感恩节应该吃点什么

 　　感恩节应该吃点什么（双语）FamilyThanksgiving is usually celebrated¹ by getting together with lots of family, including grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. The meal is held in one family's home, and it is common for guests to bring drinks, snacks and desserts. Because Thanksgiving is close to Christmas, families can spend one holiday with the mother's family and the other holiday with the father's family. University students can invite boyfriends, girlfriends or friends whose families live too far away to come home with them for the holiday.

　　感恩节大家会上哪儿聚会呢？外国朋友说，感恩节才不是用来聚会的呢，是像咱的中秋元宵一样的，全家团聚在一起吃饭的家庭大集会！在餐桌上，很多时候都能看到长得像蛋筒一样的“cornucopia”，是专门用来放水果的，非常有特色吧。

　　不过和咱喜欢吃一顿丰盛的晚餐不一样，美国人通常是把重头戏放在午餐的时候。下午的时候就是全家一起看看电视聊聊天，或者去家里的backyard打打橄榄球之类的家族活动啦。

　　FoodThe first image that comes to mind when people think about Thanksgiving is a big, fat turkey. Turkeys are indeed enormous²; the average Thanksgiving turkey is 15 pounds, or 6.8 kilograms. (This means that people have to eat turkey sandwiches for weeks after Thanksgiving!) The meal, often held in the late afternoon, also includes mashed³ potatoes with gravy⁴, bread rolls, stuffing⁵ (which can be cooked inside the turkey), cranberry⁶ sauce, sweet corn, and other seasonal⁷ vegetables like sweet potato and green beans. For dessert, pumpkin⁸ pie is most popular, although many families enjoy other kinds of pie as well, such as apple pie, pecan pie or blueberry pie.

　　当然啦，一说起感恩节，虎虎的脑中就浮现出一只鸵鸟大小的动物（火鸡不是鸵鸟啊！）。好想吃火鸡啊，嘴都馋了……不过说起来，为什么感恩节要吃火鸡呢？一位外国美女告诉了小编一个简单易懂的原因：因为……火鸡多……这让小编不由得想起，万圣节感恩节都吃南瓜难道也是因为南瓜多么！）此外，火鸡在美国还被称为“Tom Turkey”哦，因为据说公火鸡的名字就叫做Tom……世上千千万万的Tom啊该是高兴还是悲哀呢。

　　ActivitiesAfter the meal, families relax and spend time together, sometimes watching American football games or Thanksgiving Day parades on television. Thanksgiving is also a time to volunteer or donate your time and money to charities. As people reflect on the blessings⁹ in their lives, they are inspired to help those who may be going through difficult times. Many churches and community organizations hold free dinners where people volunteer to buy, cook and serve the food. People also organize "food drives" where canned and packaged food is donated, collected and given to those in need. Also, companies and organizations can hold charity events, where employees, friends and families can pay to attend a dinner or dance and all of the money is donated to a charity.

　　说起为何感恩节的聚餐会选择放在中午，外国朋友告诉小编说，因为这时候正好是美国的football season啦，所以吃完午饭全家会坐在电视机前一起看球赛。

　　此外，在感恩节这天，很多教堂会组织聚会，志愿者们会准备烹饪食物，即使是那些并没有宗教信仰的人，或者任何由于经济原因没有办法欢度节日的人，都可以来到教堂，和所有人济济一堂共度这个节日哦。如此一来“志愿者”就是非常重要的一个组成部分了。在美国，如果你说自己没有参加过志愿者活动的话，人家可能会偷偷地用BS的眼神看着你说“啊，这样啊。”

　　最后要说的就是募捐（donation）啦，虽然在平时也会有各种募捐活动，但是感恩节这一天会格外地热闹呢。对于美国人来说，“thanksgiving”，相较于“thanks”，它的意义更大的是在“giving”上面。

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 enormous   

adj.巨大的；庞大的

参考例句：

• An enormous sum of money is injected each year into teaching.每年都有大量资金投入到教学中。
• They wield enormous political power.他们行使巨大的政治权力。

3 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。

4 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。

5 stuffing   

n.填充物vt.填充(stuff的现在分词)

参考例句：

• We had a chicken and stuffing, and new potatoes from the garden. 我们吃了只百宝鸡，还有园子里种的新鲜马铃薯。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She had already mixed the stuffing for the dumplings. 她已经把饺子馅和好了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 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。

7 seasonal   

adj.季节的，季节性的

参考例句：

• The town relies on the seasonal tourist industry for jobs.这个城镇依靠季节性旅游业提供就业机会。
• The hors d'oeuvre is seasonal vegetables.餐前小吃是应时蔬菜。

8 pumpkin   

n.南瓜

参考例句：

• They ate turkey and pumpkin pie.他们吃了火鸡和南瓜馅饼。
• It looks like there is a person looking out of the pumpkin!看起来就像南瓜里有人在看着你！

9 blessings   

n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福

参考例句：

• Afflictions are sometimes blessings in disguise. 塞翁失马，焉知非福。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We don't rely on blessings from Heaven. 我们不靠老天保佑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》