美国国家档案管理局

27  美国国家档案管理局

DATE=5/14/01
TITLE=THIS IS AMERICA #1064 - National Archives
BYLINE=Jerilyn Watson 

VOICE ONE:
The United States National （1）Archives and (2)Records Administration stores and shows (3)historic documents. It tells the history of America in millions of papers and other records.  I'm Sarah Long.
VOICE TWO:
And I'm Steve Ember. We tell about the National Archives in our report today on the VOA Special English program, THIS IS AMERICA.
((THEME))
VOICE ONE:
Everything about the National Archives and Records Administration seems big. More than four- thousand- million pieces of paper in the National Archives record government activities. The Archives (4) collection includes more than five- million maps and (5) architectural drawings.  There are two- hundred- thousand sound and video recordings¹. The Archives keep many films, (6) electronic records and almost fourteen- million pictures.
The records tell about government policies and how they were carried out.  They tell how early Americans settled the West.  The records show how the United States changed from an agricultural society to an industrial nation. Archives records show the struggle by African Americans and other (7) minorities to gain equality. 
VOICE TWO:         The National Archives and Records Administration were created in Nineteen-Thirty-Four as an independent federal agency. It operates thirty-three centers across America.  The Archives provide a central (8) organization for research into the history of the United States and its citizens.  They also show visitors important historical documents like the Declaration of Independence, the (9) Constitution and the Bill of Rights.   Millions of people have seen these papers in the National Archives Building in Washington, D-C. 
The Archives also provide information for other government agencies.  These include the space agency and the tax (10) agency.  The National Archives also operate the libraries of ten (11) former American presidents. 
((MUSIC BRIDGE))
VOICE ONE:
Currently, one of the most popular Archives collections is in College Park, Maryland.  It contains voice recordings from the administration of the thirty-seventh president, Richard Nixon.   Mister Nixon speaks with his advisors² on these tapes. The recordings show he approved a plot to cover up an illegal raid on the Democratic Party (12) headquarters. The raid took place in Nineteen-Seventy-Two at the Watergate Hotel in Washington.  Mister Nixon resigned the presidency³ the next year.  In doing so, he avoided being charged with (13) wrongdoing by the House of Representatives.
Last month, the Archives invited the public to reproduce these recordings.  Many students, teachers and historians now are copying these important moments in American life on their own tape recorders. 
VOICE TWO:
The Archives also keep records about many people not as well known as presidents. For example, they contain (14) military service records for the Rough Riders. These soldiers fought in the Spanish-American War of Eighteen-Ninety-Eight.  They won battles at Kettle Hill and San Juan Hill in Cuba.  Their (15) commander, Theodore Roosevelt, later became America's twenty-sixth president.
People seeking information about their families use the Archives to study （16）genealogy. Survivors⁵ of Nazi⁶ oppression during World War Two often search the Archives.  They use the records to try to find out what happened to property stolen from them. 
VOICE ONE:
Many people have written books using information they found in the Archives. Archives official Timothy Mulligan is one of them.  He is an expert in German military history of World War Two.  In the early Nineteen-Eighties, Mister Mulligan read the burial records of a German （17）submarine commander named Werner Henke.  Mister Mulligan became very interested.  He used his research to write a book called "Lone⁷ Wolf."  It was published in Nineteen-Ninety-Three. The book tells the story of Werner Henke and the war at sea between Germany and the United States.  
((MUSIC BRIDGE))
VOICE TWO:
Before the Archives existed, fire had destroyed millions of American documents.  Or they were destroyed because of age.  Today, highly trained employees called （18）conservators store most of the papers.  They use specially⁸ designed boxes.  These boxes are free of harmful chemicals.  They also resist fire.  Conservators (19) carefully measure the (20) temperature, moisture and light levels in areas where the documents are kept.
VOICE ONE:
Concern about the condition of the documents has led (21) officials to plan major changes in the National Archives building in Washington.  The most valued historic documents now are shown in an area called the Rotunda⁹.  Every night, moving devices place the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights in an underground (22) container.  The next day the documents are lifted back to the Rotunda. 
The Rotunda will close after July Fourth for repairs.  A new, secure home for the documents will be built to avoid continually moving them.  The research areas of the building will be made larger.  But they will remain open during the (23) process.  The improvements to the National Archives Building will cost more than one- hundred- million dollars. The work probably will be completed by Two-Thousand-Three. 
VOICE TWO:
Many Americans still can see the Constitution and other documents while the Rotunda is closed.  The Archives are lending them to museums and history centers in seven cities across the nation.  This traveling exhibit is called "American (24) Originals."  It will begin in October.  The first showing will be held in the New York Public Library in New York City.   The exhibit later will travel to cities in Ohio, Georgia, Missouri, Texas, California and (25) Connecticut.   Each showing will last three months. 
VOICE ONE:
The traveling National Archives exhibit includes papers from the early days of America to more recent times.   For example, it contains a list of the things General George Washington bought during the (26) Revolutionary War.  The American colonies fought for independence from Britain beginning in Seventeen-Seventy-Five. General Washington gave the list to Congress so he could be repaid.  He later became the first president of the United States.  
A letter from the famous spy Benedict Arnold to George Washington also is part of the exhibit.   Benedict Arnold had served as a general in the Revolutionary Army.  But he sold information to the British.  He left his wife behind when he fled to escape capture.   Benedict Arnold's letter appealed to General Washington not to punish her.    
VOICE TWO:
A note written by Union General William Tecumseh Sherman during the Civil War is also in the exhibit.  General Sherman sent the message to President Abraham Lincoln in December of Eighteen-Sixty-Four. The general's troops had recently captured the southern city of Savannah, Georgia. His note presented the city to Mister Lincoln as a gift for the Christmas holiday.
The traveling Archives exhibit also will show an important announcement written by President Lincoln during the Civil War.  This （27）Emancipation （28）Proclamation freed the slaves in southern states still at war with the Union.  President Lincoln made the proclamation public on January first, Eighteen-Sixty-Three.  (29) Sadly, the document is in threatened condition.  Time has harmed its paper and writing.  It will be shown for only four days in each city.  
((MUSIC BRIDGE))
VOICE ONE:
The National Archives traveling (30) exhibit also honors inventor Thomas Alva Edison.  Mister Edison lived from Eighteen-Forty-Seven to Nineteen-Thirty-One.  He helped develop electric lighting¹⁰ and invented the record player.   He also improved the (31) telegraph, the telephone and moving pictures. 
The work of Mister Edison helped make the United States a strong industrial nation. The traveling Archives show includes the document that confirmed his legal rights to the electric lightbulb.  
VOICE TWO:
A more recent document in the National Archives traveling exhibit shows the human side of American history.  It is a letter from Harry¹¹ Truman to his wife.  He wrote the letter just after becoming America's thirty-third president.  He had been serving as vice⁴ president when President Franklin Roosevelt died suddenly in Nineteen-Forty-Five. Mister Truman's words demonstrate his feelings about following one of America's most loved leaders.  Harry Truman told his wife he could hear the spirits of the past walking in the White House.
VOICE ONE: 
This program was written by Jerilyn Watson.  It was produced by Caty Weaver¹². Our studio engineer was Keith Holmes. I'm Sarah Long.
VOICE TWO:
And I'm Steve Ember. Join us again next week for another report about life in the United States on the VOA Special English program, THIS IS AMERICA.

注释：
(1) archives[ 5B:kaivz ]n.档案, 公文
(2) record[ 5rekC:d ]n.履历, 档案
(3) historic[ his5tCrik ]adj.历史上著名的, 有历史性的
(4) collection[ kE5lekFEn ]n.收藏
(5) architectural[ 7B:ki5tektFErEl ]adj.建筑上的, 建筑学的
(6) electronic[Ilek5trRnIk]adj.电子的
(7) minority[ mai5nCriti, mi- ]n.少数, 少数民族
(8) organization[ 7C:^Enai5zeiFEn ]n.组织
(9) constitution[ 7kCnsti5tju:FEn ]n.宪法
(10) agency[ 5eidVEnsi ]n.代理处, 行销处
(11) former[ 5fC:mE ]adj.从前的, 以前的n.形成者, 创造者
(12) headquarters[ 5hed7kwC:tEz ]n.司令部, 指挥部
(13) wrongdoing[`rCN`dU:IN;`rR:N-]n.坏事, 不道德行为
(14) military[ 5militEri ]adj.军事的, 军用的
(15) command[ kE5mB:nd ]n.命令, 掌握v.命令, 指挥
(16) genealogy[ 7dVi:ni5AlEdVi ]n.系谱, 家系
(17) submarine[ 5sQbmEri:n, sQbmE5ri:n ]n.潜水艇, 潜艇
(18) conservator[ 5kCnsE(:)veitE ]n.保护者, (博物馆的)管理员
(19) carefully[5keEfJlI]adv.小心地, 谨慎地
(20) temperature[5temprItFE(r)]n.温度
(21) official[ E5fiFEl ]n.官员, 公务员adj.职务上的, 公务的
(22) container[ kEn5teinE ]n.容器(箱,盆,罐,壶,桶,坛子), 集装箱
(23) process[ prE5ses ]n.过程, 作用 v.加工, 处理
(24) original[ E5ridVEnEl ]adj.最初的, 原始的n.原物, 原作
(25) Connecticut [ kE5netikEt] n.（美国）康涅狄格
(26) revolutionary[ 5revE5lu:FEnEri ]adj.革命的
(27) emancipation[ i7mAnsi5peiFEn ]n.释放, 解放
(28) proclamation[prRklE5meIF(E)n]n.宣布
(29) sadly[[5sAdlI]adv.悲痛地, 悲哀地
(30) exhibit[ i^5zibit ]v.展出, 陈列n.展览品
(31) telegraph[ 5teli^rB:f ]n.电报机, 电报v.打电报, 发电报, 打电报说

 

1 recordings   

n.记录( recording的名词复数 )；录音；录像；唱片

参考例句：

• a boxed set of original recordings 一套盒装原声录音带
• old jazz recordings reissued on CD 以激光唱片重新发行的老爵士乐

2 advisors   

n.顾问，劝告者( advisor的名词复数 )；（指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• The governors felt that they were being strung along by their advisors. 地方长官感到他们一直在受顾问们的愚弄。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• We will consult together with advisors about her education. 我们将一起和专家商议她的教育事宜。 来自互联网

3 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

4 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

5 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

6 Nazi   

n.纳粹分子，adj.纳粹党的，纳粹的

参考例句：

• They declare the Nazi regime overthrown and sue for peace.他们宣布纳粹政权已被推翻，并出面求和。
• Nazi closes those war criminals inside their concentration camp.纳粹把那些战犯关在他们的集中营里。

7 lone   

adj.孤寂的，单独的；唯一的

参考例句：

• A lone sea gull flew across the sky.一只孤独的海鸥在空中飞过。
• She could see a lone figure on the deserted beach.她在空旷的海滩上能看到一个孤独的身影。

8 specially   

adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地

参考例句：

• They are specially packaged so that they stack easily.它们经过特别包装以便于堆放。
• The machine was designed specially for demolishing old buildings.这种机器是专为拆毁旧楼房而设计的。

9 rotunda   

n.圆形建筑物；圆厅

参考例句：

• The Capitol at Washington has a large rotunda.华盛顿的国会大厦有一圆形大厅。
• The rotunda was almost deserted today,dotted with just a few tourists.圆形大厅今天几乎没有多少人，只零星散布着几个游客。

10 lighting   

n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光

参考例句：

• The gas lamp gradually lost ground to electric lighting.煤气灯逐渐为电灯所代替。
• The lighting in that restaurant is soft and romantic.那个餐馆照明柔和而且浪漫。

11 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

12 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。