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Thursday is Thanksgiving Day in the United States, a time when American families gather in their homes to recount their blessings and eat… and eat and eat - especially the traditional meal of turkey and pumpkin pie. But for those without a home or family, Thanksgiving can be a lonely time.

星期四是美国的感恩节，这是美国家庭欢聚一堂、抒发感怀的时候。另外一件事就是吃，不断的吃东西，特别是感恩节大餐上传统的火鸡和南瓜派。但是对于那些没有房子和家的人来说，感恩节却是一个孤独的时刻。

Lunch time at the shelter

Fortunately, in most American communities, there are places where those on the outside can come on in for some home-cooked food and a sense of belonging, served up warm by caring volunteers. And New York City is no exception.

所幸，在大部份社区里都有那么一些地方，在这里，无家可归的人可以进来吃上一顿由充满爱心的义工送上的家常饭，从而有一种归属感。纽约就有这么一家施食处。

At noon, at the Neighborhood Coalition for Shelter on Manhattan's Upper East Side, a couple of days before the holiday, there's a hot lunch ready for the 75 or so homeless people who regularly come here for some nourishment and a friendly smile. But there will be double the number of diners - or clients - here on Thanksgiving… and, says shelter program director Patricia Cobb-Richardson, double the excitement.

记者到达曼哈顿上城东区的社区避难联合会时，正好是正午。一顿热呼呼的午餐正在等待着将近75位无家可归的人。他们天天都到这里来获得一些营养食品，同时也会看到友好的笑容。但是在感恩节这一天，来吃饭的人比平时多出一倍。这对社区避难项目主任理查森来说，会带来双倍的兴奋。

"It's a very exciting day because we get many volunteers from the community who want to take this day, this opportunity, to give back," she says, "and the clients are very excited because their bellies are full of very delicious traditional turkey meals." Ms. Cobb-Richardson adds that shelter clients are also emotionally enriched by the experience "because there are many volunteers who come from the community and not only serve them food but serve them good will. And I think it is good will that lasts beyond the meal." Ms. Cobb-Richardson observes that the good will runs both ways - that the volunteers "get as good as they give."

她说：“这是令兴奋的一天，因为我们有很多来自社区的义工，他们要利用这个机会回馈社会。我们的客人也很激动，因为他们享用了非常美味的火鸡大餐，肚子填得满满的，他们在感情上也更加充实。很多来自社区的志愿人员不仅给他们吃的，也给他们带来了善意。我认为，这种好意所持续的时间要比那顿午餐支撑的时间长。”理查森说，这种善意是双向的，义工在给予别人善意的同时，“也得到了同样的回报。”

"I think they come with their hearts open and they are eager to be around a community of people who may be poor, but certainly are not poor in heart. And they haven't had this exchange between another human being who has less than they do -- certainly not a home as they do. And they feel grateful. The clients also feel grateful," she says, "because they are treated as human beings with dignity and respect. So it's a very rich day for all of us."

“我认为，他们带着开阔的心怀来到这里，而且乐于与很多虽然物质上可能穷、但是内心并不贫瘠的人在一起。他们没有与比他们所拥有的物质少的人有过这种交流，这些人显然不象他们那样有一个家。很多义工心里充满感激，我们的顾客也充满感激，因为他们得到了人一样的尊严和尊敬，他们也过得很高兴。所以，对于我们所有的人来说，这是非常有意义的一天。”

The Thanksgiving feast itself will certainly be rich enough. It's being prepared by staff chef Lenny Stringer. He once worked in New York's finest restaurants, but decided to devote his talents to feeding the homeless. He offers a foretaste of Thursday's menu while stirring some soup.

感恩节大餐本身当然也会非常的丰盛。这顿大餐是由这里的厨师斯特林格准备的。他曾经在纽约最高级的餐馆里当过厨师，但是决定把他的厨艺用来满足无家可归的人。他给我们展示了星期四这顿大餐的菜谱。

"We've got turkey going, traditional turkey. We're doing a cornbread stuffing, which is sort of a southern thing. We're doing ham with a praline sauce. We're doing string beans with almonds… mashed potatoes, roasted egg plant, butternut squash, candied yams, salad…."

“我们有火鸡，传统的火鸡。我们正在准备玉米面包的馅，这是比较南方的风格。我们用果仁调料做火腿。我们还有杏仁扁豆。”

For Darius Demosthenes, 26, who has been living at this facility for six weeks, it is actually the promised macaroni and cheese that will help him most feel at home this Thanksgiving. But that's not all.

这个感恩节，对于在这个施食处生活了六个星期的26岁的德莫斯特内斯来说，最能使他有家一般感觉的是保证能吃到的通心粉加乳酪。但是这并不是一切。

"… When you combine that in an intimate atmosphere… that is accepting and understanding of our situation and you set it up on a holiday like that, it becomes even more of a good feeling," he says. "I know that on this day, I may not have any family, I may be homeless, but I know that these people are feeding me. They love me as a human being and they care about my well-being."

他说：“当你把这种感觉与一个亲近的气氛，特别是一个接受并且理解我们处境的气氛结合起来，然后放在这样一个节日的氛围里，这种感觉就更好了。我知道，我今天坐在这张桌子上，我可能没有家庭，也可能无家可归，但是我们知道这些人正在给我提供吃的。他们把我当作一个人来爱，也关心我的福祉。”

德莫斯特内斯先生补充到：“感恩节这是一个与你所爱的人、朋友、照顾你的人以及那些偶然相遇的好客的人重新建立起一种联系的好时候，而且对活着心存感激。”

Chef Lenny Stringer says that for him, being truly alive means giving his best to others.

斯特林格厨师谈到，对于他来说，真正活着意味着把自己最好的东西奉献给别人。

"You give anyone your best. That's what my parents taught us," he says. "In settings like this you can use your food knowledge and cook great food for people who may not be doing as well as you are doing. That's what it's all about. Just work hard and everything just kind of works out for itself."

“你把自己最好的给别人。这是我父母亲教育我们的。在这样的一个环境里，你可以用你对食品的了解，给那些可能不如你活得好的人做很好吃的东西。这就是生活的真谛。只要拼命工作，所有事情就会自然的水到渠成。”

Mr. Stringer says that anyone can become homeless. "You could just have a breakup with your wife. Maybe you've got a gambling problem. Maybe you've got a bastard of a landlord who just decides he doesn't want you in his building anymore. I look at it as we are all kind of helping each other."

斯特林格先生说：“如今，一个人成为无家可归难道是很难的事情吗？可能任何一件事就会使你落到这种境地。你可能只是与你的妻子分手了。也许你有赌博的问题。也许你碰巧遇到一个很坏的房东，他决定不要你再住在他的房子里。我把我们所做的事情看成是一种互相帮助。”

That's a sentiment all Americans can share -- and be grateful for -- this Thanksgiving Day.

这种情感是所有美国人都能够体会得到的，他们在感恩节这一天都心存感激。