章節試閱
Independence Day
獨立紀念日
節慶源由――簡易版
The 4th of July is Independence Day in the United States. In 1776, there were 13
British colonies in America. They wanted to be free of the King of England. There
was a long war between England and the colonies. The colonies won the war and
declared freedom. It was July 4th, 1776.
7 月 4 日是美國的獨立紀念日。在 1776 年,美國有 13 個英屬殖民地。他
們想要從英國國王手裡獲得自由。在英國與殖民地間有長期的戰爭。殖民地贏
得了戰爭並且宣告自由。在 7 月 4 日,1776 年。
July 4th is a national holiday most known for its fireworks. During the day there
are speeches and parades. There are concerts, picnics and baseball games. Since it is
the middle of summer, most celebrations take place outdoors.
7 月 4 日是一個以煙火表演聞名的國定節日。白天會有許多演講與遊行。
有音樂會、野餐、棒球比賽。因為這一天是仲夏,大部分的慶祝活動在戶外舉
辦。
At night, the fireworks include songs about America. This always includes The
Star Spangled Banner, which is the national anthem.
晚上,煙火表演會包含有關美國的歌。總是會有美國國歌—星條旗永不
落。
Families often celebrate Independence Day by having a picnic or barbecue.
They have the day off to spend with family and friends. Paper streamers, balloons,
and paper plates all shine in red, white, and blue, the colors of the U.S. flag.
家庭們通常藉著野餐或是烤肉慶祝獨立紀念日。他們用那天休假來陪家庭
與朋友。紙幡、氣球、紙盤通通閃耀著紅、白、藍,美國國旗的顏色。
單字大集合
1 British adj. 英國的
British people are from Great Britain.
英國的人民來自於大不列顛。
2 Declare vi. vt. 聲明;宣布
I declared a day off for all workers.
我向所有的勞工宣布放假一天。
3 Freedom n. [C,U] 獨立自主;自由
We are hoping for freedom from homework.
我們正在希望從功課裡得到自由。
4 Baseball n. [C] 棒球
In a baseball game, players run around the bases.
在棒球賽中,選手們繞著壘包跑。
5 Banner n. [C] 旗幟
They hung a banner in the window.
他們在窗口掛上一面旗幟。
6 Streamer n. [C] 旗幟
Paper streamers blew in the wind.
紙幡在風中隨風飄動。
節慶源由――精彩完整版
The 4th of July is Independence Day in the United States. It commemorates the
day the Declaration of Independence was signed. In 1776, there were 13 British
colonies in America. They wanted to be independent of the British King. They
declared their independence on July 4th, 1776. This started the American Revolution,
the war between England and the colonies. The Colonial soldiers won that war and
the United States was born.
7 月 4 日是美國的獨立紀念日。它慶祝著美國獨立宣言被簽屬的那天。在
西元 1776 年,美國有 13 個英屬殖民地。它們想要從英國國王手中獨立。它們
在 1776 年 7 月 4 日宣布它們的獨立。這開啟了美國革命,一場英國與殖民地
的戰爭。殖民地的士兵們贏了戰爭,美國誕生。
On the one year anniversary of independence, thirteen gunshots were fired in
salute. This was done once in the morning and once again as evening fell. There
were prayers, parades and fireworks. Ships in harbor were decorated in red, white
and blue, the colors of the United States flag.
在獨立的一周年,發射 13 記槍砲致敬。這在早上做一次,並在日落前再
做一次。有禱告、遊行與煙火表演。在海港的船隻被裝飾成紅、白、藍,美國
國旗的顏色。
Today, it is a national holiday most notably known for its patriotic displays and
fireworks. During the day there are political speeches and ceremonies. Many
politicians make it a point to appear at a public event to praise the nation’s laws,
history and people. There are parades, concerts, picnics and baseball games. A salute
of one gunshot for each state in the United States is called a“salute to the union”.
It is fired on Independence Day at noon by all military bases. Since it is the middle of
summer, most celebrations take place outdoors.
在今日,這個國定節日尤其以愛國表演與煙火表演聞名。白天會有許多政
治演講與典禮。許多政治人物利用這天出現在公眾事件讚揚國家的法律、歷史
與人民。有遊行、音樂會、野餐與棒球比賽。每發向美國各州致敬的槍砲被稱
為「向美國致敬」。獨立紀念日中午由所有軍事基地開火。因為這一天是仲
夏,大部分的慶祝活動在戶外舉辦。
On the lawn of the nation’s Capitol in Washington, D.C., there is always a free
concert before the fireworks. It attracts over half a million people annually.
Independence Day fireworks are often accompanied by patriotic songs. This always
includes The Star Spangled Banner, which is the national anthem. Other patriotic
songs might include God Bless America, America the Beautiful and This Land is
Your Land.
在華盛頓哥倫比亞特區的美國國會大廈草坪,在煙火表演之前總有免費的
音樂會。這每年吸引了超過 50 萬人。獨立紀念日煙火表演常常伴隨著愛國歌
曲。總是會包含美國國歌—星條旗永不落。其他愛國歌曲可能包含「上帝保
佑美國」、「美哉美國」、「這是你的土地」。
Families often celebrate Independence Day by hosting or attending a picnic or
barbecue. They take advantage of the day off and the long weekend to gather with
relatives and friends. Paper streamers, balloons, paper plates, napkins and sometimes
even people’s clothes are red, white, and blue.
家庭通常藉由舉辦或參加野餐、烤肉慶祝獨立紀念日。他們利用休假與長
期的周末與親戚朋友團聚。紙幡、氣球、紙盤、餐巾,甚至有時人們的衣服都
是紅、白、藍色。
單字大集合
1 Declaration n. [C,U] 宣布;宣告
When the kids made a declaration of independence, their mother was worried.
當孩子做了獨立宣言後,他們的母親很擔心。
2 Independence n. [U] 獨立;自主
All kids want independence from their parents as they get older.
所有孩子都想從他們的父母那獨立,當他們年長時。
3 Revolution n. [C] 革命
Many countries have a revolution to gain freedom.
許多國家為了得到自由有了革命。
4 Colony n. [C] 殖民地
The colonies were formed by people looking for a new country.
殖民地是尋找新國家的人們所組成的。
5 Patriotic adj. 愛國的
I feel patriotic when I hear our national anthem.
當我聽到我們的國歌時,我覺得我很愛國。
6 Political adj. 政治的
There are lots of political people in the parade today.
今天的遊行裡有很多政治人物。
7 Salute vi. vt. 行禮;向⋯⋯誰行禮
The soldiers always salute their leader.
士兵總是向它們的領袖行禮。
8 Annually adv. 每年地
We have a birthday party annually.
我們每年都有生日派對。
閱讀測驗
1 How many British colonies were there in America in 1776?
在西元 1776 年在美洲共有幾個英屬殖民地?
a Too many to count. 太多數不清。
b 50.。
c 13.
2 Why were ships decorated in red, white and blue?
為什麼船隻被用紅、白和藍色裝飾?
a The captains’ favorite colors were red, white and blue.
船長最喜歡的顏色是紅、白和藍色。
b Those are the colors of the United States flag.
這些是美國國旗的顏色。
c Those were the only decorations they could find.
這些是他們所能找到的唯一裝飾。
3 What is a salute of one gunshot for each state in the U.S. called?
向美國每個州致敬的槍響被稱為什麼?
a The Star Spangled Banner. 星條旗永不落。
b The soldiers salute. 士兵們致敬。
c A salute to the union. 向美國致敬。
4 What is the name of the U.S. national anthem? 美國國歌的名字是什麼?
a America the Beautiful 美國的美麗。
b God Bless America 神佑美國。
c The Star Spangled Banner 星條旗永不落。
活動慶典和習俗
在 18 世紀中葉,英屬北美 13 個殖民地與大不列顛王國間爆發嚴重衝突,
歷經美國革命(American Revolution),在 1776 年 7 月 2 日大陸會議上表決通
過宣示獨立的決案,在 7 月 4 日發表獨立宣言(Declaration of Independence),
正式宣告獨立,13 個殖民地合併成為美利堅合眾國(United States of America)
簡稱美國。在 1783 年的獨立戰爭結束後,7 月 4 日被正式定為美國獨立紀念日
(Independence Day)是美國的國慶日,在 1941 年宣告成為聯邦假日。
1776 年的 7 月 8 日,大陸會議的代表在宣讀獨立宣言之前曾敲響自由鐘來
召集費城的民眾。因此,自由鐘便成了美國獨立紀念日活動中代表性的象徵之
一。其中最引人注目的就是在鐘下方的裂痕,事實上,自由鐘在第一次試敲
時,就已經產生了裂痕,在重鑄兩次之後正式使用,在 1835 年再次裂開,
1846 年最後一次被敲響時,已嚴重損壞。政府官員擔心這個極具歷史意義的鐘
會因此而毀損,所以將其從鐘塔取下,放在紀念館中供人參觀。鑄鐘公司曾提
出願意負擔所有費用將此鐘重鑄,但被美國政府拒絕了,因為鐘身上的裂痕就
像是在建國之初,就像是祖先們所受的磨難,及付出的血淚代價,是歷史的一
部份,是美國人的驕傲。
美國獨立日早期的慶祝活動大多是遊行及演說,並帶有宗教色彩,慢慢的
加入了戶外活動,如棒球賽、亞利桑納州的馬術競技賽等,讓慶祝活動多元
化,也更活潑生動起來了。在活動中常可看到以美國國旗的紅、白、藍三色為
主,飾以星星及條紋的圖案被廣泛的利用在活動的服裝、緞帶、氣球等物品。
在賓州立提茲市(Lititz)的人會在獨立日晚上會將自家製作的蠟燭點燃,放到
水面上任其漂浮,類似我們的水燈祈福儀式。而晚上在全美各地所舉辦的煙火
大會則是慶祝的最高潮,在紐約市由梅西百貨所贊助的煙火晚會號稱是 7 月 4
日最大規模的煙火秀,也有電視轉播。除了這一些五花八門的慶祝活動之外,
民眾還喜歡在公園的草地上野餐,或是在戶外烤肉,為這個激發民眾愛國心的
節日增添許多溫馨氣氛。
實用生活會話
Q1: Dad, what is“Old Glory”?
爹地,什麼是「昔日輝煌」啊?
A1: Old Glory is the fond nickname for the U.S. flag.
「昔日輝煌」是人們對美國國旗的暱稱。
Q2: Is there any other names for the flag?
那還有其他的稱法嗎?
A2: Yes, we also call it“Star-Spangled Banner”,“Red, White and Blue”,
and“Stars and Stripes”.
有,我們還會稱它做「星條旗」、「紅白藍」及「星星和條紋」。
Q3: How many stars are on the U.S. Flag?
在美國國旗上有幾顆星星呢?
A3: There are 50 white, five-pointed small stars on the flag.
一共有 50 顆白色的小五角星。
實用單句這樣說
6 I love Independence Day. We celebrate it on the fourth of July.
我愛美國獨立紀念日。我們在 7 月 4 日慶祝。
6 Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal
holiday in the United States.
美國獨立紀念日,一般稱為七四節,是美國的聯邦假日。
6 There are many celebration activities on the Independence Day, such as
political speeches, parades, baseball games, carnivals, concerts, family
reunions and etc.
在美國獨立紀念日會有許多的慶祝活動,像是政治演說、遊行、棒球
賽、嘉年華會、音樂會、家庭聚餐等等。
6 Like the other summer-themed events, Independence Day celebrations
always take place outdoor.
如同其他的夏季活動,美國獨立紀念日的慶祝活動多半在戶外舉行。
6 Firework Shows on the Independence Day are often accompanied by patriotic
songs, for example, the national anthem“The Star-Spangled
Banner”,“America the Beautiful”and etc.
美國獨立紀念日的煙火大會通常在施放時會以愛國歌曲為伴奏,例如是
美國國歌「星條旗」、「美哉美國」等等。
6 The Liberty Bell is the iconic symbol of American Independence.
自由鐘是美國獨立戰爭的象徵性代表。
互動時刻真有趣
在自由鐘裡找出下列與美國獨立紀念日有關的單字、詞
Independence Day
獨立紀念日
節慶源由――簡易版
The 4th of July is Independence Day in the United States. In 1776, there were 13
British colonies in America. They wanted to be free of the King of England. There
was a long war between England and the colonies. The colonies won the war and
declared freedom. It was July 4th, 1776.
7 月 4 日是美國的獨立紀念日。在 1776 年,美國有 13 個英屬殖民地。他
們想要從英國國王手裡獲得自由。在英國與殖民地間有長期的戰爭。殖民地贏
得了戰爭並且宣告自由。在 ...
作者序
〈作者序一〉
I have always enjoyed holidays! As a child I looked forward to each one with joyful anticipation! There were some traditions that were the same every year. My favorites were Christmas and Thanksgiving because we shared them with lots of family and friends. Now that my husband and I have our own children, we have tried to come up with our own traditions. Hopefully, our kids will look back on these holidays with wonderful memories.
In writing this book, I loved learning about the Asian holidays and the traditions associated with them. A few years ago my family was in Taiwan during Chinese New Year. It was a great experience to see how a different country celebrates a part of their culture.
May you enjoy learning to speak English better as you learn about some western holidays in this book. Talk about them with your family and friends! Speaking English is the best way to learn it.
我總是很喜歡假期的! 當我還是孩子的時候,我期待著每個愉快的活動參與!有些節日的傳統是每年都有的。我最喜歡的節日是耶誕節與感恩節,因為我們可以和許多的家庭和朋友們一起分享。現在,我的先生和我有我們自己的小孩了,我們也已經試著發想出屬於我們自己的傳統。希望我們的孩子在回想這些節日時會有著美好的回憶。
寫這本書的同時,我喜愛學習有關亞洲的節日和與它們有關的傳統。幾年前,我們全家在台灣過中國新年。這是一個很棒的經驗來看一個不同的國家慶祝其文化中的一部分。
當你在本書中學習到一些西方節日時,希望你能高興地學習將英語由此說得更好。可以和您的家人和朋友聊一聊!最好的英語學習方式就是勇敢地說出英語來!
Melanie Venekamp
〈作者序二〉
在雪梨唸書時,養成了一個習慣,每年在拿到學校新的行事曆後,總是會認真的加填上台灣的重要節日。對於在外求學的遊子而言,這些節日總是會引起滿滿的鄉愁,所以在這些節日中組織聚會,彼此互相加油打氣,是大家行事曆中的重點事項。回台工作之後,因為工作性質的關係,我的行事曆上又加入了美國的重要節日,而也時常遇到外籍朋友詢問我一些有關我們的傳統節日由來。每當這個時候,我就會發現自己好像不夠了解這些節日,有只知其一,不知其二的茫然感。相對於外籍朋友在談起他們的節日時的侃侃而談,像是準備了演講稿似的,我的心虛感就不斷的上升。但在這些討論的過程中,讓我發現到有些被我們視為理所當然的節日習俗,往往是節日的精髓所在,也讓我見識到更多東西方節日的不同面貌。我將我和朋友們所討論及我所認識的節日面貌寫進這本書,希望能對大家在和朋友或是孩子們在介紹及討論這些節日能有所助益。
陳欣慧
〈作者序一〉
I have always enjoyed holidays! As a child I looked forward to each one with joyful anticipation! There were some traditions that were the same every year. My favorites were Christmas and Thanksgiving because we shared them with lots of family and friends. Now that my husband and I have our own children, we have tried to come up with our own traditions. Hopefully, our kids will look back on these holidays with wonderful memories.
In writing this book, I loved learning about the As...
目錄
東方節慶篇
1. 中國新年 ...........................................................08
2. 元宵節 ...............................................................18
3. 女兒節(日本) ................................................28
4. 兒童節 ...............................................................38
5. 清明節 ...............................................................48
6. 男孩節(日本) ................................................58
7. 母親節 ...............................................................68
8. 端午節 ...............................................................78
9. 中元節 ...............................................................88
10. 七夕情人節......................................................98
11. 父親節 ...........................................................108
12. 中秋節 ........................................................... 118
13. 教師節 ...........................................................128
14. 國慶日 ...........................................................138
西方節慶篇
1. 新年 ................................................................150
2. 馬丁路德‧金恩紀念日 ....................................160
3. 土撥鼠節 .........................................................170
4. 西洋情人節 ......................................................180
5. 聖派翠克節 ......................................................190
6. 愚人節 .............................................................200
7. 復活節 .............................................................210
8. 逾越節 .............................................................220
9. 陣亡將士紀念日 ..............................................230
10. 獨立紀念日....................................................240
11. 勞動節 ...........................................................250
12. 哥倫布日 .......................................................260
13. 萬聖節 ...........................................................270
14. 感恩節 ...........................................................280
15. 聖誕節 ...........................................................290
東方節慶篇
1. 中國新年 ...........................................................08
2. 元宵節 ...............................................................18
3. 女兒節(日本) ................................................28
4. 兒童節 ...............................................................38
5. 清明節 ...............................................................48
6. 男孩節(日本) ................................................58
7. 母親節 ...................................