VOA常速英语2007年-New York Exhibit Highlights Legacy of Marquis d

By Mona Ghuneim
New York
27 November 2007

The Marquis de Lafayette first came to the United States from France at the age of 19 to help the Americans in their fight for independence.  Now an exhibition in New York pays tribute to the lasting¹ impact the young Frenchman had on the country and its struggle for freedom and democracy.  Mona Ghuneim has this report from our New York bureau.

The Frenchman Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier de Lafayette left his mark, and his name - albeit² abbreviated³ - all over the United States.  According to historian Lloyd Kramer, more places in the United States are named after Lafayette than after any other foreigner.  But, he says, from Fayetteville, Arkansas to Fayette, Maine to Lafayette Street in New York City, the Frenchman's influence on the nation goes beyond just georgraphic naming. 

A current exhibition at the New York Historical Society explores how the Frenchman, who first came to the United States to assist the Americans in their fight for independence, reaffirmed America's belief in itself.

A video in the show explains how Lafayette returned to Paris full of fervor⁴ and pride for the American cause, after spending a few years in the United States following the defeat of the British.

"When he returned to Paris in 1782, Lafayette enthusiastically talked about the American Revolution," the video explains.  "Bad harvests and bad royal policy made French people eager to hear about liberty and democracy.  Lafayette wrote a Declaration of Human Rights that resembled the American Declaration of Independence, written by his friend Thomas Jefferson."

Historian Lloyd Kramer says Lafayette played an important role in the founding of this nation, urging France to help the Americans during the war by sending troops and funds and then acting⁵ as diplomat⁶ and mediator⁷ when the French came. 

Kramer says even after Lafayette returned to France, the United States never forgot his dedication⁸ to the American people.  In 1824, at the age of 67, Lafayette was invited back to America, and the exhibition focuses on the year Lafayette spent touring the then 24-state nation.  Kramer says it was a galvanizing experience for the country.

"I think one of the great themes of this exhibit is that Lafayette's tour in 1824 became one of the first and most remarkable⁹ expressions of American nationalism, national identity," he says.

Kramer says Lafayette in 1824 represented a living link to George Washington and the victories of the revolutionary era.  He says Lafayette returned at a time when the nation faced political divisions, a tense election and was struggling to establish a national identity.

The show's curator Richard Rabinowitz says Lafayette's close relationships with founding leaders like Washington, Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson were inspiring to the American people, but his link to George Washington was especially important.  During a tour, Rabinowitz makes a point of highlighting it.

"In that corner we describe Lafayette's visit to Mount Vernon itself," he says.  "He laid a wreath at the tomb of Washington.  He was extraordinarily¹⁰ devoted¹¹ to Washington, and Washington to him.  So Mount Vernon became, in a sense, a kind of sacred site."

The exhibition features documents, newspaper clippings, maps, artifacts and even personal items worn by Lafayette during his trip.  Audio dramatizations recount stories and anecdotes¹² from the time.  Everywhere he went, Lafayette was given a warm welcome and a dinner with the major dignitaries of the town.  In one particular audio rendering¹³ based on real toasts made in his honor, we hear just how loved Lafayette was.

"Here's to General Lafayette!  France claims the honor of his birth.  All mankind, the benefit of his service."

Curator Rabinowitz says Lafayette provided America with a great service, both in helping¹⁴ to fight for independence in 1777 and then returning in 1824 to remind the nation of its committment to freedom and justice for all.  Rabinowitz says it couldn't have been easy for Lafayette who was by then an old man.

"This was a service that Lafayette provided - the last great service that he provided to America," he says.  "It's an extraordinary thing for a 67-year-old man to schlepp his way through the American wilderness¹⁵ - 6,000 miles, sleeping in 192 beds in 367 days."

Rabinowitz says the Frenchman deserves a special place in the history of the United States and this year on Lafayette's 250th birthday, he has one at a major U.S. historical insititute. 

1 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

2 albeit   

conj.即使；纵使；虽然

参考例句：

• Albeit fictional,she seemed to have resolved the problem.虽然是虚构的，但是在她看来好象是解决了问题。
• Albeit he has failed twice,he is not discouraged.虽然失败了两次，但他并没有气馁。

3 abbreviated   

adj. 简短的，省略的 动词abbreviate的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He abbreviated so much that it was hard to understand his article. 他的文章缩写词使用太多，令人费解。
• The United States of America is commonly abbreviated to U.S.A.. 美利坚合众国常被缩略为U.S.A.。

4 fervor   

n.热诚；热心；炽热

参考例句：

• They were concerned only with their own religious fervor.他们只关心自己的宗教热诚。
• The speech aroused nationalist fervor.这个演讲喚起了民族主义热情。

5 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

6 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

7 mediator   

n.调解人，中介人

参考例句：

• He always takes the role of a mediator in any dispute.他总是在争论中充当调停人的角色。
• He will appear in the role of mediator.他将出演调停者。

8 dedication   

n.奉献，献身，致力，题献，献辞

参考例句：

• We admire her courage,compassion and dedication.我们钦佩她的勇气、爱心和奉献精神。
• Her dedication to her work was admirable.她对工作的奉献精神可钦可佩。

9 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

10 extraordinarily   

adv.格外地；极端地

参考例句：

• She is an extraordinarily beautiful girl.她是个美丽非凡的姑娘。
• The sea was extraordinarily calm that morning.那天清晨，大海出奇地宁静。

11 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

12 anecdotes   

n.掌故，趣闻，轶事( anecdote的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• amusing anecdotes about his brief career as an actor 关于他短暂演员生涯的趣闻逸事
• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman. 他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 rendering   

n.表现，描写

参考例句：

• She gave a splendid rendering of Beethoven's piano sonata.她精彩地演奏了贝多芬的钢琴奏鸣曲。
• His narrative is a super rendering of dialect speech and idiom.他的叙述是方言和土语最成功的运用。

14 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。

15 wilderness   

n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠

参考例句：

• She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。