VOA标准英语2009年-New Efforts to Discover How US Explorer Me

The descendants of one of the best-known U.S. explorers are trying to get to the bottom of a 200-year-old mystery surrounding his death. Relatives of Meriwether Lewis are making a new effort to exhume¹ his body to finally determine whether he committed suicide, as is commonly believed, or whether he was murdered.
　
Portraits of Meriwether Lewis (L), William Clark (File)

Meriwether Lewis is remembered in history books as one of the first to explore the Louisiana Territory that would become the western United States. He and another explorer, William Clark, led an expedition beginning in 1803 to document the land on a monumental journey that brought them in contact for the first time with a number of Native American tribes and previously² unknown plants and animals. They returned as heroes in 1806, and Lewis was later appointed the governor of the Louisiana Territory.

Suicide or murder?

But tragedy struck in 1809 when Lewis stopped at a rural inn called Grinder's Stand while on his way to visit President Thomas Jefferson in Washington. Professor Jim Starrs of George Washington University, an expert on the case, explains what happened next:

"During the first night that he was there, a shot was heard. Mrs. Grinder, being alone in her cabin-like rustic³ lodging⁴ did not respond to the shot that was heard," Starrs said. "Apparently⁵ there was a second shot that was heard, and the next thing she knew there was somebody beating at the door of her cabin. And it turns out it was Meriwether Lewis asking her for her assistance, which she refused for fear, apparently, of what might have happened to her if she had opened the door," he said.

In the morning the innkeeper found Lewis shot in the chest and the head. Since then, historians have argued over what happened. Was it a robbery gone wrong? A conspiracy⁶ leading all the way to President Jefferson? Or did the notoriously melancholy⁷ Lewis decide to take his own life?

Digging up the past
　
An undated portrait of explorer Meriwether Lewis

Generations later, the family members of Meriwether Lewis are seeking an answer to the big question. This is Colonel Tom McSwain, a descendant of Lewis' sister.

"Now plenty of historians and authors have hypothesized about what caused his death, but nothing can be proven at this point, unless his remains⁸ are exhumed⁹ and examined," he said.

Members of the Lewis family insist they do not have an agenda to prove the explorer died one way or another. Lewis descendant Howell Lewis Bowen, says they just want to honor the memory of their great ancestor.

"Our family wants to put an end to the mystery hanging over how uncle Meriwether died. We deserve an answer, as do all Americans. Furthermore, we want to give uncle Meriwether a Christian¹⁰ burial - something he was denied in 1809," Bowen said.

The family has called on forensics expert Dr. Hugh Berryman of Middle Tennessee State University to examine what is left of Lewis' body to determine the cause of his death. Berryman says examining the bones of the deceased, even 200 years later, can be a lot like having an interview with that person. Part of the examination will focus on the direction of the gunshot wound to the head.

"If we look at a gunshot wound and it indicates side to side, it could be suicide, it could be homicide. Front to back, could be suicide, could be homicide. Back to front … it would be hard to build a case for suicide in back to front," he said

He says he is hopeful that the bones will be in good enough shape after all these years to come to a conclusion.

But the family still faces many challenges in getting the closure that they want. The most persistent¹¹ obstacle has been the federal government, which has refused their past requests to open the grave, for fear it will cause damage to the historic site.

The family is now pleading for the American public to help persuade the government to give them permission to exhume the body so that, in the words of descendant Tom McSwain, "history can be history, and not fiction."

1 exhume   

v.掘出，挖掘

参考例句：

• His remains have been exhumed from a cemetery in Queens,New York City.他的遗体被从纽约市皇后区的墓地里挖了出来。
• When the police exhume the corpse,they discover trace of poison in it.警方掘出尸体，发现有中毒的痕迹。

2 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• 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。

3 rustic   

adj.乡村的，有乡村特色的；n.乡下人，乡巴佬

参考例句：

• It was nearly seven months of leisurely rustic living before Michael felt real boredom.这种悠闲的乡村生活过了差不多七个月之后,迈克尔开始感到烦闷。
• We hoped the fresh air and rustic atmosphere would help him adjust.我们希望新鲜的空气和乡村的氛围能帮他调整自己。

4 lodging   

n.寄宿，住所；(大学生的)校外宿舍

参考例句：

• The bill is inclusive of the food and lodging. 账单包括吃、住费用。
• Where can you find lodging for the night? 你今晚在哪里借宿?

5 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

6 conspiracy   

n.阴谋，密谋，共谋

参考例句：

• The men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder.这些人被裁决犯有阴谋杀人罪。
• He claimed that it was all a conspiracy against him.他声称这一切都是一场针对他的阴谋。

7 melancholy   

n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的

参考例句：

• All at once he fell into a state of profound melancholy.他立即陷入无尽的忧思之中。
• He felt melancholy after he failed the exam.这次考试没通过，他感到很郁闷。

8 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

9 exhumed   

v.挖出，发掘出( exhume的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Marie Curie's remains were exhumed and interred in the Pantheon. 玛丽·居里的遗体被移出葬在先贤祠中。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His remains have been exhumed from a cemetery in Queens, New York City. 他的遗体被从纽约市皇后区的墓地里挖了出来。 来自辞典例句

10 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

11 persistent   

adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的

参考例句：

• Albert had a persistent headache that lasted for three days.艾伯特连续头痛了三天。
• She felt embarrassed by his persistent attentions.他不时地向她大献殷勤，使她很难为情。