"Please pass the turkey and dressing." What does this simple request make you think about? If you are an American, you think about Thanksgiving. A turkey dinner symbolizes Thanksgiving for Americans. What does Thanksgiving remind Americans of? Their families. Thanksgiving is a family time. On this holiday, families gather to gobble up the gobbler and stuff themselves with stuffing. Family members enjoy watching parades and football games on TV and just being together. What does "family" mean to Americans?

The traditional American family is a "nuclear family." A nuclear family refers to a husband and wife and their children. The average American family today has two or three children (and maybe a few pets). In some cultures, people live close to their extended family. Several generations may even live together. In America, only in a few cases does more than one household live under one roof.

American values receive a warm welcome in the home. Many homes are run like a democracy. Each family member can have a say. A sense of equality often exists in American homes. Instead of fearing Mom and Dad, children may think of them as good friends. Husbands and wives often share household chores. In many cases, a child can enjoy privacy in his or her own bedroom. From an early age, children gain responsibility in handling money. They may receive a weekly allowance or even work part-time jobs. Often parents give children freedom to make their own decisions. Preschoolers choose what clothes to wear or which toys to buy. Young adults generally make their own choices about what career to pursue and whom to marry.

Families in America, like those in every culture, face many problems. Social pressures are breaking apart more and more American homes. Over half of U.S. marriages now end in divorce. More than one in four American children are growing up in single-parent homes. As a result, many people believe the American family is in trouble.

Even so, there is still reason for hope. Many organizations are working hard to strengthen families. Americans almost unanimously believe that the family is one of the most important parts of life. The vast majority also feel that the traditional two-parent family is best for children. They realize that problems in family life in recent years have brought about serious consequences. As a result, more and more people are making their family a priority. Many women are quitting their jobs to stay home with their children. Families are going on vacations and outings together. Husbands and wives are making a concentrated effort to keep their marriages solid.

The United Nations has declared 1994 the "International Year of the Family." Not just in America, but all over the world, people recognize the importance of strong families. How do you strengthen the family bond? Do special things for each other. Talk to each other. Play together. Spend time together. Oh, and one more thing: be thankful for each other. If you have a family, every day should be Thanksgiving.

美国家庭

「请将火鸡与配料递给我。」这个简单的请求令你想起什么？如果你是美国人，你会想到感恩节。对美国人而言，火鸡大餐象征感恩节。感恩节提醒了美国人哪些事情呢？--他们的家人。感恩节是家人聚集的时间，在这个节日，家人聚在一起对着火鸡以及鸡腹中的调味材料大快朵颐；家人享受一起看游行、看足球比赛的电视转播以及同聚的时光。到底家庭对于美国人的意义是什么？

传统的美国家庭被称为「核心家庭」。核心家庭包含了先生、太太和小孩子，今日美国的一般家庭有二个或三个小孩（或者再加上几只宠物）。在一些文化里，大家庭住在一起，甚至好几代的人同住。在美国，只有极少的情况下才会有超过一个家庭同住一个屋檐下。

美国人看重对家人回家时热诚的欢迎。许多家庭用民主政治般的方式来治理，家中每个人都有发言权利，公平观念广泛存在于美国的家庭当中；除了敬畏之情外，孩子们也将父母亲当成好朋友，夫妇经常彼此共同分担家务；许多家庭的孩子在自己的卧室内享有隐私权；孩子们在很小的时候便有理财的责任，他们可能每个礼拜会有零用钱或是出去打工；父母亲常会给孩子们自己做决定的自由，学龄前的孩子可以自己选择穿什衣服或买什么玩具，青年人则可自由选择职业及结婚的对象。

正如许多其它文化一样，美国的家庭也面对许多问题。社会的压力正将愈来愈多的美国家庭解体。现在，超过半数以上的婚姻在美国是以离婚做结束；每四个小孩中就有超过一位是由单亲养育长大的，它的结果是造成了许多人相信美国家庭有麻烦了。

即使如此，还是有盼望。许多机构正努力巩固家庭。几乎所有的美国人都相信家庭是生命中最重要的一部份。大多数人也认为传统双亲式的家庭对小孩子是最好的。他们明白近来家庭生活的问题，已带来了许多严重的结果。所以，愈来愈多的人将家庭视为第一优先。许多妇女辞去工作在家陪孩子。全家人一起渡假或出去玩，丈夫与妻子一起集中心力使婚姻稳固。

联合国已宣布一九九四年为国际家庭年。不止是在美国，全世界的人都明白一个稳固的家庭的重要性。你如何坚固你的家庭呢？为彼此做些特别的事情，一起聊天，一起玩，花时间在一起。喔！还有一件事情：对彼此怀着感恩之心，如果你有家庭，每天都应是感恩节。

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