Tales from the Huffmans

Yesterday we celebrated Father’s Day¹.  It wasn’t a big celebration², but one that Don enjoyed.  No one complained³ when he watched golf⁴ on TV, and all of the rest of us think it’s very boring⁵ to watch.  We also fixed⁶ him a special meal with some of his favorite foods (fried chicken, green bean casserole⁷, cheesy hash brown potatoes⁸, and several salads).  For dessert Kim helped Kathy Li make a cake, fruit and pudding combination⁹ that Kathy had seen a picture of and wanted to have.  It was both rich¹⁰ and delicious.

 

I think that both Mother’s Day¹¹ and Father’s Day are important because they emphasize¹² the importance of family relationships.  However one celebrates the day, recognizing¹³ that parents are important and loving them is always good.  Kim gave her father a new book written by John Kerry¹⁴, THIS MOMENT ON EARTH.  Since we both voted for Kerry when he ran for president, she thought we would both enjoy it.  It, like the Al Gore¹⁵ book, emphasizes the importance of caring for our planet¹⁶, and it might well be one of the books that we read out loud to each other.  We enjoy doing that.  Kathy and I gave Don humorous cards¹⁷ as well as the chicken dinner.  I don’t care for chicken so rarely fix it; thus a chicken dinner is a real treat for him.  He obviously enjoyed it.  Many times we grill¹⁸ outside on Father’s Day, but yesterday it was unusually hot for June in Iowa, in the 90’s¹⁹, so we all preferred staying inside with the air conditioning. 

 

As I mentioned in my Mother’s Day blog, there is usually more fuss²⁰ associated with Mother’s Day, more money spent etc.  However, I’m convinced that Father’s Day is just as important and am both proud and pleased that Don has been and is a great father and grandfather.

 

 

 

Notes:
1. Father’s Day: a day set aside in honor of fathers, usually the third Sunday in June.
2. celebration: a party or festive occasion.
3. complained: made negative remarks about; criticized (抱怨).
4. golf（高尔夫）：a game played on a large, outside play area in which a small ball is struck  with a club and ultimately directed into a hole; a very popular sport in the U.S. and elsewhere.
5. boring: tiresome, lacking interest (乏味的，没趣的).
6. fixed: prepared or cooked as in a meal (做、烧).
7. green bean casserole: 绿豆（跟其他食物做成的）砂锅
8. cheesy hash brown potatoes: potatoes that are cut into very small pieces, pressed together, and cooked in oil
9. a cake, fruit and pudding combination: a mixture of cake, fruit and pudding in this case.
10. rich: high in calories; sweet or fatty; with cream, etc. (油腻的).
11. Mother’s Day: a day in May set aside to honor mothers of a family.
12. emphasize: stress or give attention to; make prominent (强调、重视).
13. recognizing: being aware of something; giving attention (认识到).
14. John Kerry: U.S. Democratic candidate for presidency in 2004 (2004年美国民主党总统候选人).
15. Al Gore: U.S. Democratic candidate in 2000 (2000年美国民主党总统候选人).
16. planet: our Earth, the planet on which we live.
17. humorous cards: funny cards or cartoon cards which often cause one to laugh.
18. grill v. to cook on a charcoal fire out of doors.
19. 90’s:  华氏90多度
20. fuss: needless excitement or show of attention (小题大做).

Thanksgiving season is upon us¹, and there are many things to be thankful for².  Thank goodness³, high school and college level football season is nearing an end, and playoff games⁴ at the regional and national levels⁵ are in progress⁶.  Many of us in the U.S. begin to tire of⁷ football games on TV by this late time in the season, especially if our favorite university or college teams are eliminated⁸ from playoff and bowl games⁹.  We are also thankful that most of the football players we know have escaped serious injuries –not all of them unfortunately- and the coaches are thankful that they will be returning –unfortunately not all of them- to coach another year, and that some of the players will also return to play football next year, thanks to a good effort in the classroom in the current year.

  But, then, Thanksgiving is not all about football, is it?  There’s also the food to be thankful for.  Both Maxine and Kim are beginning to get things ready for the Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow.  Our son Jim, daughter Kim, Maxine and I will have our dinner at home this year along with an elderly colleague who now has no family to be with. Jim, who has been chef¹⁰ at a Des Moines restaurant for over 6 years declared his intention of “coming home to Pella to eat Mom’s cooking” and put in his order for the usual Thanksgiving menu.

  Like most American families, we’ll eat too much of the excellent food, gorge¹¹ ourselves into a lethargic state¹², and then turn on the TV to watch football games, many of which are scheduled to be played on Thanksgiving Day.  We’ll join the masses¹³ who drift off to sleep¹⁴ occasionally as the games drone on^15, ask one another what just happened a minute or two ago in the game, and, if we have the energy, play some games like Sequence¹⁶, Mexican Train¹⁷, Scrabble¹⁸, etc.  Sometime later, into the evening hours we’ll see if there are leftovers¹⁹ of turkey to make sandwiches, some pumpkin pie²⁰ on the side²¹, and possibly more liquid refreshments to wash down the food.

  If the weather permits, and enough family and friends are around, we might get out the old football from the closet and get up a game of tag-football²² to run off some of the excessive calories²³ we’ve just added to our bodies.  That’s a tradition made famous by the Kennedy family²⁴ while President J.F. Kennedy and his brothers held political sway²⁵, and when others in the U.S. watched them on T.V. as they played off their “Turkey Day” gluttony²⁶ like a multitude²⁷ of other families.  Some of us “older people” may take a walk with the dog before giving up and going to bed.  A good bed is something to be thankful for!

  Somewhere along in Thanksgiving Day, most of us will quietly acknowledge²⁸ the socio-religious traditions²⁹ of the day, perhaps even having a pre-meal blessing³⁰ on the food, thinking once more of the Pilgrims³¹ and their native Indian hosts³² in early America, and giving thanks for the food and the opportunity to be together once again.  Well, the time has come, “Let’s play football!³³”

Notes:
1. Thanksgiving season is upon us: Thanksgiving season is here or is approaching.
2. thankful for…: grateful for…; feeling fortunate about … (感激的，庆幸的).
3. Thank goodness: 谢天谢地
4. playoff games: post season games played to determine regional or national championships in sports (季后赛，以决定地区或全国冠军).
5. at the regional and national levels：地区和全国级别的（比赛）
6. in progress: happening now, and not yet finished (正在进行).
7. to tire of: to lose interest in, usually because there has been too much of a thing (对……感到厌倦).
8. eliminated: removed from (被淘汰了).
9. bowl games (冠军杯赛): special post season games, usually promoted by commercial sponsors, usually played where the weather is favorable and where large  crowds can be attracted.  The most famous and oldest bowl game in the U.S. is the Rose Bowl, held in Pasadena, California. 
10. chef: a professional well-trained cook.
11. gorge: eat until one is too full to eat any more (塞饱，拼命吃喝).
12. a lethargic state : a slow moving, lazy state (懒洋洋的状态).
13. masses: large numbers of people (群众).
14. drift off to sleep: gradually fall asleep
15. drone on: continue in a boring way, usually for a long time (冗长单调地进行).
16. Sequence: 一种纸牌和纸盘相结合的游戏
17. Mexican Train: 一种骨牌游戏
18. Scrabble: 一种拼字游戏
19. leftovers: the food remaining after people have finished eating the meal (剩饭菜).
20. pumpkin pie: 南瓜馅饼
21. on the side: with the addition of; in addition to (做为搭配吃的).
22. tag football: an informal game of football with less roughness than in the traditional game.
23. excessive calories: 过剩的能量/卡路里
24. Kennedy family: 肯尼迪家族，a well-known family of U.S. politicians, including President J. F. Kennedy.
25. held political sway : were in power; had political power (掌握政权).
26. Turkey Day gluttony: the bad habit of eating and drinking too much on Thanksgiving Day (感恩节大吃大喝的坏习惯).
27. multitude: a large group of people
28. acknowledge: admit or recognize (承认).
29. socio-religious traditions: 社会和宗教传统
30. a pre-meal blessing: 饭前祈祷
31. Pilgrims: 早期离开英国到如今的美国的清教徒移民
32. hosts：主人
33. Let’s play football!: A phrase used by announcers at football games broadcast by radio or television.

Yesterday I put away¹ the Christmas stockings².  We had taken them down a few days ago, but now they had to be stored away³ for another year.  It’s always lots more fun to put up the Christmas decorations⁴ than it is to take them down.  When we put them up, there is always the anticipation⁵ of the Christmas to come, the festivities⁶, gift giving⁷ etc.  When we take them down, all the fun⁸ is over and there’s nothing but the gray, bleak⁹, often cold, weather of January.   Some people say it depresses¹⁰ them; it doesn’t depress me…I just don’t like the fuss¹¹ of putting all the things away.  Don’s big job at Christmas time is putting up¹³ the white icicle lights¹⁴ that twinkle¹⁵ on the wood at the edge of our roof¹⁶.  Everyone on our little one-block long street¹⁷ has them, so it makes for a very pretty street when anyone turns in to it. Now they are all gone for another year. Don also puts away our artificial Christmas tree¹⁸ that we now use instead of buying a real tree. 

 

Yesterday was also January 6^th.  In Christian mythology¹⁹, it’s also known as Epiphany²⁰, the day that 3 wise men²¹ from the Middle East were supposed to have given the baby Jesus²² precious²³ gifts of gold, silver, and myrrh²⁴.  In most Latin American²⁵ countries, January 6^th is a very important part of Christmas.  Children get their Christmas gifts²⁶ on that day instead of on December 24th or 25th.  In the U.S., we ignore²⁷ it for the most part²⁸.  Yet as children, one of our favorite Christmas songs²⁹ is “The Twelve Days of Christmas³⁰,” which refers to the twelve days between December 25th and January 6th.  In fact, when our daughter Kim was young, she loved it so much that I had to repeat³¹ it over and over for her.  To this day, she can repeat every word of it even though it is quite long.  The song is fun because it tells about how each day someone gave a special gift to his true love.  Each day one has to repeat all of the gift names.  It’s fun for kids and adults alike.  In fact, this year at the college Christmas candlelight concert³², Mark, the choir leader³³, included a very clever  version³⁴ of “The Twelve Days of Christmas” as part of the concert, and it brought cheers³⁵ from the audience³⁶ after its performance³⁷.  I’ll include the words at the end of this.

 

But back to Christmas (and its end).  We celebrate³⁸ our Christmas in our traditional³⁹ way when we are in Pella.  Sometimes we go to our vacation home⁴⁰ in the Rocky Mountains⁴¹ in Idaho⁴².  In fact, we had planned to⁴³ this year, but Mother Nature⁴⁴ intervened⁴⁵.  There was a terrible snow storm (it qualified as a blizzard⁴⁶) that shut down all of the highways through Kansas⁴⁷, Colorado⁴⁸, Nebraska⁴⁹ and Wyoming⁵⁰.  We stayed home and are glad we did, as there have been even more storms in that area since.  Anyway, we ate our traditional foods (chili⁵¹ and oyster soup⁵² along with Mexican Christmas Eve salad, a delicious fruit salad, on Christmas Eve⁵³, and tenderloin beef⁵⁴ with escalloped potatoes⁵⁵ and green bean casserole⁵⁶ for our Christmas dinner) and enjoyed them.  We then opened our major⁵⁷ gifts on Christmas Eve and our stocking gifts⁵⁸ (called stocking stuffers⁵⁹) on Christmas morning.  I had given everyone a flashlight⁶⁰ that doesn’t ever need batteries⁶¹, and they all seemed pleased.  I found them in one of the many catalogs⁶² I received and ordered them over the phone, to be sent by mail.  One makes the flashlight work by winding it up⁶³.  Then it will operate for 30 minutes.  Oh yes, I got one for myself too.  We all received nice gifts, but the one I especially appreciated was from Don.  It’s a really nice silver chain⁶⁴ that I now have a lovely gray pearl⁶⁵ on (given to me by a dear friend in China).  The brilliance⁶⁶ of the silver sets off⁶⁷ the beauty of the pearl.⁶⁸

 

Of course, we did other Christmassy⁶⁸ things.  I especially enjoyed the Christmas carol⁷⁰ singing that is held each year in a little century⁷¹ old country church about fifteen miles from here.  People crowd into the place and choose the Christmas songs that we will sing, accompanied⁷² by the little old organ⁷³ played by our friend Davis.  People come there from our town, neighboring towns, and the nearby farms.  Since we don’t all know each other, we can easily socialize afterwards by having hot cider⁷⁴ or coffee and Christmas cookies⁷⁵ that some of us have baked.  Kim made lots of them.

 

Music is important to us, so we were pleased when some of the college choir members came to our house to sing Christmas carols.  Caroling⁷⁶, as it is called, is also an old tradition in the U.S. and England.  We knew they were coming so had cookies and drinks ready for them too.  One other evening we entertained a long-time group of friends at a potluck⁷⁷ in our home and had a college student come to sing and play Christmas carols for us.  He had a lovely voice and everyone enjoyed it immensely.  We might see if we can arrange something like that again for next year.  We also had a joke gift⁷⁸ exchange⁷⁹ that evening, which added much fun and laughter to the event.

 

Of course, a major part of our enjoyment of the Christmas holidays was when our granddaughter Cassie was with us.  She’s a delightful seven year old who had a great time walking the dog with Grandpa Don and baking cookies with Aunt Kim.  Then Cassie loves it when we deliver the cookies to elderly and shut-in friends⁸⁰.  We‘re glad that she has an early concept of being nice to people.  Kim started the cookie delivery fun  with her last spring when  she came to visit and we made and delivered May baskets⁸¹ filled with cookies to people on May 1^st (another old American and English custom, only traditionally the baskets have flowers instead of cookies).  Cassie always has more things she wants to do in Pella than she ever gets done.  That’s ok because that way she’s always eager to visit us.

 

Enough about our Christmas.  Yes, it is over, but the good memories⁸² and feelings last for all of us, even after the tree, stockings, lights, and other decorations have been put away.  Meanwhile, here are the words of “The Twelve Days of Christmas.”

 

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me a partridge⁸³ in a pear tree⁸⁴.

On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me two turtle doves⁸⁵ and a partridge in a pear tree.

On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me three French hens⁸⁶, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree.

On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me four calling birds⁸⁷, three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree.

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me five gold rings.  Four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree.

On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me six geese a laying⁸⁸, five gold rings.  Four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree.

On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me seven swans a swimming⁸⁹, six geese a laying, five gold rings.  Four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree.

On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me eight maids a milking⁹⁰ etc.

On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me nine ladies dancing etc.

On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me tens lords a leaping⁹¹ etc.

On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me eleven pipers piping⁹² etc.

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me twelve drummers drumming⁹³ etc.     

Notes:

 

 

1.      put away: put something in the place where it is usually kept (把……放起来).

2.      Christmas stockings: special, often colorfully decorated large stockings that children traditionally hand on hooks from the fireplace mantle in hopes that Santa Claus will fill them with gifts (圣诞节专用的大长筒袜，色彩鲜艳，小孩通常挂在壁炉架的钩子上，希望圣诞老人把礼物放在里面).

3.      stored away: put away for a long time to be used at a later time (储藏起来以备后用).

4.      put up the Christmas decorations: place around or on the house various special colorful items associated with Christmas (把圣诞节饰物挂起来).

5.      Anticipation: a state of looking forward happily to an event; pleasurable expectation (期盼，期待).

6.      Festivities: activities associated with a special time i.e. holidays, or other special occasions (庆祝活动).

7.      gift giving: the act of presenting presents to one’s family and friends (相互送礼).  This is especially true of Christmas time in the Western tradition.

8.      Fun: enjoyable activities (开心的事/活动).

9.      bleak:  cold, raw, lacking in warmth; not hopeful (凄凉).

10.   January: 一月

11.   depresses: makes someone feel very unhappy (使人感到沮丧).

12.   fuss: activity involving unimportant or trivial aspects of something that must be done (罗嗦事).

13.   putting up: placing something high on a wall or other structure so that it is both out of the way, and will be easily seen (挂起来).

14.   white icicle lights: very popular Christmas decorations on long electrical cords (长长一串串白色装饰灯).  They look like icicles when lit at night.

15.   twinkle: shine with a sparkling or flickering light (闪闪发亮).

16.   roof: 屋顶

17.   one block long street: a city street which extends for a distance of only about 100 yards (一街区长的街道，大约一百码长).

18.   artificial Christmas tree: a tree-like object constructed of plastic or other material to resemble a real tree (人造圣诞树).  Traditionally people cut and decorated trees from the forests and decorated them at Christmas time. In recent years artificial trees have replaced many real trees as a conservation practice to save live, growing trees as well as to avoid fires which often occur on real trees as they dry out in houses.  In addition, an artificial tree with good quality may be used for many years and stored between Christmas times.

19.   Christian mythology: traditional Christian religious beliefs which are generally accepted by most practicing Christians (基督教神话). Myths are traditional stories or explanations of reputed historical events which become accepted as beliefs by many groups of followers of a given tradition.

20.   Epiphany (显现节): a festival, if the Christian church, observed on January 6th. Epiphany is celebrated as the first recognition by gentiles (the non-Jewish Three Wise Men who arrived from the Middle East) of Jesus Christ as the Son of God.

21.   Three Wise Men: Three Kings bearing gifts from different Middle Eastern countries where they had been told of the birth of Jesus in the city of Nazareth.  They reportedly traveled by camels, following a star to find Jesus, and declared him to be the Son of God.

22.   baby Jesus: the infant Jesus, born of Mary and Joseph in Nazareth.

23.   precious: of great value (宝贵的).

24.   myrrh: an aromatic gum-like substance coming from a tree found in Arabic countries, and used to make a perfume which had great value (没药，一种树胶脂，可作香水用，价值很高).

25.   Latin America: 拉丁美洲

26.   Christmas gifts: presents purchased by one person to give to other people during the Christmas season (圣诞节期间相互赠送的礼物).  In many Latin America many children think that their gifts are brought by the Three Kings, while in the U.S. some children believe that Santa Claus brings the gifts which they find under the Christmas tree and in their Christmas stockings.

27.   ignore: pay no attention to, or disregard (忽视，不考虑).

28.   for the most part: usually, in most cases (通常，多数情况下).

29.   Christmas songs: special traditional songs associated with Christmas (专门与圣诞有关的传统歌曲).

30.   The Twelve Days of Christmas: the name of a popular traditional Christmas song (圣诞节的十二天，一首圣诞歌曲名).

31.   repeat: say or do something over again (重复).

32.   Christmas Candlelight Concert: a musical event featuring Christmas music and decoration consisting of many candles with other decorations (圣诞烛光音乐会).

33.   choir leader: the director of a vocal musical group (合唱团指挥).

34.   version: a specific form or arrangement of a song, musical composition, etc. (经改编的乐曲，版本).

35.   cheers: shouts of appreciation, often after the end of an appreciated musical performance, or for another performance (欢呼，喝彩).

36.   audience: 听众，观众

37.   performance: the event presented to an audience; the official presentation, not a practice of a musical number or program (演出，表演).

38.   celebrate: 庆祝

39.   traditional: usual; having been used for many times or years (传统的).

40.   vacation home: a second home, often located in a pleasant area, usually smaller than the regular home, and where one goes to relax or have a change of scenery (度假房，第二个家，通常位于舒适的地区，面积略小，可以在那里休息、欣赏不同的景色).

41.   Rocky Mountains: a string of high mountains extending from northern Alaska and southward into northern New Mexico (落基山脉，北起阿拉斯加，南至新墨西哥州北部).

42.   Idaho (爱达荷州): a state in northwestern U.S., where there are the Rocky Mountains and many natural attractive areas for scenic beauty and recreation of many types.

43.   we had planned to: we had planned to go to our vacation home.

44.   Mother Nature: the common name given to natural events, particularly weather (大自然，自然现象的统称);  for example, one might say “Mother Nature has really mistreated us this year with all the snow and low temperature.”

45.   intervene：干预，介入

46.   blizzard: a long, severe snow storm with an intensely strong, cold wind (暴风雪).

47.   Kansas (肯萨斯州): a state in the Midwest of the U.S., known for its wheat and cattle production.

48.   Colorado (科罗拉多州): a state west of Kansas in which the Rocky Mountains form much of the higher land.

49.   Nebraska (内布拉斯加州): a state just west of Iowa, mostly of prairie grasslands.

50.   Wyoming (怀俄明州): a state north and west of Nebraska in which the Rocky Mountains and other mountains occur.  Known for its wild horses, cowboys and natural beauty.

51.   chili (soup): a soup made with beans, tomatoes, meat and spices. Common in southwestern U.S. and spread widely throughout the U.S.

52.   oyster soup: a rich soup made with oysters and milk (牡蛎浓汤).

53.   Christmas Eve (圣诞夜，平安夜): the night before Christmas when many families exchange gifts, eat a meal together, and some may attend religious services.

54.   tenderloin beef：里脊肉

55.   escalloped potatoes: 浇了调味汁、牛奶或奶油后再烘烤的土豆

56.   green bean casserole: 由四季豆、蘑菇汤、洋葱一起烧成的食物

57.   major: large and important

58.   stocking gifts: small gifts placed in Christmas stockings (小的、放在圣诞长袜里的礼物).

59.   stocking stuffers: slang expression for gifts placed in Christmas stockings (放在圣诞长袜里的礼物的另一种说法).

60.   flashlight：手电筒

61.   batteries：电池

62.   catalog：商品目录

63.   winding it up: turning a handle which generates electricity for use in this type of flashlight (摇动手柄发电使手电筒工作).

64.   chain：链条

65.   pearl：珍珠

66.   brilliance: very great brightness.

67.   set off: make something look attractive.

68.   The brilliance of the silver sets off the beauty of the pearl.: 银（链条）的亮光与珍珠的美相得益彰。

69.   Christmassy: typical of Christmas.

70.   Christmas carol: a song, especially associated with Christmas.

71.   century: a period of 100 years.

72.   accompany：伴奏

73.   organ：风琴

74.   cider: a drink made from the juice of apples, usually with some spices added (一种苹果汁做的饮料，通常会加一些香料).

75.   Christmas cookies: special, small pastries that are usually baked at Christmas time (圣诞节小甜饼).

76.   caroling: singing Christmas carols for one’s friends or acquaintances.

77. potluck (dinner): a type of meal shared by several to many people, each of whom brings at least one item of the meal (一种聚餐，参加的人每人至少带一种菜肴供大家分享). This is a very popular way of entertaining friends and relatives.

78.   joke gift: a humorous gift, meant for fun, not a serious gift (开玩笑用的礼物).

79.   exchange: 交换

80.   elderly and shut-in friends: friends who are older, ill or disabled and unable to readily leave their homes (年纪大的无法离开家的朋友).

81.   May baskets: small baskets of flowers traditionally given to neighbors or friends.

82.   memories: the things which one remembers from the past.

38.   partridge: a stout bodied European game bird (山鹑).

84.   pear tree: 梨树

85.   turtle doves: a gray bird in the family as pigeons, but smaller. Noted for sad sounds they make (斑鸠).

86.   French hens: female chickens of a type grown in France.

87.   calling birds: birds capable of producing a distinctive series of notes (清脆啼叫的鸟).

88.   geese a laying: female geese which are in the process or capable of laying eggs (正在生蛋或会生蛋的雌鹅). The word “a” preceding a verb is an old, archaic way of expression, meaning “in the process of” and it has not been used for at least a hundred years or so.

 

89.   swans a swimming: swans in the process of swimming (在游泳的天鹅). Swans are graceful water birds noted for their long, graceful neck and beauty.

90.   maids a milking: young ladies whose job is to milk cows.

91.   lords a leaping: young men jumping for joy.

92.   eleven pipers piping: eleven young men playing flutes to musical tunes.

93.   drummers drumming: musicians playing drums.

 

 

 

 

When I was a little girl, my grandmother’s kitchen always smelled very strongly¹ of onions² a few days before Easter^3.  This meant that she had been collecting red onions to use in dyeing⁴ Easter eggs⁵.  That had been the only way to color⁶ eggs when she was young.  We all like to cling⁷ to traditions⁸ of our youth, and my grandmother was no different from others.

 

The day before Easter I would go to my grandparents’ house.  Before I got there, my grandmother would have boiled two dozen⁹ eggs so they would be cool and ready to color.  She would boil the onion segments¹⁰ with vinegar¹¹, and eventually a deep red color would be extracted¹².  We would then dye⁴ some of the eggs in it.  She would also have purchased¹³ some little tablets¹⁴ of dye¹⁵ (green, blue, yellow etc.) and we would dye other eggs in those colors.  By the time the morning ended we had baskets¹⁶ filled with brightly colored eggs nestled¹⁷ in shredded¹⁸ green plastic pieces (the so-called “grass”).  I was always proud when I took a big share¹⁹ of them to give to my parents and three brothers.

 

When my own children were young, I dyed eggs with them Easter week end²⁰.  However, I didn’t boil onions for dye but used only dye tablets.  My daughter Kim inherited²¹ my love of coloring eggs and still insists²² we do it.  This year we had our Chinese scholar²³ at Central College join us for coloring eggs.  She had never done it before and loved the experience.  She took many photos of the whole process²⁴. She also insists that it was so much fun for her that she wants to do it with some of her classes  at Zhejiang University²⁵ next year.  In fact, Easter evening²⁶ she and Kim went out to the local Wal-Mart store²⁷ and bought left over dye for Jing to take home with her. I look forward to having a report²⁸ from her next year, telling us of a successful venture²⁹ dyeing eggs with some of her English classes.  My grandmother would have loved hearing that the tradition was passed along to another continent³⁰.  (363 words)

 

Notes:

1.      strongly: noticeably, obviously (很容易闻到地，很明显地)

2.      onions：洋葱

3.      Easter: the Sunday that celebrates the resurrection of Christ in the Christian tradition (复活节). It is observed on different dates due to different types of calendars.  Technically it occurs on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox.

4.      dye(ing): produce color in or on an object by placing in or spraying on a dye of some color (染色).

5.      Easter eggs: eggs that are dyed and sometimes decorated that become part of the celebration of Easter (复活节蛋，经过染色或点缀用于庆祝复活节).

6.      color: (to) dye an object (染色).

7.      cling: continue to believe or do something (坚持、墨守).

8.      traditions: a belief, custom, or way of doing something that has existed for a long time (传统). There are a number of traditions associated with Easter, most of which precede Christian times.

9.      dozen: twelve of any item (一打).

10.  segments: pieces or parts of a whole (片、块、瓣).

11.  vinegar: a sour liquid made by fermentation (醋).

12.  extract: carefully remove a substance from something which contains it (提取、提炼).

13.  purchase: buy in a store or market (购买).

14.  tablets: small, concentrated pills or mass of material (片、丸).

15.  dye (n.): pigmented material found in one source, and changing color of another thing (染料).

16.  baskets: woven containers into which items can be placed and carried (篮子).

17.  nestled: carefully or snugly placed to avoid damage or breaking; be put in a protected position [处于(安全的位置)].

18.  shredded: cut into small pieces or strips (成丝/条状).

19.  share: a portion or part of an entire amount.

20.  Easter weekend: the days of Saturday and Sunday on which Easter occurs (复活节的周末). In the western tradition little children are told that on Saturday night, the Easter bunny (复活节兔子) will leave Easter eggs for them which they may gather in their baskets on Easter morning.

21.  inherit: receive from another person either as a gift, or genetically from one’s parents (继承).

22.  insist: demand or persist in wanting something done (坚持).

23.  Chinese scholar：中国学者

24.  process: a given series of steps in completing something (过程).

25.  Zhejiang University n. a large university located in Hangzhou, P.R. China (浙江大学，位于中国杭州).

26.  Easter evening: the evening of Easter day (复活节的晚上).

27.  Wal-Mart store: a large discount store (沃尔玛，一大型廉价超市). One of a chain of stores throughout the U.S. and elsewhere as well. Often just following a holiday, stores will place items used for that holiday on sale at much reduced prices.

28.  report: a vocal or written account of something which has happened (报道/告，书面或口头).

29.  venture: the trying of something new by an individual or a company which involves risk or taking a chance, hoping that the trial will succeed (冒险项目、行动).

30.  continent: a major body of land making up one of the major land masses of the Earth. i.e. Asia, Africa, North America etc. (洲、大陆).

During my childhood Memorial Day¹ was more commonly known as “Decoration Day.”  That is because the emphasis² was on decorating³ graves⁴ of our loved ones.  I have fond memories⁵ of loading buckets⁶ full of bright peonies⁷ and irises⁸, as well as a loaded picnic⁹ basket into my grandparents’ car and then driving with them to southern Illinois¹⁰, where all of the relatives¹¹ on my father’s side of the family are buried.  Soon after we arrived at the tiny town of St. Elmo, we headed for the cemetery¹² and put the flowers on the graves of many relatives, including several great grandfathers¹³ who had fought in the Civil War¹⁴.  In fact, the holiday was established in 1869, following the Civil War. My Civil War-veteran¹⁵ grandfathers had special American flags on their graves, and my grandmother never tired of telling me why they were there.  The emphasis was truly on honoring¹⁶ and remembering the dead, as it is today in many ways.  Of course, we children were interested in the chocolate cake that was always in the picnic basket.  Yum¹⁷!

 

This year we celebrated Memorial Day by getting together with good friends in the late afternoon.  All of our deceased¹⁸ relatives are buried in Illinois, about 400 miles from here, so we took no fresh flowers there.  We had hoped that our get-together¹⁹ would be a picnic in the back yard of a friend, but it rained so we had our picnic indoors.  Still it was good to be with friends.  When we arrived home at night, we watched the Memorial Day concert²⁰ from Washington D.C.²¹ on television.  It was very patriotic²², with great emphasis on those who have died during wars.  I’m afraid I couldn’t help but shed a few tears²³ as I heard of some of the young people who have recently died.  So Memorial Day had both its happy and sad moments for us all.

 

Notes:

1. Memorial Day (纪念日): May 30, a day celebrated in remembrance of war dead, but expanded as a memorial to all non-living relatives and friends.
2. emphasis (重点): stress on, or particular consideration of something.
3. decorating (点缀): beautifying something.
4. graves: places where dead bodies are buried (坟墓).
5. have fond memories of something: remember something with pleasure (对……有愉快的记忆).
6. buckets (桶): large containers for liquids with a handle at the top rim.
7. peonies: large, showy flowers which bloom about the end of May in the Midwest (牡丹花，在美国中西部大约五月底开花).
8. irises: a beautiful, large flower in the lily family with long slender leaves showy blossoms (鸢尾花，属于百合科).
9. picnic (野餐): an outing with food, usually provided by members of the group and eaten out of doors.
10. Illinois: a Midwestern state bordered on the west by the Mississippi River (伊利诺州，其西面是密西西比河).
11. relatives:. individual members of one’s family (亲人、亲戚).
12. cemetery: a place where many graves are located and maintained (墓地).
13. great grandfather : a male parent three generations removed, a parent’s grandfather (曾祖父、曾外祖父).
14. Civil War: the war between the northern (Union) and southern (Confederate) states of the U.S., beginning in 1861 and ending in 1865 (美国南北战争).
15. veteran: a former member of the armed forces of a country (老兵).
16. honoring: showing respect for an individual or group of people (表示敬意).
17. Yum! int. an expression indicating that something tastes delicious.
18. deceased: (a person) no longer living (已去世的)
19. get-together: an informal meeting or party, usually arranged for a particular purpose (聚会).
20. concert n. a public performance of music (音乐会).
21. Washington, D.C.: the city which is the capital of the United States (华盛顿特区).
22. patriotic: showing respect or love for one’s country or flag (爱国的).
23. shed (a few) tears: 哭、流泪。

 

 

Last night I hosted the meeting of a group I belong to.  The group is called AAUW², or The American Association of University Women².  To be a member of the organization, a woman must be a graduate of an accredited³ college or university; the main goal of the organization is to promote⁴ lifelong learning and interest in issues⁵ important to women.  In addition, our local group sponsors⁶ the annual UNICEF collection⁷ for needy children in different areas of the world.  Each year I am asked to write an article for our local paper, encouraging our local citizens to contribute to the annual drive⁸.  I will be submitting⁹ the following article to our newspaper and it will be accompanied¹⁰ by a group of local school children putting together the boxes¹¹ that they will be carrying when they collect door to door¹².

 

The tradition of “Trick or Treat for UNICEF began in 1950 in the United States when Philadelphia¹³ school children first went door to door at Halloween collecting money in decorated milk cartons to help the world’s children.  They raised a grand total¹⁴ of $17, kicking off¹⁵ a campaign¹⁶ that has since brought in more than $188 million to provide medicine, better nutrition, cleaner water, emergency relief¹⁷ and other support for children in more than 160 countries. 

 

Millions of children now participate each year in Halloween-related¹⁸ fund-raising campaigns in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Hong Kong.  This has included the public school children of Pella for well over fifty years.  When they go door to door after school on October 25-27 this year, the children and the members of the Pella Branch of the American Association of University Women, the sponsoring agent¹⁹ for this event, hope that townspeople will remember how excited they felt when collecting for UNICEF and will be generous with their pennies and dollar bills²⁰.  The traditional one day of collecting has been extended to three days in order that children will have more opportunity to find people at home.

 

For most children in the USA, “Trick or Treat for UNICEF” provides them with their first experience of volunteerism²¹.  They learn the importance of the money they collect.  Seven cents can buy crayons for a class; $1 can immunize²² a child against polio²³; $10 can buy biscuits²⁴ for a month for three children; and $150 can provide clean water for a whole village.  UNICEF workers tell a true story about a little girl in a drought-stricken²⁵ area of Ethiopia²⁶ where there was a terrible famine²⁷ recently.  When asked by a UNICEF worker what she would like to be when she grew up, the little girl answered, “Alive²⁸.”  With the aid of food and clean water provided by UNICEF funds, she’ll have a much better chance of that desire coming true. 

 

As usual, the Pella school children will be carrying the little orange boxes, so when you open your door and see one, think of the child in some impoverished²⁹ or drought-stricken land who might know a trick or two but has never enjoyed a treat³⁰.

 

Notes:

1. UNICEF stands for United Nations International Children’s Foundation (联合国儿童基金会), an organization affiliated with the United Nations Organization, specifically given the responsibility for raising funds to support needy children in underdeveloped countries.

2. AAUW stands for The American Association of University Women (美国妇女大学毕业生联合会), an organization whose members are graduates of colleges or universities that meet certain requirements. Originally the membership of the organization was restricted to women because at that time it was difficult for women to compete in education, which was male-dominated.  Now its membership includes males, even though the word “Women” still appears in the name of the organization because many of the issues of interest to the members of the organization are typically those that women find of interest, such as the needs of children world-wide, education, women’s rights etc.

3. accredited (公认信得过的): officially recognized or approved; when applied to educational institutions, this means that the institution maintains standards that qualify the graduates for admission to higher or more specialized institutions or to professional organizations.

4. promote something: help or encourage something to happen (有助于，促使).

5. issues: problems

6. sponsor: 负责

7. collection (募捐): gathering of money for a specific purpose; in this case in support of needy children in the world.

8. annual drive: a yearly event or activity relating to collection of money in support of a designated activity, i.e. support of needy children of the world (每年为全世界贫困儿童的募捐活动).

9. submit (递交): formally send a proposal, report, request, etc. to someone.

10. be accompanied by…: exist or occur in association with something else (同时还有……).

11. boxes (箱): containers, small or large, often made of colored paper and folded to form a rectangular shaped box with an open slot into which money may be deposited. Collection boxes often have photographs and prominent names of the fund raising organization which clearly identifies the purpose for which money is being collected.

12. door to door: 挨家挨户

13. Philadelphia：费城，在美国的宾西法尼亚州

14. a grand total: the final amount 总共

15. kicking off: starting a process or procedure, in this case, a fund raising program by UNICEF.

16. campaigns (运动): a connected series of events or activities designed to bring about a desired result, in this case the collection of money for UNICEF. 

17. emergency relief (紧急救援): timely support to individuals or groups who have suffered a catastrophic event such as a famine, flood, tsunami, earthquake etc.

18. Halloween (万圣节)-related: associated with the holiday celebrated on October 31^st.  It’s a day when children dress up in costumes and masks and go from house to house hoping to receive candy or other treats from those living there.  Traditionally they have said, “Trick or treat,” meaning “Give us a treat or we might play a trick on you.”

19 sponsoring agent: a person or organization that pays for or plans and carries out a plan or activity.  As the sponsoring agent for the UNICEF collection, AAUW pays for the boxes, organizes the children who make the collections, and then sends the money to UNICEF.

20. generous with their pennies and dollar bills: 慷慨解囊

21. volunteerism: the act or practice of doing volunteer work in community service (自愿在社区做的服务工作).

22. immunize: make a person highly resistant to a disease (使人对某疾病具有免疫功能).

23. polio (小儿麻痹症): the common way of referring to the disease known as poliomyelitis, a severe infectious viral disease characterized by fever, muscular paralysis, and often the loss of the use of skeletal muscles. 

24. biscuits：饼干

25.drought-stricken (旱情严重的): lacking rain for a long time, resulting in widespread crop damage and general lack of water. 

26. Ethiopia: an ancient nation in northeast Africa bordering on the Red Sea (埃塞俄比亚).

27. famine: an extreme and widespread scarcity of food (饥荒).

28. “Alive”: the condition of not being dead (活着). This unexpected answer stresses the harshness of the little girl’s life.  Usually when children are asked what they want to be when they grow up they name a profession such as becoming a teacher, doctor, fireman etc.  In the case of this little girl, she hopes above all that famine or disease will not kill her before she has the chance to grow up. 

29. impoverished: extremely poor (极度贫困)

30. who might know a trick or two but has never enjoyed a treat: 该小孩也许知道一、二个捉弄人的把戏，但从未有人给过他任何东西。

Today is Columbus¹ Day², and in New York City³ there will be a commemoration⁴ of the event, Columbus’s discovery of America in 1492.  Many people of Italian heritage⁵ live in New York City, so they like to celebrate on this day.  Often there will be a parade⁶ in the areas where they live.  Many Italians came to New York City in the late 1800’s and still live in the same area, known as “Little Italy⁷.”  If you visit New York City and want to visit some good Italian restaurants or buy special pastas⁸ etc., Little Italy is the place to go. 

 

In the Midwest⁹ we don’t really celebrate Columbus Day.  Comparatively few Italians live in our area.  There are many more explorers¹⁰ (Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian) who  were probably here before Columbus.  Most of us believe that Norwegians¹¹ visited the “New World¹²” long before Columbus did, so we feel this may be a false celebration¹³.  Anthropologists¹⁴ have found tools, camp sites¹⁵ etc. to back up¹⁶ the claims¹⁷ that the Norwegians came first.  Also, a British sea captain has written a book, 1421, TheYear the Chinese Discovered America, in which he cites evidence¹⁸ that Chinese fleets sailed along the Pacific Coast of North America some 70 years before Columbus landed on the Atlantic Coast of America.  Maps of the Chinese voyage¹⁹ show this to be factual²⁰.

 

The American Indians²¹, or “Native Americans” as they prefer being called, feel that they have nothing to celebrate on Columbus Day.  It was Columbus’s reporting of his voyages that brought hordes²² of people from Europe to this continent²³. That caused loss of land and lives for the Native Americans because the Europeans brought with them diseases such as small pox²⁴ that the Native Americans had no immunity to²⁵, and they also brought weapons that Indians did not have.  Consequently, thousands of them died from disease and warfare.

 

In the public schools²⁶ today children will probably talk about Columbus and his adventures²⁷, but the only other “celebration” of the day in our area will be the fact that post offices and banks will be closed.  Don and I don’t plan to celebrate the day in any way, not even with Italian food, not because we don’t like Italians, but because we don’t feel they deserve some claims that have been made by Europeans.²⁸

 

Notes:

1.      Christopher Columbus is traditionally referred to as the “discoverer” of America. His ships landed in islands near the N. American continent on October 12, 1492. His trip was paid for by the king and queen of Spain. Columbus himself was born in Italy. This is why the Italians of the U.S. like to celebrate this day.

2.      Columbus Day (哥伦布纪念日): the day of each year, October 12, when Americans celebrate the discovery of the North American continent by Christopher Columbus.

3.      New York City is located on the East Coast of the U.S.

4.      commemoration (纪念): an event held in memory of some important person or achievement.

5.      Italian heritage: 此处heritage 既有血统又有传统的意思。

6.      parade (花车游行): a procession of people or vehicles moving through a public place to celebrate an important day or event.

7.      Little Italy: In the 1800’s many Italians immigrated to the U.S. and settled in New York City because they could find jobs there as well as other Italians who would help them. There are still many Italians living in New York City, many in one area that is often referred to as “Little Italy”.

8.      pastas：面食

9.      The Midwest (中西部) is the region in the U.S. that is located in the middle of the nation. Iowa, the state, is a Midwestern state. Although it was settled by many groups of immigrants in the 1800’s, most of these people came from northern Europe and there are relatively few Italians in the state. These northern European immigrants included many from the countries of Sweden, Denmark, and Norway.

10.  explorers (冒险家): people who travel to or investigate previously unknown regions or distant areas of the world.

11.  Norwegians (挪威人): Norwegian explorers are given credit for “discovering” America by many anthropologists because of different cultural artifacts such as tools that have been discovered in ancient Eastern U.S. camp sites. This is thought to have occurred hundreds of years before Columbus’ arrival.

12.  New World (新大陆): the name given to North America and South America by early explorers from Europe.

13.  a false celebration (不该有的庆祝): a public event honoring something that did not occur.

14.  Anthropologists (人类学家) are people who scientifically study human beings, their customs, beliefs and relationships.

15.  camp sites: areas in which humans have lived or stayed for a period of time (人类居住地).

16.  to back up something: to supply evidence to suggest that something is true (证明……是正确的).

17.  claims：声称，主张

18.  evidence (证据): information or observations which support or shed light on a problem or situation which is not well known or understood.

19.  voyage: a long journey on a ship or in a spacecraft.

20.  factual: 真实的

21.  American Indians (美国印第安人) have been called that because when Columbus landed in the Americas he thought he was in India, so called the people he found there “Indians.” The name has remained in use until even now. Most of the indigenous people of the Americas have no liking for  because his reports on the Americas encouraged many Europeans to immigrate, explore and settle here, eventually resulting in the Native Americans losing their land. They feel they have no reason at all  to celebrate Columbus Day. In states with a large Native American population, such as South Dakota, what the rest of the nation calls “Columbus Day” is referred to as “Native American Day.” In Berkeley, California, it is called “Indigenous Day.”

22.  hordes: a large number of people in a group or groups traveling from one place to another.

23.  continent: a very large area of land, such as Asia or Africa, that consists of several countries 洲.

24.  small pox: 天花

25.  immunity to some disease: being unable to be affected by some disease 对……免役，不会生……病.

26.  public schools (公立学校): schools in the U.S. which are supported by cities or states by taxation of the residents of that city or state. The U.S. has a big school system in which children learn much about the history and culture of the nation. The younger children learn a lot about the holidays and often celebrate them in class with discussions about the ethnic origins of these holidays.

27.  adventures: 冒险

28.  Don and I don’t plan to celebrate the day in any way, not even with Italian food, not because we don’t like Italians, but because we don’t feel they deserve some claims that have been made by Europeans.

我和堂不会庆祝这一天，不管任何形式，甚至不会去吃意大利饭菜，并不是因为我们不喜欢意大利人，而是因为我们认为欧洲人的有些说法与意大利人不符合。