We all love holidays: they give us a reason to change our daily activities, to celebrate, and to make memories. What holiday gives us a better chance to do all these things than Thanksgiving! The Thanksgiving weekend is, for most of us, the longest, most free weekend of the year. It is a wonderful time for family and friends to come together again. It is also the most American of all holidays, because it celebrates the settling of our country over 350 years ago.
For me, Thanksgiving brings up all the things in life that I feel most strongly about and for which I truly give thanks. There is the simple beauty of the earth and the shared fruits and vegetables at harvest(收获) time. There is the satisfaction that comes from growing what you eat, and the wisdom that comes from knowing that if you treat the land with care, it will produce a rich harvest. And there is the tradition of the day itself: the return to my family's farm in the green hills, the wonderful food, and of course the sharing in the holiday celebrations.
My father tells me that I spent my first Thanksgiving sprawled (伸开四肢躺或坐) on the sitting room floor of our family friend Mrs. Tyree's(泰里夫人) home while happily holding a big turkey(火鸡) leg. But my earliest Thanksgiving memories come from my grandfather's old farm a few years later. For as long as I can remember, my grandmother and grandfather have had a farm in the happily named town of Freeland(自由之地), in the hills of Harford County(哈福德县), Maryland(马里兰州). Although I seldom visit it now, it was once the center of my life. Their house was a base for the family during the dark days of the Second World War. The garden and the chicken yard fed us well. Everyone knows that good food and feelings of the heart are closely connected. I learned about this relationship early on - under the apple trees, in the middle of the garden, and especially in my grandfather's smokehouse(熏肉房). The smokehouse was his pride and joy. It was always very clean and rich with the strong smell of fresh smoked me ats. I got my first lessons in smoking meats from my grandfather Scott. When I bought my own farm in Virginia(弗吉尼亚州) a few years ago, I built a smokehouse for myself!
With so much food in the Scott family(斯科特家), you can imagine the role the holiday meal played on the farm in Freeland. Nothing created a better feeling during the holiday than a huge dinner. It produced friendly conversation, ended disagreements, and made any reason to celebrate even more special.
I like to believe that I can remember clearly every taste, every smell, every bit of music from our piano - everything except where all the Thanksgivings went. As I grow older, the celebrations seem to mix into one huge set of my best memories. I'll always remember Thanksgiving as the time we ate good food, sang songs, and shared a lot good times together.
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Thanksgiving 课文讲解
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