感恩节

The fourth Thursday in November is a national day of Thanksgiving in the United States. The tradition is a very old one, dating to the arrival of the first English settlers in North America in the 17th century, who after their first successful harvests in a new land paused to celebrate their bounty and give thanks. Falling in the autumn, Thanksgiving has much in common with harvest holidays in other nations and cultures, such as Vietnam's Trung Thu celebration and Homowo, the annual Yam Festival in Ghana. Still, with its turkey dinners, family gatherings, football games and parades, there's something about the day that's distinctively American. Together with July 4th, when the U.S. marks its independence from Great Britain, it's a truly national holiday that includes all citizens in a common purpose regardless of religious, political or ethnic persuasion. It also is a time for people to look back at the year, take stock and think about the future. With economic problems still gripping the U.S. and much of the world, the looming uncertainties of 2012 will likely be on many minds today. President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the first official Thanksgiving amid similar serious circumstances, the American Civil War. But like their colonial ancestors, Americans are essentially an optimistic people. Surrounded by friends and family, today as in the past they will enter into the spirit of the day, giving thanks for life's blessings and the promise of the future living in a free land.

十一月的第四个星期四是美国的法定节日感恩节。感恩节的传统非常古老，这要追溯到十七世纪第一批英国人在北美定居。在他们取得第一个大丰收之后，就停下来庆祝上帝的恩赐，并表达感激之情。 感恩节往往都是在秋季，与一些其他国家和文化中庆丰收的节日有许多共同之处，如越南的中秋节以及戛纳一年一度的山药节。火鸡大餐，家庭团聚，看足球赛，举行游行都是美国人特有的庆祝方式。它和七月四日美国独立日一样，是真正的全国性节日，所有市民怀着同一个目标，不分宗教、政治立场和种族信仰。 人们在这一天回顾一年发生的事情，并展望未来：经济问题将继续困扰美国和世界上的许多国家，2012年的变化不定如今牵动着每个人的心。在美国独立战争期间，亚伯拉罕·林肯总统在同样艰难的情况下将感恩节正式列为法定节日。 但是，现在的美国人和他们的祖先一样乐观。他们和以前一样在亲戚朋友簇拥下，领悟这一节日的精神，感谢上帝的恩赐，并祈祷未来风调雨顺。