VOA慢速英语2011--At Thanksgiving, the Making of a National Feast

Agriculture Report - At Thanksgiving, the Making of a National Feast

 

This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.

In sixteen twenty-one, a big celebration took place at Plymouth Colony in what is now the state of Massachusetts. European settlers known as the Pilgrims were celebrating their autumn harvest after a winter of struggle.

Other colonists¹ held earlier ceremonies of thanks. But the Pilgrims' three-day feast is often called the nation's first Thanksgiving. President Abraham Lincoln declared a national holiday in eighteen sixty-three during the Civil War.

Today families and friends gather on the fourth Thursday in November. And, thanks to the United States Census² Bureau, here are some facts about where their Thanksgiving meal comes from.

The main dish is traditionally a turkey. About two-thirds of the nation's turkeys are produced in Minnesota and five other states. Producers are expected to raise two hundred forty-eight million birds this year, two percent more than last year.

Popular side dishes include cranberries³ and sweet potatoes. Last year North Carolina grew more sweet potatoes than any other state. Wisconsin is expected to be the top cranberry⁴ producer this year.

People often finish the meal with pumpkin⁵ pie. Last year Illinois grew the most pumpkins⁶. California, New York and Ohio were also major pumpkin producers.

Roasted turkey is the main dish in a traditional American Thanksgiving meal

Thanksgiving is a big event, but buying a traditional holiday meal can be a struggle for the poor. So charity groups often hold food drives to collect food for low-income families.

In Denver, Colorado, volunteers have been collecting donated items to fill fifteen hundred Thanksgiving baskets. Rodney Cunningham has been helping⁷ the group Volunteers of America for three years. He and his family will also be getting food from the charity. He says this year the demand has been greater than ever.

RODNEY CUNNINGHAM: "One of the reasons why it’s really important is because the economy is pretty bad and a lot of people have a need for extra food. They don’t have any food at all."

Jim White, community affairs director at Volunteers of America, says people donated a lot of food.

JIM WHITE: "These individuals donated over one hundred forty-eight tons of food, but it takes a huge amount of food as you can imagine to do fifteen hundred food baskets complete with stuffing and cranberries and pumpkin and fresh produce, and then they are all topped off with a fifteen-pound frozen turkey."

Mr. White says volunteers come from all over Denver to help.

JIM WHITE: "Thanksgiving should be viewed as a verb not a noun, and what better way to give thanks than to help somebody out that you know is struggling right now?"

And that's the VOA Special English Agriculture Report. I'm Bob Doughty⁸.
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Contributing: Selah Hennessy

1 colonists   

n.殖民地开拓者，移民，殖民地居民( colonist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Colonists from Europe populated many parts of the Americas. 欧洲的殖民者移居到了美洲的许多地方。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Some of the early colonists were cruel to the native population. 有些早期移居殖民地的人对当地居民很残忍。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 census   

n.(官方的)人口调查，人口普查

参考例句：

• A census of population is taken every ten years.人口普查每10年进行一次。
• The census is taken one time every four years in our country.我国每四年一次人口普查。

3 cranberries   

n.越橘( cranberry的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The tart flavour of the cranberries adds piquancy. 越橘的酸味很可口。
• Look at the fresh cranberries. 你看这些新鲜的蔓越橘。 来自无师自通 校园英语会话

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 pumpkins   

n.南瓜( pumpkin的名词复数 )；南瓜的果肉，南瓜囊

参考例句：

• I like white gourds, but not pumpkins. 我喜欢吃冬瓜，但不喜欢吃南瓜。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Then they cut faces in the pumpkins and put lights inside. 然后在南瓜上刻出一张脸，并把瓜挖空。 来自英语晨读30分（高三）

7 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

8 doughty   

adj.勇猛的，坚强的

参考例句：

• Most of successful men have the characteristics of contumacy and doughty.绝大多数成功人士都有共同的特质：脾气倔强，性格刚强。
• The doughty old man battled his illness with fierce determination.坚强的老人用巨大毅力与疾病作斗争。