美国文化：美国人感恩节怎么过？

 　　Q: How Do People Celebrate Thanksgiving?

　　问：感恩节应该怎么过?

　　Thanksgiving is historically the busiest travel holiday of the year. Each year, Americans travel to visit family members in cars, trains and by plane.

　　感恩节在史上一直是一年中最繁忙的出行假日，每年美国人都开车、坐火车或飞机探亲。

　　Thanksgiving does not center around religious traditions, and instead emphasizes family and harvests.

　　感恩节不是围绕着宗教传统活动，而是强调家庭和丰收。

　　The Thanksgiving holiday revolves¹ around food, which often includes a variety of traditional items. Dinner typically includes a turkey, along with mashed² potatoes, stuffing and gravy³. Sweet potatoes, cranberry⁴ sauce and cornbread often accompany the meal. Desserts, primarily apple, pumpkin⁵, pecan and sweet potato pies, follow decadent⁶ dinners.

　　感恩节食物也很重要，通常有多种传统食物。典型的感恩节晚餐上有火鸡，搭配土豆泥、填充料和肉汁。晚餐上通常还有甜薯、蔓越莓酱汁和玉米面包。吃得一片狼藉之后，通常要来点甜点(主要是苹果)、南瓜、碧根果和甜薯派。

　　Families abstaining⁷ from meat and vegetarians⁸ substitute traditional meats with items, such as tofu, salads and other fruits and vegetables.

　　不吃肉的家庭和素食者通常用别的东西来替代传统肉类，比如豆腐、沙拉和其他水果蔬菜。

　　While families dine privately⁹, Thanksgiving contains public ceremonies and traditions, too. The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, for instance, takes place in New York City every year.

　　虽然聚餐都是以家庭为单位，但感恩节也会有一些公众的庆祝活动和传统，比如纽约每年都会有梅西百货感恩节游行。

　　Additionally, the U.S. President participates in a turkey pardon, which involves receiving a live turkey and allowing it to go free.

　　此外，美国总统也会参加火鸡赦免仪式，活动中会选出一只活火鸡，然后放生。

1 revolves   

v.（使）旋转( revolve的第三人称单数 )；细想

参考例句：

• The earth revolves both round the sun and on its own axis. 地球既公转又自转。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Thus a wheel revolves on its axle. 于是，轮子在轴上旋转。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 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。

3 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。

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 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！

6 decadent   

adj.颓废的，衰落的，堕落的

参考例句：

• Don't let decadent ideas eat into yourselves.别让颓废的思想侵蚀你们。
• This song was once banned, because it was regarded as decadent.这首歌曾经被认定为是靡靡之音而被禁止播放。

7 abstaining   

戒（尤指酒），戒除( abstain的现在分词 )； 弃权（不投票）

参考例句：

• Abstaining from killing, from taking what is not given, & from illicIt'sex. 诸比丘！远离杀生，远离不与取，于爱欲远离邪行。
• Abstaining from arguments was also linked to an unusual daily cortisol pattern. 压抑争吵也造成每日异常的皮质醇波动。

8 vegetarians   

n.吃素的人( vegetarian的名词复数 )；素食者；素食主义者；食草动物

参考例句：

• Vegetarians are no longer dismissed as cranks. 素食者不再被视为有怪癖的人。
• Vegetarians believe that eating meat is bad karma. 素食者认为吃肉食是造恶业。

9 privately   

adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地

参考例句：

• Some ministers admit privately that unemployment could continue to rise.一些部长私下承认失业率可能继续升高。
• The man privately admits that his motive is profits.那人私下承认他的动机是为了牟利。