EXPLORATIONS - Dry Tortugas National Park

EXPLORATIONS -March 20, 2002: Dry Tortugas National Park

By Paul Thompson
VOICE ONE:

This is Mary Tillotson.

VOICE TWO:

And this is Steve Ember with the VOA Special English program EXPLORATIONS. Today we visit one of the
most unusual national parks in the United States. It is called the Dry Tortugas National Park. It includes seven
very small islands about two -hundred kilometers southwest of the southern state of Florida. One of them was
once a prison. Let us begin our visit by imagining we are traveling back in time one-hundred-thirty-seven years.

((THEME))

VOICE ONE:

It is the last few days of July in Eighteen-Sixty-Five. The United States Navy¹ steamship²
Florida moves slowly toward³ a small island. Members of the crew tie the ship to the dock⁴.
Passengers begin to leave the ship. They move slowly in the extreme heat of the summer
day. In front of them is a huge red brick⁵ building.

The passengers walk over a small wooden bridge. It crosses an
area of water that circles the huge building. They move slowly to the only door.
They pass through the door and stop in front of a group of soldiers.

VOICE TWO:

(Photos -National Park
Service)

An officer among the soldiers comes forward and tells the ship ’s passengers to stop. He looks at the passengers
and says, “You are now within the walls of the Fort⁶ Jefferson Military Prison in the Dry Tortugas. You have
been tried, convicted⁷ and sentenced to serve your punishment here.

“No prisoner has ever successfully escaped from Fort Jefferson. No one will ever escape. It is more than two-
hundred kilometers across open ocean to the nearest occupied land.
”

VOICE ONE:

Four of the prisoners that arrived that long ago day had been found guilty of taking part in the successful plot to
murder the President of the United States.Abraham Lincoln.

One of the prisoners was sentenced for giving medical aid to the man who killed President Lincoln. He was also
found guilty of being an active member of the plot. That man was Samuel Mudd. He was a thirty-two year old
doctor from the eastern state of Maryland. He had been sentenced to spend the rest of his life doing hard labor⁸ at
Fort Jefferson.

VOICE TWO

The huge red brick building that faced Doctor Mudd and the other prisoners had six sides. It took up most of the
land area of the small island. The six wide walls surrounded a large area of open space in the center.

Each wall was about fifteen meters tall. Inside the walls were hundreds of rooms. Most of them held huge guns
that pointed⁹ out to sea. Many other buildings were also inside the huge fort. Soldiers slept in them. Some of the
houses were used by the officers.

Soldiers and prisoners worked and lived within the walls of the fort. The extreme heat affected¹⁰ them all.


Hundreds of sea birds flew over the small island. Doctor Mudd must have believed that those birds would be the
only creatures that would ever escape from Fort Jefferson. He must have believed that far away island would be
his new home for a very long time. But he was wrong.

VOICE ONE:

Three years later, in Eighteen-Sixty-Seven, Doctor Mudd was helping¹¹ the prison doctor treat victims of the
disease¹² yellow fever. Many died. Soon, the prison doctor also lost his own battle with the disease. Only Doctor
Mudd was left to treat the increasing number of men who became sick with Yellow Fever.

Later, the sickness seemed to leave the island. Many of those who survived knew they owned their lives to
Doctor Mudd. Almost every man in Fort Jefferson wrote to the President of the United States asking that Doctor
Mudd be pardoned because of his work treating patients who had Yellow Fever. They said Doctor Mudd was a
hero.

In February Eighteen-Sixty-Nine, President Andrew Johnson signed a presidential pardon. Doctor Mudd was a
free man. He left Fort Jefferson and returned to his home in the state of Maryland. He once again became a
family doctor.

((MUSIC BRIDGE))

VOICE TWO:

The first European visitor to the small islands was the Spanish explorer, Ponce de Leon. He arrived in Fifteen-
Thirteen. Ponce de Leon was an older man who was searching for special water that stories said would make him
young again. It was called the “Fountain of Youth.
”

Ponce de Leon named the little islands the Tortugas. Tortugas is the Spanish word for the sea creature called a
turtle. Thousands of them lived on the islands. Ponce de Leon was able to capture¹³ many to provide fresh meat for
his ship’s crew. He never did find the special water of the Fountain of Youth.

In fact, the little islands had no water at all. The Tortugas were dry. The word “dry”
began to appear on early
maps of the area to warn ships they could find no fresh water there.

VOICE ONE:

President Thomas Jefferson took an interest in the little islands as a place that could help protect ships traveling
in a large area of water called the Florida Straits. He proposed¹⁴ a military base be built there. In Eighteen-Twenty-
One, the United States took control of Florida and its islands. The military fort was not begun until Eighteen-
Forty-Eight, long after Jefferson’s death.

The fort was to be the home of one-thousand-five-hundred men and four-hundred-fifty huge cannon¹⁵. It would
become the largest American fort made of brick building material.

VOICE TWO:

Fort Jefferson was never really completed. It had to be worked on continually¹⁶. The salt air, wind, water and sand
quickly caused problems. The weight of the brick walls made then sink into the sand.

It was difficult to keep the fort in good repair. As workers built new parts of the fort, others worked at repairing
damage caused by the environment.

Slaves and prisoners did the building and repair work at the fort. Most of the prisoners were army troops. They
had been found guilty of some crime and ordered to serve their sentences at Fort Jefferson.

In Eighteen Seventy-Four, the American army left Fort Jefferson. Modern artillery¹⁷ made the fort no longer
useful.

((MUSIC BRIDGE))


VOICE ONE:

Last year, almost one-hundred thousand people made the long trip to visit the Dry Tortugas National Park.
Soldiers no longer greet them when they arrive at Fort Jefferson. Friendly members of the National Park Service
do. They meet every boat filled with visitors. They smile and say, “Welcome to Fort Jefferson and the Dry
Tortugas National Park.
”

The small island’s days as a prison are long past. Yet almost every visitor to the Dry Tortugas National Park
asks about its most famous prisoner, Doctor Samuel Alexander Mudd. They ask to see his room. Most people
know that Doctor Mudd did not end his life in the Fort Jefferson prison.

VOICE TWO:

Today, the huge prison walls are empty. Only a few of the huge cannon remain. These have been left to show
visitors what the old fort looked like.

The weather continues to affect the fort’s buildings and grounds. So Park Service workers continue the fight
against the severe environmental damage.

VOICE ONE:

* UDSKLF,PDJH


The park extends¹⁸ over an area of more than twenty-six-thousand hectares. Almost all of this is
ocean water and living coral reefs¹⁹ that protect the little islands.

Thousands of different kinds of fish live in the waters near the islands. Many ships have sunk
in those waters over the past several hundred years. Many are inside the area that is part of the
national park. The wrecks²⁰ of these ships help provide safe places for many of the fish.

Some visitors are lucky enough to see the huge sea turtles that gave the islands their name.
The little islands are also home to many kinds of sea birds. Visitors are not permitted on some
of the islands in the Dry Tortugas National Park because they would frighten birds that are

laying eggs.
(((MUSIC BRIDGE))
)
VOICE TWO:
When Fort Jefferson was a prison, a sign was placed on the wall for new prisoners to see. It said, “Thee Who

Enter Here Leave Hope Behind.
”
Few prisoners except for Doctor Mudd had any hope of ever leaving there.
Today the sad old fort and empty little islands provide a protected home for thousands of birds, fish and turtles.
Visitors travel for hours on high-speed boats that bring them from the island of Key West, Florida. They swim in

the warm waters and enjoy the bright sun. Many explore the underwater shipwrecks²¹. Still others bring temporary
cloth shelters and spend a few days living on the white sand beaches.
The striking²² natural beauty of the island today seems to clash²³ with its earlier history as a lonely, inescapable

prison. Doctor Mudd surely would approve of the change.
((THEME)
)
VOICE ONE:
This Special English program was written by Paul Thompson and produced by George Grow. Our studio

engineer was Wayne Shorter. This is Mary Tillotson.
VOICE TWO:
And this is Steve Ember. Join us again next week for another EXPLORATIONS program on the Voice of

America.


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1 navy   

n.海军，海军人员，海军军力，藏青色

参考例句：

• My brother is in the navy.我兄弟在海军服役。
• He has transferred from the army to the navy.他从陆军转到海军。

2 steamship   

n.汽船，轮船

参考例句：

• The return may be made on the same steamship.可乘同一艘汽船当天回来。
• It was so foggy that the steamship almost ran down a small boat leaving the port.雾很大，汽艇差点把一只正在离港的小船撞沉。

3 toward   

prep.对于，关于，接近，将近，向，朝

参考例句：

• Suddenly I saw a tall figure approaching toward the policeman.突然间我看到一个高大的身影朝警察靠近。
• Upon seeing her,I smiled and ran toward her. 看到她我笑了，并跑了过去。

4 dock   

n.码头；被告席；vt.使(船)进港；扣；vi.进港

参考例句：

• We took the children to the dock to see the ships.我们带孩子们到码头去看轮船。
• The corrupt official stood in the dock.那贪官站在被告席上。

5 brick   

n.砖；vt.用砖砌，用砖堵住

参考例句：

• She stared blankly at the brick wall in front of her.她面无表情地瞪着面前的砖墙。
• I bought a brick of ice cream for my daughter.我给女儿买了块冰砖。

6 fort   

n.要塞，堡垒，碉堡

参考例句：

• The fort can not be defended against an air attack.这座要塞遭到空袭时无法防御。
• No one can get into the fort without a pass.没有通行证，任何人不得进入要塞。

7 convicted   

adj.已被判刑的，被宣布有罪的 动词convict的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• He was convicted of fraud. 他被判犯有诈骗罪。
• He was convicted at a court martial. 他在军事法庭上被判有罪。

8 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

9 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

10 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

11 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。

12 disease   

n.疾病，弊端

参考例句：

• The doctors are trying to stamp out the disease.医生正在尽力消灭这种疾病。
• He fought against the disease for a long time.他同疾病做了长时间的斗争。

13 capture   

vt.捕获，俘获；占领，夺得；n.抓住，捕获

参考例句：

• The company is out to capture the European market.这家公司希望占据欧洲市场。
• With the capture of the escaped tiger,everyone felt relieved.逃出来的老虎被捕获后，大家都松了一口气。

14 proposed   

被提议的

参考例句：

• There is widespread discontent among the staff at the proposed changes to pay and conditions. 员工对改变工资和工作环境的建议普遍不满。
• an outcry over the proposed change 对拟议的改革所发出的强烈抗议

15 cannon   

n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮

参考例句：

• The soldiers fired the cannon.士兵们开炮。
• The cannon thundered in the hills.大炮在山间轰鸣。

16 continually   

adv.不间断地，不停地；多次重复地

参考例句：

• The other kids continually taunted him about his size.其他孩子不断地耻笑他的个头儿。
• The US is continually building up its armed forces.美军正持续加强它的三军。

17 artillery   

n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队)

参考例句：

• This is a heavy artillery piece.这是一门重炮。
• The artillery has more firepower than the infantry.炮兵火力比步兵大。

18 extends   

v.（空间、时间等）延伸，延续( extend的第三人称单数 )；伸展；给予；延长

参考例句：

• This country extends its power and influence into neighbouring countries. 这个国家将其势力与影响扩大至邻国。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His domain extends for 20 miles in every direction. 方圆20英里之内都是他的地产。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 reefs   

礁体

参考例句：

• The motorboat cut across swift currents and skirted dangerous reefs. 汽艇穿过激流，绕过险滩。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Fish are abundant about the reefs. 暗礁附近鱼很多。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 wrecks   

n.沉船( wreck的名词复数 )；（事故中）遭严重毁坏的汽车（或飞机等）；（身体或精神上）受到严重损伤的人；状况非常糟糕的车辆（或建筑物等）v.毁坏[毁灭]某物( wreck的第三人称单数 )；使（船舶）失事，使遇难，使下沉

参考例句：

• The shores are strewn with wrecks. 海岸上满布失事船只的残骸。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• My next care was to get together the wrecks of my fortune. 第二件我所关心的事就是集聚破产后的余财。 来自辞典例句

21 shipwrecks   

海难，船只失事( shipwreck的名词复数 )； 沉船

参考例句：

• Shipwrecks are apropos of nothing. 船只失事总是来得出人意料。
• There are many shipwrecks in these waters. 在这些海域多海难事件。

22 striking   

adj.显著的，惹人注目的，容貌出众的

参考例句：

• There is a striking difference between Jane and Mary.简和玛丽之间有显著的差异。
• What is immediately striking is how resourceful the children are.最令人注目的是孩子们的机智聪明。

23 clash   

vi.冲突，不协调，砰地相撞；n.冲突，不协调

参考例句：

• There is a clash between two classes at 2 p.m. on Thursday.星期四下午两点有两堂课是冲突的。
• The pot came down on the stone floor with a clash.锅“当”地一声掉到石地上。