美国文化脱口秀 第270期:感恩节:美国的中秋节

 　　感恩节要到啦！它可是美国人最看重的节日。今天我们就聊聊它的起源、美国人怎么庆祝，当然还要说说感恩节大餐都吃什么。

　　感恩节的来历

　　Thanksgiving: 感恩节

　　The fourth Thursday of every November: 每年11月的第四个星期四

　　The origin/backstory of Thanksgiving: 感恩节的起源、背后的故事

　　Native Indians: 印第安人

　　The early settlers to the North American continent: 早期来到北美大陆的移民

　　They were called pilgrims (from England): 他们叫'pilgrims'，1620年移居美洲的英国清教徒

　　They were starving to death because they couldn't grow the food they were used to: 由于种不出他们习惯种的粮食，这些人陷入饥荒

　　The Native Indians taught them how to grow corn and hunt:印第安人教这些北美新移民如何种玉米、打猎

　　That helped the pilgrims survive the first winter: 帮助他们度过来到美洲后的第一个严冬

　　So the pilgrims started Thanksgiving the following year to celebrate 'we've made it' with the help of the Indians: 所以清教徒在下一年开始了感恩节，感谢印第安人的帮助

　　It's not clear whether the meal ever happened: 虽然没有确切的历史记载到底有没有这顿感恩节大餐

　　Thanksgiving became an American symbol: 但感恩节成为了美国文化象征

　　为什么感恩节在美国那么重要

　　Many see Thanksgiving as the biggest American holiday because it's secular¹. You don't need to be religious to celebrate it: 很多人认为感恩节是美国最重要的节日，因为它没有宗教含义，不只有教徒才能庆祝

　　The Jewish population:犹太裔

　　Thanksgiving is a big family holiday:感恩节是一个关于家庭的节日

　　Thanksgiving is the most-travelled time of the year, even more than Christmas:感恩节是美国国内旅行最繁忙的节日，超出圣诞节

　　感恩节:美国的中秋节

　　感恩节大餐

　　Food brings people together: 美食能把人聚在一起

　　Thanksgiving Dinner: 感恩节大餐

　　Turkey: 火鸡

　　KFC doesn't do. It has to be a proper turkey: 吃KFC可不行，一定要吃真正的火鸡

　　Nickname: 小名、别名

　　The Big Bird/The Tom/Tom Bird/Tom Turkey:这些都是火鸡的别名

　　Frozen turkey:冷冻火鸡

　　Carrying strings²: 网袋

　　20-pounder: 20磅重的火鸡

　　Family recipe:家传秘方、食谱

　　Passed down:祖传的

　　Who does the cooking? 谁负责做菜？

　　Everyone chips in: 大家都出力、帮忙

　　Rotate: 轮流

　　It's a lot of preparation/work: 准备工作很多

　　烤火鸡、配菜

　　All the trimmings: 所有的配菜 （美国人常说turkey and all the trimmings)

　　Side dishes/sides: 配菜

　　Thanksgiving dinners are almost always at home: 感恩节大餐基本都在家里吃

　　Some people may order a cooked turkey: 有些人可能会买一只做好的火鸡外带回家

　　Take-out turkey: 外卖火鸡

　　But it's tradition to make it yourself: 但是最传统的还是自己烤火鸡

　　Roast: 烤

　　Oven: 烤箱

　　Defrost:解冻

　　Marinate: 腌制

　　Stuffing: 火鸡肚子里填的馅料，像我们的八宝鸭

　　Cous-cous:中东小米

　　Many people think the stuffing is as important as the turkey: 很多人觉得馅料跟火鸡一样重要，不能缺少

　　I've never been a huge fan of stuffing: 我从来没特别喜欢stuffing

　　Bread:面包

　　Raisins³:葡萄干

　　Dried nuts:坚果

　　Cranberry⁴ sauce: 蔓越莓酱

　　Gravy⁵:肉汁酱

　　Mashed⁶ potato: 土豆泥

　　Bread roll: 小面包

　　Leftovers⁷: 剩菜

　　The leftovers are almost even better than the Thanksgiving meal itself:剩下的火鸡做的菜比感恩节大餐更好吃

　　You can make turkey sandwiches: 你可以做火鸡三明治

　　Chicken soup: 鸡汤

　　感恩节到圣诞节

　　Are you going home for Thanksgiving: 你感恩节回家吗？

　　Have time-off: 休假

　　Make the most out of it: 尽情享受

　　The holiday season begins with Thanksgiving: 节日季从感恩节开始

　　The holiday spirit carries on until Christmas: 节日的气氛一直延续到圣诞节

　　Warm, cuddly feeling: 温暖、温馨的感觉

　　Being thankful for something or someone: 对某事物、某人感恩

1 secular   

n.牧师，凡人；adj.世俗的，现世的，不朽的

参考例句：

• We live in an increasingly secular society.我们生活在一个日益非宗教的社会。
• Britain is a plural society in which the secular predominates.英国是个世俗主导的多元社会。

2 strings   

n.弦

参考例句：

• He sat on the bed,idly plucking the strings of his guitar.他坐在床上，随意地拨着吉他的弦。
• She swept her fingers over the strings of the harp.她用手指划过竖琴的琴弦。

3 raisins   

n.葡萄干( raisin的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• These raisins come from Xinjiang,they taste delicious. 这些葡萄干产自新疆，味道很甜。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Mother put some raisins in the cake. 母亲在糕饼中放了一些葡萄干。 来自辞典例句

4 cranberry   

n.梅果

参考例句：

• Turkey reminds me of cranberry sauce.火鸡让我想起梅果酱。
• Actually I prefer canned cranberry sauce.事实上我更喜欢罐装的梅果酱。

5 gravy   

n.肉汁；轻易得来的钱，外快

参考例句：

• You have spilled gravy on the tablecloth.你把肉汁泼到台布上了。
• The meat was swimming in gravy.肉泡在浓汁之中。

6 mashed   

a.捣烂的

参考例句：

• two scoops of mashed potato 两勺土豆泥
• Just one scoop of mashed potato for me, please. 请给我盛一勺土豆泥。

7 leftovers   

n.剩余物，残留物，剩菜

参考例句：

• He can do miracles with a few kitchen leftovers.他能用厨房里几样剩饭做出一顿美餐。
• She made supper from leftovers she had thrown together.她用吃剩的食物拼凑成一顿晚饭。