The first Thanksgiving is notable for its cross-cultural friendship: Native Americans shared a harvest feast in Plymouth, Massachusetts, with the English settlers, called Pilgrims. Since then, the holiday has evolved into a family affair, with the focus on traditional foods (turkey and trimmings, followed by pumpkin pie) and a day away from work.
美国的第一个感恩节(Thanksgiving)以它所代表的跨文化友谊著称：美洲原住民当年在马萨诸塞州的普利茅斯(Plymouth)，与来到这里的被称为宗教朝圣者(Pilgrim)的英国定居者分享丰收盛宴。从此，感恩节逐渐演变成一个家庭聚会的节日，人们在这天吃传统佳肴(火鸡、配菜，最后还有一道南瓜饼甜点)，并享受一天假日。
But in some places the spirit of the original Thanksgiving endures, with churches, mosques, temples and other religious centers holding interfaith celebrations. Some deliver food to the needy. Others, such as the Heartsong United Methodist Church and the Memphis Islamic Center, in Memphis, Tennessee, share an annual Thanksgiving meal.
但感恩节原本的精神也继续在一些地方经久不衰：教堂、清真寺、寺庙和其他宗教中心在感恩节时会举行跨信仰的庆祝活动。他们有些是在此时给有需要的人送去食物，也有些――例如位于田纳西州孟菲斯(Memphis)的心歌联合卫理公会(Heartsong United Methodist Church)和孟菲斯伊斯兰中心(Memphis Islamic Center)――则一年一度在感恩节举行联谊餐会。
“We’ve done a lot of bonding and building of relationships, ’’ said the Islamic center’s board member Danish Siddiqui.
伊斯兰中心理事会成员丹尼士‧西迪基(Danish Siddiqui)说：“我们为联谊和发展关系展开了很多活动。”
The Thanksgiving meal has become a citywide symbol of understanding. The relationship between Muslim and Christian communities started in 2009, when the Muslim center purchased 30 acres of land directly across the street from the Methodist church. At the time, the Reverend Steve Stone, pastor at Heartsong, didn’t know any Muslims, save one man he saw at the gym, and he was “a little queasy’’ about having a Muslim center so close. After thought and prayer, Stone realized that his role as a clergyman was to counter the anti-Islamic comments being made elsewhere, so he put up a sign saying, “Welcome to the neighborhood, Memphis Islamic Center.”
感恩节聚餐现在已在全市成为一种相互理解的象征。穆斯林社区与基督教社区之间的关系始于2009年，当时穆斯林中心在卫理公会的街对面购置了30英亩土地。那时，心歌联合卫理公会的牧师史蒂夫‧斯通(Steve Stone)除在健身房见过一位穆斯林男子外，不认识任何穆斯林，因此他对要在这么近的地方出现一个穆斯林中心感到“有点不安”。但斯通通过思考和祈祷认识到，他作为牧师的角色就是要反击其他地方出现的反穆斯林言论。于是，他立起一块牌子：“欢迎孟菲斯穆斯林中心来到社区”。
Siddiqui, “very touched’’ by the gesture, contacted Stone, and the two men led their respective congregations into what became a close friendship. When the Muslims, still waiting for construction to be completed on their buildings the following year, needed a nighttime place to worship during Ramadan, Heartsong offered its space.
因这一举动而“深受感动”的西迪基同斯通取得联系。随后，两人带领各自的教友建立起亲密友谊。当穆斯林在斋月期间需要一个晚上祈祷的场所而中心建筑工程要到下一年才能完工时，心歌联合卫理公会将自己的场地提供给他们。
“We were just speechless, ” Siddiqui said. The Muslim worshippers began bringing food to share with the Methodists. And when Heartsong offered to host a joint Thanksgiving dinner, the congregation’s neighbors agreed, but on one condition, namely, “that we provide the food, ” Siddiqui said.
西迪基说：“我们当时简直说不出话来。”西迪基说，做礼拜的穆斯林开始带食物与卫理公会教徒一起分享。当心歌联合卫理公会提出主办一次双方的感恩节聚餐时，穆斯林邻居表示同意，但提出一个条件：“让我们来提供食物”。
The event has been replicated across the country on Thanksgiving. Unlike many American holidays, Thanksgiving now has no religious underpinnings, said Christina Warner of the Shoulder-to-Shoulder Campaign, a nonprofit organization dedicated to interfaith understanding, especially of the Muslim community. That makes Thanksgiving easier for people of different faiths to celebrate together.
全国各地在感恩节都有这样的活动。致力于跨信仰――特别是对穆斯林社区的――理解的非营利组织“肩并肩运动”(Shoulder-to-Shoulder Campaign)的成员克里斯蒂娜‧沃纳(Christina Warner)表示，与许多美国节日不同的是，感恩节现在已没有宗教色彩，因此使不同信仰的人更容易一起庆祝感恩节。
“Breaking bread together is really a fundamental way in which people of different faiths get to know each other, ’’ Warner said.
沃纳说：“一起用餐的确是使不同信仰的人相互结识的一个主要方式。”
In New Brunswick, New Jersey, Jewish and Muslim students at Rutgers University spend the week before Thanksgiving preparing food to deliver to the needy. “We try to do things that bring people together and won’t cause conflict, ” said Saira Shakir, the 20-year-old president of Shalom/Salaam, an interfaith student organization. “Serving the homeless and the hungry is a way to do that.”
位于新泽西州新不伦瑞克(New Brunswick)的罗格斯大学(Rutgers University)的犹太裔学生和穆斯林学生，在感恩节前一周为有需要的人筹备食品。跨信仰学生组织“沙洛姆/萨拉姆”(Shalom /Salaam)主席、20岁的萨里亚‧沙基尔(Saira Shakir)表示：“我们努力做让大家走到一起而不导致冲突的事。为无家可归和挨饿的人服务是这样一种方式。”
In Reston, Virginia, Cornerstones (formerly Reston Interfaith) has supplied meals to the hungry at Thanksgiving for 20 years, said spokeswoman Abby Kimble. And elsewhere across the country, people of different faiths gather for interfaith services or a traditional meal (often including a halal turkey to accommodate Muslim dietary rules).
位于弗吉尼亚州雷斯顿(Reston)的“奠基石”(Cornerstones)组织(前身叫“雷斯顿跨信仰”[Reston Interfaith]组织)发言人阿比‧金布尔(Abby Kimble)表示，该组织20年来一直为饥饿的人提供感恩节餐饭。在全国其他地方，来自不同信仰的人会在感恩节聚到一起，举行跨信仰祈祷或举办传统餐宴(经常配有按照穆斯林宰牲规则准备的火鸡)。
For the Memphis Islamic Center and Heartsong United Methodist Church, the Thanksgiving celebration grows more popular every year, joined by local politicians and people from other churches. The event now draws nearly 500 people.
对于孟菲斯伊斯兰中心和心歌联合卫理公会来说，感恩节庆祝活动一年比一年更热闹，随着当地的政治人物和其他教会人员的参加，如今聚餐活动吸引将近500人。
“It has become more than just a meal, ” Stone said. It has become a Thanksgiving community: People of all faiths celebrate as one.
斯通说：“它的意义已经超过一顿饭。”它形成了一个庆祝感恩节的群体：来自所有不同信仰的人同堂欢庆，如同一家。
Please Pardon Me
请赦免我
Roasting a fat turkey for Thanksgiving dinner is an American tradition that extends to the White House, where farmers have presented live holiday turkeys to presidents since the 19th century. While most families purchase a bird ready to go in the oven, White House residents have had one problem: Once they meet the live, donated turkey, it is hard to eat it for dinner.
为感恩节餐宴烘烤一只肥火鸡是一个连白宫也不例外的美国传统。自19世纪以来，农民一向都要在节前将活火鸡送给总统。大多数人家购买的火鸡都是到家即可放入烤箱，而白宫主人则遇到一个问题：一旦他们见到送来的活生生的火鸡，便很难让它成为节日宴上的盘中餐。
Thus, in 1989, a more modern tradition ― the White House turkey pardon ― was born. For years, presidents have held lighthearted ceremonies at which a live turkey or two, often wearing security identification
于是，1989年诞生了一个更现代的传统――白宫赦免火鸡。多少年来，总统会在一个轻松的仪式上，对一只或两只活火鸡――它们的脖子上往往戴着安全识别标签 ――正式给予总统“赦免”，从而让它们免于光临餐桌，转而返回农场度过余生。虽然曾经有过关于林肯(Lincoln)总统、肯尼迪(Kennedy)总统和尼克松(Nixon)总统赦免节日火鸡的报道，但是，第一次正式赦免始于乔治H‧W‧布什(George H.W. Bush)总统――他宣布，那只白宫火鸡“即刻获得总统赦免”。
National Turkey Federation, which donates the animals. While appearance is part of the selection process (fluffed-out feathers are preferred), the turkeys are also evaluated based on their comfort in crowds and calmness under bright lights.
负责赠送火鸡的全国火鸡联合会(National Turkey Federation)女发言人基蒙‧威廉斯(Kimmon Williams)表示，送到白宫的火鸡是从最初15至20只火鸡中挑选出来的。虽然外貌是挑选时的考虑因素(羽毛蓬松更讨人喜欢)，但也还要看哪只火鸡能在人群面前泰然自若，在明亮的灯光下镇静自如。
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