VOA-Americans Celebrate Independence Day

  译  美国民众庆祝独立日

____ Editor's notes: This is old News. This is a reading material for English learner. ____

  译  编者按：就是旧闻。是英语学习者阅读材料。

The annual Independence Day celebration across the United States was capped off Wednesday with the traditional nighttime fireworks displays in many cities.

  译  美国全国各地民众欢庆独立日，很多城市在星期三晚上燃放焰火，使庆祝活动达到高潮。

  单词  celebration 庆祝

  单词  nighttime 夜间的

  单词  fireworks 烟火

  文化背景  Independence Day 独立日是美国的主要法定国庆日，日期为每年7月4日，以纪念1776年7月4日北美独立军主导的大陆会议在费城正式通过《独立宣言》。

In Washington, D.C., a large crowd gathered at the U.S. Capitol for a patriotic concert watched as fireworks lit up the sky behind the Washington Monument, while New Yorkers were watching a spectacular fireworks show above the famed New York Harbor, home of the Statue of Liberty.

  译  在首都华盛顿，许多人聚集在美国国会山聆听爱国歌曲，焰火映红华盛顿纪念碑后的夜空。而在纽约，人们在纽约港欣赏壮观的焰火，那里座落着自由女神像。

  单词  patriotic 爱国的

  单词  spectacular 壮观的

  单词  famed 著名的

Earlier Wednesday, U.S. President Barack Obama welcomed 25 active-duty U.S. service members as new American citizens sworn in at the White House.

  译  星期三早些时候，在白宫举行的新移民宣誓就职的仪式上，美国总统奥巴马欢迎25名现役美国军人成为美国新公民。

  单词  sworn （原形swear)发誓

  人物  贝拉克·侯赛因·奥巴马（Barack Hussein Obama），1961年8月4日出生，美国民主党籍政治家，第44任美国总统，是美国历史上第一位非洲裔的总统。

The president later paid tribute to the military families and invited them to join him for a barbecue and a performance by the U.S. Marine Corps Band.

  译  随后，奥巴马向这些军人的家属致意，并邀请他们一道品尝烧烤美味并欣赏美国海军陆战队乐队的表演。

  单词  tribute 礼物

  单词  barbecue 烧烤

  词组  pay tribute to 歌颂某人

In his speech, Mr. Obama said "immigration makes America stronger."

  译  奥巴马在演讲中说，“移民让美国更强大”。

The 25 who took the oath of allegiance to their new home come from 17 different countries, including Mexico, Colombia, Nigeria and Russia.

  译  宣誓效忠美国的25位军人来自墨西哥、哥伦比亚、尼日利亚、俄罗斯等17个国家。

  单词  oath 誓言

  单词  allegiance 效忠

This year, the 4th of July marks the 236th anniversary of the country's declaration of independence from Britain.

  译  今年7月4日是美国宣告脱离英国而独立的第236年。

  单词  anniversary 周年

  单词  declaration 宣告

Across the country, citizens display the American flag and proudly wear its colors of red, white and blue as a symbol of the nation's freedom.

  译  在全国各地，市民们挂出国旗，骄傲地穿上象征着国家自由的以红、白、蓝为主色的衣服。

  单词  proudly 骄傲地

Fireworks also will light the night skies over hallowed battlefields from the War of 1812 and America's 19th century Civil War.

  译  烟花也照亮了1812年战争以及19世纪美国南北战争的神圣战场的夜空。

  单词  hallowed 神圣的

  单词  battlefields 战场

Similar festivities are slated for Philadelphia -- the nation's first capital -- Annapolis, Maryland and New York City.

  译  在美国第一个首都费城、在安纳波利斯、马里兰等地也安排了类似的庆典。

  单词  festivities 庆典

  单词  slated 计划

New York City's beach resort area, Coney Island, celebrated July 4 with an annual hot dog-eating contest.

  译  纽约海滨度假胜地科尼岛会以其一年一度的吃热狗大赛来庆祝独立日，

  单词  contest 竞赛

  词法  dog-eating 是 名词+动名词 组成的复合形容词，复合形容词一般用作前置定语，修饰后面的名词性内容；例句：It was a heart-breaking presentation. 陈述令人心碎。

Contenders had 10 minutes to eat as many hot dogs and buns as 

possible.

  译  参赛者在10分钟内吞下尽可能多的热狗和面包。

  单词  buns 小圆面包

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