word调整下划线粗细:感恩节的由来（中英文）

The Origin of Thanksgiving

　　The earliest observance of Thanksgiving on this continent was with special services in Virginia as early as 1607. The first Thanksgiving Festival began on December 13th in 1621 at Plymouth, Massachusetts. It started as a harvest festival with the people thanking God for giving them sufficient crops. That first Thanksgiving celebration lasted three days with the people enthusiastically participating.

　　On June 20, 1676 the town of Charlestown, Massachusetts issued the First Thanksgiving Proclamation. By unanimous vote the governing council instructed the clerk, Edward Rawson, to proclaim June 29th as a day of thanksgiving.

　　George Washington issued the first national Thanksgiving proclamation in 1789, the year of his inauguration as President of the United States of America. He called for another Thanksgiving Day in 1795. With other presidents and state governors proclaiming days of thanksgiving at various times there was no effort to organize a yearly Thanksgiving Day until Mrs. Sarah Joseph Hale started her crusade in 1827. It took thirty-six years to achieve victory when, in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln made his Thanksgiving Day Proclamation. The nation has celebrated the special day ever since.

　　Today Thanksgiving Day is a legal holiday with most government and private employees being given the day off. Some companies and most schools also shut down the following Friday. Yes, the United States of America, for most purposes, observes Thanksgiving Day.

　　But, it appears that Thanksgiving Day, like most other national and religious holidays, has been highly commercialized, to the point that many people forget what we are supposed to be celebrating. If we were to survey people on the street and ask, "What stands out in your mind when you think of Thanksgiving Day", we would probably get answers like:turkey, dinner, pilgrims, fall, pumpkins, corn stalks, etc.

　　But, how many people on Thanksgiving Day actually pause and do what the name of the event suggests? What portion of the celebrators do stop to thank God for our nation and for all we have?

　　Psalm 105:1 commands us, "Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done."

　　As we approach Thanksgiving Day, let's not focus on the food, which are gifts. Let's focus on the giver. Let's thank God for all He has provided. Let's call on His name and invite Him to be present at our table. Let's celebrate Thanksgiving Day with grateful hearts.

　　11月的第四个星期四是感恩节。感恩节是美国人民独创的一个古老节日，也是美国人合家欢聚的节日，因此美国人提起感恩节总是倍感亲切。
　　感恩节的由来要一直追溯到美国历史的发端。1620年，著名的“五月花”号船满载不堪忍受英国国内宗教迫害的清教徒102人到达美洲。1620年和1621年之交的冬天，他们遇到了难以想象的困难，处在饥寒交迫之中，冬天过去时，活下来的移民只有50来人。这时，心地善良的印第安人给移民送来了生活必需品，还特地派人教他们怎样狩猎、捕鱼和种植玉米、南瓜。在印第安人的帮助下，移民们终于获得了丰收，在欢庆丰收的日子，按照宗教传统习俗，移民规定了感谢上帝的日子，并决定为感谢印第安人的真诚帮助，邀请他们一同庆祝节日。
　　在第一个感恩节的这一天，印第安人和移民欢聚一堂，他们在黎明时鸣放礼炮，列队走进一间用作教堂的屋子，虔诚地向上帝表达谢意，然后点起篝火举行盛大宴会。第二天和第三天又举行了摔交、赛跑、唱歌、跳舞等活动。第一个感恩节非常成功。其中许多庆祝方式流传了300多年，一直保留到今天。
　　初时感恩节没有固定日期，由各州临时决定，直到美国独立后，感恩节才成为全国性的节日。
　　每逢感恩节这一天，美国举国上下热闹非常，人们按照习俗前往教堂做感恩祈祷，城乡市镇到处都有化装游行、戏剧表演或体育比赛等。劳燕分飞了一年的亲人们也会从天南海北归来，一家人团团圆圆，品尝美味的感恩节火鸡。
　　感恩节的食品富有传统特色。火鸡是感恩节的传统主菜，通常是把火鸡肚子里塞上各种调料和拌好的食品，然后整只烤出，由男主人用刀切成薄片分给大家。此外，感恩节的传统食品还有甜山芋、玉蜀黍、南瓜饼、红莓苔子果酱等。
　　感恩节宴会后，人们有时会做些传统游戏，比如南瓜赛跑是比赛者用一把小勺推着南瓜跑，规则是不能用手碰南瓜，先到终点者获胜。比赛用的勺子越小，游戏就越有意思。
　　多少年来，庆祝感恩节的习俗代代相传，无论在岩石嶙峋的西海岸还是在风光旖旎的夏威夷，人们几乎在以同样的方式欢度感恩节，感恩节是不论何种信仰、何种民族的美国人都庆祝的传统节日。（汉语和英语是两回事，不是翻译）

The Origin of Thanksgiving

The earliest observance of Thanksgiving on this continent was with special services in Virginia as early as 1607. The first Thanksgiving Festival began on December 13th in 1621 at Plymouth, Massachusetts. It started as a harvest festival with the people thanking God for giving them sufficient crops. That first Thanksgiving celebration lasted three days with the people enthusiastically participating.

On June 20, 1676 the town of Charlestown, Massachusetts issued the First Thanksgiving Proclamation. By unanimous vote the governing council instructed the clerk, Edward Rawson, to proclaim June 29th as a day of thanksgiving.

George Washington issued the first national Thanksgiving proclamation in 1789, the year of his inauguration as President of the United States of America. He called for another Thanksgiving Day in 1795. With other presidents and state governors proclaiming days of thanksgiving at various times there was no effort to organize a yearly Thanksgiving Day until Mrs. Sarah Joseph Hale started her crusade in 1827. It took thirty-six years to achieve victory when, in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln made his Thanksgiving Day Proclamation. The nation has celebrated the special day ever since.

Today Thanksgiving Day is a legal holiday with most government and private employees being given the day off. Some companies and most schools also shut down the following Friday. Yes, the United States of America, for most purposes, observes Thanksgiving Day.

But, it appears that Thanksgiving Day, like most other national and religious holidays, has been highly commercialized, to the point that many people forget what we are supposed to be celebrating. If we were to survey people on the street and ask, "What stands out in your mind when you think of Thanksgiving Day", we would probably get answers like:turkey, dinner, pilgrims, fall, pumpkins, corn stalks, etc.

But, how many people on Thanksgiving Day actually pause and do what the name of the event suggests? What portion of the celebrators do stop to thank God for our nation and for all we have?

Psalm 105:1 commands us, "Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done."

As we approach Thanksgiving Day, let's not focus on the food, which are gifts. Let's focus on the giver. Let's thank God for all He has provided. Let's call on His name and invite Him to be present at our table. Let's celebrate Thanksgiving Day with grateful hearts.

11月的第四个星期四是感恩节。感恩节是美国人民独创的一个古老节日，也是美国人合家欢聚的节日，因此美国人提起感恩节总是倍感亲切。
感恩节的由来要一直追溯到美国历史的发端。1620年，著名的“五月花”号船满载不堪忍受英国国内宗教迫害的清教徒102人到达美洲。1620年和1621年之交的冬天，他们遇到了难以想象的困难，处在饥寒交迫之中，冬天过去时，活下来的移民只有50来人。这时，心地善良的印第安人给移民送来了生活必需品，还特地派人教他们怎样狩猎、捕鱼和种植玉米、南瓜。在印第安人的帮助下，移民们终于获得了丰收，在欢庆丰收的日子，按照宗教传统习俗，移民规定了感谢上帝的日子，并决定为感谢印第安人的真诚帮助，邀请他们一同庆祝节日。
在第一个感恩节的这一天，印第安人和移民欢聚一堂，他们在黎明时鸣放礼炮，列队走进一间用作教堂的屋子，虔诚地向上帝表达谢意，然后点起篝火举行盛大宴会。第二天和第三天又举行了摔交、赛跑、唱歌、跳舞等活动。第一个感恩节非常成功。其中许多庆祝方式流传了300多年，一直保留到今天。
初时感恩节没有固定日期，由各州临时决定，直到美国独立后，感恩节才成为全国性的节日。
每逢感恩节这一天，美国举国上下热闹非常，人们按照习俗前往教堂做感恩祈祷，城乡市镇到处都有化装游行、戏剧表演或体育比赛等。劳燕分飞了一年的亲人们也会从天南海北归来，一家人团团圆圆，品尝美味的感恩节火鸡。
感恩节的食品富有传统特色。火鸡是感恩节的传统主菜，通常是把火鸡肚子里塞上各种调料和拌好的食品，然后整只烤出，由男主人用刀切成薄片分给大家。此外，感恩节的传统食品还有甜山芋、玉蜀黍、南瓜饼、红莓苔子果酱等。
感恩节宴会后，人们有时会做些传统游戏，比如南瓜赛跑是比赛者用一把小勺推着南瓜跑，规则是不能用手碰南瓜，先到终点者获胜。比赛用的勺子越小，游戏就越有意思。
多少年来，庆祝感恩节的习俗代代相传，无论在岩石嶙峋的西海岸还是在风光旖旎的夏威夷，人们几乎在以同样的方式欢度感恩节，感恩节是不论何种信仰、何种民族的美国人都庆祝的传统节日。（汉语和英语是两回事，不是翻译）

Now I would like to give you some details about Thanksgiving Day in the United States. Thanksgiving Day is the most truly American of the national Holidays in the United States and is most closely connected with the earliest history of the country.
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 in icy November, what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts.

During their first winter, over half of the settlers died of[1] 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[2]. Years later, President of the United States proclaimed the fourth Thursday of November as Thanksgiving Day every year. The celebration of Thanksgiving Day has been observed on that date until today.

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.

Everyone agrees the dinner must be built around roast turkey stuffed with a bread dressing[3] to absorb the tasty juices as it roasts. But as cooking varies with families and with the regions where one lives, it is not easy to get a consensus on[4] the precise kind of stuffing for the royal bird.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[5] blessings.

现在我想给你们详细谈谈美国的感恩节。感恩节是美国国定假日中最地道、最美国式的节日，而且它和早期美国历史最为密切相关。

1620年，一些朝圣者（或称为清教徒）乘坐"五月花"号船去美国寻求宗教自由。他们在海上颠簸折腾了两个月之后，终于在酷寒的十一月里，在现在的马萨诸塞州的普里茅斯登陆。

在第一个冬天，半数以上的移民都死于饥饿和传染病，活下来的人们在第一个春季开始播种。整个夏天他们都热切地盼望着丰收的到来，他们深知自己的生存以及殖民地的存在与否都将取决于即将到来的收成。后来，庄稼获得了意外的丰收，所以大家决定要选一个日子来感谢上帝的恩典。多年以后，美国总统宣布每年十一月的第四个星期四为感恩节。感恩节庆祝活动便定在这一天，直到如今。

感恩节庆祝模式许多年来从未改变。丰盛的家宴早在几个月之前就开始着手准备。人们在餐桌上可以吃到苹果、桔子、栗子、胡桃和葡萄，还有葡萄干布丁、碎肉馅饼、各种其它食物以及红莓苔汁和鲜果汁，其中最妙和最吸引人的大菜是烤火鸡和番瓜馅饼，这些菜一直是感恩节中最富于传统意义和最受人喜爱的食品。

人人都赞成感恩节大餐必需以烤火鸡为主菜。火鸡在烘烤时要以面包作填料以吸收从中流出来的美味汁液，但烹饪技艺常因家庭和地区的不同而各异，应用什幺填料也就很难求得一致。

今天的感恩节是一个不折不扣的国定假日。在这一天，具有各种信仰和各种背景的美国人，共同为他们一年来所受到的上苍的恩典表示感谢，虔诚地祈求上帝继续赐福。

注释：

1. died of：死于……。Die这个词真的很可怕呀！一不小心就弄错。当死于身体内部原因的，die后面要接介词of，如：饥饿（starvation）、悲伤（sadness）等；当死于外因时则要用die from，比如死于受伤（wound）。

2. it was decided that a day of thanksgiving to the Lord be fixed：decide可是个让你省事儿的好词了。它后面如果接从句，往往接虚拟语气。所以看见decide后面的从句，你就可以大胆地用动词（should）+“原形”"啦！

3. dressing：调味品、填料。这里的dressing可不是穿的呀，a bread dressing可不是“面包衣服”！和bread在一起，dressing自然就是吃的啦！它是“调味品”的意思，“穿”在食物的身上了。

4. consensus on：就……达成一致。注：consensus后面的介词要用on，而不用about。

5. continued：继续的。这里的continued看似动词continue的过去式，但它却是有自己的含义的，它是形容词“继续的”意思。这样continued blessings就是上帝“继续的赐福”了。