US Exhibition:Bicentennial of Alexander Hamilton
时间:2019-01-03 作者:英语课 分类:VOA2004(下)--文化艺术
By Barbara Schoetzau
He was one of the giants of American history: a hero in the American Revolution; the new nation's first Treasury 1 secretary; architect of the nation's monetary 2 system; an early and vociferous 3 opponent of slavery. Yet recent history has often bypassed Alexander Hamilton's contributions to the formation of American society. Now, on the bicentennial of his death, a new multi-media exhibition aims to reassess the reputation of one the United States' founding fathers.
The New York Historical Society is calling its exhibition "Alexander Hamilton: The Man Who Made Modern America." Documentary filmmaker Ric Burns, a member of the Historical Society's board, says none of the founding fathers is less well-known or more relevant to the contemporary world than Hamilton.
"He was in many ways the first modern American. He was a bastard 4 from the Caribbean and an immigrant, a man who believed in and thrived on flux 5 and change and new New York was the capital of those things. He was the ultimate upstart in the ultimate upstart city. He was a man who came to epitomize the spirit of the society that was coming to teach itself that who you were and where you came from, mattered far less than what you could do and where you were going."
The New York Historical Society building is wrapped in a giant $10 bill, the denomination 6 that carries Hamilton's portrait. Hamilton and Benjamin Franklin are the only two non-presidents depicted 7 on American currency.
Richard Brookhiser, the author of a biography simply called Alexander Hamilton, American, served as curator historian for the exhibition. He says Hamilton's importance in developing the U.S. financial system cannot be overestimated 8.
"He was the first Treasury secretary. Most people know that. They know that he was the money guy, the guy that put America's finances on a firm footing. I do not think they understand how important that was or how difficult that was or how little it was understood by Hamilton's great peers. The founding fathers who understood the emerging world of modern finance could really be counted on one hand."
Display cases throughout the exhibit show artifacts tracing Hamilton's life, from his early years working as a clerk at a merchant house in the West Indies to his death at the age of 47 in duel 9 with his bitter enemy, Vice 10 President Aaron Burr.
Artifacts, videos and an audio guide also explain Hamilton's relationships with other founding fathers, including George Washington. During the Revolutionary War, he served as a top aide to General Washington. When Washington became the new nation's first president, he appointed Hamilton secretary of Treasury. After he left government, Hamilton remained a close confidante of Washington's and wrote much of his famous farewell address in 1796. The speech, which became a classic, warns against sectionalism and partisanship 11 at home and permanent alliances abroad. A proof in Hamilton's handwriting is on display.
"The nation which indulges towards others an habitual 12 hatred 13 or an habitual fondness is a slave," (an audio guide explains)"It is a slave to its animosity or to its affection, either of which is sufficient to lead it astray from its duty and interest."
The exhibit's organizers leave no doubt that they believe Hamilton's reputation has suffered because he was ahead of his time. Ric Burns attributes the neglect partly to a general disillusionment with urban life during much of the 20th century and an idealized image of agrarian 14 society. Now, Mr. Burns says, cities are recognized as great achievements.
"What I really hope takes place now is a recognition that we live in the world he made. When [Thomas] Jefferson was waxing philosophical 15 and the planters were talking about the beauty of the American countryside, this guy was putting together the theory and the practical blueprint 16 for creating an urban, commercial, democratic society. He thought on that kind of global scale. That was an astonishing genius."
Surprisingly, Hamilton's role as a leading opponent of slavery has also been largely forgotten. Richard Brookhiser comments.
"At the moment of independence, every one of the 13 states had slaves. The founders 17 were aware of this as a problem. They knew that this was a contradiction to their own principles. What did they do about it? Jefferson agonized 18 about it. Washington, in the last act of his life, frees all his slaves in his will. What Hamilton does is he joins other New Yorkers and he founds the New York Manumission Society to try to end slavery in his state."
Hamilton's legacy 19 is still very much alive in institutions that he founded. The Bank of New York and The New York Post newspaper still exist. Among those attending the opening of the exhibition were 30 of Hamilton's descendants, including a fifth great grandson, Douglas Hamilton and his son, Alexander. Alex says his father is the family historian.
"He had me memorize Hamilton's biography by the time I was about five or six years old. So I have always grown up with an appreciation 20 but to see this exhibit here, it is pretty unbelievable."
Letters exchanged between Hamilton and Aaron Burr can be seen in the exhibition along with the pistols used in the duel, which the historical society is showing for the first time. In addition, James Basker, the project director for the exhibition, says 280 previously 21 unknown documents were discovered while preparing for the show.
"There is one in the exhibition, a letter from his sister-in-law, Angelica Church, written he day that Hamilton was shot in a duel. She has just heard about it. She is describing what has happened. It is very rushed. You can see the emotion in her handwriting."
After it closes in New York in February, the Alexander Hamilton multi-media exhibition will travel to 40 venues 22 across the United States for three years.
Barbara Schoetzau, VOA news, New York.
注释:
vociferous 大声喊叫的,猛烈抗议的
bicentennial 二百周年纪念
contemporary 同时代的
bastard 私生子
curator 馆长
confidante 红粉知己,知心女友
sectionalism 地方主义,地方偏见
disillusionment 觉醒
descendant 子孙,后代
venue 集合地点,展示地点
- The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
- This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。
- The monetary system of some countries used to be based on gold.过去有些国家的货币制度是金本位制的。
- Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。
- They are holding a vociferous debate.他们在吵吵嚷嚷地辩论。
- He was a vociferous opponent of Conservatism.他高声反对保守主义。
- He was never concerned about being born a bastard.他从不介意自己是私生子。
- There was supposed to be no way to get at the bastard.据说没有办法买通那个混蛋。
- The market is in a constant state of flux.市场行情在不断变化。
- In most reactors,there is a significant flux of fast neutrons.在大部分反应堆中都有一定强度的快中子流。
- The firm is still operating under another denomination.这家公司改用了名称仍在继续营业。
- Litre is a metric denomination.升是公制单位。
- Other animals were depicted on the periphery of the group. 其他动物在群像的外围加以修饰。
- They depicted the thrilling situation to us in great detail. 他们向我们详细地描述了那激动人心的场面。
- They overestimated his ability when they promoted him. 他们提拔他的时候高估了他的能力。
- The Ministry of Finance consistently overestimated its budget deficits. 财政部一贯高估预算赤字。
- The two teams are locked in a duel for first place.两个队为争夺第一名打得难解难分。
- Duroy was forced to challenge his disparager to duel.杜洛瓦不得不向诋毁他的人提出决斗。
- He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
- They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。
- Her violent partisanship was fighting Soames's battle. 她的激烈偏袒等于替索米斯卖气力。
- There was a link of understanding between them, more important than affection or partisanship. ' 比起人间的感情,比起相同的政见,这一点都来得格外重要。 来自英汉文学
- He is a habitual criminal.他是一个惯犯。
- They are habitual visitors to our house.他们是我家的常客。
- He looked at me with hatred in his eyes.他以憎恨的眼光望着我。
- The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists.老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。
- People are leaving an agrarian way of life to go to the city.人们正在放弃农业生活方式而转向城市。
- This was a feature of agrarian development in Britain.这是大不列颠土地所有制发展的一个特征。
- The teacher couldn't answer the philosophical problem.老师不能解答这个哲学问题。
- She is very philosophical about her bad luck.她对自己的不幸看得很开。
- All the machine parts on a blueprint must answer each other.设计图上所有的机器部件都应互相配合。
- The documents contain a blueprint for a nuclear device.文件内附有一张核装置的设计蓝图。
- He was one of the founders of the university's medical faculty. 他是该大学医学院的创建人之一。 来自辞典例句
- The founders of our religion made this a cornerstone of morality. 我们宗教的创始人把这看作是道德的基石。 来自辞典例句
- All the time they agonized and prayed. 他们一直在忍受痛苦并且祈祷。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
- She agonized herself with the thought of her loss. 她念念不忘自己的损失,深深陷入痛苦之中。 来自辞典例句
- They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
- He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。
- I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
- I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。
- The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
- Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿,解释原先发生了什么。