美国的新国鸟
America’s New National Bird!
The bald eagle soars over North America. The mighty bird hunts across Alaska — and all across the contiguous United States. Americans have used the bald eagle as a symbol for their country since the 1700s. Yet it was not the nation’s official bird until now. On December 24, 2024, U.S. President Joe Biden made the bald eagle America’s national bird.
北美大地上，到处都有秃鹫飞过。这种可怕的鸟在阿拉斯加全境捕猎—同时，也穿越美国领土及邻国土地。自从18世纪以来，美国人民一直在用秃鹫作为国家象征。然而，直到今天，2024年12月24日，美国总统拜登才正式将秃鹫列为美利坚国鸟.
The United States was founded in 1776. But the young nation needed an official seal. Leaders had to create a design that would represent the country. In 1782, they adopted the Great Seal of the United States. That included a bald eagle. The eagle holds 13 arrows and an olive branch.
美利坚合众国成立于1776年，但是彼时，这个年轻的共和国需要一枚官方印章。国家领导人们不得不去设计可以代表这个国家的印章。1782年，他们采用了美国国徽：一只秃鹫手握13只箭和一涑橄榄枝.
Ever since, the bald eagle has been a symbol of the United States. The bird with a white head has appeared on the country’s coins and stamps. It shows up on flags and important documents. A famous painting inside the U.S. Capitol includes a bald eagle. Many Americans thought the bald eagle was their national bird. At last, it finally is.
从那以后，秃鹫就一直是美国的象征。这只白头鸟出现在流通货币上以及国家印章上；国旗上和重要文献上；国会大厦里一副著名的油画上也有秃鹫的身影。许多美国人民以为秃鹫就是他们的国鸟。最终，尘埃落地。
Preston Cook helped make this happen. He wrote a bill to explain why the bald eagle should be America’s national bird. It said the bird represents “independence, strength, and freedom.” It said the eagle is used by “all branches of the United States military.” And the bill called bald eagles “integral to the spiritual lives and sacred belief systems of most Indigenous peoples.”
普利斯顿. 库克使这一切变成可能。他起草了一份法案解释了为什么秃鹫应该成为美国国鸟。法案里说这种鸟代表了“独立自主；力量以及自由”；法案里也说美国军队各个分支也在使用鹰作为象征。法案称秃鹫是“大多数土生土长的人们神圣信仰以及与上帝同在的灵魂生命中不可或缺的一个部分”
Cook’s bill also mentioned the efforts of Americans to save the bald eagle. In the 1960s, there were fewer than 500 nesting pairs outside of Alaska. But people — and the U.S. government — worked to keep the eagle from going extinct. New laws protected the bird. Today, the nation is home to more than 300,000 bald eagles.
库克的法案中也提到了美国人民在19世纪60年代如何拯救秃鹫的故事。在阿拉斯加以外那时的秃鹫数量少于500羽对，但是人们以及美国政府共同努力，通过新的立法，防止了鹰的种类灭绝。如今，美国是30多万只秃鹫的家园.
Three U.S. senators introduced the bill in June 2024. Every senator voted for it in July. The bill also had unanimous support in the House of Representatives. Every U.S. representative voted for it on December 16. Then President Biden made the bill a law with his signature.
2024年6月，三位参议员引入了库克的法案。7月进入投票阶段。库克的法案在众议院也全员通过。12月16日，参众两院代表对法案投票通过。然后，拜登总统签字正式将这部法案列为宪法。
“For nearly 250 years, we called the bald eagle the national bird when it wasn’t,” said Jack Davis from the National Eagle Center. “But now the title is official,” he added. “And no bird is more deserving.”
“将近250年来，我们一直称秃鹫为国鸟，实际上，它不是” 国家鹰类中心的杰克. 戴维斯说，“但是现在实名所致了。他接着说：”没有鸟比秃鹫更值得拥有这个称号“
The United States has several national symbols. The rose grows as the national flower. The oak tree stands tall as the national tree. And the bison roams as the national mammal. Now the bald eagle can fly high as an official symbol of the United States.
美利坚合众国有几种国家象征。美国作为国花开遍美国大地；橡树作为果树迎风挺立；野牛作为国家哺乳动物漫步草原；如今秃鹫作为国鸟展翅高飞在美国领土上空.
By Russell Kahn (Russ)