Thanksgiving is one of the most popular holidays in the United States of America. Traditionally, Americans spend the holiday together with their families for a special meal, which usually includes a roasted turkey.
The Pilgrims, who celebrated the first thanksgiving in America, came to the New World fleeing religious persecution in their native England. Their trip was financed by a group of English investors. It was agreed that the Pilgrims would be given passage and supplies in exchange for their working for their investors for 7 years.
On Sept. 6, 1620, the Pilgrims set sail for the New World from Plymouth, England, on a ship called the Mayflower. There were 110 people aboard. The trip was cold and damp and took 65 days. Since there was the danger of fire on the wooden ship, the food had to be eaten cold. Many passengers became sick and one person died by the time land was sighted on November 10th.
The first winter was devastating to the Pilgrims. The cold, snow and sleet were exceptionally heavy, interfering with the workers as they tried to construct their settlement. March brought warmer weather and the health of the Pilgrims improved, but many had died during the long winter. Of the 110 Pilgrims and crew who left England, less than 50 survived the first winter.
On March 16, 1621, an Indian brave walked into the Plymouth settlement. The Pilgrims were frightened until the Indian called out "Welcome" in English!
His name was Samoset and he had learned English from the captains of fishing boats that had sailed off the coast. After staying the night Samoset left the next day. He soon returned with another Indian named Squanto who spoke even better English. Squanto told the Pilgrims of his voyages across the ocean and his visits to England and Spain.
Squanto's importance to the Pilgrims was enormous and it can be said that they would not have survived without his help. It was Squanto who taught the Pilgrims how to tap the maple trees for sap. He taught them which plants were poisonous and which had medicinal powers. He taught them how to plant the Indian corn by heaping the earth into low mounds with several seeds and a fish in each mound. The decaying fish fertilized the corn. He also taught them to plant other crops with the corn.
The harvest in October was very successful and the Pilgrims found themselves with enough food to put away for the winter. There was corn, fruits and vegetables, fish to be packed in salt, and meat to be cured over smoky fires.
The Pilgrims had much to celebrate. They had built homes in the wilderness, they had raised enough crops to keep them alive during the long coming winter, and they were at peace with their Indian neighbors. They had beaten the odds and it was time to celebrate. The Pilgrim Governor William Bradford proclaimed a day of thanksgiving to be shared by all the colonists and the neighboring Native Americans. They invited Squanto and the other Indians to join them in their celebration, which lasted for 3 days. They played games, ran races and played drums. The Indians demonstrated their skills with the bow and arrow and the Pilgrims demonstrated their musket skills. Exactly when the celebration took place is uncertain, but it is believed it the took place in mid-October.
Squanto's importance to the Pilgrims was enormous and it can be said that they would not have survived without his help. It was Squanto who taught the Pilgrims how to tap the maple trees for sap. He taught them which plants were poisonous and which had medicinal powers. He taught them how to plant the Indian corn by heaping the earth into low mounds with several seeds and a fish in each mound. The decaying fish fertilized the corn. He also taught them to plant other crops with the corn.
The harvest in October was very successful and the Pilgrims found themselves with enough food to put away for the winter. There was corn, fruits and vegetables, fish to be packed in salt, and meat to be cured over smoky fires.
The Pilgrims had much to celebrate. They had built homes in the wilderness, they had raised enough crops to keep them alive during the long coming winter, and they were at peace with their Indian neighbors. They had beaten the odds and it was time to celebrate. The Pilgrim Governor William Bradford proclaimed a day of thanksgiving to be shared by all the colonists and the neighboring Native Americans. They invited Squanto and the other Indians to join them in their celebration, which lasted for 3 days. They played games, ran races and played drums. The Indians demonstrated their skills with the bow and arrow and the Pilgrims demonstrated their musket skills. Exactly when the celebration took place is uncertain, but it is believed it the took place in mid-October.
popular 受人欢迎的
the United States of America 美利坚合众国(美国)
traditionally 传统的
to spend 度过, 花(时间)
to roast 烤
turkey 火鸡
a pilgrim 朝圣者, 朝觐的人
the Pilgrims 一群清教徒
to celebrate 庆祝, 祝贺
the New World 美洲
to flee 逃跑
persecution 迫害, 烦扰
native 出生地的
to finance X 为X提供资金或款项
an investor 投资者
passage 船程, 船费
to set sail 起(船)程
Plymouth (城市名)
the Mayflower 五月花(船名)
damp 潮湿
to take (time) 需要(多少时间)
by the time… 在(某某事情发生)之前
to sight 看到
devastating 毁灭性的
sleet 雨夹雪或雹
exceptionally 异常的, 罕见的
heavy 大(下雨,班下雪等), 厉害
to interfere 阻碍,妨碍
to construct 建, 建筑
a settlement 定居点
to improve
to survive 继续生存
an Indian 印第安人(现在多说Native American. 见下.)
a brave (北美洲的) 印第安战士
to call out 大声叫
a captain 船长, 机长
a fishing boat 捕鱼船
off the coast 在海岸附近的
to stay the night 住一夜
a voyage 征程
enormous 巨大
It was X who… (做了所说的事的)人是X
to tap 隔开 (树的皮, 以收取树液)
a maple tree 枫树
sap 树液
poisonous 有毒的
medicinal 有药性的, 起治疗作用的
powers 功能
Indian corn 玉米
to heap 堆积, 堆成小丘
mound 土墩
to decay 腐烂, 变质
to fertilize 使(土地, 等) 肥沃
harvest 收成
successful 成功的
to find oneself 发现自己(在某某意外或偶然的情况下)
to put away 储备, 储存
to pack (把食物)装(在保存环境里)
to cure (用腌, 熏等保存方法) 加工处理 (肉, 鱼等)
a wilderness 旷野
to raise 种植, 培育
a crop 庄稼
at peace with X 和X有和平关系
to beat the odds尽管极为不利或遭强烈反对而成功
a governor 总督
to proclaim 宣布
to share 分享
a colonist 殖民地定居者
a Native American 美洲土著居民
to join X 与X一起(做某事)
to last 延续
to demonstrate 演示, 师范
a skill 技能, 技巧
a bow 弓
an arrow 箭
a musket 滑腔枪