2014-05-26

【Aiden in English】

        Nobody in the 21^st century knows precisely what an 18^th-century town looked like, just as an 18th-century villager couldn't picture what a woolly mammoth would look like. Even the 18^th-century villager knew that woolly mammoths were big, and we know that people were more majestic than our current fashion sense back then. 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, including grand houses, beds, furniture, etc. That was why it stood out in history. The tours took place everywhere; workers scurried around doing what colonial people in the 1700s would do, and the streets were stuffed with tourists.

         Various colonial architectures were built in Williamsburg, where many American historical figures lived, such as Peyton Randolph, the Speaker of Virginia's House of Burgesses. In his house, dinner was waiting for him before he died of heatstroke. He didn't get to see the 13 colonies free from Britain. Another famous building would be the capital, with high chairs in the Council Chamber and arched windows marching 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 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 one another, with swords intertwined 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 a maze grown out of bushes (yes, like the one in Harry Potter Book Four), which probably made it the most significant of all.

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

【红霞译】

        在21世纪的今天，恐怕无人能够确切地知道18世纪弗吉尼亚“圣洁女王”州小镇布局状况，正如18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，而眼下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“坚定捍卫者城”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，譬如众议院议长佩顿·兰多夫“战士庄园‧狼盾”故居，来此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13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“双·上帝的和平”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，后院迷宫全部由灌木丛组成，(没错，很像《哈利·波特“领主‧陶器商”》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。

Capitol Bldg, the Ctr of British Authority in Virginia for Most of the 18^th Century 

(国会大厦·威廉斯堡的首府在18世纪的大部分时间里都是英国在弗吉尼亚州的权力中心 05-26-2014)

Courtroom @ Capitol Bldg

(国会大厦·法庭 05-26-2014)

House of Burgesses @ Capitol Bldg

(国会大厦·众议院)

House of Burgesses, the 1^st Democratically Elected Legislative Assembly in British North America, Representing the Virginia Colony from 1619 to 1776

(众议院·英属北美第一个民主选举产生的立法议会，1619—1776年间代表弗吉尼亚殖民地 05-26-2014)

Council Chamber of Capitol Bldg, the Place Where Members of the King's Appointed Governor's Council Met as the Upper House of Virginia's legislature in the 18^th Century

(议事厅·18世纪国王任命的总督委员会成员开会的地方，也是弗吉尼亚州立法机构的上议院)

Memorial Day Ceremony w/ Colonial Williamsburg Fifes & Drums @ Governor's Palace Square

(总督府广场·国殇节庆祝仪式吹奏威廉斯堡殖民地横笛与鼓乐 05-26-2014)

Memorial Day Parade (国殇节纪念日游行 05-26-2014)

Governor's Palace | English Baroque, Original in 1706 | Colonial Revival, Reconstructed in 1931

(总督府·始建于1706年英国巴洛克风格和重建于1931年殖民复兴式 05-26-2014)

Governor's Palace & Gardens, a Lavish Home to Virginia's Royal & Early Elected Governors, a Powerful Symbol of Colonial Wealth & Authority, & a Beautiful Example of 18th-Century Landscape Architecture, Featuring Formal Gardens, a Hedge maze, & a Formal Pond

(总督府与花园·弗吉尼亚州皇家和早期民选总督的豪华府邸，强有力地展示殖民地财富和权威，被视为18 世纪园林建筑的典范，拥有正式的花园、树篱迷宫和正式的池塘 05-26-2014)

Governor's Palace of Colonial Williamsburg, the World's Largest Living-History Museum

(总督府·位于世上最大活历史博物馆的殖民地威廉斯堡 05-26-2014)

Governor's Palace Entryway w/ Striking Swords & Flintlock Muskets

(总督府入口处·极为抢眼的剑和燧发枪 05-26-2014)

Swords & Pistols on the Walls of the Stairway @ Governor's Palace 

(总督府楼梯·墙壁上摆满了剑和手枪 05-26-2014)

Governor's Palace Knives Out Rooms

(总督府·利刃出鞘 05-26-2014)

Governor's Palace w/ Muskets Displayed in Neat Rows above the Fireplace w/ More Swords on Either Side

(总督府·壁炉上方整齐地摆放着火枪，两侧各有若干剑 05-26-2014)

Ballroom @ Governor's Palace

(总督府·舞厅 05-26-2014)

Green w/ White Moulding @ Governor's Palace

(总督府·绿白两色装饰性花纹顶)

配有天蓬床的女儿卧室、带刺绣挂饰的四柱天蓬床

Lady Dunmore's Dressing Room @ Governor's Palace 

(总督府·邓莫尔“山上大堡垒”夫人更衣室 05-26-2014)

Magazine & Guardhouse

(武器库与警卫室 05-26-2014)

18th Century Men's Civilian Outfit w Black tricorn, Gray Linen Coat, Burgundy Wool 1770s Waistcoat, & Green Linen Fall Front Breeches

(18世纪男士平民服装·含黑色三角帽、灰色亚麻外套、勃艮第“深红色”羊毛、1770年代背心和绿色亚麻秋季前马裤 05-26-2014)

Estate of Peyton Randolph, Served as the 1st President of the Continental Congress & Speaker of the House of Burgesses in the Early 18^th-Century Georgian 

(佩顿·兰多夫故居——曾任大陆会议第一任主席和众议院议长，18世纪早期乔治亚“农夫”风格 05-26-2014)

Tea Room @ Peyton Randolph's House

(佩顿·兰多夫故居——茶室 05-26-2014)

Dining Room @ Peyton Randolph's House

(佩顿·兰多夫故居——餐厅)

Raleigh Tavern on Duke of Gloucester Street

(格洛斯特“明亮的堡垒”公爵街上罗利“狍子草甸”酒馆 05-26-2014)

William Pitt Store for Colonial-Style Toys 

(威廉·皮特“坚定保护者·洼地”商店——出售殖民风格的玩具 05-26-2014)

Crosslinks(相关博文):

Jamestown Settlement, VA(弗吉尼亚州替代者镇殖民地)

Monticello, VA(弗吉尼亚州小山包庄园)

弗吉尼亚州激流岛(Assateague Island, VA)

弗吉尼亚州水边怡岛赶海(Chincoteague Beachcombing, VA)

USA(出游美国)

5th Grade(小学五年级)