VOA慢速英语2014 为美国第一任总统华盛顿立纪念碑

 

Washington Monument Honors¹ America’s First President 为美国第一任总统华盛顿立纪念碑

From VOA Learning² English, welcome to This is America.  I’m Steve Ember.                                 

The tallest structure in America’s capital city is the Washington Monument.   It is named for George Washington, the first president of the United States.  Come along with us, as we tell about the Washington Monument and the man it honors.

The Washington Monument is a big building named for an important American. George Washington led the American colonies³ in the war of independence against England from 1775 to 1783.  Later he headed the group that wrote the United States Constitution.  As president, he helped the new United States of America through its difficult first years.

Over the years, millions of people from around the world have visited the Washington Monument.   It stands almost 170 meters high, close by the Potomac River.   The four sides of this tall obelisk⁴, or tower, end in a point at the top. 

The Washington Monument is one of the most photographed places in the world.  Lights shine on it at night.  It can be seen from far away.  Fireworks are launched⁵ near the monument on America’s Independence Day -- the 4th of July -- and during other special celebrations.

George Washington was born in 1732.  His family lived in Westmoreland County⁶, Virginia.  George attended school for only about seven or eight years.  He wanted to become a sailor.  However, his mother would not permit this.  So George became an explorer.  At age 20 he became an officer in the colonial⁷ army. 

In 1753, the colonies still belonged to Britain.  Major George Washington carried a message from British colonial officials to French forces.  At the time, French forces occupied the Ohio River Valley.  The message ordered them to withdraw⁸.  It was a dangerous duty, and George Washington completed it successfully.

A portrait of George WashingtonA portrait of George Washington

George Washington continued to gain responsibility in the army.  However, as time passed, he became angry with the way England governed the American colonies.  Taxes were high.  And the colonies had no representation⁹ in the British Parliament¹⁰.

The war against Britain began in 1775.  The Americans named George Washington commander of the Revolutionary armies.

Many of his soldiers were untrained.  They were poorly equipped.  During one winter of the Revolutionary War, his troops almost froze to death.  But General Washington led them to victory.   The last British troops left the former colonies in 1783.

After the war, George Washington strongly influenced the writing of the new Constitution.  Then, in 1789, the first American Electoral College met.  It named him the first president of the United States. Three years later, he wanted to retire.   He planned to live with his wife Martha at Mount¹¹ Vernon, their home in Virginia, along the Potomac.  But others appealed to him to run for president again.  The ballots¹² were counted in 1793, and he was re-elected.

George Washington was not perfect.   He kept slaves at Mount Vernon.  However, he freed all his slaves during his lifetime.  He also urged the nation to end slavery in the future.

Washington gave the nation a good start.  He helped prevent the country from becoming a dictatorship.  He prevented it from being ruled by a king.  He helped establish freedom of religion.

And now, let’s look at the Washington Monument.  It took many years to build the Washington Monument.  America almost got a very different memorial to George Washington instead of the present one. 

Congress¹³ decided¹⁴ to pay for a statue of Washington on a horse.  The lawmakers did this even before the signing of the treaty¹⁵ that ended the American Revolutionary War.  The statue was to show how General Washington led American troops to victory against England.  However, he said he did not want the nation to spend money for the statue. 

An early photograph of the Washinton Monument under constructionAn early photograph of the Washinton Monument under construction

A group called the Washington National Monument Society started raising money for a memorial in 1833.  Officials placed the first stone of the monument on July 4th, 1848.

The Roman Catholic¹⁶ Church leader, Pope¹⁷ Pius the Ninth, gave a piece of marble from Rome for the monument.  But the stone was stolen a few years later.  People suspected that an American group called the Know Nothings took the stone.  Among other things, the group opposed the Roman Catholic Church.

After that, the public almost stopped giving money for the building project.  Many believed it never would be finished.   Then Congress started to help pay for the monument.  But, again, the Know Nothings intervened¹⁸.  They raided¹⁹ the Washington National Monument Society office.  They claimed the monument was their property.

Finally, in 1876, Congress voted to pay for building the Washington Monument.   On December Sixth, 1884, the monument was finished.  It opened to the public four years later.

A visit to the Washington Monument begins by getting a ticket.  Long lines often form at the ticket office.  For that reason, it is a good idea to buy tickets on the Internet.

Once people have their tickets, they stand in a line near the monument. Depending on the time of day – and the time of year – that line can be very long.

The monument is surrounded by 50 flagpoles. The flags represent the 50 states.

National Park Service guides supervise²⁰ the Washington Monument.  They lead visitors to a big elevator for the ride up to the observation area at the top.

The observation area is more than 150 meters above the ground.  You’ll hear lots os “oohs” and “aahs” as they stand at the windows.  Looking north, you can see famous buildings like the White House.  You can also see the Corcoran Gallery of Art, and a hotel where America’s 16th president, Abraham Lincoln, once stayed.  To the east, you can see the U.S. Capitol building, where Congress makes laws.  You can also see the Smithsonian Institution museum buildings along the Mall. And to the west, the view includes the World War Two Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Potomac River.

The elevator trip back down is equally interesting.  Through the windows you can see some of the almost 200 carved memorial stones on the inside walls of the monument.

Every state gave a stone to the monument.  Stones also came from other countries.  For example, one stone came from the library of Alexandria in Egypt.  The Free Swiss Federation²¹ in Switzerland gave a stone that says, “To the Memory of Washington.”  Japan gave a stone made from volcanic²² rock.

The Washington Monument was forced to close in August of 2011 after an earthquake damaged the structure.  The 5.8 force earthquake shook communities up and down the East Coast.  People said they could see the monument moving during the quake, which caused cracks and fallen stone. 

The monument stayed closed for nearly three years while workers completed $15-million in repairs.  During that time, metal scaffolding – or supports – covered different parts of the monument as work progressed.  Lighting on the monument shone on the metal and its plastic coverings, making beautiful sights, especially at twilight²³.

In May of 2014, thousands of people attended a ceremony for the official re-opening of the monument.  Officials spoke²⁴, performers entertained and everyone celebrated²⁵ the reopening. 

The Washington Monument is just one of many ways Americans have honored²⁶ their first president.  The northwest state of Washington is named for him.  So are many cities, schools and streets in the United States.  We should also mention the Washington Monument that rises in Mount Vernon Square in nearby Baltimore.

A sentence written on a wall in the Washington Monument expresses the way many Americans feel about George Washington.  It says he was “first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen.” 

This program was written by Jerilyn Watson.   I’m Steve Ember, inviting²⁷ you to join us next time for another This is America program from VOA Learning English.

1 honors   

n.礼仪；荣典；礼节； 大学荣誉学位；大学优等成绩；尊敬( honor的名词复数 )；敬意；荣誉；光荣

参考例句：

• He aims at honors. 他力求名誉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We did the last honors to his remains. 我们向他的遗体告别。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

3 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

4 obelisk   

n.方尖塔

参考例句：

• The obelisk was built in memory of those who died for their country.这座方尖塔是为了纪念那些为祖国献身的人而建造的。
• Far away on the last spur,there was a glittering obelisk.远处，在最后一个山峦上闪烁着一个方尖塔。

5 launched   

v.发射( launch的过去式和过去分词 )；[计算机]开始（应用程序）；发动；开展（活动、计划等）

参考例句：

• He launched a bitter diatribe against the younger generation. 他对年轻一代发起了猛烈的抨击。
• The product was launched amid much fanfare worldwide. 这个产品在世界各地隆重推出。

6 county   

n.县，郡

参考例句：

• When the good news reached there,the whole county rejoiced.喜讯传到那里时，全县的人都欢欣鼓舞起来。
• In that year county after county fell to the enemy.那一年一个又一个的县城沦入敌人手中。

7 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。

8 withdraw   

vt.收回，撤消，撤退；vi.缩回，退出，撤退

参考例句：

• I want to withdraw a statement I made earlier.我想收回我早些时候发表的一项声明。
• The general decided to withdraw his soldiers.那位将军决定撤军。

9 representation   

n.表现某人（或某事物）的东西，图画，雕塑

参考例句：

• The painting is a representation of a storm at sea.这幅画描绘的是海上的暴风雨。
• All parties won representation in the national assembly.所有政党在国民大会中都赢得了代表资格。

10 Parliament   

n.议会，国会

参考例句：

• She won a seat in Parliament at the election.她在选举中赢得了议会中的席位。
• The drug was banned by an act of parliament.议会的法案明令禁止该药品。

11 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。

12 ballots   

n.投票表决( ballot的名词复数 )；选举；选票；投票总数v.（使）投票表决( ballot的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• They're counting the ballots. 他们正在计算选票。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The news of rigged ballots has rubbed off much of the shine of their election victory. 他们操纵选票的消息使他们在选举中获得的胜利大为减色。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 Congress   

n.(代表)大会；(C-:美国等国的)国会，议会

参考例句：

• There were some days to wait before the Congress.大会的召开还有几天时间。
• After 18 years in Congress,he intented to return to private life.在国会供职18年后，他打算告老还乡。

14 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。

15 treaty   

n.条约；协议，协定

参考例句：

• Hungary has indicated its readiness to sign the treaty.匈牙利已表示愿意签订该条约。
• I believe this treaty will pave the way to peace in Europe. 我相信这个条约将为欧洲的和平铺平道路。

16 catholic   

adj.天主教的；n.天主教徒

参考例句：

• The Pope is the supreme leader of the Roman Catholic Church.教皇是罗马天主教的最高领袖。
• She was a devoutly Catholic.她是一个虔诚地天主教徒。

17 pope   

n.（罗马天主教的）教皇

参考例句：

• The Pope is the spiritual leader of many Christians.教皇是众多基督徒的宗教领袖。
• The Pope is the supreme leader of the Roman Catholic Church.教皇是罗马天主教的最高领袖。

18 intervened   

阻碍( intervene的过去式和过去分词 )； 出面； 插嘴； 介于…之间

参考例句：

• The President intervened personally in the crisis. 总统亲自出面处理这场危机。
• We enjoyed the picnic until a thunderstorm intervened. 那次野餐我们玩得很痛快，后来一场暴风雨使它中断了。

19 raided   

对…进行突然袭击（raid的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• The enemy raided the docks. 敌人突然袭击了码头。
• Enemy troops raided our border areas. 敌军对我边境地区进行袭击。

20 supervise   

v.监督，管理，指导

参考例句：

• We must supervise and speed up the fulfilment of assigned tasks.已经布置了的工作，应当认真督促检查。
• Tomorrow he will supervise all the pupils taking the English examination.明天全体学生考英语，他将担任监考。

21 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

22 volcanic   

adj.火山的；象火山的；由火山引起的

参考例句：

• There have been several volcanic eruptions this year.今年火山爆发了好几次。
• Volcanic activity has created thermal springs and boiling mud pools.火山活动产生了温泉和沸腾的泥浆池。

23 twilight   

n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期

参考例句：

• Twilight merged into darkness.夕阳的光辉融于黑暗中。
• Twilight was sweet with the smell of lilac and freshly turned earth.薄暮充满紫丁香和新翻耕的泥土的香味。

24 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

25 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

26 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》

27 inviting   

adj.诱人的，引人注目的

参考例句：

• An inviting smell of coffee wafted into the room.一股诱人的咖啡香味飘进了房间。
• The kitchen smelled warm and inviting and blessedly familiar.这间厨房的味道温暖诱人，使人感到亲切温馨。