书城课外英语-美国各州小知识(六)(双语版)
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第16章 马萨诸塞州(4)

Governor Romney has been deeply involved in community and civic affairs,serving extensively(广阔地)in his church and numerous charities including City Year,the Boy Scouts,and the Points of Light Foundation.In 1994,Governor Romney was the Massachusetts Republican nominee(被提名的人)for United States Senate.

Governor Romney received his BA(BA=Bachelor of Agriculture 农学士)with Highest Honors from Brigham Young University in 1971.In 1975,he was awarded an MBA from Harvard Business School and was named a Baker Scholar.In 1975,he also received his Juris Doctorate,cum laude,from Harvard Law School.

Governor Romney,58,and his wife,Ann,have been married for 36years.They have five sons(Tagg,Matt,Josh,Ben and Craig),five daughters-in-law(Jen,Laurie,Jen,Mary and Andelyne)and eight grandchildren.

State Bird州鸟

在1941年3月21日黑山雀被马塞诸州立法机关选为州鸟。这种鸟也被叫做山雀、蓝山雀和小鸟,是北美最常见的鸟之一。它身长4—5英寸,而尾巴的长度几乎是身长的一半。一般颜色为灰色,黑色山雀有棕褐色调。它的顶部、颈背、下颚和喉部都呈黑色。它的巢一般筑在树桩、树上、靠近地面的栅栏柱上。一年产卵两次。

TThe Black-Capped Chickadee(Penthestes atricapillus)was adopted as the official State Bird by the Massachusetts Legislature on March 21,1941.It is also known as the titmouse([鸟]山雀),tomtit([鸟]蓝山雀),and the dickybird(小鸟),and it is one of the most familiar of the North American birds.It is from four to five inches in size,its tail accounting for nearly half its length.The general coloring is ashy-grey,the back having a brownish tinge(色调);the crown,nape(项,颈背),chin,and throat are black,and the cheeks white.It nests in a stump(树桩),tree,or fence post close to the ground,and broods twice a year.It is a cheerful bird and has a pleasing call:“Chick-adee-dee-dee”.

The following is identification:

1.4.5inches Length

2.Short bill

3.Black crown and throat

4.White face

5.Pale gray upperparts

6.White edges to wing coverts

7.Grayish-white underparts

8.Rusty flanks

9.Sexes similar

10.Often found in small flocks

State Flower州花

五月花常被叫做月桂或者藤地莓岩梨,具有卵形多毛的叶子,此花芬芳、粉红或白色,且在春季开放,有五片花瓣。它生长在森林,更喜欢生长在沙地和有岩石的土壤中还有就是在常绿叶林的地下或周边。在1918年被采用为州花。不幸的是,在1925年,它就被列入濒危植物名单之列。

The Mayflower(Epigaea regens),also commonly known as the ground laurel([植]月桂)or trailing arbutus([植]杨梅属),has ovate(卵形的)hairy leaves and fragrant(芬芳的,香的),pink or white,spring-blooming flowers with five petals.It grows in woods,preferring sandy or rocky soil,under or near evergreens.It was adopted as the official flower of the Commonwealth by the General Court on May 1,1918.Unfortunately,since 1925it has been on the endangered list.

The mayflower,or trailing arbutus,was favored for adoption as Massachusetts’state flower at least as early as 1893.Two previous bills were introduced and defeated prior to 1918,when Representative Myles A.O’Brien,Jr.introduced the third mayflower bill.Consequently another bill was introduced to designate the water lily(植)荷花,睡莲).Other flowers were then also proposed.

With this turn of events,the Department of Agriculture given the responsiblity for selecting the state flower.Unwilling to do,they passed it on the State Board of Education.

So,Massachusetts school children were given the chance to vote for their favorite state flower.The mayflower won with 107,617votes,and the water lily was second with 49,499votes.

It was adopted as the official flower of the Commonwealth by the General Court on May 1,1918.Unfortunately,since 1925it has been on the endangered(有灭绝危险的,将要绝种的)list.

Mayflower—Named by the Pilgrims“who saw in the rise of the new leaves over the brown of last year’s foliage(树叶)a parallel to their own rise over great hardship”.

Other common names:Gravel plant,Mayflower,shadflower,ground laurel,mountain pink,winter pink.

Description:This plant,generally referred to in the drug trade as gravel(砂砾,砂砾层)plant but more popularly known as“trailing-arbutus”spreads on the ground with stem 6feet or more in length.It’s native,perennial,evergreen,hemicryptophyte(半隐芽植物),subshrubs(小灌木),autotrophic(自给营养的),monoclinous([植]雌雄(蕊)同花的),with adventitious(外来的)roots and with fibrous roots,0.02-0.4m tall,with rhizomes([植]根茎,根状茎).

Flowers:The flower clusters,which appear from March to May,consist of fragrant,delicate,shell pink,waxy blossoms.They formed on short shoots,monomorphic(单一同态的,单形的),with sepals(萼片)and petals readily distinguishable from one another,unisexual(雌雄异花的),flowers red or white or light red,0.6-1.4mm long,3-5flowers per inflorescence([植]花,花序).

Leaves:It has rust-colored,hairy twigs bearing leathery,evergreen leaves from 1to 3inches long and about half as wide.Alternate,1per node(节点),spaced evenly along stem;petiolate(有柄的),petiole(叶柄,柄部)0.4-3cm long,hairs short and unbranched(无支链的),erect.

Fruits:Purple,about the size of a large pea.Fruits ripen four to six weeks after pollination.When ripe,the fruit splits open and ejects most of the seeds,which are embedded in a sweet,sticky pulp.Ants gather the nutritious pulp and carry it back to their nest.The ants eat the pulp but discard(丢弃)the seeds in their underground chambers,which provide ideal conditions for the seeds to germinate(发芽,发育)and grow.This is a classic example of mutualism(互利共生),in which both the ants and the trailing arbutus benefit from each other’s actions.

Habitat and range:Trailing-arbutus spread out on the ground in sandy soil,being found from Newfoundland to Michigan and Saskatchewan and south to Kentucky and Florida.

Part used:The leaves,gathered at flowering time.

State Flag州旗

此州旗为白色,两边具有盾徽的画像(除了不是银色的白色五角星)。在1917年,旗帜被修改,仅仅描绘为最初前面的设计和最后采用形状。在此之前,正面是一棵松树。在白底上是一块饰有美国本土人肖像的蓝盾。他一手拿着弓,一手拿着箭。箭指向下方代表和平。白星代表麻塞诸州是最初十三个州之一。环绕盾徽的蓝带上写这本州箴言:“我们用刀剑争取和平,我们所要的,是在自由之下的和平”。在盾徽的上方是一只手臂和剑,代表着箴言的第一部分。