| 感恩節的傳統
提到感恩節,人們首先想到的就是火雞、黑色星期五和感恩節大游行,但你聽過“富蘭克林感恩節”、“零購買日”、“火雞跑”嗎?事實上,感恩節還有不少有意思的習俗和慶祝活動。
1. THE TURKEY TROT
火雞跑
A turkey trot is a fun run or footrace, usually of the long-distance variety, that is held on or around Thanksgiving Day in the United States. Traditionally, turkey trots are held because Americans anticipate indulgent Thanksgiving feasts and run in turkey trots to burn off calories before the big meal.
火雞跑是感恩節前后在美國舉辦的一項公益跑步或競走活動,通常為長距離類型。傳統上,人們舉辦火雞跑活動,是因為美國人的感恩節大餐格外豐盛,而火雞跑能讓人們在節日大餐之前先燃燒一些卡路里。
Some organizations hold their turkey trots the week prior to Thanksgiving in order to provide festive holiday meals to homeless and low-income families in their community. First prize for winning turkey trots is often an actual frozen turkey that the winner can use for his or her family's Thanksgiving feast.
一些機構在感恩節前一周舉辦火雞跑,目的是為社區內的流浪者和低收入家庭供應節日食品;痣u跑的冠軍通常會獲得一只貨真價實的冷凍火雞,可以和家人一起在感恩節晚宴上分享。
The oldest known turkey trot footrace took place in Buffalo, New York, and has been happening every year since 1896. Nearly 13,000 runners participated in the 4.97 mile race last year.
已知最早的火雞跑起源于紐約布法羅地區,從1896年至今每年都會舉辦。去年有近13000名選手參加了全程長約8公里的火雞跑。
2. FRANKSGIVING
富蘭克林感恩節
From 1939 to 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving up by a week. In 1939, Thanksgiving, traditionally held on the last Thursday of November, fell on the 30th. Since enough people would wait until after Thanksgiving to start their Christmas shopping, Roosevelt was concerned that having the holiday so late in the month would mess up retail sales at a time when he was trying hard to pull Americans out of the Great Depression.
1939年至1941年期間,美國總統富蘭克林•D•羅斯福將感恩節提前了一個星期。感恩節的傳統日子是11月最后一個星期四,1939年的這一天正好是11月30日。羅斯福當時正在努力讓美國走出經濟大蕭條,由于人們通常會等到感恩節之后才開始為圣誕節采購,他擔心這么晚過感恩節會讓零售業陷入困境。
It didn't entirely go over well though—some states observed FDR's change, and others celebrated what was being called the "Republican" Thanksgiving on the traditional, last-Thursday date. Today, we've basically split the difference—Thanksgiving is held on the fourth Thursday of November, regardless of whether that's the last Thursday of the month or not.
不過,羅斯福的舉措并沒有完全見效,一些州遵從了他的改變,而另一些人則依然按照傳統,在11月的最后一個星期四慶祝所謂的“共和黨感恩節”,F在,我們一般采取折中辦法,在11月的第四個星期四慶祝感恩節,不管這一天是不是11月的最后一個星期四。
3. BUY NOTHING DAY
零購買日
Since 1952, Black Friday (the day following Thanksgiving Day) has been regarded as the beginning of the Christmas shopping season in the US. And in retaliation for Black Friday, there's Buy Nothing Day. To protest consumerism, many people informally celebrate BND. It was first "celebrated" in 1992, but didn't settle on its day-after-Thanksgiving date until 1997, where it has been ever since.
自1952年以來,黑色星期五(感恩節后的第一天)一直被視為美國圣誕購物季的開端。而零購買日正是為對抗黑色星期五存在的。為抗議消費主義,許多人自發慶祝零購買日。這個“節日”最早始于1992年,但直到1997年以后,才將日期固定在感恩節后的第一天。
4. THE PRESIDENTIAL TURKEY PARDON
總統火雞赦免儀式
The story goes that since at least Harry Truman, it has been tradition for the President of the US to save a couple of birds from becoming someone's feast. Records only go back to George H.W. Bush doing it, though some say the tradition goes all the way back to Abraham Lincoln pardoning his son's pet turkey.
據說,從哈里•杜魯門總統起,赦免一對火雞,讓它們避免淪為盤中餐就成了美國總統的一項傳統。關于火雞赦免儀式的有關記載只能追溯到老布什總統,但一些人認為,這個傳統可以一直追溯到亞伯拉罕•林肯赦免他兒子的寵物火雞。
In recent years, the public has gotten to name the turkeys in online polls; the paired turkeys have gotten creative names such as Stars and Stripes, Biscuit and Gravy and Marshmallow and Yam.
近年來,民眾開始通過網絡投票,為被赦免的火雞取名。它們的名字頗具創意,比如星星和橫條,餅干和肉汁,棉花糖和山藥。
5. THANKSGIVING PARADES
感恩節游行
Everyone knows about the Macy's Parade, but for a more historically accurate parade, check out America's Hometown Thanksgiving Parade in Plymouth. The America's Hometown Thanksgiving Parade is an annual parade held in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The parade, which began in 1996, is traditionally held the weekend before Thanksgiving and draws its name from the fact that Plymouth Colony was the landing point of the Pilgrims involved in the traditional "First Thanksgiving" in the early 1620s.
所有人都知道梅西感恩節大游行,但要說歷史更悠久的,當屬普利茅斯的美國故鄉感恩節游行。美國故鄉感恩節游行是馬薩諸塞州普利茅斯舉辦的年度游行,該活動始于1996年,通常在感恩節之前的那個周末舉行。普利茅斯的游行活動之所以叫“美國故鄉感恩節游行”,是因為17世紀20年代初期,五月花號上的第一批清教徒的登陸地點正是普利茅斯殖民地。
Unlike most Thanksgiving parades, which include giant balloons of popular characters, the America's Hometown parade has a strict theme. Each element in the parade is based on the history of the United States and arranged in chronological order, with five divisions separated by century: the colonial period of the 17th century, the Revolutionary period of the 18th century, the Civil War and pioneer periods of the 19th century, military and automotive showcases from the 20th and 21st centuries, and the closing division, the last of which includes the traditional Santa Claus float.
與大多數充斥著巨型氣球和人氣角色的感恩節游行不同,美國故鄉游行有嚴格的主題。游行中的所有元素都以美國歷史為依據,并按照歷史順序排列,按世紀劃分成五個部分:17世紀的殖民時期,18世紀的美國革命時期,19世紀的南北戰爭及開拓時期,20世紀和21世紀的軍事及自動化展示,以及帶有傳統圣誕老人花車的結束部分。
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