美国人与亲友共度感恩节 Americans Celebrate Thanksgiving with Family, Friends, and a Feast

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24 November, 2011

星期四,美国人欢庆每年一度的感恩节。这是一个已经有着几百年历史的传统。这个吃大餐的日子通常意味着冬季节日的开始,同时也是每年交通最繁忙的几个星期的开端。美国人坐飞机、乘火车或开车探亲访友。美国汽车协会和旅游组织预计,4250万美国人将在未来几天前往离家至少80公里远的地方,比去年的出行人数增加4%。他们中的大多数人都是驾车出行。
  
感恩节大餐通常包括火鸡或火腿、蔬菜和用秋季收获的水果蔬菜做馅的馅饼,比如苹果或南瓜。全国火鸡联合会预计,美国人在去年感恩节总共消费了4600多万只火鸡。感恩节大餐过后,一些人参加娱乐活动,比如观看体育比赛或自己参加体育活动,不过,在饱餐之后,感恩节小睡向来也是很多人的选择。在感恩节这天,一些美国人至少会拿出一些时间来做慈善工作,比如在流浪者的住地帮助安排感恩节大餐。

U.S. citizens Thursday are celebrating their annual Thanksgiving holiday -- a centuries-old harvest time tradition.For the day of feasting that usually kicks off the winter holiday season -- and triggers one of the busiest travel weeks of the year -- Americans take to the air, railways and roads to visit family and friends. The AAA ((eds: Triple A)) automobile and travel organization predicts that 42.5 million Americans will travel at least 80 kilometers from home in the coming days, 4 percent more than a year ago. Most of them are traveling by car.
  
The Thanksgiving Day meal usually includes turkey or ham, vegetables, and pies made of fall-harvest fillings such as apple or pumpkin. The National Turkey Federation estimates that, overall, Americans consumed more than 46 million turkeys at Thanksgiving last year. After the feast, some people engage in recreational activities such as watching or playing sports -- although, after such a heavy meal, a Thanksgiving Day nap is also a well-established custom. Some Americans spend at least part of the day doing charity work, such as helping serve a Thanksgiving meal at a homeless shelter.