书城外语课外英语-美国各州小知识(十二)(双语版)
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第1章 佛蒙特州(1)

佛蒙特州小档案:

人口:约60万

面积:约24,887平方公里,排名第43位

州府:蒙彼利埃Montpelier

佛蒙特州,本州之名称,原是法文Vertmont,其意义是青翠的山岭。本州别名也叫做“绿岭之州”Green Mountain State。

1609年,法国探险家首先进入本区而命名。西部之钱普伦湖,就是用这位探险家钱普伦Samuel de Champlain的名字而命名。这个大湖,原来是一个大海湾,后来淤塞而成为湖。现今已是一个淡水湖。1724年,英人向本区殖民。1777年,宣布独立。1791年3月4日成为美国第14州。它是后来加入旧13州的第1个州。本州箴言为“自由与统一”Freedom and Unity.州花是红苜蓿red clover。

州府是蒙彼利埃Montpelier,位于本州中北部。保林顿市内有佛蒙特大学University of Vermont,1791年创立。现在学生人数千万。

本州特征有二:第一,它在新英格兰六州之内,是惟一的内陆之州。第二,本州内之大湖、大山、大河,都是南北方向,而且依次排列,极为整齐。中部是一条南北向大山脉,叫做格陵山地(绿岭)。东侧是南北向之康涅狄格河谷。西侧是狭而长的钱普伦湖Champlain L.。湖岸宽广平坦,开发颇盛。本州大都市保林顿Burlibgton及勒特兰Rutland,都在本州西部。

本州60%是天然森林。水力蕴藏极富。本州特产是石棉,产量约占美国总产量90%。此外,出产枫糖及品质极佳的大理石。贝尔Barre产花冈岩。工业方面有电脑工业及木材工业。农牧方面有乳牛、肉牛、肉鸡及苹果。本州面积虽小,乳牛却很多。旅游业极发达,每年从这方面所得的税收,可达1亿美元。一年四季,全是游乐的季节。青翠的山景,清澈的河流,可以爬山,可以滑雪。州内设立公园区有72处。

Introduction简介

本丛书共50册,分为美国各州的小知识,七彩缤纷的音符,优美好看的小散文,开心时分的短文,经典流传的寓言,超级高效的短句,实际有用的词汇等等在这些书中,备有单词解释,相关简介,或中文翻译,便于同学们更好的阅读和理解,真正进入文字的内涵当中,准确地和文字进行交流。主要介绍弗吉尼亚州、华盛顿州、西弗吉尼亚州和威斯康星州和怀俄明州的概况、州长、州鸟、州花、州旗、州歌以及相关资料,附有话里话外部分,主要介绍美国军事家和企业家。

Vermont is a tiny state hidden in the northeast corner of the United States.Originally populated by various indigenous(本土的)peoples of the Algonquin[阿尔冈琴族(语,人)],Iroquois(易洛魁族人),and Abenaki nations,the land now known as Vermont was first seen by European eyes in 1609,when the French explorer Samuel de Champlain sailed the lake that now bears his name.The French must have paid their visits during the warmer months,for when they gazed upon the mountains that form the spine(地面隆起地带)of the state,they named them Les verts monts,17th century French for the Green Mountains.The name of state capital “Montpelier”also comes from the French Montpelier which means the “naked mount”(i.e the mount without trees).As happens with language,Les verts mont became Verts Mont became Vermont.And as happened with explorers,Champlain claimed all he saw in the name of France

The State of Vermont,tucked(挤)in the Northeast corner of the U.S.,is the second smallest state in the Country with a population of less than 1million people.Vermont was originally populated by various indigenous peoples of the Algonquin,Iroquois,and Abenaki nations.Many of Vermont town,county,river,and lake names are derivatives(派生词)of old Indian names.The original Vermonters traveled and lived off the abundance of the land.Vermont’s hills were filled with wildlife,and fish were bountiful(大量的)in the many rivers,ponds and lakes.

The Vermont region was explored and claimed for France by Samuel de Champlain in 1609when the French explorer Samuel de Champlain sailed into what is now known as Lake Champlain.It was then,in the summer of 1609,when Vermont was first dubbed(授予称号)“Verde Mont,”French for “Green Mountains.”Like a good explorer would,Champlain claimed this land in the name of France,who eventually swapped(交换)Vermont to the British.

The first English settlers moved into the area in 1724and built Fort Dummer on the site of present-day Brattleboro.England gained control of the area in 1763after the French and Indian Wars.

In 1763,England was granted the land now known as Vermont via the Treaty of Paris.That Treaty ended the French and Indian war.Meanwhile,back in the new World,the land was claimed by both New Hampshire and New York.First organized to drive settlers from New York out of Vermont,the Green Mountain Boys,led by Ethan Allen,won fame by capturing Fort Ticonderoga from the British on May 10,1775,in the early days of the Revolutionary War(美国之革命战争).In 1777,Vermont became the first state to outlaw(宣布……为不合法)slavery.By writing a constitution to outlaw slavery,Vermont allowed runaway(逃亡的)slaves to stay in Vermont and allowed no one to own slaves in their state.The U.S.didn’t abolish slavery everywhere until about 100years after Vermont outlawed slavery in the state.

In fact,Vermont remained an independent republic until 1791,at which point it joined the United States as that fledgling(刚会飞的幼鸟)nation’s fourteenth member.Nonetheless(但是),to this day Vermonters remain fiercely independent.Indeed,in 1996,Vermont’s sole Congressional seat is held by the House of Representative’s lone independent,Rep.Bernard Sanders.

In 1815,Emma Willard founded higher education for women in Middlebury,Vermont.Until this point women had no or barely any opportunities to get an education beyond grammar school.Women weren’t looked on as equals at that time because men were dominant.If Emma Willard hadn’t founded the school,women wouldn’t have opportunities to get well paying jobs to support themselves or families.

The Capitol of Vermont is Montpelier,with a population of under 10,000people.Montpelier is one of America’s smallest Capitol Cities.

Memories of recent Vermont history are embodied by the Vermont WPA Life Histories Project.

Despite its rural nature,Vermont has a rich history in science and technology.High on a hilltop(小山顶)in southern Vermont,backed against a southern shield of tall spruce(云杉)trees and facing north to Mount Ascutney is the home of the Springfield Telescope Makers,the oldest group of amateurs in the country devoted to building and using astronomical(天文学的)telescopes and other scientific instruments.Located on the east side of the road which leads from Brandon to the village of Forestdale,Vermont stands a two story house known as the Orange Smalley—Thomas Davenport Shop.It was probably built around 1830or earlier as a workshop on the farm of Dr.Adoniram J.Smalley.Here in 1834,Orange Alfonso Smalley,experimented with electromagnetism(电磁).This shop is now known as the birthplace of the electric motor.

The prosperity fostered by the railroad lasted well into the late 19th and early 20th centuries.The State’s industries,businesses,agriculture,and population thrived.Two Vermont natives,Chester A.Arthur and Calvin Coolidge,served as President during this period.But changes in the 20th-century economy,that began early in the century,affected the viability(生存能力)of Vermont within an increasingly competitive and global market.