Independence Day
美国独立日
Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is the National Day of the United States. It is set to commemorate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on 4 July, 1776 which declares independence from Great Britain. The Declaration of Independence had been prepared by a committee of five, with Thomas Jefferson as its principal author.
独立日(人们熟知的“7月4日”)是美国的国庆日，为了纪念1776年颁布《独立宣言》宣告美国从大不列颠独立。《独立宣言》由五位委员起草准备，托马斯·杰弗逊担任主要起草者。
If the holiday falls in the middle of the week, some fireworks displays and celebrations may take place during the weekend for convenience. The night before the Fourth was once the focal point of celebrations, marked by raucous 注 gatherings often incorporating bonfires as their centerpiece. Decorations (e.g. streamers, balloons, and clothing) are generally colored red, white, and blue, the colors of the American flag. Parades are often in the morning. A salute of one gun for each state in the United States, called a “salute to the union”, is fired on Independence Day at noon by any capable military base. Fireworks displays occur in the evening at such places as parks, fairgrounds, or town squares. Independence Day fireworks are often accompanied by patriotic songs such as “The Star-Spangled Banner”, “God Bless America”, “Stars and Stripes Forever” and so on.
如果7月4日那天是一周的中间，烟火会和其他庆祝活动可能会为了方便改到周末举行。4号的前一晚是庆祝的重要时刻，主要标志就是喧闹的人群聚集在一起围着篝火玩。装饰品(比如横幅、气球和衣服)通常染成红白蓝，即美国国旗的三色。阅兵仪式通常在早晨举行。这天中午，全美各州但凡有能力承办节日鸣炮的军事基地都会鸣响礼炮，一声炮响代表美国的一个州，寓意为“向团结致敬”。晚间烟火会在公园、游乐场或者城镇广场举行。独立日烟火会经常会有爱国歌曲伴奏，比如《星条旗永不落》《天佑美利坚》《永远的星条》等。
