文化课题： Memorial Day in United States 美国阵亡将士纪念日

Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday of May. It was formerly known as Decoration Day and commemorates all men and women, who have died in military service for the United States. Many people visit cemeteries and memorials on Memorial Day and it is traditionally seen as the start of the summer season.

在美国，每年五月的最后一个星期一是“阵亡将士纪念日”。这个节日之前被称为“扫墓日”，由此纪念所有在战争中为国家牺牲的男男女女。在节日当天，许多人会去墓地或是纪念碑为这些英雄们祭奠。这一天也被看作是夏季的到来。

What do people do?

It is traditional to fly the flag of the United States at half mast from dawn until noon. Many people visit cemeteries and memorials, particularly to honor those who have died in military service. Many volunteers place an American flag on each grave in national cemeteries. Memorial Day is combined with Jefferson Davis' Birthday in Mississippi.

在阵亡将士纪念日当天，传统的做法是要从早晨到中午将美国国旗降到旗杆的一半。许多人会去公墓或是纪念碑去扫墓，由此去纪念那些在服兵役时离世的战士们。在国家军人公墓还会有志愿者将美国国旗放到每一个墓上面。在密西西比州，人们在过这个节日的同时还庆祝杰弗逊·戴维斯（美国内战时任总统）的生日。

Memorial Day has become less of an occasion of remembrance. Many people choose to hold picnics, sports events and family gatherings on this weekend. This day is traditionally seen as the start of the summer season for cultural events. For the fashion conscious, it is seen as acceptable to wear white clothing, particularly shoes from Memorial Day until Labor Day. However, fewer and fewer people follow this rule and many wear white clothing throughout the year.

阵亡将士纪念日现如今已经变得越来越不像一个缅怀先烈的日子了。很多人选择在这个节日的周末去户外野炊、进行体育活动或是跟家人聚会。这一天在传统上也被认为是很多夏季文化活动的开端。对那些穿衣敏感的人来说，这一天预示着他们可以开始穿白色，尤其是白色的鞋子，一直到劳动节（九月第一个星期一）。但是实际上越来越多的人已经不理这个传统了，喜欢穿白色的人全年都会穿。

Public life

Memorial Day is a federal holiday. All non-essential Government offices are closed, as are schools, businesses and other organizations. Most public transit systems do not run on their regular schedule. Many people see Memorial Day weekend as an opportunity to go on a short vacation or visit family or friends. This can cause some congestion on highways and at airports.

阵亡将士纪念日是一个联邦假日。所有不重要的政府部门、学校、商家和其他组织都会关门休假。大多数的公共交通系统也会调整它们的运行时间。许多人将这个纪念日周末看作是短期出游或是拜访亲戚朋友的好时机。所以这也引起了一些高速公路或是机场交通的堵塞。

Background

Memorial Day started as an event to honor Union soldiers, who had died during the American Civil War. It was inspired by the way people in the Southern states honored their dead. After World War I, it was extended to include all men and women, who died in any war or military action.

阵亡将士纪念日最初是为了纪念在美国内战中牺牲的联邦士兵而设的。这个节日的由来是受了美国南方一些州纪念亡灵方式的影响。在第一次世界大战之后，这个节日纪念的范围扩大到在任何战役或是军事行动中牺牲的所有男人和女人。

Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day. The current name for this day did not come into use until after World War II. Decoration Day and then Memorial Day used to be held on May 30, regardless of the day of the week, on which it fell. In 1968, the Uniform Holidays Bill was passed as part of a move to use federal holidays to create three-day weekends. This meant that that, from 1971, Memorial Day holiday has been officially observed on the last Monday in May. However, it took a longer period for all American states to recognize the new date.

阵亡将士纪念日起初被称为“扫墓日”。现在这个名字是从第二次世界大战结束之后才开始广泛使用。这个节日原来是订在每年的五月30日，无论那天是星期几。1968年时，《统一假日法案》的通过使它成为了一个有三天长周末的联邦假日。这就意味着，从1971年开始，阵亡将士纪念日正式被订在了五月最后一个星期一。但是，这个新日期受到所有美国各州的认可还是花了一个很长的时间。

（原文来自：http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/memorial-day）