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Thanksgiving is Not Just a Turkey Dinner 感恩节好上桌

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课文讲解

Thanksgiving is a special holiday celebrated on the fourth Thursday on November in the US. The holiday was started in the 17^th century by the first European settlers who arrived in America. Every autumn, these settlers would organize a large feast. In addition to enjoying the food, they would express their gratitude for the year’s harvest. Today, Americans practice this tradition by spending time with their families and preparing special dishes.

感恩节是个特别的节日，在美国每年11月的第4个星期四都会庆祝它的到来。这个节日起源于17世纪，由最早来到美国本土的欧洲移民者发起。每年秋天，这群移民者会筹备一顿盛大的飨宴。除了享用食物，他们会对一整年来的丰收表达感激之意。如今，美国人依旧沿袭这个传统，他们花时间与家人相处并且准备特别的菜肴。

The centerpiece of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner is turkey. The secret to cooking turkey well is roasting it for several hours until the skin is crisp and the meat is juicy. As a complement to the turkey, mashed potatoes are a popular side dish. Furthermore, many hosts will prepare some brown gravy to make the meal even more delicious. Most homes also serve some cranberry jelly. It has a sour taste so it mixes well with the potatoes and turkey. Thanksgiving is not just a day to fill your stomach, though. These fantastic dishes also remind people to give thanks for all the good things in their lives.

一顿传统感恩节晚餐最重要的佳肴就是火鸡。要将火鸡煮得好吃，其秘诀就是将牠烤上好几个小时，直到表皮酥脆且肉质多汁。想到搭配火鸡的菜肴，马铃薯泥是受到欢迎的配菜。除此之外，许多晚餐主人将会准备一些褐色肉汁让这顿晚餐更美味。许多家庭也会提供一些蔓越莓果冻，它有着酸酸的滋味，因此能跟马铃薯与火鸡巧妙结合。感恩节不只是个填饱肚子的日子，这些绝佳的菜肴也提醒人们对生活中所有美好事物要心存感激。

－by Jamie Blackler

单词发音

Vocabulary

settler [ˋsɛtlɚ] n. 移居者；殖民者；开拓者

settle v. 安頓

The first settlers in America found it hard to survive the cold winters.

gratitude [ˋgrætə͵tjud] n. 感恩，感谢

Sending a 'thank you' letter is a great way to show gratitude.

crisp [krɪsp] adj. 脆的，酥的

Using oil to fry chicken makes its skin crisp and delicious.

side dish 小菜

Kimchee is a famous Korean side dish made of red pepper and cabbage.

furthermore [ˋfɝðɚˋmor] adv. 而且,此外

I won't go skiing because it looks too hard; furthermore, I don't really like snow.

fantastic [fænˋtæstɪk] adj. 【口】极好的，了不起的

My vacation in Italy was fantastic, and I think I will go there again someday.

More Information

in addition to 除了...尚有

complement [ˋkɑmpləmənt] n. 补充物，补足物；配对物

mashed potato 马铃薯泥

gravy [ˋgrevɪ] n. 肉汁；（作调味用的）卤

History of Thanksgiving Day: by Studies Weekly