第2章 这里是美国(1)
This is America
1.Origin of Uncle Sam 山姆大叔的由来
According to legend， in Troy City of New York， there is a person named Samuel Wilson. He is the owner of meat processing plant factory.He is diligent， honest， optimistic， respected by the people， people affectionately call him "Uncle Sam".
In 1812，American War of Independence began， and the plant of Uncle Sam received a contract for the U. S.Army of production of barrels of beef.Each time the U.S.government received the test beef， they will put the meat into a special bucket， and stamped on the barrel "US" of the mark.As "Uncle Sam" is the first letter of the words "US"， the abbreviation U.S.is "US"， so people put the two names into one， which means that beef passing from the hands of "Uncle Sam" will become "American" property.Since then "Uncle Sam" has been nicknamed as the United States， and gradually widespread up.
In 1830s， American cartoonist gave the historical legend "Uncle Sam" a specific image， so there is an old man sporting a goatee and thin caricature. He wore a tall hat decorated with star emblem， wearing a red， white and blue tuxedo and striped trousers（National Flag of the US）.The tall， smiling old man， everybody like him in United States.
相传，纽约州的特洛亚城有位名叫塞缪尔·威尔逊的人，是一家肉类加工厂的厂长。他勤劳、忠厚、乐观，备受人们尊敬，大家都亲切地称他“山姆大叔”。
1812年美国独立战争开始后，山姆大叔的工厂签了一份专为美国军队生产桶装牛肉的合同。美国政府每次收到他送来的检验合格的牛肉，就将它装入特制的木桶，并在木桶上盖上“US”的戳。由于“山姆大叔”两词的首字母是“US”，美国的缩写也是“US”，于是人们便把这两个名称合二为一，意即那些经过“山姆大叔”之手的牛肉已成为“美国”的财产。从此“山姆大叔”便被当作美国的绰号，并渐渐广为流传。
1830年，美国漫画家根据历史传说赋予“山姆大叔”以具体形象，于是一个蓄着山羊胡子的高瘦老头的漫画形象出现了。他头戴饰有星徽的高帽子，身穿红、白、蓝三色的燕尾服及条纹长裤（美国星条旗图案）。他身材高大、笑容可掬，深受美国人民的喜爱。
2.Liberty Guides You—The Statue of Liberty 自由引导大家——自由女神像
Statue of Liberty as a symbol of the United States， located in the United States west of New York City， Manhattan， a small island-free on the island， holding her torch in New York， Hong Kong stands at the entrance， at the city observe day and night， since the late 19th century ushered in since the to the millions of immigrants to settle in the United States. In 1984，it was inscribed on the World Heritage List.
The Statue of Liberty arrived in New York Harbor on June 19， 1885， as a gift of friendship from the people of France to the people of the United States. The Status of Liberty means Enlightening the World， it has come to symbolize freedom and democracy nationwide.
In order to transport the statue to America， the figure was disassembled into 350 pieces and packed in 214 crates. Four months later， it was reassembled on Bedloe's Island（renamed Liberty Island in 1956）.On October 28， 1886，President Grover Cleveland dedicated the Statue of Liberty before thousands of spectators.But millions more would meet"Lady Liberty"in a different way of steel supports.
Statue of Liberty high 46 meters， with a total base of about 100 meters high， is the time to commemorate the world's highest building， its wholly-called"Statue of Liberty Bronze as national monuments， "officially known as"the Statue of Liberty illuminate the world"，the entire statue to 120 tons of steel for the frames， 80 tons of copper for the skin to 300000 Liu nail fixed in the stent assembly， with a total weight 225 tons， the statue inside the steel stent is Victoria Lei Bo Duke by the architect and the construction industry world-famous Eiffel Tower in Paris France Eiffel design engineers produced.
The nearby Ellis Island Immigration Station， a major reception point for immigrants entering the United States， opened in 1892. Before the station closed in 1943，the Statue of Liberty welcomed more than 12 million immigrants to America.On its pedestal， words by poet Emma Lazarus reflect the hope for freedom and opportunity shared by the millions who see Miss Liberty after a long ocean journey.
自由女神像被誉为美国象征，它位于美国纽约市曼哈顿以西的一个小岛——自由岛上，她手持火炬，矗立在纽约港入口处，日夜守望着这座大都会，迎来了自19世纪末以来到美国定居的百万移民。1984年，它被列入世界遗产名录。
自由女神像在1885年6月19日到达纽约港，是法国人民送给美国表示友谊的礼物。自由女神像原名是：自由光耀寰宇。它是全国自由与民主的象征。
为了要把这座雕像运到美国来，整个雕像被拆解成为350个组件，装在214个木板箱里。四个月之后，这些组件又在贝德罗岛重新组装，后来这个岛屿被改名为“自由岛”。在1886年10月28日，葛罗佛·克里夫兰总统在数万名民众面前举行自由女神像的落成典礼。但是后来有数百万人以各种不同方式来欣赏这个“自由女士”。
女神像高46米，连同底座总高约100米，是当时世界上最高的纪念性建筑，其全称为“自由女神铜像国家纪念碑”，正式名称是“照耀世界的自由女神”，整座铜像以120吨的钢铁为骨架，80吨铜片为外皮，30万只铆钉装配固定在支架上，总重量达225吨，铜像内部的钢铁支架是由建筑师维雷勃杜克和以建造巴黎埃菲尔铁塔闻名于世的法国工程师埃菲尔设计制作的。
自由女神像附近的艾力司岛移民站是各国移民进入美国的主要入口点，在1892年正式开始运作。在这个移民站于1943年停止运作之前，自由女神像已经欢迎了超过一千二百万位移民进入美国。在自由女神像的基座上刻着诗人伊玛·拉扎罗斯的一句诗文，反映出经过漫长海上旅程才能看到自由小姐的移民，他们心中对自由与机会的希望。
3.The White House “白房子”——白宫
●Here is the White House 这里是白宫
The White House has not been white， and not called the White House， but was called "President Building" or "President's Palace." It was a gray sandstonebuilding founded in 1792. From 1800，it was the U.S.president's office and place for family to live.But in 1812，in the second British war， British troops invaded Washington.On August 24， 1814 the British burned the building， leaving only a pair of basket case.In 1817，in order to cover up the fire， President Monroe ordered to cover up the gray paint with a layer of white sand paint.Since then the presidential palace has been called "the White House." In 1902 U.S.President Theodore Roosevelt officially named it the "White House"， and it became synonymous with the U.S.government.Interestingly， the first president living in the White House is not the first president Washington， but the second President John Adams.The White House is always full of mystery.According to the principle White House's spending taken charge by all taxpayers， part of the White House opens to the citizens of the world within the stipulated time， and therefore the spots become hot tourist.