Thanksgiving Day in the US is a day for family, fun and, most importantly, feasting. No Thanksgiving spread would be complete without a massive roasted turkey at its center. This bird’s association with the holiday is so strong that it has become one of Thanksgiving’s main symbols and even spawned its nickname Turkey Day. What makes the turkey so iconic to this particular celebration?
Unlike other popular livestock such as chickens, cows or sheep, turkeys are exclusively native to North America. Although it’s unlikely that the first Thanksgiving feast between pilgrims and Native Americans included a turkey, these large fowl gained popularity as feast day centerpieces around the 19th century, when US President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving Day a national holiday.
Around that time, it was a common sight to see large flocks of turkeys being herded down the roads in the weeks before Thanksgiving.
Photo: courtesy of shutterstock /照片：shutterstock提供
Though not the most intelligent of birds, turkeys do have other appealing features. They are known for their beautiful plumage and the “beard” of feathers that sprouts from their chests. Another distinctive feature of turkeys is their gobbling calls, although you might not know that only male turkeys make this sound. When it comes to flying, wild turkeys are actually quite good at it and can take to the air at up to 60 miles per hour.
It might seem a pity that so many of these birds become Thanksgiving meals, but not all end up on the dinner table. Every year since 1989, the president of the United States has pardoned a turkey or two that are then allowed to live out their lives in peace. These lucky birds really have something to celebrate on Turkey Day.
感恩節在美國是家人團聚、一同歡樂以及 ── 最重要的是 ── 大快朵頤的日子。一頓感恩節大餐的中央若少了一道豐盛的烤火雞就不算完整。火雞與感恩節的聯繫如此緊密，以至於牠已成為感恩節的主要標誌之一，甚至出現火雞節這個俗稱。是什麼原因讓火雞成為這個特定節日的代表呢？
Photo: courtesy of shutterstock /照片：shutterstock提供
與雞、牛或羊等其他受歡迎的家畜不同，火雞僅原產於北美洲。雖然朝聖者和美洲原住民之間的第一個感恩節盛宴不太可能有火雞，但在十九世紀左右，開始流行將這種大型家禽作為盛宴日餐桌上的重頭戲，當時亞伯拉罕‧林肯總統宣布感恩節為全國性節日。大約在那個時候，人們經常在感恩節的前幾週看到大群大群的火雞在路上被趕著沿路而行。
火雞雖然不是最聰明的鳥類，但牠們確實有著其他吸引人的特點。牠們以美麗的羽毛和胸前長出的羽毛「鬍鬚」而聞名。火雞另一個與眾不同的特點是牠們咯咯的叫聲，不過你可能不知道只有公火雞才會發出這種聲音。而說到飛行，野生火雞其實很在行，牠們能以每小時六十英里的速度在空中飛行。
這麼多火雞成為感恩節大餐似乎有些可惜，但並非所有火雞最終都會被端上餐桌。自1989年以來，美國總統每年都會赦免一兩隻火雞，讓牠們平和地度過餘生。這些幸運的鳥兒在火雞節這天真的有值得慶祝的事情。
What Did You Learn?
1. What does the word “iconic” in the first paragraph most likely mean?
(A) Competitive.
(B) Representative.
(C) Sympathetic.
(D) Pessimistic.
2. What do we learn about the origins of having turkey on Thanksgiving?
(A) The tradition started with the first Thanksgiving feast.
(B) Native Americans used to eat turkey at their own feasts.
(C) It was uncommon for people to see turkeys in North America.
(D) Turkey became a popular Thanksgiving dish almost 200 years ago.
3. Why is Abraham Lincoln mentioned in the passage?
(A) He created a new national holiday during his presidency.
(B) He regularly herded turkeys before becoming president.
(C) He made the turkey popular on Thanksgiving.
(D) He was the first president to pardon a turkey.
4. Four people are talking about turkeys. Which of the following statements is NOT correct?
(A) “Gobbling calls are only made by male turkeys.”
(B) “Turkeys are extremely smart, but they are unable to fly.”
(C) “Only a turkey or two can be spared by the US president every year.”
(D) “Turkeys are closely connected to Thanksgiving Day, which is also called
Turkey Day.”
參考答案
1. B
2. D
3. A
4. B
Words in Use
1. feast vi. 盡情享用食物（本文為動名詞用法）& n. 盛宴
We will feast on ham and turkey at the church dinner.
我們將在教會的晚宴上享用火腿和火雞。
In light of Terry’s good grades, his parents treated him to a feast.
有鑑於泰瑞的好成績，他的父母請他吃大餐。
2. association n. 聯繫；關係
Our school maintains a close association with a college in the US.
我們學校和美國一所大學保持了密切的關係。
3. spawn vt. 產生，促成
The successful horror movie spawned five sequels in five years.
那部成功的恐怖片五年來拍了五部續集。
4. iconic a. 代表性的
That iconic logo is easily recognized everywhere in the world.
那個代表性的商標在世界各地都很容易認得出來。
5. livestock n. 家畜（不可數）
Corn is sometimes used by farmers to feed livestock.
農夫有時會用玉米粒作為家畜飼料。
Practical Phrases
1. be native to + 地方 原產於……（某地）
= be indigenous to + 地方
indigenous a. 當地的，土生土長的
This kind of cactus is native to South Africa.
這種仙人掌原產於南非。
2. gain (in) popularity 開始流行，受到歡迎
The TV show failed to gain popularity and was canceled.
該電視節目因不受歡迎而被中止了。
3. take to the air 飛行
The bats took to the air as we approached the cave.
我們一靠近山洞，蝙蝠群便飛了起來。
4. live out one’s life
（以某種方式或在某地）度過餘生∕終老
After retiring, Mr. Brown decided to live out his life in the countryside.
退休後，布朗先生決定在鄉下度過餘生。
聽文章朗讀及講解: https://ivy.pse.is/455bfu
本文出自常春藤解析英語雜誌: www.ivy.com.tw
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