英语课程计划-Columbus Day

Columbus Day is a special holiday all across the Americas. Countries in North, Central and South America celebrate the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas on October the 12th, 1492. In the United States, the day is called Columbus Day; in many Latin American countries, it is known as Día de la Raza (Day of the Race). The day is also celebrated¹ in Spain, where people call it National Day. These holidays are over two hundred years old and are a deep part of many cultures. Not everyone is happy about these celebrations. Most indigenous² cultures all across the Americas recognize the day as the start of the erosion³ of their cultures. The day for them represents the invasion of their land by Europeans.

Christopher Columbus was an Italian adventurer who lived in the fifteenth century. He believed that the Earth was not flat, as most people thought at that time. He asked the Spanish queen, Isabelle, for financial help to sail around the world. He wanted to prove the Earth was round. He also believed there was a “new world” full of spices and treasures. At that time, he thought that new world, west of Italy, was India. On August 3, 1492, he sailed west on his ship the Santa Maria. After two months he found land and called it San Salvador. He thought it was India and the people he met were Indians. That’s why today, Caribbean islands are known as the West Indies and native Americans were called American Indians. The “New World” is today’s U.S.A.

1 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

2 indigenous   

adj.土产的，土生土长的，本地的

参考例句：

• Each country has its own indigenous cultural tradition.每个国家都有自己本土的文化传统。
• Indians were the indigenous inhabitants of America.印第安人是美洲的土著居民。

3 erosion   

n.腐蚀，侵蚀，磨损，削弱，减少

参考例句：

• The erosion of beach here is serious.这里海岸的腐蚀很严重。
• Drought and soil erosion had long been a major problem.干旱和水土流失一直是个老大难问题。