美國獨立日到底是7月2日還是7月4日？

In the US, Independence Day is all about getting decked out in red, white, and blue, throwing some meat on the barbecue, and shooting off fireworks.

在美國，獨立日就是穿紅、白、藍三色的衣服，把肉扔到烤肉架上，然后放煙火。

That's just America's way of commemorating its founders' decision to rebel against King George III and declare their independence in 1776.

這正是美國紀念其創(chuàng)始者，在1776年反抗喬治三世國王，并宣布獨立的方式。

Representatives from the 13 colonies that would band together to form the US debated the breakaway from Britain over the course of a number of hot summer days in Philadelphia.

來自13個殖民地的代表們聚集在一起組成美國，他們在費城度過了一個炎熱的夏天，就脫離英國進行了辯論。

But, while the Fourth of July is currently the US's national holiday, the Declaration Independence was issued as an initial resolution on July 2.

但是，雖然7月4日目前是美國的國定假日，但《獨立宣言》是在7月2日作為一項初步決議發(fā)布的。

On that day, Massachusetts delegate and future US president John Adams was certain that he'd witnessed history — and that the date would live on in memory.

在那一天，馬薩諸塞州代表和未來的美國總統(tǒng)約翰·亞當斯確信，他見證了歷史——這一天將永遠銘記在心。

"The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America," wrote Adams, in a July 3, 1776 letter to his wife, Abigail.

亞當斯在1776年7月3日寫給妻子阿比蓋爾的一封信中寫道:“1776年7月2日將是美國歷史上最值得紀念的日子。”

Adams ended up being off by two days. The Declaration went through some revisions and was finalized on July 4. But historians believe that the document wasn't signed until about a month later.

亞當斯最后放了兩天假，宣言經過了一些修改，于7月4日定稿。但歷史學家認為，這份文件直到一個月后才簽署。

Emily Sneff, research manager of the Declaration Resources Projectat Harvard University, wrote that 49 of the 56 signers didn't even add their signatures to the declaration until August 2, 1776: "It took several months, if not years, for all of the signatures to be added."

哈佛大學宣言資源項目的研究經理艾米麗·斯奈夫(Emily Sneff)寫道，直到1776年8月2日，56名簽署者中有49人甚至沒有在宣言上簽名：“要讓所有人簽名，如果不是幾年的話，那也最少需要幾個月的時間。”

She cited the Journals of the Continental Congress, which include this August 2 entry: "The declaration of independence being engrossed and compared at the table was signed."

她引用了大陸會議的期刊，其中包括8月2日的這篇文章：“《獨立宣言》在會議桌上經過認真核對后，正式簽署了。”

So, why do we gather together to blow things up and overeat on the Fourth?

那么，為什么我們要在4號，聚在一起大搞特搞呢?

The Declaration was technically approved on that day, and the copies distributed throughout the colonies were dated July 4, 1776.

從理論上講，《獨立宣言》是在那一天通過的，因為分發(fā)給各殖民地的副本的日期是1776年7月4日。

As a result, that was the date that stuck in people's minds.

所以，這一天就在人們的腦海中定格了。