标题: Independence Day 美国独立日 [打印本页] 作者: Interpreter 时间: 2020-7-7 10:36 标题: Independence Day 美国独立日 回帖下载完整视频、音频及双语文本：
The fourth of July, or Independence Day, is a fun summer holiday - a day when you may see lots of flags, parades, and fireworks! But have you ever wondered what the celebration is about?
Back in 1775, the thirteen American colonies rebelled against the control of Great Britain and sparked a war, known in the United States as the Revolutionary War. After a year of fighting, the Second Continental Congress took a vote and decided that it was time for the colonies to officially declare their independence from British rule. They wanted to be free, and to be in charge of their own government.
On June 11, 1776, the Continental Congress appointed Thomas Jefferson, along with Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Robert Livingston, and Roger Sherman, to write a document to explain why they were declaring their independence.
At first, not everyone agreed to vote for independence. They argued and debated the issue for days. Finally, on July 2nd, the agreement to declare independence passed.
起初，并非所有人都投票赞成独立。他们争论和辩论了好几天。最终，在7月2日，宣布独立的协议获得通过。
Congress made a few changes to the words of the document, and two days later, on July 4th, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was officially adopted.
国会对该文件的措词进行了一些修改，两天后，即1776年7月4日，国会正式通过了《独立宣言》。
Not only did the Declaration of Independence state that the colonies would no longer be under British Rule, it said that governments only exist for the good of the people they govern, and that all people are equal.
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
Because July 4th is the day that the colonies said that they were free from Great Britain, the 4th of July is sometimes called America's birthday. Every year since then, Independence day has been celebrated on July 4th, with parades, music, gun salutes, cannonfire, and yes - even fireworks.