Today is Juneteenth in the United States .
今天是美國的六月節（Juneteenth）。
The holiday is over 150 years old but it is still unknown to many people .
這個節日已有150多年歷史，但仍有很多人不了解它。
It marks the end of official slavery in the country and celebrates the promise of freedom .
它標誌著美國官方奴隸制的結束，並慶祝自由的承諾。
The word “Juneteenth ” combines the month “June ” with the number 19 .
「Juneteenth」一詞由月份「June」（六月）和數字19（nineteen）組合而成。
It recalls June 19 , 1865 , the day troops from the Union side of the American Civil War arrived in the city of Galveston , Texas .
它紀念的是1865年6月19日，美國內戰中聯邦軍隊抵達德州加爾維斯頓市的那一天。
The 250,000 enslaved people in Texas did not know that the president at the time -- Abraham Lincoln -- had declared them legally free .
德州的25萬名被奴役者並不知道，當時的總統亞伯拉罕·林肯已宣布他們在法律上獲得自由。
In fact , Lincoln had declared them legally free more than two years earlier – on January 1 , 1863 .
事實上，林肯早在兩年多以前，即1863年1月1日，就已宣布他們在法律上獲得自由。
But Texas was in the far west of the country and removed from much of the fighting .
但德州位於美國的最西部，遠離大部分戰事。
Few Union soldiers were there to communicate or enforce Lincoln's order .
那裡幾乎沒有聯邦士兵來傳達或執行林肯的命令。
Confederate slaveholders did not agree with it .
南方邦聯的奴隸主並不同意這項命令。
They did not want to lose the labor they got for free .
他們不想失去免費得來的勞動力。
The general quickly read an announcement .
將軍很快宣讀了一份公告。
He informed the people that the Union had won the Civil War and that “all slaves are free .”
他告訴人們，聯邦已經贏得了內戰，「所有奴隸都自由了」。
Many formerly enslaved people immediately began to celebrate .
許多曾被奴役的人立刻開始慶祝。
As soon as they could , some left Texas and joined family members in other states .
一些人一有機會就離開德州，去其他州與家人團聚。
Some remained and built new lives .
有些人留了下來，開始了新生活。
They remembered June 19 in the years that followed .
在接下來的歲月裡，他們一直記著6月19日。
In time , their children and grandchildren celebrated it as a holiday , too .
後來，他們的子孫也把這一天當作節日來慶祝。
Historically , Juneteenth has involved cooking and eating outdoors , listening to music , saying prayers and wearing nice clothes .
歷史上，六月節的活動包括戶外烹飪聚餐、聽音樂、祈禱和穿漂亮衣服。
Betty Anderson , who is a descendant of enslaved people , spoke to The Federalist magazine about her Juneteenth traditions .
身為被奴役者後裔的貝蒂·安德森向《聯邦黨人》雜誌講述了她的六月節傳統。
Historian Henry Louis Gates Jr . made a similar point in the online magazine The Root .
歷史學家小亨利·路易斯·蓋茨在網路雜誌《The Root》上也提出了類似的觀點。
He said one of the important things about Juneteenth is that it is a positive , powerful celebration , even in the face of discrimination .
他說，六月節的重要意義之一在於，即使面對歧視，它依然是一個積極而有力的慶祝活動。
For example , in the late 1800s and early 1900s , Texas officials refused to permit black people to gather in public spaces .
例如，在19世紀末和20世紀初，德州官員不允許黑人在公共場所聚集。
So , black families and friends celebrated Juneteenth near rivers and lakes , Gates said .
蓋茨說，因此黑人家庭和朋友們就在河邊和湖邊慶祝六月節。
In time , they bought their own parks where they could celebrate .
後來，他們買下了自己的公園用來慶祝。
Texas became the first state to declare the day an official state holiday in 1980 .
1980年，德州成為第一個將這一天定為州法定假日的州。
In June 2021 , U.S . President Joe Biden declared Juneteenth as the country's newest national holiday .
2021年6月，美國總統喬·拜登宣布六月節為美國最新的聯邦假日。
Biden said it was a day to “remember the moral stain and terrible toll of slavery on our country .”
拜登說，這一天是為了「銘記奴隸制給我們國家留下的道德汙點和慘重代價」。
“The historical legacy of Juneteenth shows the value of never giving up hope in uncertain times ,” it said .
其中寫道：「六月節的歷史遺產表明，在動盪不安的時期永不放棄希望是多麼可貴。」