【美国精神】第44期

Explanation:

  Each of the fifty states has a capital (or a city where government buildings are and important decisions are made) for its state government. But what about the federal¹ (or national) government? Where is its capital? Our Founding Fathers knew that if they put the federal capital within one state, that state would have more power and prestige² (or importance and respect) than all the other states, and that wouldn’t be fair. They had to find a way to have a federal capital that would not favor (or give advantages to) one state more than all the others.

  The first capital of the United States was New York City, but this was just a temporary capital, a capital for a short period of time. Our first president, George Washington, had to find a better place for the capital. In 1791 the capital was moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At that time, Philadelphia was the biggest city in the country, so it made sense for the capital to be there. But even this was only temporary and the U.S. government planned to move the capital to a site (or place) on the Potomac River.

  In 1800, the U.S. capital officially moved to Washington, DC. DC stands for District (or area) and Columbia, which refers to Christopher Columbus, who was an explorer (or a person looking for new places and things) and was one of the first people to come to North America from Europe. Washington, DC is the country’s capital and a city, but it is not a state. It isn’t in a state, either. Washington, DC was made by taking some lands from Maryland and Virginia, two states that border (or are next to) Washington, DC today.

  When Washington, DC was built, the site was very unpleasant. The capital was built on swampland (or very wet earth). The weather was bad and there were many mosquitoes and other insects. But the plan was successful and Washington, DC is still our nation’s capital today. The White House, where the president lives, the Capitol Building, where Congress³ makes laws, and the Supreme⁴ Court, where legal decisions are made, are all in Washington, DC, along with many other federal buildings. There are also many businesses, museums, and monuments (or things built to remember people and things from the past). Many people live in Washington, DC, but because it is not a state, they do not have any representatives who can vote in Congress, since that is reserved (or set aside) for states.

 

 

问题：

What is the capital of your state?

Answer:

Answers will vary⁵. [District of Columbia residents⁶ should answer that D.C. is not a state and does not have a capital. Residents of U.S. territories should name the capital of the territory.]

1 federal   

adj.联盟的；联邦的；(美国)联邦政府的

参考例句：

• Switzerland is a federal republic.瑞士是一个联邦共和国。
• The schools are screaming for federal aid.那些学校强烈要求联邦政府的援助。

2 prestige   

n.声望，威望，威信

参考例句：

• Their products enjoy ever higher prestige in the world market.他们的产品在世界市场上享有越来越高的声誉。
• He has high prestige among the masses.他在群众中威信很高。

3 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。

4 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

5 vary   

vi.变化，有不同；vt.改变，使不同

参考例句：

• Cherries vary in colour from almost black to yellow.樱桃的颜色由近乎黑到黄各不相同。
• Old people don't like to vary their habits.老年人不喜欢改变他们的习惯。

6 residents   

n.居民( resident的名词复数 )；（旅馆的）住宿者

参考例句：

• Plans to build a new mall were deep-sixed after protests from local residents. 修建新室内购物中心的计划由于当地居民反对而搁浅。
• Local residents have reacted angrily to the news. 当地居民对这一消息表示愤怒。