In the early 1600s, a group of people in England wanted to pray and worship God in their own way but The King controlled the Church of England, and everyone was ordered to go to the same type of church. Anyone who dared to disobey would be sent to jail.

在16世纪初，一群英格兰人希望以自己的方式祈祷和崇拜上帝，当时的国王控制英格兰的教会，他要求每个人只许去同一类型的教会祈祷。任何敢违抗(disobey)这一指令的人都会被打入监狱。

To escape the rule of the King and his church, around 100 men, women and children left their homeland, with their dream of religious freedom. They sailed on a ship, the Mayflower—on a pilgrimage to the New World (America).

为了逃离(escape)国王和他统治的教会，男女老幼约100个人，带着宗教自由的梦想，离开了他们的家园。他们乘坐一艘叫做“五月花号”的船，前往新世界（美国）朝圣(pilgrimage)。

These brave travelers—the Pilgrims—landed in Plymouth after their long six-week journey. It was December 11, 1620. The cold winter had set in. The land was strange to them, and nothing seemed familiar.

这些勇敢的清教徒们一路艰难跋涉，历经6周，最终在普利茅斯落脚。那是1620年12月11日，寒冷的冬季刚刚开始。陌生的土地上，他们举目无亲。

The winter was long, cold, and very hard for the Pilgrims and many died. Luckily, Native Americans helped by supplying them with seeds and food, teaching them about their new home, and giving them the skills needed to survive in the strange, new land. With seeds and plants received from the Native Americans, the Pilgrims planted crops. That fall, the harvest was a good one and to celebrate their good fortune, the Pilgrims had a feast of thanksgiving.

冬天漫长而寒冷，朝圣者们饥寒交迫，许多人没有活下来。幸运的是，美洲的原住民向他们伸出援助之手，送给他们种子和植物，带领他们熟悉新环境，还教会了他们新的生存技能(survival skill)。清教徒们将美洲原住民赠与的种子播撒在地里，长出了庄家。到了秋天，收获颇丰。于是，清教徒们大摆感恩宴席(feast)，庆祝丰收。

Many foods were cooked for the feast - wild turkey, duck, and venison were served, along with fish, pumpkins, squash, corn, sweet potatoes, and cranberries. Captain Miles Standish, the leader of the Pilgrims invited all of the Native Americans who had helped them so much during their first year. Everyone had a good day of thanksgiving. The feast lasted for three days! This harvest feast in 1621 is often called the "First Thanksgiving" and it has now become an important part of American tradition.

宴席上有许多精心烹饪的美味佳肴——野生火鸡、鸭子和鹿肉，还有鱼、南瓜、笋瓜、玉米、红薯和蔓越莓。朝圣者的领头人Miles Standish船长邀请来了美洲原住民一同进餐，感谢他们一年来的真诚帮助。感恩大餐上，人们欢聚一堂，其乐融融，宴会一共持续了三天！1621年的收获盛宴，被人们称作 “第一个感恩节” ，而如今， “感恩节” 的传统(tradition)已经融入了美国的血脉，代代相传。

Words and Phrases 单词短语学习

·Disobey [dɪsə'beɪ] – 违抗

·Escape [ɪ'skeɪp] – 逃离

·Pilgrimage ['pɪlgrɪmɪdʒ] – 朝圣

·Feast [fiːst] – 宴席

·Tradition[trə'dɪʃ(ə)n] – 传统

·Survival Skill  生存技能