VOA慢速英語：美國天天都是美食節(jié)

National Food Days: An American Tradition

美國天天都是美食節(jié)

If you look on the Internet, you will see that almost every day of the year celebrates some kind of food.

如果你上網，你會看到幾乎全年每一天都在慶祝某種食物。

These "holidays" have become very popular across the United States. They often are trending stories on Twitter, and described in the U.S. media. They give people a chance to enjoy something they might not eat normally, like National Onion Ring Day, for example.

這些“節(jié)日”在美國各地已經頗受歡迎。它們經常成為推特上的熱門話題，并且登上了美國媒體節(jié)目。這些節(jié)日給了人們一個食用不常吃的食物的機會，例如全國洋蔥圈日。

Food holidays also give restaurants and other businesses a chance to promote their products.

美食節(jié)日也給餐館和其它企業(yè)提供了推廣他們的產品的機會。

But where did these distinctly American "holidays" come from?

這些美國“節(jié)日”確切地來自何方呢?

Many are the invention of an Alabama man, John-Bryan Hopkins. He writes about food for his Foodimentary.com website.

其中多數是阿拉巴馬州男子約翰布萊恩·霍普金斯(John-Bryan Hopkins)編造出來的。他為自己的Foodmentary.com網站撰寫美食相關的文章。

Hopkins told Time magazine that when he began his site in 2006, there were only 175 "holidays." "I filled in the rest," he said.

霍普金斯告訴《時代》雜志，當他2006年開設這個網站時，美國當時只有175個“節(jié)日。”他說：“我補充了其它的節(jié)日。”

Some of his favorites are National Oreo Cookie Day on March 6 and National Tater Tot Day on February 2.

他最喜歡的是3月6日的全國奧利奧餅干日和2月2日的全國油炸小土豆日。

The National Day Calendar has a list of all the different food and non-food related "holidays." In the past, the website used to let anyone create their own day -- for a price. But now, the site only accepts requests from businesses and other organizations.

這個“全國節(jié)日日歷”列出了跟不同食物以及非食物相關的所有“節(jié)日。”該網站以前允許任何人花錢創(chuàng)造自己的節(jié)日，但是現在該網站只接受企業(yè)和其它機構的申請。

While some food "holidays" are indeed made-up, many have historical roots.

雖然有些美食節(jié)日實際上是編造的，但是很多節(jié)日具有歷史根源。

For example, National Beer Day on April 7 marks the end of a U.S. ban on the production, transport, import and sale of alcoholic drinks. The ban lasted from 1920 until 1933.

例如4月7日的全國啤酒日是紀念美國禁止生產、運輸、進口和銷售含酒精飲料的結束。該禁令從1920年持續(xù)到了1933年。

The Salvation Army, a Christian group, launched U.S. National Doughnut Day on June 1, 1938. It was meant to honor women who served soldiers doughnuts during World War I.

But not everyone likes food holidays.

基督教組織救世軍于1938年6月1日啟動了全國甜甜圈日，旨在紀念一戰(zhàn)期間為士兵提供甜甜圈的婦女們。

Bethany Jean Clement is a food writer for the Seattle Times newspaper. She wrote, "I get that some people might be excited by, say, National Doughnut Day. But you really can have a doughnut any day you want!"

貝塔尼·吉恩·克萊門特(Bethany Jean Clement)是《西雅圖時報》的美食作家。她寫道：“我知道有些人一提到全國甜甜圈日可能就會很興奮，但是你哪天都能吃甜甜圈啊。”

Tavi Juarez, also of Foodimentary.com, thinks national food holidays are here to stay. She told the Seattle Times, "In my humble opinion, I believe that food holidays will continue to grow in popularity online because there's a lot of negativity out there. Why not choose to celebrate food instead?"

同屬Foodimentary.com的塔維·華雷斯(Tavi Juarez)認為全國美食節(jié)日會長期存在。她對《西雅圖時報》表示：“依我個人淺見，我認為美食節(jié)日將會在網上繼續(xù)流行，因為網上到處都是負能量，為什么不選擇慶祝一下美食呢?”

I'm Jonathan Evans.

喬納森·埃文斯報道。