How George Washington Angered Lawmakers over Thanksgiving

In September 1789, the government of the United States was only a few months old.

1789年9月，美国政府才成立几个月。

George Washington was president – the nation's first.

乔治·华盛顿是总统——这个国家的第一任总统。

Congress was new, too.

国会也是新成立的。

Some of the early lawmakers came to the president with a question: Would he call for a national Thanksgiving?

一些早期的议员带着一个问题来找总统：他会号召设立全国性的感恩节吗？

One aim was to help unify the young country, which was made of the 13 former colonies.

目的之一是帮助团结这个由13个前殖民地组成的年轻国家。

Calling a national Thanksgiving would be a way to bring Americans together.

号召全国性的感恩节，可以成为凝聚美国人的一种方式。

But other lawmakers strongly objected to the idea.

但其他议员强烈反对这个主意。

Critics had two main concerns.

批评者主要有两点担忧。

First, some saw Thanksgiving as a religious holiday.

首先，有些人把感恩节看作宗教节日。

They noted the president could not use the power of the federal government to urge Americans to follow -- or not follow -- a religious tradition.

他们指出，总统不能利用联邦政府的权力敦促美国人遵从——或不遵从——某种宗教传统。

Second, opponents of the measure believed the president did not have the right to call a national Thanksgiving.

其次，反对这项措施的人认为，总统无权号召全国性的感恩节。

That power belonged to the leader of each state, they said.

他们说，这项权力属于各州的领导人。

In the end, Washington did formally call for a national Thanksgiving.

最终，华盛顿正式号召了全国性的感恩节。

It was the country's first presidential proclamation.

这是美国历史上第一份总统公告。

In it, he called for a national “day of public thanksgiving and prayer.”

在公告中，他号召全国设立一个“公共感恩与祈祷日”。

He also tried to satisfy opponents of the idea.

他也设法让反对这个主意的人满意。

Melanie Kirkpatrick is the writer of “Thanksgiving: The Holiday at the Heart of the American Experience.”

梅兰妮·柯克帕特里克是《感恩节：美国经验核心的节日》一书的作者。

She explains that Washington sent copies of his proclamation to the leader of each of the 13 states.

她解释说，华盛顿把公告的副本寄给了13个州的每一位领导人。

He asked them to call a national Thanksgiving on the day he had chosen.

他请他们在他选定的那一天号召全国性的感恩节。

The president was very well respected, Kirkpatrick notes.

柯克帕特里克指出，总统当时非常受人尊敬。

And so the state leaders all agreed.

因此，各州领导人都同意了。

In the years that followed, some presidents issued their own proclamations for a day of thanksgiving; many others did not.

此后几年，有些总统发布了自己的感恩日公告，许多总统则没有。

Finally, in 1941, lawmakers in Congress made the fourth Thursday in November a legal holiday.

最终，在1941年，国会议员将11月的第四个星期四定为法定假日。

This Thanksgiving, millions of Americans will gather to eat a meal and express their thanks.

今年感恩节，数百万美国人将团聚在一起吃饭，表达感谢。

Their gatherings may echo George Washington's first Thanksgiving proclamation.

他们的聚会或许会让人想起乔治·华盛顿的第一份感恩节公告。

In it, the first president made a point of declaring that people of all religions should celebrate Thanksgiving.

在公告中，这位首任总统特意宣布，所有宗教信仰的人都应该庆祝感恩节。

That idea is still important.

这个理念至今仍很重要。

Almost everyone in the country, including immigrants, observes the holiday in some way.

全国几乎每个人，包括移民在内，都会以某种方式过这个节日。

Kirkpatrick says that for new Americans, the day can be a rite of passage.

柯克帕特里克说，对新美国人来说，这一天可以说是一种成人礼般的仪式。