VOA标准英语2013--美国非洲裔社区庆宽扎节 奥巴马夫妇致祝福

 

African Americans Celebrate Kwanzaa 美国非洲裔社区庆宽扎节 奥巴马夫妇致祝福

LOS ANGELES — The seven-day festival of Kwanzaa will begin December 26.  It is a time when African Americans highlight their heritage.

Maulana Karenga, a black activist¹ and African Studies professor, created Kwanzaa in 1966, to - as he said - "give Blacks an opportunity to celebrate themselves and  their history." Each day is dedicated³ to a different principle, and a candle is lit each night.  At a recent festival at the California African American Museum, Babe  Evans explained the principles behind the upcoming holiday to a group of children.  The first is unity².

“Umoja.  It means a time to think about your ancestors, to think about the struggles that people have been through, so that you can now have a life that is much more  open," said Evans.

Kwanzaa is based on African themes.  Its principles are stated in the Swahili language, and the name Kwanzaa comes from a phrase meaning first fruits of the harvest.

“The second day, because it's a seven-day ceremony, is Kujichagulia, and that means self-determination," said Evans.

Collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith.  These round out the seven principles of Kwanzaa.

Gift-giving is a part of the holiday, but actor Jeffrey Anderson-Gunter says the celebration has not become commercialized, like Christmas.

“In Kwanzaa, we make our gifts.  All the kids will make something and give to each other, and then we have an abundance of food that's shared," said Anderson-Gunter.

In many African-American homes, Kwanzaa is celebrated⁴ along with Christmas. Writer Marsha Bullock, whose family is Christian⁵, says that's what her family does.

“We do Christmas, and then Kwanzaa starts directly the day after, so we do that too.  And then of course, my favorite part is the celebration where you get to eat  everything," said Bullock.

1 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

2 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

3 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。

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 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。