世界节假日博览 第112期:美国国旗日

Flag Day is celebrated in the United States on June 14. It commemorates the birth of the country’s flag on June 14, 1777. It was not until 1916 that President Woodrow Wilson recommended a day for all Americans to celebrate their flag. His recommendation was passed into law by an Act of Congress in 1949. Flag Day is not, however, an official federal holiday. The state of Pennsylvania is the only U.S. state to celebrate the day as a state holiday. The U.S. President does have the power to tell other states to observe the day. The President also asks citizens to fly the American flag from their houses for a week. There are Flag Day parades all across America. The largest one is in the town of Troy, New York. This attracts up to 50,000 spectators.
每年的6月14日为美国国旗日。纪念美国国旗在1777年这天诞生。直到1916年，伍德罗·威尔逊总统提议民众庆祝本国国旗。1949年，提议通过国会法案成为成文法。然而，国旗日并不是官方联邦节日。宾夕法尼亚州是唯一一个将其认定为州节日的大州。美国总统有权要求各州庆祝国旗日。总统还要求民众悬挂美国国旗一周。全国各地举办庆祝游行。规模最大的要数纽约的特洛伊镇。参观民众达5万人之多。


The flag of the United States is one of the most recognized symbols in the world. It consists of thirteen horizontal red and white stripes. There is a blue rectangle, with fifty small, white stars, in the top left corner. The thirteen stripes represent the thirteen former British colonies that rebelled against Britain and led to independence. The fifty stars represent the fifty U.S. states. The current flag has been around since 1959, which is when Hawaii, state number 50, joined the United States. There are several nicknames for the flag, including the Stars and Stripes, Old Glory, and The Star-Spangled Banner. Most Americans are extremely proud of their flag and all it represents. It arouses complex feelings in different people around the world.
美国国旗是全球识别度最高的标识之一。由13道红白相间的宽条构成。左上角还有一个包含了50颗白色小五角星的蓝色长方形。13道条纹代表建国初期的13个英国殖民地，他们为摆脱英国统治做出了不懈努力，并最终走上独立道路。50颗星代表50个大州。1959年，夏威夷成为第50州，自此图案一直沿用至今。美国国旗有许多别称，包括星条旗、“Old Glory”以及“The Star-Spangled Banner”。对于美国国旗及其所代表的含义，多数美国民众感到无比自豪。对于全球各族人民而言，复杂情绪会因国旗油然而生。