VOA常速英语2008年-History Exhibit Showcases African-Americans

By Chris Simkins
Washington, DC
08 February 2008
 

February is National Black History Month in the United States - an annual celebration that promotes and highlights the positive accomplishments¹ made by people of African descent. VOA Correspondent Chris Simkins reports on a traveling exhibit that uncovers the role African Americans played in helping² build the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC.

The U.S. Capitol is one of the most recognizable man-made landmarks⁴ in the country. With its stately white dome⁵, the building serves as an international symbol of the country's representative democracy. But until recently little was known about the people who actually built the massive structure. Now a traveling exhibit entitled "From Freedom's Shadow" reveals that most of the Capitol was built by black slaves from the late 1700s through 1863.

Felicia Bell, with the Capitol Historical Society, is the exhibit's curator. She says, at the time, large numbers of slaves were used to construct many government buildings throughout the United States. "The fact that they (slaves) were skilled and already actively⁶ hired out to build other significant structures even prior to the Capitol shows us that the enslaved people were instrumental in the early establishment of the United States and of these urban centers."

The exhibition chronicles the methods used to recruit slaves for building the Capitol. Old records show construction contractors⁷ used a practice known as "Hiring Out", which involved white slave owners getting paid for allowing their slaves to be used as temporary laborers⁹. The slaves themselves were only paid if they worked nights, Sundays and holidays. 

"The documents indicate these owners seeking payment for their laborers hired out. Sometimes it was one laborer⁸, sometimes it was several. The typical rate of pay was $5 per month per enslaved person, which was a pretty good rate of pay for the time period."

The African-American slaves worked alongside white laborers cutting timber, hauling stone and other types of construction work. Ironically, even the famous six-meter high Statue of Freedom, which was placed atop the Capitol dome during the Civil War, was cast in bronze by a slave, Philip Reid.

Curator Bell says an eyewitness¹⁰ account of the work environment was recorded by a Polish traveler who visited the Capitol construction site. "He talked about how the white laborers were drinking alcohol most of the day and it was the enslaved laborers who were doing the work and how he was appalled¹¹ when he found out that these enslaved men were not being paid, that their owners were being paid for hiring them out."

The traveling exhibition has been displayed at many schools across the country. At Howard University in Washington students, such as Nieon Crawford, are fascinated about the Capitol's history and the role blacks played in building the historic landmark³. Crawford says, "It is finally great to see people bring this information forward so more people can learn about it. I definitely learned a great deal today by looking at the exhibit: who participated and how they participated. We never really knew what contributions were made in the past."

Ms. Bell says the Capitol's history should not be glossed¹² over because of the painful memories of slavery. She says the exhibit is important because it helps people understand the significant role African-Americans had -- not just in building the Capitol - but in building the nation.

1 accomplishments   

n.造诣；完成( accomplishment的名词复数 )；技能；成绩；成就

参考例句：

• It was one of the President's greatest accomplishments. 那是总统最伟大的成就之一。
• Among her accomplishments were sewing,cooking,playing the piano and dancing. 她的才能包括缝纫、烹调、弹钢琴和跳舞。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

2 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

3 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
• The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

4 landmarks   

n.陆标( landmark的名词复数 )；目标；（标志重要阶段的）里程碑 ~ (in sth)；有历史意义的建筑物（或遗址）

参考例句：

• The book stands out as one of the notable landmarks in the progress of modern science. 这部著作是现代科学发展史上著名的里程碑之一。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The baby was one of the big landmarks in our relationship. 孩子的出世是我们俩关系中的一个重要转折点。 来自辞典例句

5 dome   

n.圆屋顶，拱顶

参考例句：

• The dome was supported by white marble columns.圆顶由白色大理石柱支撑着。
• They formed the dome with the tree's branches.他们用树枝搭成圆屋顶。

6 actively   

adv.积极地，勤奋地

参考例句：

• During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。
• We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。

7 contractors   

n.（建筑、监造中的）承包人( contractor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We got estimates from three different contractors before accepting the lowest. 我们得到3个承包商的报价后，接受了最低的报价。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Contractors winning construction jobs had to kick back 2 per cent of the contract price to the mafia. 赢得建筑工作的承包商得抽出合同价格的百分之二的回扣给黑手党。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 laborer   

n.劳动者，劳工

参考例句：

• Her husband had been a farm laborer.她丈夫以前是个农场雇工。
• He worked as a casual laborer and did not earn much.他当临时工，没有赚多少钱。

9 laborers   

n.体力劳动者，工人( laborer的名词复数 )；（熟练工人的）辅助工

参考例句：

• Laborers were trained to handle 50-ton compactors and giant cranes. 工人们接受操作五十吨压土机和巨型起重机的训练。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Wage-labour rests exclusively on competition between the laborers. 雇佣劳动完全是建立在工人的自相竞争之上的。 来自英汉非文学 - 共产党宣言

10 eyewitness   

n.目击者，见证人

参考例句：

• The police questioned several eyewitness to the murder.警察询问了谋杀案的几位目击者。
• He was the only eyewitness of the robbery.他是那起抢劫案的唯一目击者。

11 appalled   

v.使惊骇，使充满恐惧( appall的过去式和过去分词)adj.惊骇的；丧胆的

参考例句：

• The brutality of the crime has appalled the public. 罪行之残暴使公众大为震惊。
• They were appalled by the reports of the nuclear war. 他们被核战争的报道吓坏了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 glossed   

v.注解( gloss的过去式和过去分词 )；掩饰（错误）；粉饰；把…搪塞过去

参考例句：

• The manager glossed over the team's recent defeat. 经理对这个队最近的失败闪烁其词。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He glossed over his selfishness with a display of generosity. 他以慷慨大方的假象掩饰他的自私。 来自互联网