第9单元课⽂翻译及课后练习答案
Unit 9 Holidays and Special Days
In-Class Reading A Merry Christmas
参考译⽂
快乐的圣诞节还吃吗？
帕特⾥克·布伦顿
1你可能知道merry 有两层意思：快乐和醉酒。如果你像许多英国⼈那样，那么你的圣诞节将会是⼀个喝酒的⽽不是宗教的节⽇。从12 ⽉初直到1 ⽉份的第⼀周结束，整个圣诞节期间，你会花很长时间与朋友、亲戚和同事喝酒。⽆论⾝处酒馆喧闹友好的⽓氛中，还是置⾝于他⼈安宁舒适的家⾥，你都会⼀⼩⼝⼀⼩⼝地喝个不停。
2如果圣诞节前⼣在⽪卡迪利或⽜津⼤街上⾏⾛，你就会看到⼤把⼤把的钱花在电⼦游戏、瓶装烈性酒、昂贵的服装、激光唱⽚、磁带、照相机以及⼤量的奢侈品上。如果圣诞节前⼣，到伦敦东区⼏个镇的主要街道上⾛⼀⾛，你就看不到（有⼈）⼤把⼤把地花钱买礼品。假如你有钱或者你不怕负债，你就会加⼊到
圣诞节所体现的炫耀性消费的⾏列中去。如果你没钱，你会感到伤⼼失望，因为不能给⼼爱的⼈你想给的礼物。
3圣诞节应该是对他⼈表⽰爱⼼和良好祝愿的时候。它应该是为那些没有我们那么幸运的⼈做善事的时候。然⽽，当我们坐下来吃圣诞⼤餐的时候我们想到过别⼈吗？当然没有。我们只顾忙于品尝圣诞节的美味佳肴。我们只顾忙着想知道我们送给别⼈的礼物是同别⼈送给我们的⼀样好，还是⽐他们送的更好。我们忘了顾及那些⽣病的和⽆家可归的⼈。整个圣诞节基本上丧失了基督精神这⼀概念——我相信如果基督看到在以他的名义进⾏这样的庆祝活动，他⼀定会很痛苦。
4因此，我反对过圣诞节——我同意斯克鲁奇的看法：“这全是挂⽺头卖狗⾁。”如果我们还要继续以这种铺张浪费、愚昧⽆知的⽅式庆祝的话，那么让我们诚
实⼀点，就把它叫做“吃喝周”——让我们剥掉伪装，别去说什么圣诞节是“表达良好祝愿的时节”。让我们正视它吧，圣诞节是⼀个失去了原来意义的节⽇。
不仅仅为⼩孩？
林恩·奈特
5最近，⼀位涉世颇深的妇⼥羞怯地告诉我，她把所有的礼物⼀直存到圣诞节的早上，然后坐在床上打开礼物，就像个孩⼦⼀样。她原以为我会笑话她，
说她傻。但事实上，我⾮常⾼兴能碰见⼀个与我⼀样对待圣诞节的⼈。
6如今许多⼈对待圣诞节的态度不同了。他们认为这只是店主们赚⼤钱的时候，也是⼈们到处奔波，买他们不愿意送的礼物和不想吃的⾷物的时候。难道他们已经与⾃⼰的童年如此疏远，以⾄于忘了那些所有美好的事情？
7⾸先，圣诞节使你摆脱⽇常⽣活的轨道。对孩⼦们来说，在装饰品挂起来的前⼏周，乐趣已经开始了，随着12 ⽉25 ⽇的临近，激动的⽓氛越来越浓。8在圣诞节期间，对⼤家来说，⼈与⼈之间似乎都要⽐平时友好得多。当你在交通灯前停下来的时候，你会把头伸出车窗外说：“圣诞快乐。”⼈们会微笑着给予回应。在平时，⼤概你是很难想到会这样做的。这或许是因为⼤部分⼈在度假，或者因为每个⼈都知道他们正在分享同⼀种经历。如果你早早就作准备，⽽且真的想好把适当的礼物送给适当的⼈，送礼也是⼀件⾮常令⼈⼼满意⾜的快事。
9说实在的，不管店主从圣诞节中得到什么盈利，圣诞节还是⼀个“神圣的⽇⼦(holy day)”。“节⽇(holiday)”这个词就是从“神圣的⽇⼦”来的，它使⼈们有时间停下来，花⼀点⼉⼯夫认真地想⼀想其⾮
商业的价值。
After-Class Reading College-a New Beginning
参考译⽂
我为什么喜欢感恩节
1这些年来，我有机会把国内所有的州⼏乎都游了个遍，我⼀直惊叹我们国家丰富的⼈⽂景观。我可以⾛出地铁就进⼊纽约市，也可以漫步在密歇根州的某个蓝莓农场，或者在缅因州某个⼈迹罕⾄的海滩上挖蛤蚌。这些地⽅迥然不同，但都代表了我所热爱的祖国⼤地。
2我发现我们美国⼈有⼀个最⼤的共同点，那就是对待节⽇的⽅式。我们都热爱节⽇。节⽇使我们有理由忘掉⽇常的惯例，去庆祝、去做值得回忆的事情。在所有节⽇中还有哪个能⽐感恩节更让我们有机会这么做的呢？对我们⼤多数⼈来说，感恩节这个周末是⼀年当中最长、最不受⼲扰的周末；是亲朋好友再相聚的最佳时节，也是所有节⽇当中最具美国特征的节⽇，因为它是庆祝350多年前早期移民来这⼉定居的节⽇。
3对我来说，感恩节让我想起了⼈⽣中最让我感动、让我充满感激之情的所有事情。有来⾃⼟地和收获季节的淳朴之美，有从耕作中获得的满⾜感，还有
感恩节本⾝的传统习俗——回到马⾥兰州和弗吉尼亚州绿⾊⼭峦间的⽼家，品尝美味的⾷物，分享过节
的仪式。
4我记得，我的祖⽗母在马⾥兰州的弗⾥兰附近有⼀个农场。尽管我现在不常去那⼉，但那⾥曾经⼀度是我⽣活的中⼼。第⼀次在那个农场过感恩节时，我才五岁。我还记得那顿饭：硕⼤的烤⽕鸡，鲜红的越桔酱，现做的美味⼟⾖泥，还有我们家最喜欢的南⽠馅饼和苹果馅饼，散发着调料的⾹味。那天晚上，我们围坐在客厅⾥，尽情歌唱。我们称之为“为晚餐⽽唱”。直到今天，每逢感恩节，在我们斯科特家还为晚餐⽽歌唱。我们总喜欢唱那⾸“我们欢聚⼀堂”。5在我们斯科特家，感恩节的传统从未削弱过，只是稍稍有了些改变。尽管我现在住在纽约市，但我年年都在农场过感恩节。只不过不是在我祖⽗母的农场，⽽是在弗吉尼亚州我⾃⼰的农场。我妻⼦和我都喜欢烹调，我们尽量在节⽇⾥另外做⼀些特别的⾷物。除了我们传统的家庭美⾷，我们还增加了⽤模⼦制成的西红柿⾊拉，内容丰富的红薯沙锅，还有美味⽆⽐的椰⼦柑橘⾊拉。但是，不管我们的菜谱有多⼤的改变，不管我们现在是⽤烤鹅还是烤⽕鸡，还是⽤南⽅的⼭胡桃馅饼代替了苹果馅饼，我们那份感恩节的情愫依然不变。其实，感恩节的宗旨就是提升⽣活，增进友谊、亲密关系和增进家庭团结。每个和我们分享感恩节晚餐的⼈都成了我们的朋友，⽽每个朋友⼜都成了我们家的荣誉成员。
6我真的相信⾃⼰能够清楚地记得（感恩节晚餐的）种种滋味，缕缕⾹⽓，我们快乐地歌唱时每⼀个稍稍⾛调的⾳符，记住所有这⼀切的⼀切，就是没必要记住所有那些感恩节都去了哪⾥。随着年龄的增长，感恩节的这些庆祝活动似乎都融进了我最美好的⼀组回忆。我将永远记得，感恩节是我们享受美⾷
、唱⽼歌、与家⼈朋友分享爱的时刻。愿你们也拥有同样的快乐！
课内阅读练习答案
Part One Preparation
1 Holiday Words
The message is: Season’s greetings to first year students.
2 Getting to Know About Western Holidays
1—D 2—A 3—H 4—B 5—C 6—G 7—E 8—F
More Information
The following are also important holidays in the United States.
Labor Day
It is celebrated on the first Monday in September, and it is an occasion for parades to honor workers. The story of Labor Day began in the 19th century with the dream of a carpenter named Peter J. McGuire, who grew up eventually to become the president of a national union of carpenters. McGuire was well-acquainted with both the satisfaction and the suffering that accompanies hard work. He wanted to establish a holiday “to honor the indu strial spirit, the great vital force of this nation”. At his suggestion, the first Labor Day parade was held in New York City in 1882. In 1894, Labor Day became a federal holiday in the United States.
Because the holiday also marks the end of the summer vacation period for many people, it is often the time for an outing to the beach, a picnic in the park, or a barbecue in the backyard. Since this holiday provides a three-day weekend for most workers and students, many people use it to enjoy a few last summer days relaxing outdoors.
Halloween
Every year on October 31, Halloween is celebrated throughout the United States.
American children love to dress up in costumes and go trick or treating. If an adult refuses to supply a treat— candy, cookies, fruit, or money—the children may play
a trick. Typical Halloween pranks (恶作剧) are soaping windows, writing on doors
with crayons, overturning garbage cans, sticking pins into doorbells to keep them
ringing, and spraying shaving cream on cars and friends. Masquerading (化装), begging, and many other Halloween customs are mainly for the amusement of children.
The name Halloween is a short way of saying All Hallow’s Eve, which means the night before the Roman Catholic holy day of All Saints’ Day. Although Halloween
got its name from a Christian festival, its customs are mostly of pagan origin. They come mainly from two different sources: an ancient Celtic festival in honor of the lord of death and a Roman festival in honor of the goddess of gardens and orchards. The Halloween colors, black and orange, suggest both ideas: death and harvest.
Thanksgiving Day
In the United States, the fourth Thursday in November is called Thanksgiving Day. On this day, Americ
ans give thanks for the blessings they have enjoyed during the year. Thanksgiving is usually a family day, celebrated with big dinners and happy reunions. The first American Thanksgiving was held in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1621. Many of the traditions of the modern American Thanksgiving come from that first Thanksgiving celebration. Today’s Thanksgiving turkey is much like the ones that were hunted in the forest around Plymouth. Squash and corn, which were also harvested by the early Pilgrims, appear on the Thanksgiving table. Pumpkin pie is a traditional Thanksgiving dessert.
Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day is celebrated on the sec ond Sunday in May. On this occasion, Mother usually receives greeting cards and gifts from her husband and children. The best gift for an American
Mom is a day of leisure. The modern employed homemaker enjoys the traditional Mother’s Day custom of break fast (or brunch) cooked by her family and served to her on a tray in bed. Later in the day, it’s also traditional for the extended family group to get together for dinner, either in a restaurant or in one of their homes.
Flowers are an important part of M other’s Day. Mothers are often given a corsage or a plant for the occasion, particularly if they are elderly. If the Mother is no longer living, the children often place flower
s on her grave.
Father’s Day
Father’s Day is celebrated throughout the United States and Canada on the third Sunday in June. The holiday customs are similar to Mother’s Day. Dad also receives greeting cards and gifts from his family and enjoys a day of leisure. Easter
Easter, one of the most important Christian holidays, got its name and many of its customs and symbols from a pagan festival. This ancient holiday honored Eostre, the goddess of springtime and sunrise. Her name came from the word “east”, where the sun rises. Every spring, northern European people celebrated the festival
of Eostre to honor the awakening of new life in nature. Later, Christians related the rising of the sun to the Resurrection of Christ and to their own spiritual rebirth.
(According to the New Testament, on Easter Sunday, Jesus Christ, who had died on the cross and been placed in his tomb, came to life again.)
Many modern Easter symbols came from pagan times. The egg, for example, was exchanged by the a
ncient Persians, Greeks, and Chinese at their spring festivals. In Christian times, the egg took on a new meaning, symbolizing the tomb from which Christ rose. The ancient custom of dyeing eggs at Easter time is still very popular with children in Europe and North America.
The Easter bunny also came from pre-Christian times. The rabbit, a very fertile animal, was a natural symbol of new life. Today, children enjoy eating chocolate bunnies and listening to stories about the Easter bunny, who brings Easter eggs in a fancy basket. In some families, the parents hide candy eggs for the children to find.
Traditionally, the meats associated with Easter are lamb and ham. Both these meats have had symbolic meaning since ancient times. In the Old Testament, Abraham used the lamb as a sacrifice after God ordered him not to kill his son Isaac. For Christians, the lamb symbolizes the sacrifice of Christ. For thousands of years, the pig has been a symbol of good luck. On Easter Sunday, smoked or cooked ham is the traditional main course in both Europe and the United States.
Easter is a happy time. The continual rebirth of physical life on earth symbolizes the eternity of spiritual life. But the deeper meaning of Easter is a profound paradox. The story of Christ implies that for all Christians the beginning of eternal life is physical death.
STEP TWO
Sample
I’m a fresh man at Zhejiang University with a major in economics. I have been on campus for about two months. I’m living in a dorm and have three nice roommates. I enjoy reading to widen my horizons, so I spend a lot of time in the university library. So far I have been enjoying my new life except that sometimes I worry about the coming mid-term and final exams. Our professors stress in class that students’ top priority here is to acquire as much knowledge as possible. We should attend classes regularly and take good notes. We should hand in our assignments on time; and the results of quizzes will account for part of our final grades. Usually we are very busy during the week. But on weekends we can spend some time on our hobbies. The spare time thing I like to do most is to surf the Internet. Some students make use of their
spare time to do some part-time jobs, for example, serving as a tutor. They say they have to earn at least part of their tuition. I think I’d prefer to work hard to win a scholarship to support myself.
American Holiday Guide
3 What Is This Special Day?
STEP ONE
Between midnight on / of 31 March and noon on / of 1 April each year, some peculiar things can happen. You may find your egg at / for breakfast is simply a shell; you may be told you have won a fortune by an unfamiliar voice on the telephone; or the neighbor kids might knock on / at the door and say there’s an elephant in your backyard.
STEP TWO
1It’s April Fools’ Day.
2People play tricks on each other. The common tricks are: Tell someone there is
a letter for him while there is none. Call someone at midnight. When someone
is tricked, people say “April Fool”.
Part Two Reading-Centered Activities
In-Class Reading
Post-Reading
Reading Comprehension
1.
For
1 It is fun for children.
2 It gets you out of the usual routine.
3 People are friendlier.
4 Giving presents can be very satisfying.
5 One can concentrate on non-commercial values.
6 It is a time to pause and reflect.
7 The preparations, like decorating the house, are fun.
8 It is a time to be with friends.
9. There are all kinds of delicious foods.
10 It’s a holy day.
Against
1It is an unchristian, and purely alcoholic occasion.
2It is a waste of money.
3People don’t think about others who are less fortunate.crayons翻译
4It is a wasteful and thoughtless ceremony.
5It’s all “humbug” or hypocritical.
6People eat too much or eat food they don’t want.
7It’s disappointing for poor people who can’t afford to spend a l ot of money.
8It is no longer a religious celebration, and it has lost its meaning.
2 1C 2 C
3 A
4 B
5 C
6 C
3Sample
1The subtitle “More Stuffing” is a play on words. The verb “stuff ” has several meanings, but there are two that come to mind at Chris tmas time. First, “to stuff” means to overeat (to eat too much); second, “to stuff a chicken or a turkey” means to put stuffing (a mixture of bread and seasonings) inside before it is cooked. So in this case, the subtitle “More Stuffing” means “Do you want to stuff more into your stomach?” and “Would you like some more stuffing?”
The latter is a polite question one would ask at the dinner table.
The subtitle “Not Only for Children?” means that Christmas is not only a wonderful time for children but also for adults. It can also help adults get out of
the ordinary routine of life.
2? I agree with Patrick Brendan. I think Christmas is a waste of money. People spend a lot of money on food and presents. All these lead to a lot of waste.
When people indulge themselves with good food and beautiful clothes, they rarely think of those who are poor and less fortunate. Every year they celebrate Christmas in the same way, spending, eating, a
nd drinking. The real meaning of Christmas has nearly been lost in the commercialization. At the same time, Christmas causes sadness and depression for those who cannot afford to buy what they need, not to say luxury items.
I agree with Lynne Knight. After working all the year, people do need a time for relaxation and family reunions. Christmas is just the time for these purposes. When all the family
members get together, eating the food they like and chatting with each other, presents are no longer important. It is love and friendship that people value most. It is also significant to have a holiday for people to express kindness and goodwill to others. If people are too busy to do something for others at other times, Christmas will be the best time to show love and kindness. In addition, holidays that make children happy will make adults happy too.
3We can make Christmas more meaningful and less commercialized by practicing the following:

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