◎供稿：罗宇轩

Turkey, corn,1)pumpkinsand cranberry sauce are symbols which represent the first Thanksgiving. Now all of these symbols are drawn on holiday decorations and greeting cards. The use of corn meant the survival of the colonies. “Indian corn” as a table or door decoration represents the harvest and the fall season.

Sweet-sour cranberry sauce, or cranberry jelly, was on the first Thanksgiving table and is still served today. The cranberry is a small,sour berry. It grows in2)bogs, or muddy areas, in Massachusetts and other New England states. The Indians used the fruit to treat infections.They used the juice to dye their rugs and blankets. They taught the colonists how to cook the berries with3)sweetenerand water to make a sauce. The Indians called it “ibimi” which means “bitter berry.” When the colonists saw it, they named it “crane-berry” because the flowers of the berry bent the stalk over, and it resembled the long-necked bird called a crane. The berries are still grown in New England.

In 1988, a Thanksgiving ceremony of a different kind took place at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. More than four thousand people gathered on Thanksgiving night. Among them were Native Americans representing tribes from all over the country and descendants of people whose ancestors had migrated to the New World.

The ceremony was a public acknowledgment of the Indians' role in the first Thanksgiving 350 years ago. Until recently most schoolchildren believed that the Pilgrims cooked the entire Thanksgiving feast, and offered it to the Indians. In fact, the feast was planned to thank the Indians for teaching them how to cook those foods. Without the Indians, the first settlers would not have survived.

Thanksgiving is a time for tradition and sharing. Even if they live far away,family members gather for a reunion at the house of an older relative. All give thanks together for the good things that they have.

In this spirit of sharing, civic groups and charitable organizations offer a traditional meal to those in need, particularly the homeless. On most tables throughout the United States, foods eaten at the first thanksgiving have become traditional.

1) pumpkins ['pʌmpkinz] n. 南瓜 2) bogs [bɒɡ] n.沼泽 3) sweetener [swi:tnə(r)] n. 甜味佐料

火鸡、玉米、南瓜和蔓越莓酱是第一个感恩节的象征。现在所有这些符号都画在节日装饰和贺卡上。玉米的使用意味着殖民地的生存。“印第安玉米”作为餐桌或门的装饰，代表着收获和秋天的季节。

在第一个感恩节餐桌上出现的酸甜蔓越莓酱或蔓越莓果冻今天仍然供应。蔓越莓是一种小而酸的浆果。它生长在马萨诸塞州和新英格兰地区其他州的沼泽地或泥泞地区。印第安人用水果来治疗感染。他们用果汁染地毯和毯子。他们教殖民者如何用甜味剂和水煮浆果来制作酱汁。印第安人称之为“ibimi”，意思是“苦浆果”。当殖民者看到它时，他们称之为“鹤浆果”，因为浆果的花把茎折弯了，很像长颈的鹤。这些浆果仍然生长在新英格兰地区。

1988，在圣约翰大教堂举行了一个不同寻常的感恩节仪式。超过四千人在感恩节之夜聚集。其中有代表来自全国各地的部落和祖先移居新大陆的人的后裔的美洲土著人。

这一仪式是公众对印第安人在350年前第一次感恩节中的作用的公开承认。直到最近，大多数小学生还相信清教徒烹饪了整个感恩节大餐，并把它献给了印第安人。事实上，宴会的目的是感谢印第安人教他们如何烹调那些食物。没有印第安人，第一批定居者就不会幸存下来。

感恩节是一个传统和分享的时节。即使他们住在很远的地方，家人也会聚集在一个长辈家里团聚。所有人都要感谢他们所拥有的美好事物。

本着这种分享的精神，民间团体和慈善组织为那些有需要的人，特别是无家可归的人们提供传统食物。在美国的大多数餐桌上，吃第一次感恩节吃的食物已经变成了传统。