After 10 months in office, US President Barack Obama granted his first pardon Wednesday to "Courage," a 45-pound (20-kilogram) turkey spared from the Thanksgiving dinner table. Accompanied by daughters Sasha and Malia, Obama stood under the North Portico¹ of the White House to honor a holiday tradition that dates to 1947 — receiving a bird from the National Turkey Federation².

本周三，上任10个月的美国总统巴拉克•奥巴马首次赦免了一只重45磅（20公斤）、名叫“勇气”的火鸡，使之免于成为感恩节大餐。当天，在女儿萨沙和玛莉亚的陪伴下，奥巴马站在白宫的北门廊下赦免了一只来自全国火鸡联盟的火鸡。美国总统赦免火鸡的感恩节传统始于1947年。

Malia Obama (2nd R), daughter of US President Barack Obama (R) reacts to "Courage" during the annual White House turkey pardoning ceremony on the North Portico of the White House in Washington, November 25, 2009. Also pictured are Chairman of the National Turkey Federation Walter Pelletier (L) and Sasha Obama (2nd L).

"I'm told Presidents Eisenhower and Johnson actually ate their turkeys," Obama said. "You can't fault（挑剔，指责） them for that; that's a good-looking bird."

On the Thanksgiving holiday, the last Thursday in November, many Americans have turkey for lunch or dinner.

President George H.W. Bush was the first to officially pardon a turkey.

Obama joked about wanting to forgo³（作罢，放弃） the tradition and eat "Courage."

"Thanks to the interventions⁴ of Malia and Sasha — because I was planning to eat this sucker — 'Courage' will also be spared this terrible and delicious fate," he said.

Obama said he wished all American service members at home and abroad a happy Thanksgiving, saying it is a "tremendous honor it is to serve as commander in chief of the finest military in the world."

He also spoke⁵ about the first family's plans for the holiday dinner.

"Just like millions of other families across America, we'll take time to give our thanks for many blessings," Obama said. "We'll also remember this is a time when so many members of our American family are hurting."

Obama noted⁶ that President Abraham Lincoln made Thanksgiving a holiday in the midst of the Civil War in the 1860s, "when the future of our very union was most in doubt."

"This is an era（纪元，时代） of new perils⁷（危险，冒险） and new hardships," he added. "So on this quintessentially（精髓的，典型的） American holiday, as we give thanks for what we've got, let's also give back to those who are less fortunate."

After his remarks, the turkey was lifted to a table and Obama raised his hand over its head to deliver a mock-serious pardon.

"You are hereby pardoned," he said.

Obama said "Courage" will get to spend the rest of his life in "peace and tranquility（宁静）" at a Disneyland amusement park.