2014-05-26

【Aiden in English】

        Nobody in the 21^st century knows exactly what an 18th century town looked like just as an 18^th century villager couldn't picture what a woolly mammoth would look like. But even the 18th century villager knew that woolly mammoths were big just as we know that people back then were somewhat more majestic than our current sense of fashion. All we needed to do was to go on a little scavenger hunt for clues about the past and piece them together by imagination. Follow these simple instructions and you'll find yourself in Williamsburg.

        Everything in Williamsburg was grand, such as grand houses, grand beds, grand furniture, etc. That was why it stood out in history. The tours took place everywhere, workers scurried around doing what colonial people in the 1700's would do, and the streets were stuffed with tourists.

         A variety of colonial architectures were built in Williamsburg where many American historical people lived, for example, Peyton Randolph, and Speaker of Virginia's House of Burgesses. In his house, the dinner was awaiting for him before he died of heart stroke. He didn't get to see the 13 colonies free from the Britain. Another famous building would be the capitol with high chairs stood in the Council Chamber and arched windows marched across the courtroom.

        Unfortunately they both were blown away by the Governor's Palace, home to seven governors including Thomas Jefferson. Everything was decorated so spectacularly that it appeared to be ready for a party. Speaking of decoration, who displayed muskets and swords in the halls? Well, the governor did, because muskets were put in rows and stacked on top of another, with swords intertwined together on the walls. But that's just the beginning. The beds were a picture of their own. Flowers and birds were woven into the blanket and beautiful silk drapes surrounded the bed. More specific features symbolized its red dressing room, blue ballroom, and green dining room. In addition, the backyard had maze grown out of bushes (yes, like the one in Harry Potter Book Four), which probably made the most significant of all.

        You may never know what the Colonial America really resembled in the past. To get the general idea, however, Williamsburg is always available.

【红霞译文】

        在21世纪的今天，恐怕无人能够确切地知道十八世纪小镇布局状况，正如十八世纪的乡巴佬没法想像真猛玛象长成什么样子，但他们意识到真猛玛象很大，犹若我们对那个年代的人们讲究气派略知一二。眼下我们需要做的事情就是要身临其境，发挥个人想像力以求还原历史面目。不知不觉地，威廉斯堡很快出现在你的眼前。

        威廉斯堡所有一切都可以用“宏大”来形容，大房子、大床、大家具等等，正因如此，威廉斯堡才会成为美国殖民史上重要篇章。景点随处可见，身着十八世纪殖民古装的工作人员忙里忙外接待照应，街上游客如织。

        威廉斯堡有很多殖民式建筑，不少历史人物曾在此生活过，譬如佩顿‧伦道夫——弗吉尼亚州众议院议长。来到他家参观，你会发现晚饭刚摆上桌，但他因心肌梗塞突然离世，再也不能返回住所与亲属就餐，生前未来得及看到美国十三个殖民地先后摆脱英国统治的经过。另外一座著名楼房应算国会大厦，其会议室高靠背太师椅、法庭内拱形窗户，都给我们留下深刻印象。

        遗憾的是，这两处建筑均无法与总督府相媲美，这里先后住过包括托马斯‧杰斐逊在内七任总督。总督府内部装饰华丽，好像将要举行盛大聚会。说起装饰，有谁会在屋内走廊处挂满火枪和利剑﹖除了总督之外，你找不出第二位。墙上火枪一个挨一个排好，利剑交叉有序，但这仅仅是个开头，花鸟编织的毯子、漂亮的丝帘床围、红更衣室、蓝舞厅以及绿饭厅。另外，后院的迷宫全部由灌木丛组成，(没错，很像《哈利‧波特》第四集)，这也许堪称总督府与众不同的地方。

        你可能永远搞不清楚美国殖民地的风土原貌，不过如果仅仅为了普及基础知识，威廉斯堡永远是本活教材供你参阅。