The American holiday of Thanksgiving is celebrated every year on the fourth Thursday in November .
美国的感恩节在每年11月的第四个星期四庆祝。
The holiday is during autumn -- the main season for harvesting crops .
这个节日在秋天，也就是收获庄稼的主要季节。
Thanksgiving is an autumn harvest festival like those found in many cultures around the world .
感恩节是一个秋季丰收节，与世界许多文化中的节日类似。
On this day , most Americans gather with friends and family .
这一天，大多数美国人会与亲友团聚。
Many take time to think about what they are thankful for , cook up a storm , and eat .
许多人会花时间想想自己要感谢什么，大展厨艺，然后享用美食。
The star of most Thanksgiving dinners is a roasted turkey .
大多数感恩节晚餐的主角是烤火鸡。
Turkeys are large birds native to North America .
火鸡是原产于北美的大型鸟类。
The turkey is cooked in an oven for many hours , often with a mix of celery , bread , onions and spices inside the bird .
火鸡要在烤箱里烤好几个小时，肚子里常常塞着芹菜、面包、洋葱和香料的混合物。
This mix becomes stuffing -- another star of the Thanksgiving dinner table .
这种混合物就成了馅料，是感恩节餐桌上的另一位主角。
Anna Matteo here at Learning English says the smell of turkey and stuffing roasting together is the quintessential smell of Thanksgiving .
我们Learning English的安娜·马泰奥说，火鸡和馅料一起烘烤的香味是最典型的感恩节气味。
“Quintessential ” means the perfect example of something .
“quintessential”的意思是某事物的完美典范。
After the bird is cooked , the stuffing is taken out and served as a side dish .
火鸡烤好后，把馅料取出来作为配菜。
One of many side dishes .
这只是众多配菜之一。
Families often make other foods like mashed potatoes , sweet potatoes , cranberry sauce and vegetable casseroles .
家人们常常还会做土豆泥、红薯、蔓越莓酱和蔬菜砂锅等其他菜肴。
A casserole is a dish that cooks slowly in an oven .
砂锅菜是一种在烤箱里慢慢烹制的菜肴。
And do not forget about the gravy .
还有，别忘了肉汁酱。
This rich sauce is made from the fatty liquid that comes off the turkey as it cooks .
这种浓郁的酱汁是用火鸡烤制时流出的油脂汁液做成的。
People cover their turkey meat , stuffing and mashed potatoes with gravy .
人们把肉汁酱浇在火鸡肉、馅料和土豆泥上。
The meal does not end with the turkey , stuffing , and side dishes , though .
不过，这顿饭并不是吃完火鸡、馅料和配菜就结束了。
For some people , the best part of the meal is dessert .
对一些人来说，这顿饭最棒的部分是甜点。
The quintessential Thanksgiving dessert is pie .
最典型的感恩节甜点是派。
Some Americans must travel long distances to be with their families .
一些美国人必须长途跋涉才能与家人团聚。
In fact , the Sunday after Thanksgiving is the busiest travel day of the entire year .
事实上，感恩节后的星期日是全年出行最繁忙的一天。
This is usually when people return home from family gatherings .
这通常是人们参加完家庭聚会返家的时候。
Not everyone can make the return home each Thanksgiving .
并不是每个人每年感恩节都能回家。
So , young people living in cities away from their hometowns sometimes celebrate “Friendsgiving ” -- a Thanksgiving meal with their friends instead of their family .
因此，住在远离家乡城市的年轻人有时会过“朋友感恩节”，也就是和朋友而不是家人一起吃感恩节大餐。
They gather at someone's apartment or house and have a “potluck .”
他们聚在某人的公寓或家里，办一场“百家餐”。
This is a meal where everyone who is invited brings food to share with others .
这是一种每位受邀者都带食物来与大家分享的聚餐。
Thanksgiving is a big day for television , games and other entertainment .
感恩节也是电视、比赛和其他娱乐活动的重要日子。
One tradition is the television broadcast of Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade .
其中一个传统是电视转播梅西百货感恩节大游行。
It takes place each year in New York City .
游行每年在纽约市举行。
Workers of the Macy's store on Herald Square organized the first parade in 1924 .
位于先驱广场的梅西百货员工在1924年组织了第一次游行。
Many of the workers were immigrants and wanted to hold a big parade like the ones in Europe .
许多员工是移民，他们想举办一场像欧洲那样的大型游行。
So , they dressed in costumes and borrowed some animals from the zoo .
于是，他们穿上戏服，还从动物园借来了一些动物。
They also carried small balloons that floated just overhead .
他们还拿着刚好飘在头顶上方的小气球。
Many professional American football games are also played on Thanksgiving .
许多职业美式橄榄球比赛也在感恩节举行。
Fans of the sport enjoy relaxing and watching a game or two after eating a big Thanksgiving meal .
这项运动的球迷们喜欢在吃完丰盛的感恩节大餐后放松一下，看一两场比赛。
Some start Thanksgiving Day early - and in a healthy way .
有些人很早就以健康的方式开始感恩节这一天。
So-called “Turkey Trot ” races take place in many towns and cities .
许多城镇都会举办所谓的“火鸡快跑”比赛。
These events involve runners dressing up in a Thanksgiving-related costume and running a short distance -- usually five kilometers .
在这些活动中，跑者们穿上与感恩节相关的服装，跑一小段距离，通常是五公里。
Certainly , not everyone in America has an easy Thanksgiving .
当然，并非每个美国人都能轻松度过感恩节。
The United States is home to many poor and homeless people .
美国有许多贫困者和无家可归者。
Some cannot afford a Thanksgiving dinner .
有些人负担不起感恩节晚餐。
Others are without friends or families .
还有些人没有朋友或家人。
Many religious and service organizations around the country try to fill these needs .
全国许多宗教和服务组织都在努力满足这些需求。
Some provide community dinners at churches and other centers .
一些组织在教堂和其他中心提供社区晚餐。
Some groups also deliver Thanksgiving meals to people too sick or old to leave their homes .
一些团体还会把感恩节餐食送给病重或年迈、无法出门的人。
The writer O .
作家欧·
Henry called Thanksgiving the one holiday that is purely American .
亨利称感恩节是唯一纯粹属于美国的节日。
It is not linked to a religion or a certain group .
它与任何宗教或特定群体都没有关联。
Anyone in the United States on the fourth Thursday of November is welcome to celebrate Thanksgiving .
11月第四个星期四在美国的任何人，都欢迎一起庆祝感恩节。
And I'm Ashley Thompson .
我是阿什莉·汤普森。