美国国旗日②

　　美国的国旗日(FlagDay)是纪念美国大陆会议1777年6月14日通过美国第一面由贝蒂''罗斯(BetsyRoss)所设计的正式'星条'国旗(当年只有13颗星)。美国第一次大规模的国旗纪念活动是在1876年庆祝建国100周年时进行的。19世纪90年代,不少公立学校倡议每年在6月14日举行国旗纪念活动,很快得到了广泛的响应。1893年费城首先承认6月14日为国旗日.

　　FlagDay（美国国旗日）

　　FlagDay(US)

　　June14

　　Nationalflagsarenotmerelysymbolsofacountry.Theircolorsanddesignsconveypasthistoryandfuturegoals.Flagshavepowerfulconnotations（内涵）.Theyspeaktothepeopleandpoliticians.Peopleofonecountrywillburntheflagofanotherwithwhosepoliticstheydonotagree.Toshowtheiranger,studentsdisplaytheirownnation'sflagswiththedesignalteredorcutoutcompletely.Dictatorsflyflags;dissidents（持不同政见者）ripthemdown.Ineverycountryoftheworld,thetreatmentofaflagdisplaysanopinionorstatement.

　　Americanstakethetreatmentoftheirflagseriouslyandinthe20thcenturythishasbecomeanimportantissue.Includedinthecodeofethicsaresuchrulesasthenationalflagcannotbeusedforadvertising.Itcannotcoveramonumentoranyceilings.Itmustnotbefoldedwhilebeingdisplayed.NooneshouldwriteonanAmericanflag.Shipscanlowertheirflagsslightlyingreetingeachother,butotherwiseshouldnotbedippedforanyotherobjectorperson.

　　Inthelate1960s,Americanstudentsworesmallflagssewntothebackoftheirjeans,symbolicallyinsultingtheAmericangovernmentandprotestingitsinvolvementintheVietnamWar.TheyburnedtheAmericanflaginfrontoftheCapitolBuilding（国会大厦）inWashingtonasastatementofprotest.Intheearly1990s,senatorssuggestedanamendmenttotheConstitution（宪法）thatwouldmakethistreatmentoftheflagillegal.Theproposition（提议、议案）wasopposedbecausemanyothersfeltthatthischangewouldbeaviolationofAmericans'constitutionalrightstoexpresstheiropinionsfreely.

　　ForallthecontroversyitisinterestingtopointoutthattheUnitedStatesdidnotevenhaveastandardizedflaguntil1912!Calledthe'StarsandStripes,'or'OldGlory,'theflagisoneofthemostcomplicatedintheworld.Nootherflagneeds64piecesoffabrictomake.Thecurrentflaghas13redandwhitealternating（交互的）stripes(representingtheoriginal13states)and50stars(eachstarrepresentsoneofthestatesoftheUnion)onabluebackground.

　　TheAmericanflaghasalsochangeddesignsmorethananyotherflagintheworld.Thefirstflag,calledtheGrandUnion,wasfirstflownattheheadquartersoftheContinentArmyonJanuary1,1776.BetsyRoss,aseamstress(女裁缝),issaidtohavecontributedtothisdesign.Shehadanupholstery（室内装潢）businesswhichmadeflagsfornavyshipsinPennsylvania.AlegendstillpersiststhatsheshowedGeorgeWashingtonhowtomakeafive-pointedstarandsuggestedthirteenstarsinacircleforthefirstflag.Herdescendantsclaimedthatsheofferedthedesign.Actually,sheandGeorgeWashingtonnevermet!GeorgeWashingtondiddesigntheGrandUnion.

　　OnJune14,1777,theContinentalCongressproposedthattheUnitedStateshaveanationalflaginsteadoftheBritishUnionJack.The13starsoftheflagrepresentedthe13newstates.TherewerefewpublicceremonieshonoringtheStarsandStripesuntil1877,whenon,June14,itwasflownfromeverygovernmentbuildinginhonorofthecentennial（百年纪念）oftheadoptionofanationalflag.Schoolshadunfurled（展示）Americanflagsovertheirdoorsoroutsidethebuildingslongbeforethis;butin1890,NorthDakotaandNewJerseymadealawthatrequiredtheirschoolstoflytheflagdaily.ThefirstofficialFlagDaywasobservedinPhiladelphia,Pennsylvaniain1893.NewYorkalsoproclaimedJune14asFlagDay1897.Otherstateswereslowtofollow.SomepeoplethoughtthatthedaywastooclosetoMemorialDayandIndependenceDay.

　　InAugust1949,PresidentHarryS.TrumanproclaimedJune14asFlagDay.SincethenthePresidentproclaimsthecommemoration（纪念会）yearly,andencouragesallAmericansinthecountrytodisplaytheStarsandStripesoutsidetheirhomesandbusinesses.Individualstatesdeterminehowtheywillobservetheday.InPennsylvaniaandAmericanSamoaitisapublicholiday.Usuallytheflagisflownfromallpublicbuildings,speechesaremadeinpublicplacesandceremoniestakeplaceintownsorcities。