VOA常速英语2020--感恩节的由来

Next, an editorial reflecting American ideals and institutions.

以下是一篇反映美国理想与制度的社论。

Sometime between September 21 and November 11, 1621, 53 English men, women and children were joined by some 90 native American tribesmen in a feast to give thanks for their first harvest in their new home, the Plymouth Colony in today’s Massachusetts. They had much to be thankful for. Just one year earlier, in mid-November 1620, they were part of a group of 102 colonists¹ and 30 crew who reached the shores of North America aboard a ship named Mayflower. They were Puritans, religious separatists who were considered to be radicals², and therefore illegal by the government of England, their home country. Tired of persecution³ in Europe, they were headed for the Colony of Virginia. But the winter weather forced them to drop anchor on Cape⁴ Cod⁵, over 350 kilometers (220 miles) north east of their chosen destination. Nonetheless, the hopeful colonists decided⁶ to settle on the mainland just across bay from their original anchorage on Cape Cod and began to set up a community wherein they could live according to their own religious beliefs.

1621年9月21日至11月11日之间的某个时候，53名英国男性、女性和儿童与大约90名美洲土著部落成员一起参加了一场盛宴，以感谢他们在新家园，也就是今天的马萨诸塞州的普利茅斯殖民地，所获得的第一个丰收。他们有很多值得感激的事。就在一年前，也就是1620年11月中旬，102名殖民者以及30名船员一起乘坐”五月花号”，抵达北美海岸，他们也是其中成员。他们是清教徒，是宗教分裂主义者，被认为是激进分子，因此被他们的祖国英格兰的政府视为非法之徒。他们厌倦了欧洲的迫害生活，于是前往弗吉尼亚殖民地。但寒冬迫使他们在科德角抛锚，这里位于他们选择的目的地东北方，距离更是超过350公里（220英里）。尽管如此，满怀希望的殖民者还是决定在与科德角最初的锚地隔着一个海湾的大陆定居，并开始建立一个可根据自己的宗教信仰生活的社区。

That first year was hard and came close to ending the colony before it took root. Within a year, nearly half of the 102 colonists were dead due to starvation, disease and the harsh weather conditions. But the summer brought a good harvest, and in autumn, 22 men, 4 women, 9 adolescent boys, 5 adolescent girls and 13 young children sat down to celebrate with their native Wampanoag neighbors. Massachusetts was not the first to claim that their state was the first to celebrate Thanksgiving. Numerous historical documents indicate that Spanish explorers and other English Colonists celebrated⁷ religious services of thanksgiving in Florida, Texas, Maine, and Virginia long before 1620. However, these were isolated⁸ local celebrations that did not survive the test of time. So, thanks to vigorous lobbying by the State of Massachusetts, modern Thanksgiving was first officially established in all states in 1863, by a presidential proclamation of Abraham Lincoln. The observance was moved to the fourth week in November by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Thanksgiving began as a prayer of gratitude⁹ by emigrants¹⁰ who, if not for the support of their native neighbors, would most likely have not survived their first year in North America. Today, although Thanksgiving is traditionally a gatherings¹¹ of family and friends, the threat to life and health by the Covid-19 pandemic will see many celebrate home alone, once again offering their gratitude for a chance at a bright future.

第一年很艰难，殖民地在扎根之前几乎就要面临崩溃。在一年之内，102个殖民者中有将近一半死于饥饿、疾病和恶劣的气候。但是夏季有了好收成，到了秋天，22个男人、4个女人、9个青春期的男孩、5个青春期的女孩和13名儿童坐下来和他们的邻居，当地的万帕诺亚格人一起庆祝。马萨诸塞州并不是第一个宣称他们是第一个庆祝感恩节的州。大量的历史文献表明，早在1620年以前，西班牙探险家和其他英国殖民者就在佛罗里达、德克萨斯、缅因州和弗吉尼亚举行过感恩节的宗教仪式。然而，这些都是孤立的当地庆祝活动，没有经受住时间的考验。因此，在马萨诸塞州的大力游说下，1863年，亚伯拉罕·林肯的总统宣言首次在所有州正式确立了现代感恩节。罗斯福总统将庆祝活动订在11月的第四个星期。感恩节开始于移民们的感恩祈祷，如果没有他们的土著邻居的支持，他们很可能活不过在北美的第一年。今天，虽然感恩节传统上是家人和朋友的聚会，但由于新冠疫情对生命和健康的威胁，许多人将独自在家庆祝，再次表达他们对拥有光明未来的机会的感激之情。

That was an editorial reflecting American ideals and institutions.

这是一篇反映美国理想与制度的社论。

1 colonists   

n.殖民地开拓者，移民，殖民地居民( colonist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Colonists from Europe populated many parts of the Americas. 欧洲的殖民者移居到了美洲的许多地方。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Some of the early colonists were cruel to the native population. 有些早期移居殖民地的人对当地居民很残忍。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 radicals   

n.激进分子( radical的名词复数 )；根基；基本原理；[数学]根数

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals. 一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The worry is that the radicals will grow more intransigent. 现在人们担忧激进分子会变得更加不妥协。 来自辞典例句

3 persecution   

n. 迫害,烦扰

参考例句：

• He had fled from France at the time of the persecution. 他在大迫害时期逃离了法国。
• Their persecution only serves to arouse the opposition of the people. 他们的迫害只激起人民对他们的反抗。

4 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。

5 cod   

n.鳕鱼；v.愚弄；哄骗

参考例句：

• They salt down cod for winter use.他们腌鳕鱼留着冬天吃。
• Cod are found in the North Atlantic and the North Sea.北大西洋和北海有鳕鱼。

6 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。

7 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

8 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

9 gratitude   

adj.感激，感谢

参考例句：

• I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。
• She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。

10 emigrants   

n.（从本国移往他国的）移民( emigrant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• At last the emigrants got to their new home. 移民们终于到达了他们的新家。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• 'Truly, a decree for selling the property of emigrants.' “有那么回事，是出售外逃人员财产的法令。” 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

11 gatherings   

聚集( gathering的名词复数 )； 收集； 采集； 搜集

参考例句：

• His conduct at social gatherings created a lot of comment. 他在社交聚会上的表现引起许多闲话。
• During one of these gatherings a pupil caught stealing. 有一次，其中一名弟子偷窃被抓住。