On the American National Flag

One of our great symbols is the American flag, 13 red and white 1)stripes 2)corresponding to the number of original states on a 3)rectangular piece of cloth, one corner blue with 50 white stars for 50 states.

You see the flag everywhere now, 4) “what so proudly we hail.” It means the World Trade Center happened to all of us. “We’re proud to be Americans,” say flags on front 5)porches in small towns across the country. Some homes seem to have been built to fly the flag. This wouldn’t be complete without it; just perfect. “We’re American too” say the flags 6)inelegantly glued to the city apartment windows. The declaration of 7)patriotic intent is everywhere, the simplest as 8)persuasive as the displays where one was considered not enough. Rockefeller Center with 150 beauties is in show business, a stirring sight although it’s unlikely that management there loves our country more than the owner of the smallest small business, displaying just one.

The Annin flag company makes most American flags. They have more business than they can do now. You don’t have to go to Annin to buy a flag though. Flag sales are a street corner cottage industry. 9)Furtive operatives set up shop, to them the buck means more than the 10)banner.

The colors of our flag and the numbers of stars and stripes are 11)ordained, but there is no rule regarding dimension. There are tiny flags on sticks made in China. This grand flag is so big on a building in New York that it had to be continued around the corner. This beauty hangs from the side wall of a fire house. And you wouldn’t want a dirty flag so they wash theirs.

Everyone wants to be associated with the flag. America and Yale, America and 12)Episcopalians, America and 13)J.P. Morgan, America and 14)Maxell, America and the Ritz Tower.

There are inevitably people who are more anxious to appear patriotic than to be patriotic. They tread a fine line between patriotism and commerce. The flag is everywhere in close 15)proximity to a business interest. It sells shoes and shoe repair, women’s dresses. The American flag invites 16)diners to foreign restaurants, Japanese, Italian, even Afghan.

There is an official flag code but it is 17)routinely ignored. It is not proper to use the flag as a table cloth. It is not to be used as an 18)awning or a 19)canopy or plastered to the 20)hood of a car. The code says the American flag is not to be used as 21)decorative clothing. Some find it 22)irresistibly 23)fashionable though and we are more amused than they.

This is how the star 24)spangled banner was meant to be flown on the end of a pole of its own, free to wave 25)majestically in our own free air.CE

11、美国国旗

美国的伟大象征之一是国旗，长方形布上13道红白相间的条纹表示美国原来的州数，蓝色一角上印着的50颗白星代表50个州。

现在是四处都能看到国旗，“是什么让我们如此骄傲。”那表示世贸中心事件与每个美国人息息相联。

美国各小城镇的前廊悬挂着的国旗体现出“身为美国人的骄傲”。

有些房子仿佛就是为了挂国旗而建的。

没有国旗便不完整；挂上后便完美了。

“我们也是美国人”--这是斜贴在这所市内公寓窗外的国旗传达出的信息。

处处洋溢着爱国宣言，从小处看最能让人信服这一点，比如，有些人认为挂一面国旗还不足够。

洛克菲勒中心高高飘起150面美丽的美国国旗，景象令人叹为观止，但这并不说明此处的管理者就比只挂出一面国旗的小商店店主更爱国。

安宁国旗公司出产全美大部分的国旗。

现在他们的生意是应接不暇。

但要买国旗并不非得到安宁公司。

街角也有出售国旗的摊子。

对于那些偷偷售卖国旗的街贩，钱比国旗更重要。

美国国旗的颜色、星星的数目、横条都是规定好了的，但尺寸大小就没有限制。

有中国制造的小签国旗。

纽约一栋大楼外的国旗巨大得要转弯接着挂起。

消防局的墙上挂着一面国旗。

如果不想挂脏国旗就像他们一样拿去清洗吧。

人人都想跟国旗扯上关系：美国和耶鲁、美国和圣公会教徒、美国和摩根、美国和万胜、美国和丽晶大厦。

难免也有人摆出爱国姿态而非真正爱国。

他们在爱国主义和商业间徘徊。

随处可见对国旗感兴趣的商家∶卖鞋和修鞋的，女士的裙子。

美国国旗吸引顾客到外国餐馆用餐-日本餐馆、意大利餐馆、甚至阿富汗餐馆。

政府有国旗用法的规定，但常给人们忽视了：国旗不能拿来当餐布，不能做遮篷、檐篷或汽车贴条。

美国国旗按规定是不能用来设计服装的--有些人却觉得难以抵制此诱惑，我们比他们还更乐在其中。

美国国旗应当高挂在旗杆上，自由自在地在美国领土的上空美丽庄严地飘扬。

CE

1) stripe [straip] n. 条纹

2) correspond to 等于

3) rectangular [rek5ANgjulE] a. 矩形的

4) “What so proudly we hailed”The Star Spangled Banner”

5) porch [pC:tF] n. 门廊，走廊

6) inelegantly [in5eligEntli] adv. 不优美地

7) patriotic [pAntri5Ctik] a. 有爱国心的

8) persuasive [pE5sweisiv] a. 善说服的

9) furtive [5fE:tiv] a. 偷偷摸摸的

10) banner [5bAnEr] n. 旗帜，横幅

11) ordained [C:5dein] a. 注定的，规定的

12) episcopalian [ipiskE5peiliEn] n.美国圣公会教徒

13) J.P. Morgan，是在世界上享有盛誉的一家综合性金融公司。

14) 美国Maxell公司是一家生产高品质录音和录象录制品和辅件的企业。

15) proximity [prCk5simiti] n. 接近，亲近

16) diner [5dainEr] n. 用餐者

17) routinely [ru:5ti:nli] adv. 例行公事地

18) awning [5C:niN] n. 雨篷

19) canopy [5kAnEpi] n. 遮篷

20) hood [hud] n. 车篷

21) decorative [5dekErEtiv] a. 装饰的

22) irresistibly [7iri5zistEbli] adv. 无法抵抗地

23) fashionable [5fAFnEbEl] a. 流行的，时髦的

24) spangled [5spANgEl] a. 闪烁的

25) majestically [mE5dVestikli] adv. 庄严地，壮丽地

Americans celebrate the Fourth of July with family gatherings, parades, speeches and fireworks. They also celebrate with patriotic music.The official song of the United States is "The Star-Spangled Banner." Francis Scott Key wrote the words in eighteen-fourteen. At that time, America and Britain were at war. Francis Scott Key watched as British forces attacked Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland. Through the smoke and fire, he could see a huge American flag flying over the army base.

The next morning, after the battle, he looked to see which flag flew over Fort McHenry. It would tell which side had won. Key saw that the American flag still flew. He wrote a poem re-creating the event. Soon after, music was added to his words. The United States Congress made "The Star-Spangled Banner" the national song in nineteen thirty-one.

Americans sing it at the beginning of many public meetings and sports events. Here is America's national song, performed by Faith Hill.

Some people say "The Star-Spangled Banner" is difficult to sing. Others do not like the words. Some people have suggested that the United States change its national song. They say many other songs that celebrate America would be better.

One of these is called "America." It is also known as "My Country 'Tis of Thee." Samuel Smith wrote it in Eighteen-Thirty-Two. The music is the same as the British national song, "God Save the Queen." The Southwestern Christian College Chorus sings "America."

Ray Charles

Some people think "America the Beautiful" is one of the best songs that celebrates America. Katherine Lee Bates wrote the words in eighteen-ninety-three. Samuel Ward wrote the music. Many singers and groups have recorded "America the Beautiful." Ray Charles sings his version.

Many people think "God Bless America" is the best song that celebrates America. Irving Berlin wrote it in nineteen-seventeen. It became popular twenty years later when Kate Smith sang it on a national radio broadcast. Listen now to the young voices of the American Boychoir as they perform "God Bless America."

Other people would like America's national song to be "This Land is Your Land." Woody Guthrie wrote the words in nineteen forty. It became one of the most popular folk songs in America. Pete Seeger and the Weavers sing "This Land is Your Land."

Years ago, Lee Greenwood recorded a song called "God Bless the U.S.A." This song has gained new meaning and popularity since the terrorist attacks on the United States, September eleventh, two thousand one. Listen as Lee Greenwood sings "God Bless the U.S.A."

This program was written by Jerilyn Watson. It was produced by Caty Weaver. Our studio engineer was Keith Holmes. I'm Mary Tillotson.

And I'm Steve Ember. Join us again next week for another report about life in the United States on the VOA Special English program THIS IS AMERICA.