7.4 American Holidays在线视频

7.4 American holidays
7.4 美国节日

Introduction
介绍

Americans celebrate
美国人庆祝

and observe a variety of holidays.
各种各样的节日

But the interesting thing is that,
但有趣的是

in a strict sense,
严格意义上讲

there are no national holidays
美国并没有

in the United States.
法定节假日

Many government offices close
许多政府机关在

on federal holidays
联邦假日时休息

and some private business may close as well.
一些私营企业也这样做

If the holiday falls during the weekend,
如果联邦假日正好处于周末

the government may observe it
政府可能会选择在其他日子

on a different day. 
过这个节

Federal employees receive pay
联邦假日期间

and many receive time off for federal holidays.
联邦雇员们领取薪酬并享受休息时间

Some holidays honor specific groups and events,
有些节日专门为表彰特殊群体或活动而设

such as Valentine's Day, Earth Day,
比如情人节、地球日

Mother's Day, Father's Day, Flag Day,
母亲节、父亲节、美国国旗纪念日

and Halloween.
和万圣节前夕

Various ethnic and religious groups
美国各民族和宗教团体

in the United States celebrate days
庆祝着一些

with special meaning to them.
对他们有特殊意义的日子

Some of these holidays include
其中一些节日包括

the Easter for Christians,
基督徒的复活节

the High Holy Days for Jews,
犹太人的高圣日

Ramadan for Muslims,
穆斯林的斋月

and Spring Festival for Chinese.
以及中国人的春节

From religious observances
从宗教仪式

to celebrations of ethnic pride
到对族群尊傲的庆祝

to patriotic anniversaries,
再到爱国纪念日

let's explore the history
让我们一起探寻历史

and observances of some
观察那些

of the most popular holidays
美国最受欢迎的

in the United States.
节日

New Year's Day
元旦

It falls on January 1
元旦是每年的1月1日

and marks the start of a new year.
标志着新的一年的开始

It marks the end of New Year's Eve celebrations
也标志着美国新年庆祝活动的

in the United States
结束

and gives many Americans a chance
促使许多美国人对

to remember the previous year.
刚过去的一年有所记忆

The start of New Year's Day,
元旦开始于半夜12点

at midnight, is heralded by fireworks,
烟花、聚会和特殊活动

parties and special events,
共同昭示着它的来临

which are often televised.
电视台常常也会播报这类活动

Very few people have to work on the day itself.
很少有人需要在元旦这一天工作

For many it is a day of recovery
对多数人来说，这是从昨晚的

from the New Year's Eve celebrations
除夕庆祝活动中调整恢复

the previous night.
过来的日子

In some towns and cities,
在一些城镇里

parades are held
会进行游行活动

and special football games are played.
和举办特殊的足球比赛

The birth of the first baby in the New Year
新年的第一个新生儿

is often celebrated with gifts to his or her parents
通常因被视为上天送给父母的礼物而常被庆祝

and appearances in local newspapers
当地的报纸和新闻节目

and on local news shows.
也会报道这些

A common symbol of New Year's Day
元旦的共同象征

is Baby New Year.
是新年宝宝

This is often a white male baby
通常是一个穿着尿布

dressed in a diaper, a hat and a sash. 
戴着帽子和腰带的白人男婴

Many people make New Year's resolutions.
许多人会定下新年目标

These are usually promises to themselves that
通常是他们对自己的承诺

they will improve something in their own lives.
承诺将会改善生活中的某些东西

Martin Luther King Day
马丁路德金日

It is a federal holiday
这是一个联邦假日

held on the third Monday of January.
在一月的第三个星期一进行

It celebrates the life and achievements
目的是纪念马丁路德金的一生

of Martin Luther King Jr.
和他的特殊贡献

an influential American civil rights leader.
他是一位颇具影响力的美国民权运动领袖

He is most well-known for his campaigns
马丁路德金因其对于结束

to end racial segregation
美国公共交通中的

on public transport and for racial equality
种族隔离和对种族平等的不懈抗争

in the United States.
而家喻户晓

In recent years, federal legislation
近些年来，联邦立法

has encouraged Americans
鼓励美国人

to give some of their time on this day
在这一天贡献出他们的一点时间

as volunteers in citizen action groups.
做公民行动小组的志愿者

Easter
复活节

Just like the British,
和英国人一样

many Americans follow old traditions
许多美国人遵循着

of coloring hard-boiled eggs
为煮硬了的蛋上色

and giving children baskets of candy.
和给孩子们一篮糖果的古老传统

In the United States,
在美国

the Easter holiday has been largely secularized,
复活节假期基本上已经世俗化了

eggs are hidden at night
复活节蛋在夜里被藏起

and other treats are delivered
余下的则由

by the Easter Bunny in an Easter basket.
复活节篮子里的复活节小兔送出

On the next day,
第二天

Easter Monday,
复活节星期一

the president of the United States
美国总统

holds an annual Easter egg hunt
每年在白宫草坪上为幼儿们

on the White House lawn
举办复活节蛋

for young children.
搜寻活动

Independence Day
独立日

The independent day,
独立日

also referred to
在美国也被

as Fourth of July or July Fourth in the U.S..
称为“Fourth of July”或“July Fourth”

It is a federal holiday commemorating
这是一个联邦假日，目的是庆祝

the adoption of the Declaration
1776年7月4日

of Independence on July 4, 1776,
发表《独立宣言》

by the Continental Congress
大陆会议

declaring that the thirteen American colonies 
宣告美国十三个殖民地

regarded themselves as a new nation,
一起被视为一个新的国家

the United States of America,
美利坚合众国

and no longer part of the British Empire. 
而不再是英帝国的一员

Independence Day
独立日

is commonly associated with fireworks, 
通常伴随着烟花表演

parades, barbecues, carnivals, fairs, 
游行、烧烤、狂欢节、集市

picnics, concerts, baseball games, 
野餐、音乐会、棒球比赛

family reunions, and political speeches
家庭团聚与政治演讲

and ceremonies.
及典礼

Independence Day is the National Day 
“独立日”是美国的

of the United States.
“国庆节”

Thanksgiving
感恩节

The Thanksgiving Day
感恩节

is an important public holiday,
是一个重要的公众假日

celebrated on the fourth Thursday
日期为美国十一月的

in November in the United States.
第四个星期四

The holiday dates back to 1621,
这个节日可以追溯到1621年

the year after the Puritans
清教徒抵达马萨诸塞州后

arrived in Massachusetts,
的一年

determined to practice their dissenting religion
他们决心在不受干预的情况下践行他们的

without interference.
异议宗教信仰

After a rough winter,
经过一个严冬

in which about half of them died,
接近一半的新教徒死去了

they turned for help to neighboring Indians,
新教徒们向附近的印第安人求助

who taught them how to plant corn
印第安人教他们种植玉米

and other crops.
和其他作物

The next fall's bountiful harvest
第二年的秋天获得了丰收

inspired the Pilgrims to give thanks
这激发了清教徒们举行宴会

by holding a feast.
表达谢意的想法

The Thanksgiving feast became a national tradition
感恩节盛宴能够成为一种民族传统

– not only because so many other Americans
——不仅仅是因为很多美国人

have found prosperity
过上了富足的生活

but also because the Pilgrims' sacrifices for their freedom
还因为清教徒们为自由而牺牲的故事

still captivate the imagination.
依然吸引着人们

To this day,
直到今天

Thanksgiving dinner
感恩节宴会

almost always includes some of the foods served
依然还会包括一些曾出现在第一次感恩宴会上

at the first feast:
的美食

roast turkey, cranberry sauce,
烤火鸡、蔓越莓酱

potatoes, pumpkin pie.
土豆泥和南瓜派

Before the meal begins,
大餐开始前

families or friends usually pause
家人或朋友们通常会停下来

to give thanks for their blessings,
感谢彼此的祝福

including the joy of being united for the occasion.
分享共聚一堂的喜悦

Halloween
万圣节前夕

Halloween is a celebration observed on October 31,
万圣节前夕在10月31日进行庆祝

the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows' Day.
也就是西方基督教节日“万圣节”的前夜

Straddling the line between fall and winter,
历经秋冬

plenty and paucity,
历经贫富

life and death,
历经生死

Halloween is a time of celebration and superstition.
万圣节正是庆祝和阐明信仰的时候

Parties and other events
聚会和其他活动

may be planned on October 31
可能在10月31日

or in the weekends before and after this date.
或者这一天前后的周末策划完成

Adults may celebrate by watching horror films,
成年人通过看恐怖电影

holding costume parties
举办服装派对

or creating haunted houses or graveyards.
或创建鬼屋或墓地等方式庆祝

Some families carve lanterns
有些家庭会在南瓜灯

with 'scary' faces out of pumpkins
或其他蔬菜灯上刻着

or other vegetables or decorate their homes and gardens
“可怕的”表情，又或者把他们的房子和花园装饰成

in Halloween style.
万圣节风格

Many children dress up in fancy costumes
许多孩子穿着奇装异服

and visit other homes in the neighborhood.
拜访邻居

At each house,
每到一个家庭

they demand sweets, snacks or a small gift.
他们就索要糖果、零食或小礼物

If they do not get this,
如果他们没能得到这些

they threaten to do some harm to the inhabitants
就会威胁说要伤害这所房子的

of the house. 
居民

This is commonly known as treat-or-trick.
这通常被称为“不给糖就捣蛋”

Christmas
圣诞节

Christmas is both a sacred religious holiday
圣诞节既是神圣的宗教节日

and a worldwide cultural
又是一种世界文化

and commercial phenomenon.
也是一种商业现象

For two millennia,
两千年来

people around the world
世界各地的人们

have been observing it with traditions and practices
一直以既宗教又世俗的

that are both religious and secular in nature.
传统习俗来庆祝这一节日

In America,
在美国

weeks before Christmas,
圣诞节几周前

houses are decorated with trees
房子就要用常青树装饰

that are beautified with coloured lights,
常青树被修饰以彩灯

tinsels, bright ornaments, stars and angels.
金属箔片、明亮的饰品、星星和天使等

Electric lights are installed in homes,
彩灯被安装在家里

commercial buildings and business centers.
以及商业大厦和商业中心里

Santa Claus, snowmen, reindeers
圣诞老人、雪人、驯鹿

form a major part of the festivities. 
是庆祝活动的重要组成部分

Popular customs in the US include exchanging gifts,
美国的风俗习惯包括互换礼物

decorating Christmas trees,
装饰圣诞树

attending church,
去教堂做礼拜

sharing meals with family and friends
与家人朋友共进晚餐

and, of course, waiting for Santa Claus to arrive.
当然，还包括等待圣诞老人的到来

Groundhog Day 
土拨鼠节

Another interesting traditional holiday
另一个有趣的传统节日

is the Groundhog Day celebrated on February 2.
是每年2月2日的土拨鼠节

According to folktale,
据民间传说

if it is cloudy
如果土拨鼠

when a groundhog emerges from its burrow
从洞穴中爬出来的这一天

on this day,
乌云密布

then the spring season will arrive early,
这就代表着春天会在春分前的

some time before the vernal equinox;
一段时间提早到达

if it is sunny,
但如果是晴天

the groundhog will supposedly see its shadow
土拨鼠就有可能看见它的影子

and retreat back into its den,
接着退回洞穴

and winter weather will persist for six more weeks.
这就代表这一年的冬天将持续六周以上

Modern customs of the holiday involve
土拨鼠节的现代习俗包括

early morning celebrations
清晨庆祝活动

to watch the groundhog emerging from its burrow.
即观察土拨鼠从洞穴里爬出来

Did you know?
你知道吗

A traditional Christmas Dinner includes:
传统的圣诞节晚餐

Most Christmas customs in the United States
美国的大多数圣诞节习俗

have been adopted from those in the United Kingdom.
都是从英国沿袭下来的

Accordingly,
因此

the mainstays of the British table are also found
英国圣诞节餐桌上的主食也搬到了

in the United States:
美国餐桌上

roast turkey, beef, ham, or pork,
烤火鸡、牛肉、火腿或猪肉

mashed potatoes and gravy,
土豆泥和肉汁

squash, roasted root vegetables are common.
南瓜、香料烤蔬食都是很常见的菜

Common desserts include pumpkin pie,
常见的甜点有南瓜派

plum pudding or Christmas pudding
李子布丁或圣诞布丁

and mince pies.
以及肉馅馅饼

In the South,
在南方

coconut cake, pecan pie,
椰子蛋糕、山核桃派

and sweet potato pie are also common.
和红薯派也很常见