感恩節(jié)(thanksgiving day)是美國和加拿大共有的節(jié)日,原意是為了感謝印第安人,后來人們常在這一天感謝他人。自1941年起,感恩節(jié)是在每年11月的第四個星期四在這一天起將休假兩天,,都要和自己的家人團(tuán)聚,不管多忙都是如此。感恩節(jié)在每年11月22-28日之間,感恩節(jié)是美國國定假日中最地道、最美國式的節(jié)日( holiday ),加拿大的感恩節(jié)則起始于1879年,是在每年10月第二個星期一,與美國的哥倫布日相同。接下來小編為你帶來感恩節(jié)英文故事,希望對你有幫助。
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. in 1620, the settlers, or pilgrims, they sailed to america on the may flower, seeking a place where they could have freedom of worship. after a tempestuous two-month voyage they landed at in icy november, what is now plymouth, massachusetts. during their first winter, over half of the settlers died of starvation or epidemics.
those who survived began sowing in the first spring. all summer long they waited for the harvests with great anxiety, knowing that their lives and the future existence of the colony depended on the coming harvest. finally the fields produced a yield rich beyond expectations. and therefore it was decided that a day of thanksgiving to the lord be fixed. years later, Psident of the united states proclaimed the fourth thursday of november as thanksgiving day every year. the celebration of thanksgiving day has been observed on that date until today. the pattern of the thanksgiving celebration has never changed through the years. the big family dinner is planned months ahead. on the dinner table, people will find apples, oranges, chestnuts, walnuts and grapes. there will be plum pudding, mince pie, other varieties of food and cranberry juice and squash. the best and most attractive among them are roast turkey and pumpkin pie. they have been the most traditional and favorite food on thanksgiving day throughout the years. everyone agrees the dinner must be built around roast turkey stuffed with a bread dressing to absorb the tasty juices as it roasts. but as cooking varies with families and with the regions where one lives, it is not easy to get a consensus on the Pcise kind of stuffing for the royal bird. thanksgiving today is, in every sense, a national annual holiday on which americans of all faiths and backgrounds join in to exPss their thanks for the year' s bounty and reverently ask for continued blessings.
多年前一個感恩節(jié)的早上,有對年輕夫婦的一家人卻極不愿醒來,他們不知道如何以感恩的心過這一天,因?yàn)樗麑?shí)在窮得可憐。圣誕節(jié)的「大餐」想都別想,能有點(diǎn)簡單的食物吃就不錯了。早先若是能跟當(dāng)?shù)氐拇壬茍F(tuán)體聯(lián)絡(luò),或許就能分得一只火雞及烹烤的佐料,可是他們沒這么做,為什么呢?就跟其他不少家庭一樣,要有骨氣,是怎么樣就怎么過這個節(jié)。
貧賤夫妻百事哀,無可避免的,沒多久這對夫婦就爭吵起來。隨著雙方越來越烈的火氣和咆哮,看在這個家庭最長的眼里,只覺得自已是那么的無奈和無助。
然而,就在此刻改觀了…
沉重的敲門聲在耳邊響起,男孩前去應(yīng)門,一個高大赫然出現(xiàn)眼前,穿著一身皺巴巴的衣服。滿臉的笑容,這個手提著一個大籃子,里頭滿是各種所能想到的應(yīng)節(jié)東西:一只火雞、塞在里面的配料、厚餅、甜薯及各式罐頭,全是感恩節(jié)大餐所不可少的。
這家人一時都愣住了,不知道是怎么一回事,門口的那人隨之開口道:「這份東西是一位知道你們有需要的人要我送來的,他希望你們曉得還是有人在關(guān)懷和愛你們的!蛊鸪酰@個家庭中作爸爸的還極力推辭,不肯接受這份禮,可是那人卻這么說:「得了,我也只不過是個跑腿的!箮е⑿Γ鸦@子擱在小男孩的臂彎里轉(zhuǎn)身離去,身后飄來了這句話:「感恩節(jié)!」
就在那一刻,小男孩的從此就不一樣了。雖然只是那么小小的一個關(guān)懷,卻讓他曉得始終存在著希望,隨時有人──即便是個「陌生人」──在關(guān)懷著他們。在他內(nèi)心深處,油然興起一股感恩之情,他發(fā)誓日后也要以同樣方式去幫助其他有需要的人。
到了十八歲時,他終于有能力來兌現(xiàn)當(dāng)年的許諾。雖然收入還很微薄,在感恩節(jié)里他還是買了不少食物,不是為了自已過節(jié),而是去送給兩戶極為需要的家庭。他穿著一條老舊的牛仔褲和一件T恤,假裝是個送貨員,開著自已那輛破車親自送去。當(dāng)他到達(dá)第一戶破落的住所時,前來應(yīng)門的是位拉丁婦女,帶著提防的眼神望著他。她有六個,數(shù)天前丈夫?下了他們不告而別,目前正面臨著斷炊之苦。
這位年輕人開口說道:「我是來送貨的,女士。」
隨之他便回轉(zhuǎn)身子,從車?yán)锬贸鲅b滿了食物的袋子及盒子,里頭有一只火雞、配料、厚餅、甜薯及各式的罐頭。見此,那個當(dāng)場傻了眼,而們也爆出了高興的歡呼聲。 忽然這位年輕媽媽攫起年輕人的手臂,沒命地親吻著,同時操著生硬的英語激動地喊著:「你一定是上帝派來的!你一定是上帝派來的!」
年輕人有些靦腆地說道:「噢,不,不,我只是個送貨的,是一位要我送來這些東西的!闺S之,他便交給這位婦女一張字條,上頭這么寫著:
我是你們的一位,愿?一家都能過個的感恩節(jié),也希望你們。今后你們?nèi)羰怯心芰Γ驼埻瑯影堰@樣的禮物轉(zhuǎn)送給其他有需要的人。
年輕人把一袋袋的食物仍不停地搬進(jìn)屋子,使得興奮、和溫馨之情達(dá)到最高點(diǎn)。當(dāng)他離去時,那種人與人之間的親密感和相助之情,讓他不覺熱淚盈眶;厥灼骋娔莻家庭的張張笑臉,他對自已能有余力幫助他們,內(nèi)生一股感恩之心。他的竟是一個圓滿的輪回,年少時的「悲慘時光」原來是上帝的祝福,指引他一生以幫助他人來豐富自已的。就從那一次的行動開始,他展開了不懈的追求,直到今日。以行動回報當(dāng)年他及家人所得到的幫助,提醒那些受苦的人們天無絕人之路,總是有人在關(guān)懷他們,不管所面對的是多大困難,即便是自已所知有限、能力不足,但只要肯拿出實(shí)際行動,就能從其中學(xué)得寶貴的功課,尋著自我的機(jī)會,以至最終獲得長遠(yuǎn)的。