This week we will observe Thanksgiving Day in the United States of America—a day when family and friends gather for a time of celebration and feasting. 本周我们将迎来美国的感恩节，这一天，家人和朋友聚集在一起，大家共同庆祝节日，举行家宴，共度一段美好时光。

Soon your turkey and stuffing will be in the oven and pleasant aromas will fill the kitchen. 很快，加了各种填充料的感恩节火鸡会放入烤箱，宜人的香气一会儿将充满整个厨房。

Before we begin our celebration, let’s take a peak back four centuries ago when Americans celebrated their first Thanksgiving. 在我们开始庆祝之前,让我们将时光倒退四百年,看看那时候美国人庆祝的第一个感恩节。

For 66 days a sailing vessel called the Mayflower carried 102 pilgrims across the stormy Atlantic Ocean and landed at Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts on December 11, 1620. 一艘叫五月花号的帆船载着102名清教徒，经历狂风暴雨，在波涛汹涌的大西洋中航行了整整66天,于1620年12月11日,在马萨诸塞州的普利茅斯岩石登岸。

During that first cold winter, 46 pilgrims died. 到来的第一个寒冷的冬天,46名清教徒死亡。

In the spring of 1621, the Wampanoag Indians taught the pilgrims how to cultivate the land—growing corn, beans, and pumpkins which helped them survive. 在1621年的春天,万帕诺亚格印第安人教清教徒如何耕种土地--教他们种植玉米、豆子、南瓜,正是这些东西让他们耐以生存。

At harvest time the colonists were so grateful for their bountiful crops that Governor William Bradford organized the first Thanksgiving feast, inviting their neighbors—Wampanoag Indians. 到收获的时候，这些殖民者因为农作物大丰收而非常感谢当地印第安人,总督威廉·布莱福特，组织了第一个感恩节盛宴,邀请他们的邻居--万帕诺亚格印第安人。

With joy and thanksgiving, they expressed their gratitude and appreciation to God for their bountiful harvest. 用欢乐和感恩,他们表达了感激之情,为丰富的收成而感谢上帝。

Many years later, in 1789, President George Washington wrote a proclamation, recommending to the “people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, 许多年以后,1789年,乔治·华盛顿总统发布了一个宣言 ,建议“美国人要用一天的时间，做公开的感恩，祈祷,

to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God . . . 用一颗感恩的心来感恩，感谢万能的上帝。

Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November . . . 因此，现在,我推荐,并指定,11月26日的那天，

that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country . . 周四在这一天，我们可以团结起来，用我们的真诚和谦逊，感谢万能的主，感谢他的悉心照料，保护这个国家的人民”

So it has been that for over two centuries. Thanksgiving Day has become a joyous festival celebrated with a lot of enthusiasm. 所以感恩节的存在已经超过了两个世纪。感恩节已经成为一个欢乐的，热情洋溢的节日。

People have gathered together to thank God for His past blessings and to enjoy the warm fellowship of family and friends. 人们聚集在一起,为过往得到的祝福，为家人和朋友的温暖友谊，感谢上帝。