英語視頻暢談歐美人文風情27：七月四日 美國國慶日

It takes place on the fourth of July and celebrates America's freedom. Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we'll be learning more about Independence Day.

那在七月四日舉行，慶祝美國的自由。歡迎收看WatchMojo.com，今天我們要了解更多有關美國國慶日的事。

Independence Day is an American national holiday that celebrates the adoption of the formal declaration of independence on July 4, 1776. This landmark document decreed that the 13 colonies were no longer part of the British Empire and had become independent states.

美國國慶日是慶祝1776年七月四日通過正式獨立宣言的美國國定假日。此份具重大意義的文件判定十三個殖民地不再是大英帝國的一部分，且成為獨立的州。

The declaration came about, thanks to Richard Henry Lee of Virginia who proposed its creation. Founding father John Adams advanced the idea of a manuscript, and the committee of five, led by chief author Thomas Jefferson, composed the written draft. Final edited version of the Declaration of Independence was approved on July 4.

獨立宣言誕生，多虧了提出其創(chuàng)作的維吉尼亞州的Richard Henry Lee。建國之父John Adams提出了手稿的想法，接著五人小組，由首席作者Thomas Jefferson領導，擬出了草稿。獨立宣言最終修訂版本在七月四日通過。

In it was one of the most famous sentences in the English language, which outlined the belief system of this new country and became a cornerstone of American society: We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.

在獨立宣言里有英文這語言中這最知名的句子之一，那略述了這個新興國家的信念系統(tǒng)，成為美國社會的基石：我們相信這些真理不言自明，也就是人皆生而平等，他們由造物主賦予若干不可剝奪的權力，其中包括生命、自由、及追求幸福的權力。

Celebrations of American independence have taken place since the adoption of the declaration. Meanwhile, the City of Philadelphia first laid the groundwork for today's celebrations with fireworks, speeches, music, parades, and displays of red, white, and blue.

美國獨立的慶祝活動自獨立宣言的正式通過后開始舉行。同時，費城首先奠定了今日慶?；顒拥幕A，運用了煙火、演講、音樂、游行、和紅白藍的擺設。

Eventually in 1938, the celebration became a paid federal holiday. All traditions continue as well. For example, at military bases, a 50-gun salute is fired to commemorate the independence of each of the 50 states.

最后在1938年，慶祝活動成了聯(lián)邦的帶薪假。所有傳統(tǒng)也持續(xù)下去。舉例來說，在軍事基地，會鳴放五十響禮炮來個別紀念五十州的獨立。

Today Independence Day is a prominent summertime event marked by shows of patriotism, outdoor activities, and tributes. There are also parades in the morning and firework displays at night. Plus the national anthem and other patriotic songs take center stage.

今天美國國慶日是由愛國主義的表演、戶外活動、和敬意所標志的重要夏日活動。早上也有游行，晚上則有煙火表演。此外，國歌和其他愛國歌曲也是矚目的焦點。

The holiday has become so popular, the first week of July is the busiest time of the year for travel in the United States, as Americans extend the long weekend to celebrate the birth of America and a defining moment in American history.

這個節(jié)日變得如此受歡迎，因此七月的第一個禮拜是美國國內旅游最繁忙的時間，因為美國人自行延長周末連假拿來慶祝美國的誕生、以及美國歷史中決定性的一刻。

If you're interested in learning more about important moments in American history, be sure to tune in to WatchMojo.com.

如果你有興趣認識更多美國歷史中重要的時刻，一定要收看WatchMojo.com。