勤劳作之人，”箴言之书问道。

"He shall stand before Kings.

“他必将站于帝王之前。”

" In the United States, the belief goes back well over a century.

“在美国,这种信仰可以追溯到超过一个世纪。

As a holiday, the Labor Day celebration began in the 1880s in New York City with an effort by labor unions to demonstrate the numbers, strength and spirit of workingmen and women.

作为节日,劳动节庆祝活动始于19世纪80年代的纽约，工会努力来展示男女工人的数量,力量及精神。

They organized parades and rallies, and used the demonstrations to press for new laws to benefit workers, such as standardizing the eight-hour workday.

他们组织游行和集会,并利用示威要求新的法律争取工人的福利,如规范8小时工作日。

The movement spread to other cities, and in 1894 Congress made it a national holiday honoring all American workers.

这一运动蔓延至其他城市,1894年,国会使其变成国家假期献给所有的美国工人。

The association with trade and labor unions has declined over the years.

贸易协会和工会这些年来已经呈现颓势。

Today, for most people the holiday represents the last long weekend of summer, a time to relax and spend time with family and friends.

今天,对于大多数人而言这一节日代表了夏天的长周末, 是花时间与家人和朋友在一起的放松时间。

There are still parades and rallies, particularly in election years, and also sporting events and picnics.

仍然有游行和集会,尤其是在选举年中,还体育赛事和野餐。

For many, Labor Day means a "no labor" day, before the change of seasons and start of a new school year.

对许多人来说,劳动节意味着在季节更迭及新学年伊始前“不劳动”的一天。

Over time, work in the U.S. itself has changed.

随着时间的推移,在美国工作本身已经发生了改变。

More Americans now are occupied in offices and services than who toil on the factory floor.

更多的美国人现在被办公室及各种服务占据而非在工厂辛勤劳作。

The connection between the holiday and the nation's workers remains real, though, as recognition of the source of so much of America's economic and social achievements.

尽管认可为美国带来了的经济和社会成就，但假期和国家工人之间的联系仍然真实。