by Erin Whitmer

Travel 动身出行

One of the best things about Thanksgiving is spending time with family. Many people live far from family members and travel long distances by car， train， or plane to be with their loved ones. Thanksgiving is the busiest travel day of the year！

感恩节最棒的好处之一就是可以与家人共聚。许多人的家与其他家族成员并不邻近，要开长途车、坐火车或者搭飞机才能与亲人团聚。感恩节可是一年当中最繁忙的出行假日呢！

The Feast 丰盛大餐

Traditional foods are a large part of Thanksgiving celebrations. Many families include the entire family in the food preparation. Traditional foods include turkey， stuffing[填塞料]， gravy[肉汁]， sweet potatoes， cornbread， mashed[捣碎的] potatoes， and cranberry[小红莓] sauce. Many people serve pie for dessert at the end of the meal. Popular pie flavors are pumpkin， pecan[山核桃]， sweet potato， and apple.

传统美食是感恩节庆祝活动的“重头戏”。许多家庭在准备食物时还会全家参与哦。传统的食物包括火鸡、馅料、肉汁、甘薯、玉米面包、土豆泥及小红莓果酱。不少人会用馅饼作为大餐最后的甜品。南瓜、山核桃、甘薯和苹果都是很受欢迎的馅饼风味。

The Wishbone[鸟胸的叉骨，如愿骨] 如愿骨的魔力

Some families include breaking the turkeys wishbone as part of their celebration. The wishbone is found attached[连上] to the breast meat in the turkeys chest. After the meat has been removed and the wishbone has had a chance to become dry and brittle[易碎的]， two people each take one end of the bone， make a wish， and pull. Whoever ends up with the larger part of the bone gets their wish！

有些家庭会将弄断如愿骨作为他们的庆祝方式。如愿骨就在连着火鸡胸肉的地方。先清理掉胸肉，让骨头变干变脆，然后两个人一人拿着骨头的一端，许一个愿望，再用力拉扯。谁最后拿到较大的那一部分断骨，他的愿望就能成真哦！

The Turkey Pardon[赦免] 赦免火鸡

Each year at Thanksgiving， the President of the United States receives the gift of a live turkey （along with an alternate[替换物] in case something happens to the official turkey）. At a White House ceremony[仪式]， the president traditionally “pardons” the National Thanksgiving Turkey and the alternate turkeys， allowing them to live out the rest of their days on a farm.

在每一年的感恩节，美国总统都会获赠一只活火鸡（附带一只后备鸡，以防“第一鸡”出事）。总统会在白宫举行仪式，按照传统“赦免”这只国家感恩节火鸡及其后备，让它们在农场上安度余生。

Helping Others 助人为乐

Many generous[慷慨的] folks use Thanksgiving as an opportunity to help those less fortunate. Some people volunteer to serve food at homeless shelters[庇护所] on Thanksgiving Day and others donate[捐赠] to shelters.

许多乐善好施的人还会利用感恩节接济穷人。有些人会在节日当天前往流浪汉之家分发食物，还有些人会给这些机构捐款。

TV 电视也精彩

Television also plays a part in Thanksgiving celebrations. Many families watch the New York City Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade. The parade includes marching bands， floats[彩车]， songs and performances from Broadway musicals， and giant helium[氦]-filled balloons！ People can also enjoy televised football games.

电视节目同样在感恩节里占据一席之地。不少家庭会一起收看纽约市的“梅西感恩节大游行”。在游行队伍中有军乐队、花车、百老汇音乐剧当中的歌曲以及表演，还有巨大的氦气球呢！人们还可以透过电视转播收看橄榄球比赛。

After the Meal 饭后娱乐多

After the feast， families often take part in additional activities. Some like to take walks after eating such a large meal. Most people take naps[打盹]. And others sit down together to play board games[棋盘游戏] or cards together.

享用完大餐以后，一家人通常还会搞点额外活动。有人在吃完大餐之后喜欢散散步，大多数人会打个盹儿，还有些人会围坐下来玩玩桌游或者打打牌什么的。