2006年VOA标准英语-Nearly $2 Million Needed to Save Historic

By Paige Kollock
Washington, D.C.
03 May 2006
 
watch Heurich House report

Nestled on the corner of New Hampshire Avenue and O Street in Washington D.C.'s Dupont Circle sits a historic gem¹ that is now in jeopardy², unless nearly two million dollars can be raised by December. 

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The Heurich mansion³ in the heart of Washington, D.C.   
  

The Heurich House is known to locals as 'The Brewmaster's Castle.' It is one of America's most intact late-Victorian house museums.  Its 31 rooms are filled with hand-carved wood, hand-painted ceiling canvases, luxuriously⁴ furnished rooms, and original turn-of-the-century Heurich family collections.

The castle was built from 1892 to 1894 by German immigrant, brewer⁵ and philanthropist Christian⁶ Heurich. 

Grandson Gary Heurich is a tour guide. "By the early 20th century, Heurich was so successful he'd become the largest private landowner in D.C. as well as the largest employer of Germans."

The builder's grandson, Gary Heurich, now conducts tours as a way to raise money  
  
It was built of reinforced steel and poured concrete, a novel construction technique at the time, and unheard of for residential⁷ construction. 

"The second reason that this is important, historically, is that this was the first fireproof residence in the city of Washington,” says Gary.  “Heurich's first two breweries⁸ were just down the street, and he had three fires, the third almost put him out of business, so he was determined⁹ to build a fireproof residence."  

Christian Heurich  
  
To ensure its safety, Christian Heurich never used any of his 15 fireplaces, and at the top of the tower, he placed a salamander, a creature that, in mythology¹⁰, guards against fire .

The brewmaster was also one of Washington's most successful businessmen, founding Olde Heurich Brewing¹¹ Company, whose beer can still be ordered in local restaurants today.

  
  
After he died at 102, the castle changed hands several times before it was purchased in 2003 by the Heurich House Foundation for $5.5 million, to save it from being converted to a private club. 

Now mortgage interest rates are skyrocketing and the foundation is unable to meet payments, says Jane Levey, program director at Cultural Tourism D.C.

  
  
"Here we are today with a museum that is in danger of being lost to us and I think it deserves everyone's support,” says Ms. Levey. “I think we're all stewards¹² of our history, even if it's not our personal history. You are not going to find anyplace else in Washington where you can open a door and step into history and really experience another period and another culture."

For Gary, who says he spent Christmas in the kitchen drinking his grandfather's beer, losing the house would be devastating¹³.

"I just took it in, and tried to imagine what it would have been like to be here having a meal with my grandparents .... I love this room."

  
  
Community members are embracing the cause. Donations from $5 to an anonymous¹⁴ donation of $500 have poured in.  And there have been several fundraisers, including a reception hosted by students from American University.

Gary has put his regular job on hold to dedicate himself to tours. The hope is that the last-minute publicity¹⁵ blitz will bring new visitors -- and with them, new donations.

In the past two months, The Heurich House Foundation received more than $100,000 in donations. The public interest spurred the mayor to set aside money for the castle in the city's budget, allowing it to escape the threat of a sale ... for now. 

1 gem   

n.宝石，珠宝；受爱戴的人 [同]jewel

参考例句：

• The gem is beyond my pocket.这颗宝石我可买不起。
• The little gem is worth two thousand dollars.这块小宝石价值两千美元。

2 jeopardy   

n.危险；危难

参考例句：

• His foolish behaviour may put his whole future in jeopardy.他愚蠢的行为可能毁了他一生的前程。
• It is precisely at this juncture that the boss finds himself in double jeopardy.恰恰在这个关键时刻，上司发现自己处于进退两难的境地。

3 mansion   

n.大厦，大楼；宅第

参考例句：

• The old mansion was built in 1850.这座古宅建于1850年。
• The mansion has extensive grounds.这大厦四周的庭园广阔。

4 luxuriously   

adv.奢侈地，豪华地

参考例句：

• She put her nose luxuriously buried in heliotrope and tea roses. 她把自己的鼻子惬意地埋在天芥菜和庚申蔷薇花簇中。 来自辞典例句
• To be well dressed doesn't mean to be luxuriously dressed. 穿得好不一定衣着豪华。 来自辞典例句

5 brewer   

n. 啤酒制造者

参考例句：

• Brewer is a very interesting man. 布鲁尔是一个很有趣的人。
• I decided to quit my job to become a brewer. 我决定辞职，做一名酿酒人。

6 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

7 residential   

adj.提供住宿的；居住的；住宅的

参考例句：

• The mayor inspected the residential section of the city.市长视察了该市的住宅区。
• The residential blocks were integrated with the rest of the college.住宿区与学院其他部分结合在了一起。

8 breweries   

酿造厂，啤酒厂( brewery的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• In some cases, this is desirable, but most breweries prefer lighter-type beers. 在一些情况下，这是很理想的，但是大多数啤酒厂更倾向于生产酒度较低的啤酒。
• Currently, there are 58 breweries producing Snow Beeracross the country. 目前，全国共有58个雪花啤酒厂。

9 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

10 mythology   

n.神话，神话学，神话集

参考例句：

• In Greek mythology,Zeus was the ruler of Gods and men.在希腊神话中，宙斯是众神和人类的统治者。
• He is the hero of Greek mythology.他是希腊民间传说中的英雄。

11 brewing   

n. 酿造, 一次酿造的量 动词brew的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• It was obvious that a big storm was brewing up. 很显然，一场暴风雨正在酝酿中。
• She set about brewing some herb tea. 她动手泡一些药茶。

12 stewards   

（轮船、飞机等的）乘务员( steward的名词复数 )； （俱乐部、旅馆、工会等的）管理员； （大型活动的）组织者； （私人家中的）管家

参考例句：

• The stewards all wore armbands. 乘务员都戴了臂章。
• The stewards will inspect the course to see if racing is possible. 那些干事将检视赛马场看是否适宜比赛。

13 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

14 anonymous   

adj.无名的；匿名的；无特色的

参考例句：

• Sending anonymous letters is a cowardly act.寄匿名信是懦夫的行为。
• The author wishes to remain anonymous.作者希望姓名不公开。

15 publicity   

n.众所周知，闻名；宣传，广告

参考例句：

• The singer star's marriage got a lot of publicity.这位歌星的婚事引起了公众的关注。
• He dismissed the event as just a publicity gimmick.他不理会这件事，只当它是一种宣传手法。