A Time for American Patriotism|美国人的爱国主义时刻

by Brian Foden

Have you ever heard of Flag Day?

Americans are known for their strong patriotism. This pride in and love for their country is evident not only in their Fourth of July celebrations but also through their observance of Flag Day. _(1)_ While this special day is not actually a federal holiday, in Pennsylvania it is a state holiday.

In view of the turbulent history of the United States, it's not surprising that a day has been set aside to honor the Stars and Stripes, a common nickname, along with Old Glory, for the American flag. Settlers in America thought certain taxes paid to England were unfair, so they started the Revolutionary War. _(2)_ However, it wasn't until 1949 that June 14 was designated as Flag Day by then President Harry Truman. Though Truman signed the legislation making it official, he was not credited with being the father of Flag Day. _(3)_

In the 1880s, Cigrand, who was a young schoolteacher at the time, launched a one-man campaign to have an official Flag Day. _(4)_ President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation that called for a nationwide observance of Flag Day. However, Cigrand didn't live to see the celebration of Flag Day. _(5)_ Today, Cigrand's legacy is evident in the fact that Americans show love for and pride in their national symbol every June 14.

(A) That distinction belongs to Bernard J. Cigrand.

(B) For nearly a century, US citizens have celebrated June 14 as a time to fly their national flag and reflect on what it means to be Americans.

(C) He died of a heart attack 17 years before Truman made it a permanent fixture in American society.

(D) Decades later, in 1916, Cigrand's efforts began to come to fruition.

(E) After battling to gain independence from Britain, the young nation adopted the first American flag on June 14, 1777.

美国人的爱国主义时刻

你曾听过国旗日吗？

美国人以强烈的爱国心而闻名。这份对国家的骄傲和热爱不只表现在 7 月 4 日的庆祝活动中，也透过庆祝国旗日展现出来。近 1 个世纪来，美国公民庆祝 6 月 14 日，在这一天悬挂国旗及反思身为美国人的意义。虽然这个特殊的日子实际上并不是国定假日，但在宾州它是州定的假日。

有鉴于美国动荡的历史，拨出 1 天来尊崇美国国旗（常被昵称为星条旗或昔日辉煌）并不令人惊讶。早期的美国移民认为某些付给英国的税款并不公平，于是他们发动了独立战争。在经过交战脱离英国取得独立后，这个年轻的国家在 1777 年 6 月 14 日采用了他们的第 1 面美国国旗。然而，直到 1949 年才由当时的总统哈利‧杜鲁门指定 6 月 14 日为国旗日。虽然杜鲁门总统签署了使国旗日正式通过的法案，但他并不被归功为国旗日的创始人。这份荣誉属于伯纳‧席格伦。

在 1880年代，当时身为年轻学校老师的席格伦，发起了他个人争取正式通过国旗日的活动。数十年后，在 1916 年，席格伦的努力开始开花结果。伍德罗‧威尔逊总统发布了 1 份呼吁全国庆祝国旗日的公告。然而，席格伦并没有来得及在他生前看到国旗日的庆祝活动。他在杜鲁门总统通过国旗日为美国社会的固定活动前 17 年就因心脏病而去世。时至今日，席格伦所留给后人的遗产在每年 6 月14 日得到印证，人们在这一天展现出他们对国家象征的热爱和骄傲。

答案：  1. (B)2. (E)3. (A)4. (D)5. (C)

美国国旗旗面由 13 道红白相间的宽条构成，左上角还有一个包含 50 颗白色小五角星的蓝色长方形。50颗小星代表美国的 50 个州，而 13 条间纹则象征美国最早建国时的 13块殖民地。红色象征勇气，白色象征真理，蓝色则象征正义。