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　　感恩节的由来，你知道吗？感恩节到底是庆祝什么的节目？人们都会准备哪些特别的美食呢？欢迎阅读感恩节英文介绍及翻译，让我们一起来了解了解吧。

　　What is Thanksgiving？ 什么是感恩节？

　　Thanksgiving is a national holiday widely celebrated in North America. In the US, many are taught at school that the First Thanksgiving Dinner was held in 1621 Massachusetts. In 1620, the Pilgrims arrived in the New World from England; they were faced with harsh weather and difficult living conditions. Luckily, they received huge help from the native Americans and were able to have a good harvest the following year. So the Pilgrims put on a feast for everyone to celebrate the harvest.

　　感恩节是北美洲一个被广泛庆祝的公众假日。在美国学校里，大家会学到第一个感恩晚宴是1621年在美国麻马萨诸塞州举办的。1620年的秋季，英格兰的朝圣者来到了新大陆。当时气候和生活环境极其恶劣，幸运的是他们得到了土著美国人的巨大的帮助，终于渡过难关，在第二年创下丰收。所以朝圣者们举办了盛大的宴会庆祝丰收，感谢所有人做出的努力。

　　Now in the US, it is a time for family reunion, and signaling the start of the festive season before Christmas.

　　现在感恩节在美国是家人团聚的时刻，同时也预示着圣诞季节的来临。

　　When is Thanksgiving? 感恩节是哪一天？

　　In the States, Thanksgiving is usually the fourth Thursday in November. And in many states, the Friday after Thanksgiving Thursday is also a holiday, this is called Black Friday. Many people choose to have a long weekend break, spend time with their family or shop for Christmas presents on Black Friday. Many stores offer special discounts.

　　在美国感恩节是每年十一月的第四个星期四。在美国很多州，感恩节后的星期五也是一个公众假日，这一天有一个特殊的名字，就是“黑色星期五 Black Friday”。很多人会利用这个长周末探望家人或者趁“黑色星期五”这天采购圣诞节的礼物。很多商店在“黑色星期五”这天都会有各种促销或打折活动。

　　Thanksgiving food 感恩节的食品

　　Since Thanksgiving started as a harvest celebration, it’s no wonder that food plays an important part. It’s said that there is more food consumed during Thanksgiving than Christmas. Roast turkey is the must have dish, also, for dessert, pumpkin pies are served.

　　因为感恩节源于庆祝丰收，所以“吃”在这个节日里是非常重要的。据说在感恩节期间食品的消耗量比圣诞节还要高。烤火鸡是必备食品，另外，甜品非南瓜派莫属了。

　　Fun facts 感恩节有趣小知识

　　The president of the United States traditionally ‘pardons’ one lucky turkey each year just before Thanksgiving holiday. The chosen one is spared from the oven and is given freedom to enjoy the rest of its life in the wild.

　　美国总统每年在感恩节前会“赦免 pardon”一只幸运的火鸡。被“赦免”的幸运火鸡会躲过被送进烤箱的厄运，重新获得自由，在野外悠闲的度过余生。

　　Did you know that it’s estimated around 46 million turkeys are consumed during Thanksgiving holiday. It’s not fun to be a turkey in America!

　　你知道吗？每年感恩节期间，美国人会吃掉约46,000,000只火鸡。生活在美国的火鸡命可真苦啊！

　　In other countries? 其它国家？

　　As we mentioned before, Thanksgiving is mainly celebrated in America and Canada. However in Canada, Thanksgiving is on the second Monday of October. It’s not big in the UK, although it seems to be gaining popularity. And special Thanksgiving menus have started to pop up in restaurants.

　　感恩节是美国和加拿大的主要节日。不过在加拿大，感恩节是每年十月的第二个星期一。英国人不会特别庆祝感恩节，不过近些年这个节日好像也逐渐的被越来越多的英国人认可。每年感恩节时，英国的一些餐厅里也会推出特别的感恩节菜单吸引客人前去就餐。

　　感恩节的由来和习俗

　　ThanksgivingDay in America is a time to offer thanks, of family gatherings and holidaymeals. A time of turkeys, stuffing, and pumpkin pie. A time for Indian corn,holiday parades and giant balloons.

　　在美国，感恩节是一个感谢恩赐，家庭团聚，合家欢宴的日子;是一个家家餐桌上都有火鸡、填料、南瓜馅饼的日子;是一个充满了印第安玉米、假日游行和巨型气球的日子。

　　Thanksgivingis celebrated on the 4th Thursday of November, which this year (2010) isNovember 25th.

　　每年十一月的最后一个星期四是感恩节，在2010年则是11月27日。下面让我们来看看感恩节的由来吧。

　　ThePilgrims who sailed to this country aboard the Mayflower were originallymembers of the English Separatist Church (a Puritan sect)。 They had earlier fledtheir home in England and sailed to Holland (The Netherlands) to escapereligious persecution. There, they enjoyed more religious tolerance, but theyeventually became disenchanted with the Dutch way of life, thinking it ungodly.Seeking a better life, the Separatists negotiated with a London stock companyto finance a pilgrimage to America. Most of those making the trip aboard theMayflower were non-Separatists, but were hired to protect the company'sinterests. Only about one-third of the original colonists were Separatists.

　　乘“五月花”来到这个国度的旅行者(朝圣者)原本是英国分离者地下一教会清教徒，他们的家在英国，因不堪忍受国内的宗教迫害，他们逃亡到荷兰。在荷兰，他们享受了更多的宗教信仰自由，但最终却意识到在荷兰的这种生活方式是对他们的主的亵渎。为了寻求更好的生活，他们与伦敦贸易公司协商，由该公司资助他们到美国。在这趟旅途中，船上只有大约1/3的乘客是清教徒，其他大多数人并非分离派清教徒，而是公司雇佣来保护其利益的人员(契约奴)。

　　ThePilgrims set ground at Plymouth Rock on December 11, 1620. Their first winterwas devastating. At the beginning of the followin ng fall, they had lost 46 ofthe original 102 who sailed on the Mayflower. But the harvest of 1621 was abountiful one. And the remaining colonists decided to celebrate with a feast ——including 91 Indians who had helped the Pilgrims survive their first year. Itis believed that the Pilgrims would not have made it through the year withoutthe help of the natives. The feast was more of a traditional English harvest festivalthan a true “thanksgiving” observance. It lasted three days.

　　1620年12月11日，旅行者们在“普利茅斯石”登陆。他们的第一个冬季是灾难性的，第二年秋天来临时，原来的102名乘客只剩下56人。但1621年他们获得了大丰收，这些幸存的殖民者们决定和帮助他们度过困难的91名印第安人一起飨宴庆祝。他们相信，若没有当地居民的帮助，他们是不可能度过这一年的。这次节日的盛宴不仅仅是一个“感恩”仪式，它更像英国传统的丰收庆典。庆典持续了三天。

　　GovernorWilliam Bradford sent “four men fowling” after wild ducks and geese. It is not certain that wild turkey waspart of their feast. However, it is certain that they had venison. The term “turkey” was used by the Pilgrims to mean anysort of wild fowl.

　　总督布雷德福派了“四人捕鸟队”去捕捉野鸭和野鹅。我们现在并不能确定是否有野生火鸡在当时的筵席上，但筵席上肯定有鹿肉。当时，朝圣者用“火鸡”一词来代表各种野禽。

　　Anothermodern staple at almost every Thanksgiving table is pumpkin pie. But it isunlikely that the first feast included that treat. The supply of flour had beenlong diminished, so there was no bread or pastries of any kind. However, theydid eat boiled pumpkin, and they produced a type of fried bread from their corncrop. There was also no milk, cider, potatoes, or butter. There was no domesticcattle for dairy products, and the newly- discovered potato was stillconsidered by many Europeans to be poisonous. But the feast did include fish,berries, watercress, lobster, dried fruit, clams, venison, and plums.

　　现在，几乎每家感恩节餐桌上都有南瓜馅饼――感恩节的另一种主食。但在当年的第一次庆典上却不可能有这种食品。因为面粉奇缺，所以面包、馅饼、糕点等食物都没有。但他们却吃了煮南瓜，并用收获的玉米制成了一种油炸面包。也没有牛奶、苹果酒、土豆和黄油。没有驯养的奶牛，自然没有牛奶;而新发现的土豆被很多欧洲人认为是有毒的。第一次庆典上有鱼、草莓、豆瓣菜、龙虾、干果、蛤、鹿肉、李子等。

　　This “thanksgiving” feast was not repeated thefollowing year. But in 1623, during a severe drought, the pilgrims gathered ina prayer service, praying for rain. When a long, steady rain followed the verynext day, Governor Bradford proclaimed another day of Thanksgiving, againinviting their Indian friends. It wasn't until June of 1676 that another Day ofThanksgiving was proclaimed.

　　紧接着的第二年(1622)却没有举行“感恩”庆典。到了1623年，发生了一场严重的旱灾，朝圣者们聚集到一起，举行了虔诚的祁雨仪式，刚好在第二天，一场充沛的大雨从天而降。威廉布雷德福总督宣布再次庆祝感恩节，并再次邀请了他们的印第安朋友。之后数年无感恩节，直到1676年6月，感恩节才再次被提出。

　　OnJune 20, 1676, the governing council of Charlestown,Massachusetts, held ameeting to determine how best to express thanks for the good fortune that hadseen their community securely established. By unanimous vote they instructedEdward Rawson, the clerk, to proclaim June 29 as a day of thanksgiving. It isnotable that this thanksgiving celebration probably did not include theIndians, as the celebration was meant partly to be in recognition of thecolonists' recent victory over the “heathen natives,”

　　1676年6月20日，马萨诸塞州的查尔斯顿政府委员会召开了一次会议，讨论如何才能最好表达对主的谢意：主赐予他们好运，庇佑他们安全地建立了他们的邦联。经过意见不统一的投票，由书记爱德华。劳森宣布6月29日为当年的感恩节。值得注意的是，因此次庆典在一定程度上是殖民者对战胜“野蛮的土著人”的庆祝，故印第安人极有可能未参加此次庆典。

　　October of1777 marked the first time that all 13 colonies joined in a thanksgivingcelebration. It also commemorated the patriotic victory over the British atSaratoga. But it was a one-time affair.

　　1777年10月，13个殖民地第一次联合举办了感恩节庆典，这也是对萨拉托加一役中战胜英国人所取得的爱国主义的胜利的纪念。但只举行了这一年。

　　GeorgeWashington proclaimed a National Day of Thanksgiving in 1789, although somewere opposed to it. There was discord among the colonies, many feeling thehardships of a few Pilgrims did not warrant a national holiday. And later,President Thomas Jefferson scoffed at the idea of having a day of thanksgiving.

　　1789年，尽管出现反对的呼声，华盛顿总统还是宣布感恩节为全国性节日。在殖民地中也存在意见的分歧，不少人认为，仅仅一小撮朝圣者所经历的那些艰难困苦并不值得用一个全国节日来纪念。之后，杰弗逊总统还对这件事嗤之以鼻。

　　It was Sarah Josepha Hale, a magazineeditor, whose efforts eventually led to what we recognize as Thanksgiving. Halewrote many editorials championing her cause in her Boston Ladies' Magazine, andlater, in Godey's Lady's Book. Finally, after a 40-year campaign of writingeditorials and letters to governors and presidents, Hale's obsession became areality when, in 1863, President Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday inNovember as a national day of Thanksgiving.

　　若没有萨拉·J· 黑尔――一位杂志编辑的努力，最终就不会有我们现在所谓的感恩节。在她主编的“波士顿妇女杂志”及稍后的“Godey's女士手册”中，她撰写了大量的社论，支持将感恩节定为全国性节日。40年中，她坚持不懈地发表评论，不断致信州长乃至总统，最后，理想终于变为现实：1863年，林肯总统发表声明，将11月的最后一个星期四定为感恩节――一个全国性的节日。

　　感恩节的故事

　　Early in the 17th century, a group of people called the pilgrims wanted to reform and purify England's churches.

　　17世纪早期，被称作清教徒的一群人想要改革并净化英格兰教会。

　　As a result of their efforts, they were persecuted, so they sailed to the Netherlands; also known as Holland, seeking religious freedom.

　　他们努力的结果却是遭到了迫害，于是他们横渡到了尼德兰，也被称作荷兰，去那里寻找宗教自由。

　　After 12 years in Holland where they struggled to make a living felt threatened by the permissive Dutch society, the Pilgrims decide to seek refuge in a place where they could create a society that matched their religious ideals.

　　在荷兰生存了12年后，他们挣扎求生。受到荷兰社会放纵文化的威胁，清教徒决定寻找一个避难所，在那里开拓一个符合他们宗教理想的新社会。

　　In exchange for seven years of work the puritans persuaded a London stock company to finance their journey to the New World.

　　清教徒说服一所伦敦证券公司，以七年工龄换来了他们去新世界旅行的资助。

　　In September 1620,102 passengers set sail from Plymouth, England on a ship called the Mayflower.

　　1620年9月，102人踏上五月花号从英格兰普利茅斯启航。

　　The journey took 65 days and was filled with much difficulty.

　　此番航程耗费65日，期间充满各种艰难险阻。

　　Bad storms weakened the ship and cause many leaks.

　　狂风暴雨对船只极大损害，造成了多处进水。

　　Many passengers were cold and damp for much of the journey and others were concerned that they wouldn't even survive.

　　在大部分航行时间里，许多乘客都遭遇着寒冷和潮湿，其他人都认为自己无法存活。

　　Though many were sick and one person died, they did make it.

　　尽管很多人生病，还有一人死亡，但他们还是成功了。

　　On December11,1620 the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock and began to explore the surrounding area for suitable place to build their colony.

　　1620年12月11日，清教徒抵达普利茅斯岸，并开始开拓周边合适的地段来建造他们的领地。

　　They chose Plymouth because it had an excellent harbor and a large brook in which to catch fish to eat.

　　他们选择普利茅斯是因为这里有绝佳的海港，以及一条捕鱼吃的大河。

　　While living on the Mayflower and ferrying back and forth to land, the Pilgrims built their houses and barns.

　　当住在五月花号上并来回渡到岸上的时候，清教徒们建造了他们自己的房子以及谷仓。

　　Construction was hindered by exceptionally heavy snow and intense cold but the settlement was completed in late March 1621.

　　虽然意外的大雪和刺骨的严寒耽搁了建造房屋的时间，但是到1621年3月末，他们终于安顿了下来。

　　Their success was dampened by great sorrow, nearly half of their original group died that first winter.

　　他们的成功被巨大的悲伤淹没，因为近半数原来的人员死于第一个冬天。

　　Besides survival the Pilgrims were concerned that the Native American Indians would attack them.

　　除了生存，清教徒们也担心当地的土著印第安人会攻击他们。

　　To their surprise, an Indian named Samoset walked right into the colony and welcomed them in broken English.

　　令他们吃惊的是，一个名叫萨姆塞特的印第安人直接走进了他们的领地，并用断断续续的英语来表示欢迎。

　　Samoset was from an Indian tribe in Maine and had picked up a few English words from the fishermen who come into the harbors there.

　　萨姆塞特是从缅因州的印第安部落来的，并从港口那里的渔夫口里学到了一些英语。

　　He told them also of another Indian named Squanto, a native of that place who had been in England, and could speak better English than he.

　　他也告诉了他们有另一个名叫斯宽图的印第安人曾经去过英国，可以讲比他更好的英语。

　　The Pilgrims used the opportunity to negotiate a peace treaty and to establish trading relations.

　　清教徒们使用这个机会和他们签了和平条约，并建立了贸易关系。

　　Squanto's importance to the Pilgrims was enormous and it can said that they would not survive without his help.

　　斯宽图对清教徒的影响是巨大的，可以说没有他的帮助，他们无法生存下来。

　　It was Squanto who taught the Pilgrims how to tap the maple trees for sap, how to plant Indian corn and other crops and how to tell which plants were poisonous and which could be used as medicine.

　　斯宽图教清教徒们如何敲打枫树来获取树液作为水源，如何种植印第安玉米和其他农作物，还告诉他们分辨哪些植物有毒，哪些可以入药。

　　As a result they had a bountiful harvest that provided food for the coming winter.

　　结果，他们得到了丰厚的收成，为即将到来的冬天提供了食物。

　　The Pilgrims had much to celebrate although nearly half of their people died.

　　尽管有近半数的人死去，清教徒们依然有许多值得庆祝的东西。

　　They had successfully built homes in the wilderness raised enough crops to keep them alive during the long coming winter and they were at peace with their Indian neighbors.

　　他们成功的在荒野建造了房屋、种植了足以应对漫长冬天的庄稼，以及与他们印第安邻居的和睦相处。

　　It was time to give thanks.

　　表达感谢的时候到了。

　　The Pilgrim Governor, William Bradford proclaimed a day of thanksgiving to God for helping them survive the brutal winter.

　　清教徒的首领，威廉.布莱弗徳定下一天来感谢上帝保佑他们度过寒冬得以生存。

　　They invited Squanto and other Indians to join in their celebration.

　　他们邀请了斯宽图和其他的印第安人来参加他们的庆典。

　　Their chief, Massasoit, and 90 braves came to the celebration which lasted for 3 days.

　　他们的首领马萨索伊和九十个勇士参加了为期三天的庆祝。

　　Two year later the colony suffered a drought and Governor Bradford ordered a day of fasting and prayer.

　　两年后，领地遭遇了一场干旱，首领布莱弗徳定了一天为禁食祷告日。

　　It is reported that soon afterward it began to rain.

　　据说之后不久就开始下雨了。

　　To celebrate God's answer to prayer November 29th was proclaimed a day of thanksgiving.

　　为了庆祝上帝对祈祷的回应，11月29日被定为感恩节。

　　This date is believed to be the beginning of the present day Thanksgiving Day which is held on the 4th Thursday of November.

　　这个日子也被认为是感恩节的开始日，在十一月的第四个周四。

　　The custom of an annual thanksgiving celebration held after the harvest continued but it became a national observance under Presidents George Washington (in 1789) and Abraham Lincoln (in 1863) .

　　一年一度的感恩节庆祝在丰收后举行，但它成为一个全国性节日是在总统乔治.华盛顿（在1789年）以及艾伯拉罕.林肯（在1863年）的执政期间。

　　Only after Lincoln did thanksgiving become an annual observance.

　　直到林肯之后，感恩节才成为一个年度庆典。

　　Thanksgiving weekend has become of the busiest travel periods of the year because it is a 4 to 5 vacation for many schools and some businesses.

　　感恩节周末已经变成一年中最忙的旅游时段，因为许多学校和公司都会有一个长达四五天的假期。

　　It has also become the beginning of the Christmas buying season.

　　这也成为了圣诞节购物的开端。

　　Many people today observe the holiday by watching professional football games, Thanksgiving TV programs and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade held in New York City.

　　现在许多人看职业橄榄球赛、感恩节电视节目以及梅西的纽约感恩节游行来庆祝感恩节。

　　Thanksgiving is a time when families gather and enjoy their time together.

　　感恩节是家庭团聚共享时光的时刻。

　　Many families give thanks to God for His goodness and faithfulness to them.

　　许多家庭会感谢上帝对他们的良善和信实。

　　Regardless of one's religious beliefs most families will share a large meal together of turkey, stuffing mashed potatoes with gravy sweet potatoes cranberry sauce, sweet corn and pumpkin pie.

　　撇开人的信仰不讲，大多数家庭会一起分享一顿盛宴，包括火鸡，填充着带肉汁红薯蔓越莓酱的土豆泥，甜玉米以及南瓜派。

　　Afterwards family members may share what they are thankful for from that year.

　　之后，一家人会分享他们一年之中要感恩的事情。

　　What are some things you are thankful for?

　　你要感恩的是什么呢？

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