THIS IS AMERICA - Mount Vernon

THIS IS AMERICA - Mount¹ Vernon
By

Broadcast: Monday, July 12, 2004

VOICE ONE:

Welcome to THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English. I'm Doug Johnson.

VOICE TWO:

 
Graphic² Image
And I'm Gwen Outen. Today we visit Mount Vernon, the home of the first president of the United States, George Washington.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

George Washington lived at Mount Vernon in Virginia for more than forty-five years. The big wooden house is twenty-four kilometers south of America's capital city named in his honor³.

 
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George Washington was born in seventeen-thirty-two. Before he became president, he commanded the troops who won the American Revolution against Britain. He helped create the United States of America. Some historians⁴ say the nation would not exist if George Washington had never lived.

Washington helped choose where to build the new capital city and a house for the president. Yet he is the only president who never lived in the White House. It was completed after he left office. He lived in New York and later Philadelphia while president. But Mount Vernon was always important to him.

Today it remains⁵ an important place in history for a lot of people who visit Washington, D.C., and nearby areas.

VOICE TWO

George Washington helped design Mount Vernon. He died there in seventeen-ninety-nine. The property seems not too much different today. But there are big plans for the two-hundred hectares of present-day Mount Vernon. The goal is to make the hero of long ago more meaningful to the people of today.

The group that operates Mount Vernon sought the plans. The Mount Vernon Ladies' Association⁶ noted⁷ studies showing that young people know little about George Washington. Several years ago, the association decided⁸ to try to make him more real to visitors. The new building project resulted from that decision.

Eighty-five million dollars in gifts have been promised for the expansion⁹. The money is creating a center to welcome visitors to Mount Vernon. An education center and an underground museum also are being built.

At the education center, visitors will be able to use interactive¹⁰ devices¹¹ to see information and images. A new library will contain electronic versions¹² of Washington's papers and letters. The University of Virginia has those papers. The university is helping¹³ to produce the online collection.

VOICE ONE:

Mount Vernon director James Rees says three life-size statues of Washington will stand in the education center. One will represent him as a young explorer and land recorder. Another will show Washington as commander of the Continental¹⁴ Army during the revolution against England. A third statue will represent him as president. He led the new United States from seventeen-eighty-nine to seventeen-ninety-seven.

Production will begin soon on a short movie about Washington. Visitors will see it in a new Mount Vernon theater. People will be introduced to George Washington as a man of action as well as a landowner and farmer. Visitors will also see a new exhibit¹⁵ of Washington and his soldiers crossing the Delaware River.

The exhibit will show America's colonial¹⁶ commander on his way to winning a surprise victory in New Jersey¹⁷. The Battle of Trenton was one of the turning points of the American Revolution. The presentation will seem very real. Man-made snow will even fall on visitors.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

Many things at Mount Vernon will remain the same after the additions. Guides will still wear clothing of Washington's time. They will tell visitors about his daily life. And they will explain his service to America.

George Washington spent many years away from his home. In seventeen-seventy-five, he took command of the Continental Army of the American colonies¹⁸. After the victory, some people wanted him to be president for life. Or even king. But Washington said Americans had fought for freedom from such rulers.

He was elected president two times without opposition¹⁹. He was offered a third term. But he refused. He wanted to return to the life he had led at Mount Vernon before the war.

VOICE ONE:

And that is what he did. George Washington returned to Mount Vernon. During those last years, he led the life of a rich farmer. He directed the work of five farms.

 
Dining room.
He and his wife Martha often invited friends for meals in the dining room at Mount Vernon. The Washingtons also provided²⁰ sleeping rooms and food for travelers. Very few hotels existed then. So George and Martha Washington offered a place to stay for about six-hundred visitors a year. Many were strangers.

VOICE TWO:

But George Washington was able to enjoy retirement²¹ at Mount Vernon for less than three years. In seventeen-ninety-nine, the former president became sick. Modern doctors believe he died of a severe infection. He was sixty-seven years old.

Citizens mourned. The United States had declared its independence on July fourth, seventeen-seventy-six. The country was still very young. People felt a terrible loss at the death of their revolutionary war hero and first president.

More than seven-hundred speakers throughout the country honored²² him. Towns and villages held funeral marches. Businesses were closed for days. Bells rang and rang.

((BRIDGE: MOURNFUL BELLS: CDP 5575, TRACK ONE, BEGINNING 0:00))

VOICE ONE:

Now we continue with our visit to Mount Vernon. The property contains the family home and smaller buildings. Visitors also see farming areas and nature paths. A green hillside leads down to the Potomac River. A guide suggests you start in the main house. It is three floors high. George Washington was responsible for much of the design.

His office is on the ground level. It contains many of his books. This is the room where George Washington planned the farm activities on his land. It is also where he wrote to other leaders. One writer called this room "the center of political intelligence for the new world."

Another guide leads you up the steps to the second and third floors of the main house. Mount Vernon contains eight sleeping rooms. George and Martha Washington needed all these for their visitors. Above the bedrooms is a cupola, a small structure with windows on all sides. Washington designed this so hot summer air would escape from inside the house.

VOICE TWO:

More than three-hundred African slaves lived and worked at Mount Vernon. Slaves and some paid workers operated George Washington's five farms. Together, the farms covered more than one-thousand hectares. Other slaves built houses and furniture. Still others cooked and performed housekeeping duties. Visitors can see the burial places of slaves at Mount Vernon.

Even in George Washington's time, there was great debate about slavery. Washington came to disapprove²³ of slavery as he grew older. He was the only one of the men known as the Founding Fathers of the country to free his slaves. He ordered that his slaves be freed after he and his wife died. Older slaves received payments²⁴ for years after that.

Much is said about George Washington the hero. But there is also the argument today that not enough is said about George Washington the slave owner.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

After George and Martha Washington died, Mount Vernon was given to other family members. By the eighteen-fifties, the person who owned it did not have enough money to keep it in good condition. He offered to sell Mount Vernon to Virginia or to the federal²⁵ government. Both said no.

That is when the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association rescued the home. The group bought the property with money it collected. The Mount Vernon Ladies' Association has made a number of changes over the years. Many visitors praise the organization for keeping the historical spirit of Mount Vernon while improving the property.

Now, however, some people question if that spirit will survive the current changes. They say Mount Vernon could seem too modern. Others disagree. They want people to think of George Washington as more than just a name in a history book.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

Our program was written by Jerilyn Watson and produced by Caty Weaver²⁶. I'm Gwen Outen.

VOICE ONE:

And I'm Doug Johnson. You can visit Mount Vernon on the Internet at mountvernon.org. And join us again next week for THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English.

1 mount   

n.山峰，乘用马，框，衬纸；vi.增长，骑上（马）；vt.提升，爬上，装备

参考例句：

• Their debts continued to mount up.他们的债务不断增加。
• She is the first woman who steps on the top of Mount Jolmo Lungma.她是第一个登上珠穆朗玛峰的女人。

2 graphic   

adj.生动的，形象的，绘画的，文字的，图表的

参考例句：

• The book gave a graphic description of the war.这本书生动地描述了战争的情况。
• Distinguish important text items in lists with graphic icons.用图标来区分重要的文本项。

3 honor   

n.光荣；敬意；荣幸；vt.给…以荣誉；尊敬

参考例句：

• I take your visit as a great honor.您的来访是我莫大的光荣。
• It is a great honor to receive that prize.能拿到那个奖是无上的光荣。

4 historians   

n.历史学家，史学工作者( historian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Historians seem to have confused the chronology of these events. 历史学家好像把这些事件发生的年代顺序搞混了。
• Historians have concurred with each other in this view. 历史学家在这个观点上已取得一致意见。

5 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

6 association   

n.联盟，协会，社团；交往，联合；联想

参考例句：

• Our long association with your company has brought great benefits.我方和贵公司的长期合作带来了巨大的利益。
• I broke away from the association ten years ago.我10年前就脱离了那个团体。

7 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

8 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

9 expansion   

n.扩张，扩充；扩大；扩充物；扩展部

参考例句：

• The company has promised wide consultation on its expansion plans.该公司允诺就其扩展计划广泛征求意见。
• The plan will give an impulse to industrial expansion.这个计划将促进工业的扩展。

10 interactive   

adj.相互作用的，互相影响的，（电脑）交互的

参考例句：

• The psychotherapy is carried out in small interactive groups.这种心理治疗是在互动的小组之间进行的。
• This will make videogames more interactive than ever.这将使电子游戏的互动性更胜以往。

11 devices   

n.设备；装置( device的名词复数 )；花招；（为实现某种目的的）计划；手段

参考例句：

• electrical labour-saving devices around the home 节省劳力的各种家用电器
• modern labour-saving devices such as washing machines and dishwashers 诸如洗衣机和洗碗机之类的现代化省力设备

12 versions   

n.译本( version的名词复数 )；版本；（个人对事件的）描述；（原物的）变体

参考例句：

• There are two versions of the game, a long one and a short one. 这游戏有两个版本，一长一短。
• When both versions of the story were collated,major discrepancies were found. 在将这个故事的两个版本对照后，找出了主要的不符之处。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

14 continental   

adj.大陆的，大陆性的，欧洲大陆的

参考例句：

• A continental climate is different from an insular one.大陆性气候不同于岛屿气候。
• The most ancient parts of the continental crust are 4000 million years old.大陆地壳最古老的部分有40亿年历史。

15 exhibit   

vt.展览，展出，陈列；n.展览品；陈列品

参考例句：

• Next week those goods will exhibit in that shop. 下个星期，这些货物将在那家商店展出。
• The economy continued to exhibit signs of decline in September.9月份，经济继续呈现出衰退的迹象。

16 colonial   

adj.殖民地的，关于殖民的；n.殖民地，居民

参考例句：

• The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
• The people of Africa have successfully fought against colonial rule.非洲人民成功地反抗了殖民统治。

17 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

18 colonies   

n.殖民地( colony的名词复数 )；（侨民等）聚居区；（动植物的）群体；（来自同一地方，职业或兴趣相同的）聚居人群

参考例句：

• They amassed huge wealth by plundering the colonies. 他们通过掠夺殖民地聚敛了大笔的财富。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• But throughout the colonies, people relied primarily on small farms and self-sufficiency. 但就整个殖民地来说，人们主要依靠小型农场，过着自给自足的生活。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

19 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

20 provided   

conj.假如，若是；adj.预备好的，由...供给的

参考例句：

• Provided it's fine we will have a pleasant holiday.如果天气良好，我们的假日将过得非常愉快。
• I will come provided that it's not raining tomorrow.如果明天不下雨，我就来。

21 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

22 honored   

adj.光荣的：荣幸的v.尊敬，给以荣誉( honor的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• I hope to be honored with further orders. 如蒙惠顾，不胜荣幸。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This is a time-honored custom. 这是一个古老的习俗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

23 disapprove   

v.不赞成，不同意，不批准

参考例句：

• I quite disapprove of his behaviour.我很不赞同他的行为。
• She wants to train for the theatre but her parents disapprove.她想训练自己做戏剧演员，但她的父母不赞成。

24 payments   

n.支付，付款，缴纳，报酬( payment的名词复数 )；付出的[要付出的]款项；报答，报偿

参考例句：

• Welfare payments cease as soon as an individual starts a job. 一旦就业，即停发福利救济。
• The law can compel fathers to make regular payments for their children. 这项法律可强制父亲定期支付子女的费用。

25 federal   

adj.联盟的；联邦的；(美国)联邦政府的

参考例句：

• Switzerland is a federal republic.瑞士是一个联邦共和国。
• The schools are screaming for federal aid.那些学校强烈要求联邦政府的援助。

26 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。