What Is Veterans Day in the US?

World War I officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in France on June 28, 1919.

1919年6月28日，《凡尔赛和约》在法国签署，第一次世界大战正式结束。

The date, November 11, is now remembered as Veterans Day, a holiday to thank and honor all who served in the United States military.

11月11日这一天如今被作为退伍军人节来纪念，这是一个感谢和表彰所有曾在美国军队服役者的节日。

The celebration first started on November 11, 1919, as Armistice Day.

这一纪念活动最早始于1919年11月11日，当时称为“停战纪念日”。

In 1926, the U.S. Congress officially recognized November 11, 1918, as the end of World War I.

1926年，美国国会正式承认1918年11月11日为第一次世界大战结束之日。

And in 1938, the body passed legislation to make the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday.

1938年，国会又通过立法，将每年的11月11日定为法定假日。

Known as “Armistice Day,” it was a day set aside to honor veterans of World War I.

这一天被称为“停战纪念日”，专门用来纪念第一次世界大战的退伍军人。

The date for Veterans Day was changed in 1968 with the signing of the Uniform Holiday Act.

1968年，《统一假日法》签署，退伍军人节的日期随之改变。

With the law, Congress intended to create a three-day weekend for Americans by moving the holiday to a Monday in November.

国会希望通过这项法律把节日移到11月的某个星期一，为美国人创造一个三天的周末。

Many states and veterans’ organizations did not agree with this decision.

许多州和退伍军人组织不同意这一决定。

They continued to celebrate the holiday on November 11, leading to confusion.

他们继续在11月11日庆祝这个节日，结果造成了混乱。

So, Congress returned the holiday to its original date.

于是，国会把这个节日改回了原来的日期。

Many Americans are confused about Veterans Day and Memorial Day, the other holiday honoring military service, which is observed on the last Monday in May.

许多美国人把退伍军人节和阵亡将士纪念日搞混，后者是另一个纪念军人服役的节日，在五月的最后一个星期一。

Memorial Day is set aside as a day for remembering and honoring those who died in the service of their country.

阵亡将士纪念日是专门用来缅怀和纪念那些为国捐躯者的日子。

For most Americans, it also marks the unofficial start of summer and a popular weekend for vacationing.

对大多数美国人来说，这一天也标志着夏天的非正式开始，是外出度假的热门周末。

Veterans Day is largely intended to thank and honor all those who served honorably in the military, living or dead, and in wartime or peace.

退伍军人节主要是为了感谢和表彰所有曾光荣服役的军人，无论在世与否，无论是在战时还是和平时期。

To ensure that people remember Veterans Day, the U.S. Congress passed, and President Barack Obama signed the Veterans Day Moment of Silence Act in 2016.

为确保人们记住退伍军人节，美国国会于2016年通过了《退伍军人节默哀法》，并由巴拉克·奥巴马总统签署。

I'm Mario Ritter, Jr.

我是马里奥·里特。