美国人最骄傲的100件事 （节选）

    “我是个美国人……我做事都是靠自学，风格自由，也将以我自己的方式做唱片……”这是索尔•贝娄笔下的奥吉•马奇的台词，这也是数百万美国人的心声，他们坚持自己设定生活的条件。这些勇敢的美国人——包括土著和新移民——没有向历史的潮流屈服，而是自己塑造了自己的命运。他们在经历挫折后重新振作、奋勇向前。他们懂得卷土重来的力量，这是《财富》（Fortune）第四年年度美国人最骄傲的100件事排行榜上的第一桩。（同时，我们仍全速朝着编纂美国人最骄傲的1000件事排行榜这个目标前进。）7月4日美国独立日假期前夕，我们为读者呈现那些独特且美好的人物、地点、产品以及创意，正是它们给了美国生活特有的精神，或者说活力（第3位）。欢迎大家在评论区写下你心中的美国美事。

    今年的规则同往年一样：只能提名在世者，而且不能与往年的榜单重复。非常感谢《财富》今年实习生的帮忙，他们是：莉莉•科恩、普雷斯顿•库珀、克雷格•贾莫纳、瓦伦•纳亚、萨米帕•谢蒂、布兰登•萨沃斯沃德以及安德烈斯•瓦芒德。

    言归正传，以下就是今年的美国人最骄傲的100件事排行榜，排名不分先后。

    ——斯科特•欧斯勒，编辑

1. 东山再起

    比尔•克林顿、泰格•伍兹、唐纳德•特朗普、科比•布莱恩特、情景喜剧《发展受阻》（Arrested Development）……美利坚向来给人第二次机会。

2. Wayfarer系列太阳镜

    美国最酷的坏男孩詹姆斯•迪恩（50年代好莱坞演员，曾主演《伊甸之东》等电影——译注）使Wayfarer系列太阳镜成为永恒的经典。

3. 活力

    梅•韦斯特、玛丽莲•梦露、安迪•考夫曼、坎耶•韦斯特、麦当娜、蕾蒂嘎嘎、唐•金……美国具有原创精神的人物还有很多很多，他们特立独行，致力于打破常规和现状。

4.电视真人秀

    从《这就是你的生活》（This is Your Life）到《现实世界》（The Real World）、《泽西海岸》（The Jersey Shore）再到《鸭子王朝》（Duck Dynasty），真人秀节目展示了美国人最具英雄主义、个人主义和人文主义的一面。

5.每年的总统府火鸡放生仪式

    虽然大部分火鸡都上了人们的餐桌，但每年至少有一对火鸡会获得自由。

    "I am an American ... and go at things as I have taught myself, free-style, and will make the record in my own way...." Saul Bellow's Augie March was speaking on behalf of the millions of Americans who have insisted on dictating the terms of engagement for their own lives. These hardy Americans -- both natives and newcomers -- have not relented to the powerful winds of history; they have fashioned their own destinies. These are the Americans that bounce back and bound forward. Indeed, they know the power of a comeback, which is the first item onFortune's fourth annual list of 100 great things about America. (We, meanwhile, are still going full speed toward our goal of compiling 1,000 marvelous things about the U.S. of A.) As we prepare for our July 4 holiday, we highlight those wonderful, unique people, places, products, and ideas that give American life its special spirit, or its moxie (No. 3). Feel free to add your own in the comments section.

    This year's rules were the same as the previous years': only the living can make the cut, and no repeats from past installments. Many thanks go to this year's crop of Fortune interns for their help: Lily Cohen, Preston Cooper, Craig Giammona, Varun Nayar, Sameepa Shetty, Brandon Southward, and Andres Vaamonde.

    Without further ado, and in no particular order, we give you this year's 100 great things about America.

    --Scott Olster, editor

1. Comebacks

    Bill Clinton, Tiger Woods, Donald Trump, Kobe Bryant, Arrested Development... Ours is a nation of second chances.

2. Wayfarer sunglasses

    Immortalized by none other than James Dean, one of America's coolest rebels.

3. Moxie

    Mae West, Marilyn Monroe, Andy Kaufman, Kanye West, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Don King, the list of American originals -- mavericks who have refused to entertain anything remotely close to the status quo -- goes on and on.

4. Reality TV

    From "This is Your Life" to "The Real World," "The Jersey Shore," and "Duck Dynasty," the genre displays Americans at their most heroic, narcisisstic, and human.

5. Annual presidential turkey pardon

    Though many more end up on the end of a fork, at least one bird goes free every year.