感恩節(jié)的由來

感恩節(jié)是美國國定假日中最地道、最美國式的節(jié)日，而且它和早期美國歷史最為密切相關(guān)。

In 1620, the settlers, or Pilgrims, they sailed to America on the May flower, seeking a place where they could have freedom of worship. After a tempestuous two-month voyage they landed at an icy November, what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts.

1620年，一些朝圣者(或稱為清教徒)乘坐 "五月花"號(hào)船去美國尋求宗教自由。他們?cè)诤Ｉ项嶔ふ垓v了兩個(gè)月之后，終于在酷寒的十一月里，在現(xiàn)在的馬薩諸塞州的普里茅斯登陸。

During their first winter, over half of the settlers died of starvation or epidemics. Those who survived began sowing in the first spring. All summer long they waited for the harvests with great anxiety, knowing that their lives and the future existence of the colony depended on the coming harvest. Finally the fields produced a yield rich beyond expectations. And therefore it was decided that a day of thanksgiving to the Lord be fixed. Years later, President of the United States proclaimed the fourth Thursday of November as Thanksgiving Day every y-ear The celebration of Thanksgiving Day has been observed on that dale until today.

在第一個(gè)冬天，半數(shù)以上的移民都死于饑餓和傳染病，活下來的人們?cè)诘谝粋€(gè)春季開始播種。整個(gè)夏天他們都熱切地盼望著豐收的到來，他們深知自己的生存以及殖民地的存在與否都將取決于即將到來的收成。后來，莊稼獲得了意外的豐收，所以大家決定要選一個(gè)日子來感謝上帝的恩典。多年以后，美國總統(tǒng)宣布每年十一月的第四個(gè)星期四為感恩節(jié)。感恩節(jié)反祝活動(dòng)使定在這一天，直到今天。

The pattern of the Thanksgiving celebration has never changed through the years. The big family dinner is planned months ahead. On the dinner table, people will find apples, oranges, chestnuts, walnuts and grapes. There will be plum pudding, mince pie, other varieties of food and cranberry juice and squash The best and most attractive among them are roast turkey and pumpkin pie. They have been the most traditional and favorite food on Thanksgiving Day throughout the years.

感恩節(jié)慶祝模式許多年來從未改變。豐盛的家宴早在幾個(gè)月之前就開始著手準(zhǔn)備。人們?cè)诓妥郎峡梢猿缘教O果、桔子、采子、胡桃和葡萄，還有葡萄干布丁、碎肉餡餅、各種其它食物以及紅莓苔汁和鮮果汁，其中最妙和最吸引人的大菜是烤火雞和南瓜餡餅，這些菜一直是感恩節(jié)中最富于傳統(tǒng)意義和最受人喜愛的食品。

Thanksgiving today is, in every sense， a national annual holiday on which Americans of all faiths and backgrounds join in to express their thanks for the year's bounty and reverently ask for continued blessings.

今天的感恩節(jié)是一個(gè)不折不扣的國定假日。在這一天，具有各種信仰和各種背景的美國人，共同為他們一年來所受到的上蒼的恩典表示感謝，虔誠地祈求上帝繼續(xù)賜福。