英语作文ACenturyLater.doc

英语作文ACenturyLater ACenturyLater,StatueofLibertyStillAttractsMillions FromVOALearningEnglish,weletoThisisAmerica.ImSteveEmber. TodaywetellabouttheStatueofLiberty.Thehuge,greenstatuecelebratesAmericanfreedom.IthasservedastheguardianofNewYorkHarborformorethanacentury. Comealongwithus,aswevisitLadyLiberty. TheStatueofLibertymaybeoneofthemostoftenphotographedworksofartintheworld.AFrenchsculptor,FredericAugusteBartholdi,designedthestatueinthelate1800s.TodaythemonumentcontinuestopresentabeautifulsightontheNewYorkskyline.ButitcameclosetoneverarrivingintheUnitedStates. ThematerialsrequiredforbuildingtheStatueofLibertywerealmostlostatsea.In1885,theshipcarryingthosematerialsalmostsankinstormyseas.Bartholdisdreamofahugesculpturemightneverhavebeenfulfilled. Luckily,theshipsurvivedtheroughseas.ItarrivedsafelyinJuneof1885.Bythenextyear,theStatueofLibertyhadarisenonwhatwasthencalledBedloesIsland.Thestatuewasofficiallyopenedthatyear.Manyyearslater,theislandwasgivenanewname:LibertyIsland. ShesaSurvivor TheStatueofLibertyhassurviveddamagecausedbytime,visitsbymillionsofpeopleandtheweather.Itstoodfirmduringadestructivestorm,HurricaneSandy,whichstrucktheEastCoastinOctoberof.ButLibertyIslandsuffereddamage,requiringmajorrepairs. LadyLiberty,asmanypeoplecallthestatue,wasagiftfromthepeopleofFrance.ItsfullnameisLibertyEnlighteningtheWorld. TheUnitedStatesandFrancehavebeenfriendsandalliessincetheAmericanRevolution.FrancehelpedtheAmericancolonialarmiesdefeatBritishforces.Thewarofficiallyendedin1783.Afewyearslater,theFrenchrebelledagainsttheirking. AFrenchhistorianandpoliticalleader,EdouardReneLefebvredeLaboulaye,hadtheideaforthestatue.In1865,hesuggestedthattheFrenchandtheAmericansbuildamonumenttogethertocelebratefreedom.Bartholdiagreedtodesignit. In1875,theFrenchestablishedanorganizationtoraisemoneyforBartholdiscreation.Twoyearslater,anAmericangroupwasformedtoraisemoneytopayforapedestal.AmericanarchitectRichardMorrisHuntwaschosentodesignthissupportstructure.Thepedestalwouldstand47metershigh. InFrance,BartholdidesignedamodeloftheStatueofLiberty.Thenhebuiltaseriesoflargercopiesoftheverysmallmodelstatue.Workerscreatedawoodenformcoveredwithplasterforeachpart.Theyplaced300piecesofcopperontheforms.Thecopperskinwasabouttwoandonehalfmillimetersthick,thesameastwoAmericanpenniesplacedbacktoback. Thestatuealsoneededastructurethatcouldholditsweightmorethan200tons.FrenchengineerAlexandreGustaveEiffelcreatedthenewtechnology.Later,hedesignedthefamousEiffelTowerinParis. EiffelandothersworkedinParistoproduceastrongsupportsystemforthestatue.Thedesignalsohadtohavetheabilitytomovealittleinstrongwinds.LadyLibertyhascontinuedtostandduringmanyastorm,includingHurricaneSandy. FrancehadwantedtogivethestatuetotheUnitedStatesonthe100thanniversaryoftheDeclarationofIndependenceJulyfourth,1876.Buttechnicalproblemsandlackofmoneydelayedtheproject.FrancefinallyofficiallypresentedthestatuetotheUnitedStatesinParisin1884.ButthepedestalbeingbuiltinNewYorkwasnotfinished.Notenoughmoneyhadbeendonatedtopletetheproject. ThepublisheroftheNewYorkWorldnewspapercametotherescue.JosephPulitzerusedhisnewspapertopersuadeAmericanstogivemoremoneytofinishthepedestal.Hiseffortsbroughtinanother$100,000.Andthepedestalwasfinished. InFrance,workersseparatedthestatueinto350pieces,putthemonashipandsentthemacrosstheocean.Aftersurvivingtheroughseas,thestatuearrivedinNewYorkinmorethan200woodenboxes.Ittookworkersfourmonthstobuildthestatueonthepedestal. OnOctober28th,1886,PresidentGroverClevelandacceptedthestatueinaceremony.Hesaid:WewillnotforgetthatLibertyhasheremadeherhome;norshallherchosenaltarbeneglected. Throughouthistory,theideaoflibertyhasoftenbeenrepresentedbyimagesofawoman.HistorianssaythestatuesfacewascreatedtolooklikeBartholdismother.Herrightarmholdsatorchhighintheair.HerleftarmholdsatabletwiththedateofAmericasDeclarationofIndependenceJulyfourth,1776. Onherhead,theStatueofLibertywearsacrownwithsevenpoints.Eachpointismeanttorepresentthelightoffreedomasitshinesonthesevenseasandsevencontinentsoftheworld.The25windowsinthecrownrepresentgemstonesfoundonEarth.Achainthatrepresentsoppressionliesbrokenatherfeet. LadyLibertysmessageofhope In1903,abronzeplaquewasplacedontheinnerwallofthestatuespedestal.OnitarewordsfromthepoemTheNewColossus,writtenbyEmmaLazarusin1883.Themarkerrepresentsthestatuesmessageofhopeforpeopleseekingfreedom.OnememorablelinereadsIliftmylampbesidethegoldendoor. NotlikethebrazengiantofGreekfame, Withconqueringlimbsastridefromlandtoland; Hereatourseawashed,sunsetgatesshallstand Amightywomanwithatorch,whoseflame Istheimprisonedlightning,andhername MotherofExiles.Fromherbeaconhand Glowsworldwidewele;hermildeyesmand Theairbridgedharborthattwincitiesframe. Keepancientlands,yourstoriedpompcriesshe Withsilentlips.Givemeyourtired,yourpoor, Yourhuddledmassesyearningtobreathefree, Thewretchedrefuseofyourteemingshore. Sendthese,thehomeless,tempesttosttome, Iliftmylampbesidethegoldendoor LadyLibertywasofficiallynamedaNationalMonumentin1924.TheStatueofLibertymonumentnowincludesnearbyEllisIsland,theformerfederalimmigrationprocessingcenter.Millionsofimmigrants,aftertheirshipspassedtheStatueofLiberty,wereexaminedonEllisIslandbetween1892and1924. ThisviewissimilartotheoneseenbyimmigrantsastheyenteredtheUSbysteamship.WhentheshipsnearedNewYork,theshiningtorchoftheStatueofLibertyrosefromthebay.Shoutsandcriesofjoywoulderuptfromthesteamerdecks.Formany,LibertyEnlighteningtheWorld,astheStatueisofficiallytitled,symbolizedthefreedomandopportunitythatawaitedthemintheirnewland. Morethan40percentofAmericanshaveatleastoneancestorwhopassedthroughtheprocessingcenter.Throughtheyears,manyofthesepeoplehavecontinuedtovisittheStatueofLiberty.SomepeoplesayatriptoNewYorkCitydoesnotseempletewithoutit. Bythe1980s,however,thestatuewasoldandbeingdangerousforvisitors.In1982,PresidentRonaldReaganaskedbusinessmanLeeIacoccatoleadacampaigntorepairit. TheStatueofLibertyEllisIslandFoundationraisedabout100milliondollarsinprivatedonationstodothework.Therepairsincludedreplacingthetorchandcoveringitwith24caratgold.OnJulyfourth,1986,NewYorkCityandthenationcelebratedarestoredandreopenedStatueofLiberty. NewYorkwasoneofthetargetsoftheterroristattacksofSeptember11th,.ThestatueremainedclosedforsecurityreasonsuntilAugust.Atthattime,officialslimitedvisitstothepedestalandlowerobservationarea.Butthatfactdidnotseemtokeeptoomanypeopleaway.Thestatuecontinuedtoattractvisitorsmorethanthreemillionayear. Finally,in,thestatueabovethepedestalreopened.LimitedgroupsofenergeticpeopleclimbedthemanystepsleadingtoLadyLibertyscrown. OnOctober29th,theStatueagainclosedtheinsideofthepedestalforrestorationpurp