Chapter_2_英美文化之美国概况

UncleSamanationalpersonificationoftheUnitedStates.aseriouselderlymanwithwhitehairandagoatee,dressedinclothingthatrecallsthedesignelementsoftheflagoftheUnitedStates—forexample,atophatwithredandwhitestripesandwhitestarsonablueband,andredandwhitetrousers.UncleSamWarof1812,SamuelWilson.UncleSamputabig“U.S”----ontheboxesofmeat。Asajoke,aworkersaidthattheselettersstoodforthenameUncleSam.Sometimelater,peoplecalledallthingsthatcamefromthegovernment“UncleSam’s”.ThenUncleSambecameanicknamefortheUnitedStatesgovernment.WhatisAmerican?AmixtureofnationalityWhatisAmerican?Meltingpot—大熔炉WhatisAmerican?Stewingpot—大炖锅WhatisAmerican?Saladbowl—大拼盘WhiteHouse（Washington)WhiteHouseOfficialhomeandprincipalworkplaceofthePresidentoftheUnitedStatesofAmerica.Thehouseisbuiltofwhite-paintedsandstone.Itislocatedat1600PennsylvaniaAvenueNWinWashington,D.C.AstheofficeoftheU.S.President,theterm“WhiteHouse”isusedasametonymforaU.S.president‘sadministration.TheEmpireStateBuildingTheEmpireStateBuildingTheEmpireStateBuildingisa102-storycontemporarybuildinginNewYorkCity,declaredbytheAmericanSocietyofCivilEngineerstobeoneoftheSevenWondersoftheModernWorld.DesignedbyShreve,LambandHarmon,itwasfinishedin1931.SincetheSeptember11thattacks,itisagainthetallestbuildinginNewYorkCity.WorldTradeCenterWTCTwinTowersacomplexofsevenbuildingsinLowerManhattan,NewYork.110-storytwintowersAlloftheoriginalbuildingsinthecomplexweredestroyedintheSeptember11,2001attacks.LincolnMemorial(Washington)aUnitedStatesPresidentialMemorialbuilttohonor16thPresidentAbrahamLincoln.ThebuildingisintheformofaGreektempleandcontainsalargeseatedsculptureofAbrahamLincolnandinscriptionsoftwowell-knownspeechesbyLincoln.LincolnMemorial(Washington)36columns:36states(1865)48flowers48states(1922)LincolnMemorial(Washington)InthistempleasintheheartsofthepeopleforwhomhesavedtheUnionthememoryofAbrahamLincolnisenshrinedforever.LincolnMemorial(Washington)Thememorialhasbeenthesiteofmanyfamousspeeches,includingMartinLutherKing'sIHaveaDreamspeech.WashingtonMonument(Washington)aPresidentialMemorialconstructedforGeorgeWashington.standing555feet(169.29m)inheightandmadeofmarble,granite,andsandstone.OppositetoLincolnMemorialCapitol（国会大厦）TheCapitolislocatedonCapitolHillattheeastendoftheMall.IthashousedthemeetingchambersoftheHouseofRepresentativesandtheSenate。Wallstreet(华尔街）anarrowstreetinlowerManhattaninNewYorkCity.ConsideredtobethehistoricalheartoftheFinancialDistrict.ThephraseWallStreetisalsousedasametonymtorefertoAmericanfinancialmarketsandfinancialinstitutionsasawhole.UnitedNationsHeadquartersadistinctivecomplexinNewYorkCitythathasservedastheheadquartersoftheUnitedNationssinceitscompletionin1950.ChinaTownasectionofanurbanareaassociatedwithalargenumberofChinesewithinacityoutsidethemajority-ChinesecountriesofChina,Taiwan,andSingapore.DeadValley（死亡谷）StatueofLibertyStatueofLibertyacopperstatuegiventotheUnitedStatesbyFrancein1885,standingatLibertyIslandinthemouthoftheHudsonRiverinNewYorkHarbor.ThesculptorwasFredericAugustaBartholdi.GustaveEiffel,thedesigneroftheEiffelTower,engineeredtheinternalstructure.oneofthemostrecognizableiconsoftheU.S.worldwide,and,inamoregeneralsense,representslibertyandescapefromoppression.DisneylandDisneylandDisneylandHollywoodDollarsGovernmentTheformoftheUSgovernmentisbasedonthreemainprinciples—federalism,theseparationofpowersandrespectfortheConstitutionandtheruleoflaw.Thegovernmentofeachleveliscomposedofthreeelements,theexecutive,thelegislativeandthejudicial,andthethreeelementsarealsocheckedandbalancedbyeachother.CongressHouseofRepresentativesSenateOfficers:TheSpeakerofPresidentoftheHousetheSenate(VicePresidentoftheUnitedStates)CongressThelegislativebranchisCongress,thelaw-makingandthesupremelegislativebodyofthenation.Itismadeupoftwohouses:theSenateandtheHouseofRepresentatives.TheSenateTheSenateistheupperhouseofCongress.TheConstitutionguaranteeseachstatetwosenators.Asenatormustbeatleast30yearsold,acitizenoftheUnitedStatesforatleast9years,andaninhabitantofthestateherepresentsatthetimeofelection.TheVice-presidentoftheUnitedStatesservesaspresidentoftheSenate.HouseofRepresentativesHouseofRepresentativesisthelowerhouseofthelegislature,representingthepeople.Representativesareappointedaccordingtothepopulation,witheachstatehavingatleastone.Nowithas435inall.Representativesmustbeatleast25yearsold,aUScitizenforatleast7yearsandatelectiontimeaninhabitantofthestatefromwhichheischosen.PresidencyThePresident,asthechiefexecutive,isthemostimportantfigureofthegovernment.AccordingtotheConstitutionthePresidentshouldbeacitizenbornintheU.S.territoryandisatleast35yearsold.ThePresidenthasenormouspower.PresidentsBillClintonNixonImpeachmentUndertheUSConstitution,Presidentmayberemovedfromofficeifheisimpeachedandfoundguiltyofhighcrimesorotherproperacts.TheHouseofRepresentatives,uponsufficientevidence,bringsabillofimpeachmentapprovedby2/3ofitsmembership.ThencomesatrialintheSenate—theupperhouseoflegislature.ThePresidentistriedforhiscrimesbytheHouse,withtheChiefJ