z z z z ADVANCED CORUSE OF LEGAL ENGLISH THANKSGIVING DAY THANKSGIVING DAY Introduction of Thanksgiving day Speaker: Celia Ou CONTENTS THE ORIGIN 感恩节（Thanksgiving Day）是美国和加拿大共有的节日，原意是为了感谢上天赐予的好收成。在美国，自1941年起，感恩节是在每年11月的第四个星期四，并从这一天起将休假两天。在这一天，成千上万的人们不管多忙，都要和自己的家人团聚。 加拿大的感恩节则起始於1879年，是在每年10月第二个星期一，与美国的哥伦布日相同。 In the United States, the fourth Thursday in November is called Thanksgiving Day. On that day, Americans give thanks for the blessings they have enjoyed during the year. 在美国，每年11月的最后一个周四称为‘感恩节’，在那天，美国人为每年得到的上天赐福表示感激。 Thanksgiving Day is the most truly American of the national Holidays in the United States and is most closely connected with the earliest history of the country. 感恩节是美国国定假日中最地道、最美国式的节日，而且它和早期美国历史最为密切相关。 In 1620, the settlers, or Pilgrims, they sailed to America on the May flower, seeking a place where they could have freedom of worship. 1620年，一些朝圣者（或称为清教徒）乘坐“五月花”号船去美国寻求宗教自由。 After a tempestuous [tem’pest?u?s](狂暴的) two-month voyage they landed at in icy November, what is now Plymouth [‘plim?θ], Massachusetts. 他们在海上颠簸折腾了两个月之后，终于在酷寒的十一月里，在现在的马萨诸塞州的普里茅斯登陆。 During their first winter, over half of the settlers died of starvation or epidemics. Those who survived began sowing in the first spring. 在第一个冬天，半数以上的移民都死于饥饿和传染病，活下来的人们在第一个春季开始播种。 。。。以下略