Thanksgiving is almost here! It’s celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November every year (Nov 27 this year). Thanksgiving is about being thankful for the things you have, family reunion and lavish feasts. 21st Century’s Darnell Gardner Jr penned this tribute to the holiday.
感恩节快到啦!在每年11月的第四个星期四(今年是11月27日)，西方的小伙伴们都会和家人团聚，一起享用大餐，感激自己所拥有的一切。今天，就让我们跟随世纪君的同事Darnell Gardner Jr一起来看他家的感恩节是怎么过的!
This Thursday, my family (minus one) will celebrate one of the US’ biggest holidays — Thanksgiving. For me, more than anything, Thanksgiving is about warmth.
今天，我们全家人又要一起过(唯独缺了我)美国最大的节日之一——感恩节，对我而言，感恩节所带来的更多的是温馨。
It’s about the warm feelings that are stirred up in your spirit when you see your extended family. It’s about the warmth of the holiday season, which serves as a buffer against the bitter cold weather that envelopes much of the US this time of year. It’s about the warmth of the burning logs flickering in the fireplace, and the warmth of that first bite of Thanksgiving dinner.
它是你见到一大家子人之后心中荡漾出来的温暖感觉，它是整个假日季的一抹温存，它让每年这个时候侵袭美国许多地区的寒冷天气变得没那么冰冷;它也是壁炉里火光摇曳的温暖炭火，它是吃到第一口节日大餐时的阵阵暖意。
The holiday, which has similar equivalents in countries and cultures across the globe, has been celebrated since the early days of the American colonies. According to lore, the first settlers celebrated Thanksgiving after a successful fall harvest. The cornerstone of their celebration was a giant feast, a tradition that continues to this day.
全世界许多国家与文化都有与感恩节类似的节日。感恩节发源于早期的北美殖民地。据说，第一批来到美国的殖民者在一次丰硕的秋收之后开始庆祝感恩节。一顿丰盛的大餐是他们庆祝感恩节的重头戏，这一传统也延续至今。
My mom prepares all of my favorite foods on Thanksgiving. The dinner table sits heavy under the weight of pans of moist turkey, gooey macaroni and cheese, savory dressing (similar to stuffing), tender candied yams, expertly spiced greens, and hot cornbread. She spends all day cooking the meal, and sometimes the preparations even begin the day before the holiday. It’s a lot of work, and it’s a lot of food, and each year I’m amazed at how she manages to put everything together.
每年的感恩节，我的妈妈都会准备我最爱吃的菜肴：桌子上满满当当地摆着多汁的火鸡，黏黏的通心粉和奶酪;可口的馅料，甜甜的山药入口即化;还有精心调制的蔬菜，以及热腾腾的玉米面包。妈妈一般要用一整天来制作这些佳肴，有时候甚至需要提前一天就开始准备。因为要做出这么多的菜肴工作量巨大。每年我都惊叹，难以想象她是如何完成这一切的。
The first, most formal meal begins once all of the food is ready. Everyone sits around the table, a prayer is offered, our glasses are filled with wine, and we dig in. While we eat, we go around the table and take turns saying what we’re thankful for this year. Talking is quite a challenge when your mouth is full of delicious food.
所有的菜都上桌之后，正餐就要开始了：大家围桌而坐，杯中盛满了葡萄酒，祈祷之后就可以开吃。在吃饭的间隙，我们依次起身和家人分享自己今年应该感恩的事情。当你的嘴里塞满了食物时，说话确实是个不小的挑战。
Once everyone has eaten their first meal, seconds, thirds and even fourths are offered on a first-come-first-served basis.
当每个人吃完第一餐后，还可以加第二餐、第三餐甚至第四餐，谁需要就给先给谁上菜
After we finish eating at our home, believe it or not, we sometimes go to my aunt’s house to continue eating and meeting with family. Football is another key element of Thanksgiving, and my aunt’s family loves the sport. After eating, the family crowds around the television to watch football players throw around the old pigskin. Usually at this point I retire to the basement to gorge myself on videogames and sweets with the younger members of the family.
不管你信不信，我们在家里吃过饭之后，有时还会去我姑姑/姨妈家接着吃饭，见一见家里的亲戚。美式足球也是我们家感恩节的关键元素，因为我姑姑/姨妈一家都喜欢美式足球。吃过饭后，我们一大家子人就会挤在电视机前看球赛。这时候，我一般都会和家里的小辈们一起去地下室大打电子游戏。
By the end of the day, everyone is fat and happy. We’ve all eaten so much that we can hardly move. The smells of the holiday begin to fade, and our minds and hearts begin to set on Christmas, the next time we’ll have a chance to celebrate each other.
美好的一天总是要过去的，当夜幕降临，兴高采烈的我们通常撑得动也动不了。感恩节的气氛渐渐散去，而我们的思绪已经飘向了圣诞节——下一个又能与家人欢庆的节日。