9月7日是美国的劳动节。这个始于一百多年前的全国性节日是为了纪念低薪工厂的工人。
Labor Day unofficially marks the end of summer. In any other year, students would be getting ready to go back to school. Many Americans would celebrate the day with an outdoor barbecue with family and friends. Others would use the long weekend to take their last vacation of the summer, before hot days turn cooler.
劳动节也非正式性地标志着夏天的结束。在其它任何年份，学生们都会准备好重返校园。许多美国人会与亲朋好友一起户外烧烤庆祝这一天。其他人会在天气转凉之前，利会用这个漫长的周末来度过夏天的最后一个假期。
But 2020 is not any other year. Students in many parts of the country will be going back to school online for all or part of the autumn term. Health officials in several states are advising against social gatherings ahead of the holiday weekend. And travel -- especially air travel -- has been down sharply all summer.
但是2020年跟其它年份不同。美国许多地区的学生这个秋季学期的全部或大部分时间都将在网上上课。有几个州的卫生官员在这个周末假期到来之前就建议不要参加社交聚会。整个夏天的旅行—尤其是航空旅行急剧下降。
Health officials have reason to be worried. Several parts of the country saw increases in COVID-19 cases following the other two major holidays this summer: Memorial Day and Independence Day. The increases in many places were linked to family gatherings.
卫生官员有理由这样担心。在这个夏天的阵亡将士纪念日和独立日这两个大型节日之后，该国几个地区的新冠肺炎病例有所增加。许多地方的病例增加都跟家庭聚会有关。
Labor Day history
劳动节的历史
Labor Day started with a struggle. On May 1, 1889, workers demonstrated on the streets of Paris, France. International Labor Day was born. Most industrialized countries in the world -- except the United States and Canada -- celebrate Labor Day on the first of May.
劳动节始于斗争。1889年5月1日，工人们在法国巴黎的街头举行游行示威。国际劳动节从此诞生了。除美国和加拿大之外，全球大多数工业化国家都在5月1日庆祝劳动节。
The first American Labor Day celebration was held on September 5, 1882, in New York City. About 10,000 workers marched through the streets to show the strength of labor organizations.
第一次美国劳动节庆祝活动于1882年9月5日在纽约市举行。大约有1万名工人在街头游行展示劳工组织的实力。
For many years after that, American workers used the first Monday in September to demand better working conditions and pay. Music was a part of many of those marches.
在那之后的许多年里，美国工人利用9月的首个星期一来要求获得更好的工作条件和薪水。音乐是其中许多示威游行的一部分。
Labor songs traditionally tell stories of conflict and hopes for a better life. Here is Pete Seeger's "We Shall Not Be Moved."
劳动歌传统上都讲述了冲突历史并希望过上更好的生活。以下是皮特·西格演唱的“我们永远不会动摇。”
Many classic American labor songs came from workers in the coal mines of the South. Mine owners bitterly opposed workers' unions. In Kentucky, company police searched for union leaders. They waited outside a worker's home for several days to block him from organizing.
美国许多经典的劳动歌都来自于南方煤矿的工人。矿主们强烈反对工会组织。在肯塔基州，公司警察搜捕工会领袖。他们在一个工人的房子外面等了几天，以阻止他组织活动。
The coal miner's wife, Florence Reece, stayed inside with her children. She wrote this song, "Which Side Are You On?" Here is Natalie Merchant singing the song.
这位煤矿工人的妻子弗洛伦斯·里斯和孩子们呆在家里。她写下了这首歌：“你站在哪一边？”以下是娜坦莉·莫森特演唱这首歌曲。
Another American labor song is called "Bread and Roses." It is based on a poem by James Oppenheim, published in December of 1911.
美国另一首劳动歌名为“面包和玫瑰。”它是以詹姆斯·奥本海姆1911年12月出版的一首诗为基础而作。
The poem speaks about the women's labor movement. At that time, conditions in factories, where many women worked, were horrible. A fire at a clothing factory in New York killed 146 people. Most of the victims were immigrant women.
这首诗谈到了妇女的劳工运动。当时，许多妇女在工厂工作的条件令人震惊。纽约一家服装厂的大火造成146人遇难。其中大多数受害者是移民妇女。
A month after Oppenheim's poem was published, textile workers in Lawrence, Massachusetts went on strike. Their protest won them higher pay and better working conditions. Oppenheim's poem gained more attention.
在奥本海姆的诗发表一个月之后，马萨诸塞州劳伦斯的纺织工人举行罢工。他们的抗议活动为他们赢得了更高的薪水和更好的工作条件。奥本海姆的诗引发了更多关注。
Here is Judy Collins singing "Bread and Roses."
以下是朱迪·柯林斯演唱的“面包与玫瑰。”
Even though Labor Day demonstrations are not as common in the U.S. today, the song reminds us to celebrate the effort and love that many people give to their work.
尽管如今劳动节示威活动在美国并不常见，但是这首歌仍然提醒我们要庆祝许多人对工作的付出和热爱。
I'm Ashley Thompson.
我是阿什利·汤普森。(51VOA.COM原创翻译，禁止转载，违者必究！)