生活英語聽力文章：用一顆感恩的心感謝
用一顆感恩的心感謝
This week we will observe Thanksgiving Day in the United States of America—a day when family and friends gather for a time of celebration and feasting. Soon your turkey and stuffing will be in the oven and pleasant aromas will fill the kitchen. Before we begin our celebration, let’s take a peak back four centuries ago when Americans celebrated their first Thanksgiving.
本周我們將迎來美國的感恩節(jié)，這一天，家人和朋友聚集在一起，大家共同慶祝節(jié)日，舉行家宴，共度一段美好時光。很快，加了各種填充料的感恩節(jié)火雞會放入烤箱，宜人的香氣一會兒將充滿整個廚房。在我們開始慶祝之前,讓我們將時光倒退四百年,看看那時候美國人慶祝的第一個感恩節(jié)。
Thanksgiving Day Long Ago
很久以前的感恩節(jié)
For 66 days a sailing vessel called the Mayflower carried 102 pilgrims across the stormy Atlantic Ocean and landed at Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts on December 11, 1620. During that first cold winter, 46 pilgrims died. In the spring of 1621, the Wampanoag Indians taught the pilgrims how to cultivate the land—growing corn, beans, and pumpkins which helped them survive. At harvest time the colonists were so grateful for their bountiful crops that Governor William Bradford organized the first Thanksgiving feast, inviting their neighbors—Wampanoag Indians. With joy and thanksgiving, they expressed their gratitude and appreciation to God for their bountiful harvest.
一艘叫五月花號的帆船載著102名清教徒，經歷狂風暴雨，在波濤洶涌的大西洋中航行了整整66天,于1620年12月11日,在馬薩諸塞州的普利茅斯巖石登岸。到來的第一個寒冷的冬天,46名清教徒死亡。在1621年的春天,萬帕諾亞格印第安人教清教徒如何耕種土地--教他們種植玉米、豆子、南瓜,正是這些東西讓他們耐以生存。到收獲的時候，這些殖民者因為農作物大豐收而非常感謝當?shù)赜〉诎踩?總督威廉·布萊福特，組織了第一個感恩節(jié)盛宴,邀請他們的鄰居--萬帕諾亞格印第安人。用歡樂和感恩,他們表達了感激之情,為豐富的收成而感謝上帝。
Many years later, in 1789, President George Washington wrote a proclamation, recommending to the “people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God . . . Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November . . . that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country . .
許多年以后,1789年,喬治·華盛頓總統(tǒng)發(fā)布了一個宣言 ,建議“美國人要用一天的時間，做公開的感恩，祈禱,用一顆感恩的心來感恩，感謝萬能的上帝。因此，現(xiàn)在,我推薦,并指定,11月26日的那天，周四···在這一天，我們可以團結起來，用我們的真誠和謙遜，感謝萬能的主，感謝他的悉心照料，保護這個國家的人民···”
Thanksgiving Day Today
現(xiàn)在的感恩節(jié)
So it has been that for over two centuries. Thanksgiving Day has become a joyous festival celebrated with a lot of enthusiasm. People have gathered together to thank God for His past blessings and to enjoy the warm fellowship of family and friends.
所以感恩節(jié)的存在已經超過了兩個世紀。感恩節(jié)已經成為一個歡樂的，熱情洋溢的節(jié)日。人們聚集在一起,為過往得到的祝福，為家人和朋友的溫暖友誼，感謝上帝。
However, over the last 50 years Thanksgiving Day has lost its original significance. For many people, it has simply become a time when families come together to eat turkey and watch football.
然而,在過去的50年里，感恩節(jié)已經失去了原來的意義。對許多人來說,它只是成為了一家人聚在一起，吃火雞,看足球的一段日子。
As we prepare to celebrate this Thanksgiving with our family and friends, I encourage you, regardless of where you live in the world, to stop and reflect on the things for which you are grateful.
當我們準備與家人和朋友慶祝感恩節(jié)時,我鼓勵你,無論你住在世界上哪個角落,停下來反思一下，你要感恩的事情。
In our busy and demanding lives, it’s easy to focus on our challenges and overlook the things we are truly blessed to enjoy. It’s easy to lament what we don’t have, rather than appreciate what we do have. We would all benefit from the words of Epictetus, a stoic Greek philosopher, who said, “He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.”
在我們忙碌而嚴苛的生活中,我們很容易專注于挑戰(zhàn)，而忽略我們真正有福享受的事情。很容易抱怨我們沒有的東西,而不是欣賞我們所有的。我們都受益于埃皮克提圖的至理名言,一位希臘斯多葛派哲學家,他說,“聰明人不為他沒有的東西而悲傷苦惱,而為現(xiàn)實的擁有歡欣鼓舞。”
When we focus on all the positive things in our lives, we will find more joy, satisfaction, and happiness. Our lives will take on greater meaning and our hearts will be filled with love and gratitude.
當我們關注生活中積極的事情,我們會發(fā)現(xiàn)更多的快樂,滿足和幸福。我們的生活將承擔更大的意義，我們的心中將充滿愛和感激。
My Challenge to You
我向你提出挑戰(zhàn)
1. Make a list of all the things for which you are thankful. Stretch yourself to make a list of 50 people, things, or events. This can include the names of family, friends, co-workers and others whose relationships you value. Include your religious affiliations, your pastor or priest. Include our country and the servicemen who are protecting our land and our rights. It can also include your physical being, material possessions, and conveniences we so often take for granted. Parents, let me encourage you to have your children participate in this exercise.
1。將所有你心懷感恩的事情列一個清單。竭盡全力列出50條相關的人,事物,或事件。這可以包括家人的名字,朋友、同事和其他你看重關系的人。包括你的宗教信仰,你的牧師或神父。包括我們的國家，保護我們土地和權利的軍人。它還可以包括你的身體,物質財富,我們經常認為理所當然的便利。做父母的,我鼓勵你，讓你的孩子參與這個練習。
2. After making this list take some quiet time and reflect on everything you have listed. In the words of Thornton Wilder, “We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.”
2。做完這個列表后，你需要一些安靜的時間，來思考你已經列入其中的一切。桑頓·懷爾德說,“只有當我們意識到了心中的寶藏，我們才能說，在那一刻，我活著。”
3. Express your gratitude to the people you’ve listed. It could be a hand-written note, a personalized email, a text message, or a phone call. Whatever method you choose to use, make it personal and heartfelt. Let these people know how you feel about them and how special they are to you.
3。向你表中列出的人，表達你的感激之情。這可能是一個手寫的便條,一封個性化的電子郵件、一條短信或一個電話。無論你選擇使用哪種方法,使其個性化，并發(fā)自內心。讓這些人知道，你對他們的感覺,他們對你來說是多么的特別。
If the weight of your challenges makes it difficult to give thanks, reflect back how the pilgrims must have felt. “The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than those who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving.” H. U. Westermayer.
如果挑戰(zhàn)成了你過重的負擔，說出感激的話很難,那么回顧一下，清教徒那時心里必然會有的感受。 H. U..Westermayer說 “清教徒的墳墓比居住的小屋多7倍。沒有美國人會比那些清教徒更貧窮潦倒,然而,清教徒們還是留出了一天做感恩節(jié)。”
Don’t take anything you have for granted. Instead express your gratitude for all your many blessings—great and small.
不要把你的所有，當作理所當然的。要為你所有的福氣--無論大小，表達你的感激之情。
We’d like to hear from you. Please share your comments below. What are some hidden blessings that you have recently become aware of? Have you come to appreciate something that you took for granted in the past? Have you come to appreciate a person whom you took for granted in the past?
我們想收到你的來信。請在下面分享你的評論。最近你意識到有哪些隱藏的福氣?你是否開始感激，過去認為理所當然的事物?你是否開始感激，過去你認為理所應當?shù)囊粋€人?
