VOA常速英语2013--美国庆祝劳动节

 

Labor¹ 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 diligent² 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 demonstrations³ to press for new laws to benefit workers, such as standardizing⁴ 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 toil⁵ 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 remains⁶ 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。

1 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

2 diligent   

adj.勤勉的，勤奋的

参考例句：

• He is the more diligent of the two boys.他是这两个男孩中较用功的一个。
• She is diligent and keeps herself busy all the time.她真勤快，一会儿也不闲着。

3 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

4 standardizing   

使合乎规格，使标准化( standardize的现在分词 )； 规格化

参考例句：

• These composite indices are derived by standardizing each of its component series. 这些综合指数是使通过把它们的组成部分中的各个数列标准化而获得的。
• Significant progress was made in rectifying and standardizing nonbank financial institutions. 整顿和规范非银行金融机构取得重要进展。

5 toil   

vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事

参考例句：

• The wealth comes from the toil of the masses.财富来自大众的辛勤劳动。
• Every single grain is the result of toil.每一粒粮食都来之不易。

6 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。