2006年VOA标准英语-Celebrating July 4th in America

By Erik Silk
Washington, DC
03 July 2006
 
watch Fourth of July report

 
July 4 parade in America, Uncle Sam
  
Americans observe their Independence Day on July 4. People across the country will celebrate in many different ways. Jim Bertel narrates¹.

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July 4, Independence Day, is a patriotic² day in the United States. On that day in 1776, the founding fathers signed the Declaration³ of Independence from Britain.

For many the day means time off from work, time with family and friends.

 
Dominic Nicola
  
Dominic Nicola explains. "I realize it's an Independence Day, 4th of July, 1776-1778 or so, Ben Franklin, all that great stuff, but what it's turned into after 200 plus years is just a wonderful day off to enjoy the country, and fireworks, and the flag. "

Ikbek Tafi adds, "It's usually a family time for us. "

Chris Visic shares his tradition. "We typically have a family camping trip to Devil's Lake in Baraboo, Wisconsin, but this year, we're going to be participating in our local parade for my son's Indian guide group."

Many Americans attend daytime celebrations such as picnics, barbecues and parades.

Like many other U.S. cities, Washington D.C., the nation's capital, has an annual Fourth of July parade.

But for many, the real highlight comes after dark.

Heather Case says she’s going to watch the fireworks.

Claudia Whitman who is from Maine says her tradition is usually sailing out to watch fireworks. 

July 4 in America   
  
Fireworks have been associated with the Fourth of July since 1777, when citizens of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania celebrated⁴ with bonfires, gunshots and explosions. These days, people enjoy buying smaller fireworks and staging their own neighborhood shows. 

But there is still the tradition in places of the large, spectacular⁵ pyrotechnics display.

The Fourth of July also brings reflection. Some choose to observe the holiday by thinking about the current state of the nation.

As she reflects, Claudia says, I'm pretty disgusted with our country right now, so I can't say I'm tied in to a lot of the heavy strong positive feelings about the country right now. So I guess I reflect a little bit on a lot of the misdirection we're headed in right now.

For others, it's a time to appreciate the freedom that began with the Declaration of Independence.

 
Ikbek Tafi
  
For Tafi the 4th of July is about history. " We try to make sure that these national holidays are not just barbecuing and fun times, there's an underlying⁶ historical meaning to it, so we try to emphasize that."

The most American of holidays - the Fourth of July.

1 narrates   

v.故事( narrate的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• It narrates the unconstitutional acts of James II. 它历数了詹姆斯二世的违法行为。 来自辞典例句
• Chapter three narrates the economy activity which Jew return the Occident. 第三章讲述了犹太人重返西欧后的经济活动。 来自互联网

2 patriotic   

adj.爱国的，有爱国心的

参考例句：

• His speech was full of patriotic sentiments.他的演说充满了爱国之情。
• The old man is a patriotic overseas Chinese.这位老人是一位爱国华侨。

3 declaration   

n.宣布，宣告，宣言，声明（书），申报

参考例句：

• We read the declaration posted on the bulletin board.我们读了贴在布告板上的声明。
• At the recent convention a declaration was adopted.在最近举行的大会上通过了一项宣言。

4 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。

5 spectacular   

adj.引人注目的，出色的，与众不同的

参考例句：

• This is a spectacular film.这是一部场面壮观的电影。
• This is the most spectacular financial crash of the decade.这是10年里最引人注目的金融破产事件。

6 underlying   

adj.在下面的，含蓄的，潜在的

参考例句：

• The underlying theme of the novel is very serious.小说隐含的主题是十分严肃的。
• This word has its underlying meaning.这个单词有它潜在的含义。