难免也有人摆出爱国姿态而非真正爱国。他们在爱国主义和商业间徘徊。随处可见对国旗感兴趣的商家:卖鞋和修鞋的,女士的裙子。美国国旗吸引顾客到外国餐馆用餐――日本餐馆、意大利餐馆、甚至阿富汗餐馆。

　　There is an official flag code but it is routinely ignored. It is not to be used as a awning or a canopy or plastered to the hood of a car. The code says the American flag is not to be used as decorative clothing. Some find it irresistibly fashionable though and we are more amused than they.

　　政府有国旗用法的规定,但常给人们忽视了:国旗不能拿来当餐布,不能做遮篷、檐篷或汽车贴条。美国国旗按规定是不能用来设计服装的――有些人却觉得难以抵制此诱惑,我们比他们还更乐在其中。

　　This is how the star spangled banner was meant to be flown on the end of a pole of its own, free to wave majestically in our own free air.

　　美国国旗应当挂在旗杆上,自由自在地在美国领土的上空美丽庄严地飘扬。liuxuepaper.com