Who Was Thomas Jefferson 托马斯·杰斐逊

Thomas Jefferson is pictured on U.S. nickels. He is also portrayed¹ on the giant Mount Rushmore sculpture in South Dakota. The Jefferson Memorial is a popular landmark² in Washington, D.C. Jefferson City, Missouri, and Mount Jefferson in Oregon are among the many places named for him.

Why is Thomas Jefferson honored in all these ways?

He wrote the Declaration of Independence. This paper announced the birth of the United States in 1776. Its stirring words, such as “all men are created equal,” have inspired people for more than 225 years.

Jefferson was a giant in many fields. A great statesman, he was our third President. A gifted architect, he designed Virginia’s statehouse and the University of Virginia campus. People called him “Mr. Mammoth” because he collected prehistoric³ bones. His book collection became the core of the Library of Congress.

Despite his many public triumphs, Jefferson’s private life was often sad. His wife, Martha, died at the age of only thirty-three. Only two of Thomas and Martha’s six children lived to adulthood⁴. Jefferson also felt guilty that he didn’t live by his own words. The man who wrote, “all men are created equal,” owned hundreds of slaves. And toward the end of his life, the former President landed deeply in debt.

This is the true story of a man with many sides: Thomas Jefferson.

1 portrayed   

v.画像( portray的过去式和过去分词 )；描述；描绘；描画

参考例句：

• Throughout the trial, he portrayed himself as the victim. 在审讯过程中，他始终把自己说成是受害者。
• The author portrayed his father as a vicious drunkard. 作者把他父亲描绘成一个可恶的酒鬼。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

2 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
• The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

3 prehistoric   

adj.（有记载的）历史以前的，史前的，古老的

参考例句：

• They have found prehistoric remains.他们发现了史前遗迹。
• It was rather like an exhibition of prehistoric electronic equipment.这儿倒像是在展览古老的电子设备。

4 adulthood   

n.成年，成人期

参考例句：

• Some infantile actions survive into adulthood.某些婴儿期的行为一直保持到成年期。
• Few people nowadays are able to maintain friendships into adulthood.如今很少有人能将友谊维持到成年。