VOA标准英语2012--Presidential Architecture Showcased in Virginia

 

Presidential Architecture Showcased in Virginia

The next time you run into an American and have a moment to talk, ask him or her two quick questions. But first, set the scene:

You want that American to picture the green Virginia countryside, near the university town of Charlottesville. And there, to picture what was once the lovely home of one of the nation’s greatest presidents, a brilliant thinker and prolific¹ writer who penned a large portion of one of the greatest documents in American history.

He was a gentleman farmer and slave-owner, and secretary of state before becoming president.

And he paid great attention to his fabulous² mansion³, whose name begins with the letters M-O-N-T.

Now here are the two questions:

What’s the name of that mansion? And who was that president?

We’re pretty sure your friend will answer “Monticello” and Thomas Jefferson. And that would not be wrong.

But this is the story of his dear friend, James Madison, who had his own beautiful home, Montpelier, not too far from Monticello.

Thomas Jefferson chose Italian Renaissance⁴ as the design for his Monticello Mansion. He called his home “an essay in architecture.” (Carol M. Highsmith) 

Madison was overshadowed by Jefferson all his life. Yet it was Madison, not Jefferson or some other better-known patriot⁵, who wrote most of our nation’s Constitution, as well as many of its first 10 amendments⁶ known as the Bill of Rights.

Whereas Jefferson was outgoing and daring and quite a self-promoter, Madison, an aloof⁷ intellectual, was so private a person that he burned some of his own papers to keep historians from prying⁸ into them.

Madison also happened to be the shortest U.S. president, standing⁹ 163 centimeters (5 feet, four inches) tall. 

Madison created a stunningly¹⁰ beautiful, peach-colored Georgian mansion with lush green grounds, overlooking Virginia’s Blue Ridge¹¹ Mountains.

Outside is a stately structure that looks like an ancient Greek temple. It has become Montpelier’s symbol. It’s actually a fancy cover for a brick-lined ice house. 

Archaeologists have had fun exploring there and around the ruins of Madison’s blacksmith shop and slave cabins on the grounds.

Madison’s estate passed through several hands over the years. For a long time, it was owned by a member of the wealthy DuPont family of Delaware.

It is now owned by the nonprofit National Trust for Historic Preservation¹², which has restored Madison’s Montpelier and led the research into its colorful past.

1 prolific   

adj.丰富的，大量的；多产的，富有创造力的

参考例句：

• She is a prolific writer of novels and short stories.她是一位多产的作家，写了很多小说和短篇故事。
• The last few pages of the document are prolific of mistakes.这个文件的最后几页错误很多。

2 fabulous   

adj.极好的；极为巨大的；寓言中的，传说中的

参考例句：

• We had a fabulous time at the party.我们在晚会上玩得很痛快。
• This is a fabulous sum of money.这是一笔巨款。

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 renaissance   

n.复活，复兴，文艺复兴

参考例句：

• The Renaissance was an epoch of unparalleled cultural achievement.文艺复兴是一个文化上取得空前成就的时代。
• The theme of the conference is renaissance Europe.大会的主题是文艺复兴时期的欧洲。

5 patriot   

n.爱国者，爱国主义者

参考例句：

• He avowed himself a patriot.他自称自己是爱国者。
• He is a patriot who has won the admiration of the French already.他是一个已经赢得法国人敬仰的爱国者。

6 amendments   

（法律、文件的）改动( amendment的名词复数 )； 修正案； 修改； （美国宪法的）修正案

参考例句：

• The committee does not adequately consult others when drafting amendments. 委员会在起草修正案时没有充分征求他人的意见。
• Please propose amendments and addenda to the first draft of the document. 请对这个文件的初稿提出修改和补充意见。

7 aloof   

adj.远离的；冷淡的，漠不关心的

参考例句：

• Never stand aloof from the masses.千万不可脱离群众。
• On the evening the girl kept herself timidly aloof from the crowd.这小女孩在晚会上一直胆怯地远离人群。

8 prying   

adj.爱打听的v.打听，刺探（他人的私事）( pry的现在分词 )；撬开

参考例句：

• I'm sick of you prying into my personal life! 我讨厌你刺探我的私生活！
• She is always prying into other people's affairs. 她总是打听别人的私事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

10 stunningly   

ad.令人目瞪口呆地；惊人地

参考例句：

• The cooks, seamstresses and other small investors are stunningly vulnerable to reversals. 那些厨师、裁缝及其他的小投资者非常容易受到股市逆转的影响。
• The production cost of this huge passenger liner is stunningly high. 这艘船城造价之高令人惊叹。

11 ridge   

n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭

参考例句：

• We clambered up the hillside to the ridge above.我们沿着山坡费力地爬上了山脊。
• The infantry were advancing to attack the ridge.步兵部队正在向前挺进攻打山脊。

12 preservation   

n.保护，维护，保存，保留，保持

参考例句：

• The police are responsible for the preservation of law and order.警察负责维持法律与秩序。
• The picture is in an excellent state of preservation.这幅画保存得极为完好。