陳傳光

What is Columbus Day？

This day commemorates1 Italian great sailor Christopher Columbus landing in the New World on October 12， 1492. Most nations of the Americas observe this holiday on October 12 each year， but in the United States， observances2 take place on the second Monday in October. The major celebration of the day takes place in New York City， which has a huge parade3 each year.

什么是哥倫布日？

這一節(jié)日旨在紀念偉大的意大利水手克里斯多弗·哥倫布于1492年10月12日發(fā)現(xiàn)美洲新大陸。大多數(shù)的美洲國家都在每年的10月12日慶祝這一節(jié)日，但是美國的紀念活動卻在每年10月的第二個星期一舉行。每年這一天紐約市都會進行盛大的游行并舉行大型的慶?；顒?。

Whats the days background information？

Christopher Columbus was a great explorer long， long ago. He traveled across a big ocean with three ships. These ships traveled together so that if one had trouble， the others could help. At night， Columbus used stars to find his way. In the daytime， he used a tool called a compass4.

Once， after sailing a long time， Columbus and his men thought they had landed in India. Columbus called the people he met there Indians. But he wasnt in India at all. He was in America. The year was 1492 and the date was October 12. He landed on an island now known as San Salvador.

In 1934 President Roosevelt declared5 October 12 as Columbus Day. It is now celebrated throughout the Americas， Central and South America， Puerto Rico and Canada.

此節(jié)日有何背景知識？

克里斯多弗·哥倫布是很久以前有個偉大的探險家。他率領著三艘船越過寬闊的海洋，

這些船只之所以一起航行，是因為如果一只船遇到了麻煩，其他船只可以提供幫助。晚上，哥倫布利用星星辨認方向；白天，他使用一種叫指南針的工具。

一次，在航行很長一段時間后，哥倫布和隨行人員以為他們已經(jīng)到達了印度。哥倫布稱呼他所遇到的人為“印第安人”。但他并不在印度，他是在美洲。這一天就是1492年的10月12日。他當時登陸的是現(xiàn)在被稱為“圣薩爾瓦多”的一個島嶼。

1934年，羅斯?？偨y(tǒng)宣布10月12日為哥倫布日。現(xiàn)在整個美洲、中美洲、南美洲、波多黎各和加拿大等地都慶祝這一節(jié)日。

How is Columbus Day observed6？

Columbus Day is thought as a national holiday in the United States， with most banks， some financial7 markets， some agencies， most state government offices and many schools closed for the day.

Columbus Day is a great time for a family. For preschoolers8， it can be as simple as learning about maps or treasure hunts and exploring the backyard in a new way. For grade-schoolers， they can set out on an imaginary9 voyage10， carrying a passport and a world map to discover real or imagined places.

If you have a large group such as a class， start a discussion about navigation11 and exploration12. Show children how to use a compass， then hand them a map with directions， and then let them go on a treasure hunt for prizes and items13 youve hid.

Children of all ages enjoy a chance to taste and cook new foods， and Italian， Spanish， Caribbean， South American， Central American， Mexican， and Native American dishes can be easy to make and fun to share！

如何慶祝哥倫布日？

作為一個全球性的節(jié)日，在美國大部分銀行、金融市場、一些機關單位、大多數(shù)州政府機構和很多學校都會放假一天。

哥倫布日對一個家庭而言是一個美好時刻。對于學齡前兒童，他們可以簡單地了解地圖或尋寶或以一種全新的方式來探索一下自家的后院。對于學齡兒童，他們可以開始一個虛擬的航行，帶上護照以及世界地圖，并從中找到真正的或想象的地點。

如果你有一大群人，比如說一個班級，你們可以著手討論有關航海和探險的問題。向兒童展示如何使用指南針，再給他們標有方位的地圖，然后讓他們踏上尋寶之途來尋找你事先隱藏的獎品和物品。

各個年齡段的兒童都喜歡利用這一機會來品嘗和烹飪新的食物，意大利的、西班牙的、加勒比的、南美的、中美洲的、墨西哥的和美洲土著人的飯菜都很容易做，分享也充滿樂趣！

What are the usual public activities？

Many large cities have a Columbus Day parade. In small towns， Italian-American centers， local churches and schools often hold celebrations.

If your town doesnt have a local parade or family friendly events， you can create a local celebration in a park. Invite neighborhood kids to put on a show for younger kids or do something such as flag-making or toy boat racing， or hold a parade with flags， costumes， and music. Younger children love marching with drums and horns14， while older children might enjoy showing off their special talents like juggling15， or cartwheels16.

You can raise money for a neighborhood improvement project with a bake sale to feed the hungry players and audience.

通常有哪些公共活動？

許多大城市都舉行哥倫布日游行。在一些小城鎮(zhèn)、意大利裔美國人的聚集區(qū)以及當?shù)氐慕烫煤蛯W校也經(jīng)常舉行慶?；顒印?/p>

如果你的城市沒有地區(qū)性的游行或適合全家的活動，你們可以在當?shù)毓珗@進行慶祝。邀請鄰居的孩子為更年幼的孩子做表演，或制作彩旗、玩具船比賽，也可以高舉彩旗，穿上華麗的服裝，伴隨著音樂游行。年輕的孩子們喜愛踏著鼓點和伴著號角游行，而年齡較大的兒童可能會喜歡炫耀他們的特殊技能，如雜耍、側手翻等。

你還可以通過糕餅出售活動為鄰里改進項目進行籌款，同時使活動參與者和觀眾也得以充饑。

What can we do at home？

Shipbuilding： Learn how to make a boat using things found around the house. Create sails out of different materials， and then create wind to see which boats go faster.

Mapmaking and navigation： Have children make a map of their house， yard， town or school and discuss different ways to go through the space.

Travel and exploration： Help children make their own passport and go with them on a voyage to places in their neighborhood. Write down where theyve been.

Cooking： Commemorate the holiday with an Italian-styled dinner， Spanish feast or Caribbean picnic lunch. Tell the story of the holiday and have the children tell what the holiday means to them.

在家里，我們能夠做什么？

制船：了解如何利用身邊的東西制船，用不同的材料來制帆，然后鼓風看看誰制作的船行駛得更快。

制作地圖和航行：讓孩子制作包含住房、院子、城鎮(zhèn)或學校的地圖，并討論穿越其間的不同途徑。

旅行和探險：幫助孩子制作自己的護照，并陪同他們沿著既定路線到達附近的目的地，并讓他們記下所經(jīng)過的地方。

烹飪：為了紀念這一節(jié)日，可以享用一下意大利風格的晚宴，西班牙式的盛宴或加勒比風味的野餐；告訴孩子與此節(jié)日有關的故事，并讓他們說說這一節(jié)日對他們有何意義。