美國獨立紀念日

美國獨立日也就是美國國慶節，日期為7月4日，以紀念1776年7月4日大陸會議通過《獨立宣言》。通過《獨立宣言》的這一天成為美國人民永遠紀念的節日。早期獨立日的慶祝活動主要是游行和演講，后來又增加了戶外活動、體育比賽等項目。燃放爆竹、煙花等活動曾一度十分流行。

Independence Day

Independence Day is a huge celebration in the United States. People celebrate by having parades and picnics， and usually end the day with fireworks. So what do some of these words mean？

Parade

Cities and towns， large and small across the U.S.， close their main streets to make way for Independence Day parades. Clean and shiny firetrucks and school marching bands parade down the streets lined with people watching and cheering.

Parade floats， which are decorated vehicles， carry local stars， like the child who won the spelling bee or the winner of a local beauty contest.

People work very hard making a parade. So， the worst thing to happen on parade day is rain. To rain on someone’s parade is to ruin something for someone else. Here’s an example： “I hate to rain on your parade， but the guy you like is not coming to the party.”

Picnic

On Independence Day people in the U.S. like to eat outside. Friends， family， and neighbors will come together and picnic. Picnics are easy and fun. So， when something is difficult， we say it is no picnic. “Taking the

TOEFL exam is no picnic. I studied for months and it was still so hard！”

Fireworks

Many people around the world celebrate important days with fireworks， including the United States. Independence Day fireworks shows are explosive， bright and colorful.

The word “fireworks” can be used in other situations， both good and bad. For example， if two people are having a fiery argument， others may tell them to “stop all the fireworks”. Fireworks， in this case， are a bad thing.

But good fireworks are exciting and beautiful， like falling in love. A kiss or touch of a lover’s hand can create fireworks between two people. Even couples who have been married for many years but who are deeply in love can have fireworks explode each time they kiss.

If you want to see real fireworks in the U.S.， visit during the 4th of July. The U.S. traditionally celebrates its freedom with huge， outdoor public gatherings and fireworks at night.

In Washington， D.C.， for example， large crowds gather near the Washington Monument to listen to music and watch a big fireworks show. In other cities and smaller towns， local people also listen to concerts and watch fireworks explode after dark.

They also play songs that celebrate the American dream. You might hear Neil Diamond’s “America”， a song that honors the American Dream and America’s immigrant experience.

（Neil Diamond， “America”）

They’re coming to America / Got a dream to take them there / They’re coming to America / Got a dream they’ve come to share…

Some songs are about the dream of the American Dream， one that perhaps did not happen. In his song “American Tune”， famous singer/ songwriter Paul Simon paints a more complex view of the American experience. He sings of willingness， hard work and homesickness but promises that in the end it will be all right.

（Paul Simon， “American Tune”）

And I dreamed I was flying / And high up above my eyes could clearly see / The Statue of Liberty / Sailing away to sea / And I dreamed I was flying…

rain on one’s parade 是指掃興、潑冷水的意思。parade是指游行。當正在游行的時候，突然下起了雨，是不是一件很掃興的事情呢？

no picnic 指不容易，需要付出很大努力的意思。例如：The English test was no picnic.（英語考試并非易事。）

fireworks 的意思是煙火；激情的迸發；激辯。