美国最受欢迎的节日与活动是什么？
Celebrating, American Style: How to get involved in The US’s most popular festivals and events.
AF Education
专属博客 Liam Carrigan
如果要在我们这个星球上寻找最喜欢派对的一群人，想必一定是美国人。参与派对与庆祝活动的自由未必被写入他们钟爱的宪法，但赋予了他们为派对而生的独特癖好。
If there’s one group of people on this planet who appreciate a good party it has to be the Americans. The freedom to party and celebrate may not quite be written into their beloved constitution, but given the American propensity for “partying down” it may as well be.
对于外国学生，特别是那些来自东亚一些社交礼仪相对保守国家的学生来说，这些社交型以及外向型的态度可能在一开始是有点可怕的。
To foreign students, especially those from East Asian countries, where social etiquette is decidedly more conservative, such gregarious and outgoing attitudes can, at least initially, seem a little scary.
不管怎样，如果你放轻松并且“随大流”，很快你便会发现自己跟你最入流的美国“派对动物”朋友一样能享受那里节日气氛了。
However, if you can relax and “go with the flow” as it were, in no time at all you will find yourself enjoying the festive atmosphere along with the hardiest of your American “party animal” friends.
那么什么样的节日、庆典和纪念活动能真正体现美国的脉搏呢？事实上，美国是一个充满活力、外向的社会，你从来都不需要隔很远或者等很久就能看到一场好的派对。
So what are the events, celebrations and commemorations that really set American pulses racing? Well, in truth, America is the kind of vibrant, outgoing society where one never has to stray too far, or wait too long to see a good party.
当然了，也有很多特殊的场合能让每个人都聚到一起。下面就是为了给你参考，我列举的一些我最爱的美国节庆：
But of course there are some special occasions that bring everyone together. Here for your consideration today, I present some of my favourites:
1）超级碗。（译者注：美式足球比赛。）
这个运动可以说是美国体育运动的巅峰，也毫无疑问是美国娱乐日历上最亮眼的一个节目。
1) The Superbowl. This, what many would call the pinnacle of American sporting spectacle, is without a doubt one of the early highlights of the US entertainment calendar.
超级碗通常会在一月的最后一个星期天或者二月的第一个星期天举行。我这样说可能是陈词滥调了，但它的确是“非体育迷都会喜欢”的活动。
Ordinarily, the Superbowl takes place on either the last Sunday of January or the First Sunday of February. It may be something of a cliché to say this but it is one of those events where the phrase “even non-sports fans will enjoy it” really does ring true.
我对美式足球几乎一无所知。我总认为它是一种试图把橄榄球和古罗马竞技结合的实验！
I for one know almost nothing about the rules of American football. I always thought it was the result of some horrific experiment trying to merge the game of Rugby with ancient Roman Gladiatorial Arenas!
撇开玩笑话不说，如果我不曾看过NFL(译者注：美国国家橄榄球联盟)的比赛我真的会对这项运动一无所知，但是我从未错过超级杯的比赛。那些噪音、大张旗鼓的吹奏、各种音乐和中场表演，展现了所有关于美国运动和娱乐的文化之美。超级碗的门票可谓一票难求，但即便你不能置身现场，和你的美国朋友一同坐在电视机前看一次它的现场直播也是你这辈子至少要经历一次的独特美国文化体验。
Jokes aside though, I know nothing about the sport and rarely if indeed ever watch the NFL. However, I never miss the Superbowl. The noise, the fanfare, the music and the halftime show, really show all that is good about American sporting and entertainment culture. Tickets are like gold dust, but even if you can’t physically be there, getting together around a TV with a few of your American friends and watching the drama unfold on live television is in itself a uniquely American cultural experience you really need to go through at least once in your life.
2）独立日
除了1996年关于外星人入侵行动的同名电影是我最喜欢的爆米花电影之外，直到成年之后我才真正明白7月4日独立日这一天的意义。是的，对于美国人来说，独立日是一年当中他们最傲娇的日子了。它是为了纪念将近两个世纪以前乔治·华盛顿和他的小伙伴们，一同用美国人独有的方式叫英国人“滚出去！”的节日。
2) Independence Day.
OK, so despite that fact that the 1996 alien invasion action thriller of the same name is one of my favourite popcorn movies of all time, I didn’t actually realize the significance of the July 4th date until well into my adult life. Yes, for Americans, Independence Day is one of the proudest moments of the year. It commemorates that time more than 2 centuries ago when George Washington and his cohorts got together and collectively told the English to “get the hell out!” in a way that only Americans can.
今天的独立日当然不再是展现抗争的日子，而是一个所有美国人聚集在一起庆祝他们祖国所有伟大事物的日子。派对、烧烤、焰火表演，以及游行、狂欢和军队巡游都在美国全国各地热烈进行。就像中国的国庆节假期一样，美国独立日也是一个国家假日，所以在那一天你不必担心学校的功课，只需要丢一瓶冰啤酒给你的美国朋友，然后跟他们一起沉醉在这个狂欢的气氛当中就可以了。
Today, Independence Day is not so much a show of defiance, rather it is a day when all Americans gather together to celebrate everything that is great about their country today. Parties, barbecues and firework shows, as well as parades, carnivals and military precessions take place across the full length and breadth of the country. Much like China’s national day holiday, the US Independence Day is also a recognized national holiday, so you won’t have to worry about reporting for school that day, instead you can throw back a cold beer with your American friends and revel in the carnival atmosphere.
3）万圣节
这里有一个小小的争论：我承认在这里描述万圣节是美国节日让我有点儿气愤，毕竟它实际上是2000年前在古苏格兰和爱尔兰的凯尔特人和异教徒的节日。
3) Halloween.
Ok, a slight bone of contention here for me: I admit to getting a bit peeved when I here Halloween described as an American festival, since it actually originated some 2000 years ago in the Celtic and Pagan cultures of ancient Scotland and Ireland.
然而，同样地，就像美国人有能力把不那么有活力的运动如橄榄球和板球美国化，并变成人人共赏的体育场运动如美式足球和棒球，他们也有能力把万圣节演绎到一个新高度。
However, in the same way as the Americans have been able to take relatively uninspiring sports such as rugby and cricket and Americanize them into enjoyable stadium sports like American Football and Baseball, so too have they taken the idea of Halloween to the next level.
在苏格兰，万圣节对于我来说只是一个孩子的节日，但在美国，不论什么年龄、阶层或是宗教的人在那天都会装扮一番参加派对。只要参加任何有地方特色或者是街头的派对你都能看到所有迪士尼的人物或者黑武士，从米奇老鼠到魔斯拉（译者注：日本怪兽电影《魔斯拉》中的蛾怪兽）都有，只有你想不到的没有他们做不到的。
In Scotland, Halloween was always just a kids event for me, but in America people of all ages, shapes, sizes and creeds will don a costume and party the night away. Attend one of the local parades or street parties and you’ll see everything from Disney characters to Darth Vader, Mickey Mouse to Mothra, it’s all here and it really has to be seen to be believed.
说真的，像美国人这样过万圣节的也没谁了。
Truly, nobody does Halloween Parties like the Americans.
4）感恩节
我今天介绍的最后一个美国节日可能稍微肃静了点，但不意味着它跟其他几个节日相比就不重要了。
4) Thanksgiving
My final entry on today’s list is perhaps a little more sedate, but by no means less significant than the other milestone events listed here.
简单来说，这个节日的关键在于它的名字。感恩节就是感谢所有朋友、家人以及我们享有的幸福的节日。因此，这是美国一个所有家人都聚集到一起的传统，他们一同分享一个火鸡晚宴，当然也少不了许多好吃的配菜。如果你被美国朋友邀请参加他的感恩节晚餐，你必须要毫不犹豫地接受，因为作为非亲属的你能参加这样的晚会真的是莫大的荣幸了。
In short, the key is in the name. Thanksgiving is all about being grateful for the friends, family and wellbeing that we enjoy. As such, it is tradition in the US for all families to gather together, and partake of a huge turkey dinner banquet, with all the trimmings. If you are fortunate enough to be invited to a thanksgiving dinner by one of your American friends, you should accept without hesitation, as to be invited to such an event as someone who isn’t a direct relative truly is a privilege.
