Washington Monument(华盛顿纪念碑)

By Freelance Chinese Translator Li – English to Chinese translation or Chinese to English translation services - based in Harbin，China.

The Washington Monument is an obelisk near the west end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate the first U.S. president, General George Washington. The monument, made of marble, granite, and sandstone, is both the world's tallest stone structure and the world's tallest obelisk, standing 555 feet 5⅛ inches (169.294 m). It is also the tallest structure in Washington D.C.. It was designed by Robert Mills, an architect of the 1840s. The actual construction of the monument began in 1848 but was not completed until 1884, almost 30 years after the architect's death. This hiatus（中断） in construction happened because of a lack of funds, and the intervention of the American Civil War. A difference in shading（明暗） of the marble, visible approximately 150 feet (46 m or 27%) up, shows where construction was halted for a number of years. The cornerstone was laid on July 4, 1848; the capstone（顶石） was set on December 6, 1884, and the completed monument was dedicated on February 21, 1885. Upon completion, it became the world's tallest structure, a title previously held by the Cologne Cathedral. The monument held this designation（称号） until 1889, when the Eiffel Tower was completed in Paris, France. The monument stands due east（正东） of the Reflecting Pool and the Lincoln Memorial.

华盛顿纪念碑是为纪念美国首任总统乔治•华盛顿而建造的，位于国会大厦、林肯纪念堂的轴线之上。这座华盛顿特区的标志建筑，碑身上没有一个字母，仿佛在告诉人们，华盛顿一生的伟业是难以用文字来表达的。　
华盛顿纪念碑是一座大理石方尖碑，底部面积为39平方米，高169米，正方体碑柱顶端为四面三角形的尖顶，锐气逼人。纪念碑内部中空，其内壁上嵌有各个国家、美国各州市、各大团体及众多名人所赠的石碑188块。
纪念碑内有50层铁梯，也有70秒到达顶端的高速电梯。透过顶部的8个观景窗，可纵览国家草坪的全景，还可眺望华盛顿全城、弗吉尼亚州、马里兰州和波托马克河。

United States Capitol(美国国会大厦)

By Freelance Chinese Translator Li – English to Chinese translation or Chinese to English translation services - based in Harbin，China.

The United States Capitol is among the most symbolically important and architecturally impressive buildings in the nation. It has housed the meeting chambers of the House of Representatives（众议院） and the Senate（参议院） for two centuries. It stands today as a monument to the American people and their government.
The cornerstone was laid by President Washington on September 18, 1793. The Capitol has been built, burnt, rebuilt, extended, and restored ever since then. Today, the Capitol covers a ground area（占地面积） of 175,170 square feet and has a floor area(房屋面积) of about 16.5 acres. In addition to its use by Congress, the Capitol is a museum of American art and history. It stands as a focal point of the government's legislative branch（立法部门） and as a centerpiece of Capitol Hill and the National Mall.

国会大厦（United States Capitol）是美国国会所在地，位于美国首都华盛顿哥伦比亚特区（Washington.D.C）。它占据全市最高地势，是华盛顿最美丽、最壮观的建筑。美国人把国会大厦称为Capitol，作为民有、民治、民享政权（the government of the people, by the people, for the people）的最高象征。“这里，人民在统治”（here, sir, the people govern）——美国开国元勋汉密尔顿（Alexander Hamilton）的名言。美国联邦最高立法机关——国会（包括参众两院）在这里开会办公、通过各种法律法案。据说，美国官方曾明文规定首都所有建筑物，其高度都不得超过国会大厦。
国会大厦于１７９３年９月１８日由华盛顿总统亲自奠基，１８００年投入使用。后增建了参众两院会议室、穹顶和圆形大厅。国会大厦南北长２１４米，东西宽１０７米。主要采用精美大理石建造，具有新古典主义风格。穹顶最高处是一座铜铸的武装自由女神像。白天从远处眺望，大厦犹如绿绒毯上矗立的一座玲珑剔透的象牙雕刻。晚上衬着黑黝黝的天幕，灯火通明的乳白色大厦犹如天上宫阙。
圆形大厅(Rotunda)的巨型铜门，被称为哥伦布门（Columbus Doors），上面是描述哥伦布发现新大陆的浮雕。大厅内部空间高旷宏敞，金碧辉煌。四周墙壁上挂着８幅巨大的油画，展现了美国的发展史。抬头仰望，可见风格浪漫的穹顶画，中央绘着“华盛顿之神”（Apotheosis of Washington），两边是胜利女神和自由女神，另有１３位女神，分别代表立国１３州。大厅内还陈列着华盛顿、杰斐逊和林肯等历史名人的雕像。
国会大厦北翼是参议院办公地，南翼则属于众议院。众议院会议厅正面墙壁上悬挂着一面硕大的美国国旗。国旗前面是议长的席位，再向前是记录席和发言席，美国总统每年就是在这座大厅里宣读国情咨文。参议院会议厅规模稍小，用大理石、红木和锦缎装饰，显得更加庄严、气派。

Vietnam Veterans Memorial(越战纪念碑)

By Freelance Chinese Translator Li – English to Chinese translation or Chinese to English translation services - based in Harbin，China.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is a national war memorial in Washington, D.C. It honors members of the U.S. armed forces who fought in the Vietnam War and who died in service（英勇殉职）. Its construction and related issues have been the source of controversies（争议）, some of which have resulted in additions to the memorial complex. The memorial currently consists of three separate parts: the Three Soldiers statue, the Vietnam Women's Memorial, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, which is the best-known part of the memorial.
The memorial was inspired by Jan Scruggs, an infantryman（步兵） who served in Vietnam with the U.S. Army's 199th Light Infantry Brigade（轻步兵旅）. In March 1979, he saw The Deer Hunter（一部电影）, which reminded him "of the people he'd seen suffer and die in Vietnam". That night he decided to build a memorial with the names of everyone killed in the Vietnam War.
The main part of the memorial, which was completed in 1982, is in Constitution Gardens adjacent to the National Mall, just northeast of the Lincoln Memorial. The memorial is maintained by the U.S. National Park Service（国家公园管理局）, and receives around 3 million visitors each year. The Memorial Wall was designed by U.S. landscape architect（景观设计师） Maya Lin. In 2007, it was ranked tenth on the "List of America's Favorite Architecture" by the American Institute of Architects.


美国首都华盛顿的越战纪念碑（Vietnam Veterans Memorial）是为了纪念越战时期英勇牺牲的美国战士。闪闪生辉的黑色大理石墙上，按照战士们慷慨赴义的时间先后列出名单。自从1982年“老兵纪念日”那天起，越战纪念碑就成了华盛顿特区最受游人喜欢的去处之一。纪念碑长500英尺，整体呈V字型，在华盛顿纪念碑和林肯纪念堂之间形成一道独特的风景线。上面镌刻着57,000多名1959年至1975年之间在越南阵亡将士的名字。越战老兵纪念碑已经成为普通美国人寄托哀思的地方。
尽管这座纪念碑建在联邦土地上，但其建设资金全部由私人捐助。当时，全美共提交了1,400份设计方案，耶鲁大学21岁的建筑专业学生玛雅•林的设计方案脱颖而出。虽然这个设计在当年一度引发争议，但今天在人们心目中该纪念碑已成为衡量其它纪念碑的评价标准之一。越战纪念碑是AIA名单中女性设计师排名最前的作品，也是2007年AIA “二十五年大奖”得主，该奖项用于表彰在25~35年前设计建造的杰出建筑物。

White House(白宫)

By Freelance Chinese Translator Li – English to Chinese translation or Chinese to English translation services - based in Harbin，China.

The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., it was built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the late Georgian style（乔治王时期风格） and has been the residence（官邸） of every U.S. President since John Adams. The White House Complex includes the Executive Residence (in which the First Family resides), the West Wing (the location of the Oval Office, Cabinet Room[内阁会议厅], and Roosevelt Room), and the East Wing (the location of the office of the First Lady and White House Social Secretary[秘书长]), as well as the Old Executive Office Building, which houses the executive offices of the President and Vice President.The White House is made up of six stories—the Ground Floor, State Floor, Second Floor, and Third Floor, as well as a two-story basement. The term White House is regularly used as a metonym（代名词，换喻） for the Executive Office of the President of the United States and for the president's administration and advisors in general. In 2007, it was ranked second on the American Institute of Architects's list of "America's Favorite Architecture."

白宫(White House)是美国的总统府，它位于华盛顿特区宾夕法尼亚大道南侧。1792年10月13日，华盛顿总统亲自破土安放基石，至1800年建成。第二届总统约翰•亚当斯(John Adams)首先入住。1902年由西奥多•罗斯福(Theodore Roosevelt)正式命名为“白宫”，又称之为天字第一号讲坛(Bully Pulpit)。现在白宫由主楼、东翼、西翼3个独立的建筑物组成。主楼的底层是“中国厅”，陈列着历届总统用过的中国餐具。二楼为总统全家的住所。东翼包括剧院及一些办公室。西翼主要是总统及其工作人员的办公地。国宴厅宽阔高雅，能容纳140人就餐。最早的“椭圆形办公室”建于1909年，天花板是总统印章的浮雕。总统办公桌是1880年维多利亚女王赠给拉瑟福德•B•海德的，用女王陛下“果敢”号船上的木材制成，以承认1855年美国营救在北极水域内失踪的“果敢”号所做出的努力。桌面上有里根总统保存的一件饰物，上面写着他喜欢的一句话：“如果一个人不在乎由谁来获得荣誉，那么他能做的事和能去的地方将永无止境。”
白宫院内到处是草坪、树木、花丛和喷泉，景色十分幽雅。白宫北大门为爱奥尼亚式的门廊(Ionic Portico)，正对着拉斐特公园(Lafayette Park)；南大门外有半圆形排列的柱廊。白宫主要房间有：图书室(Reading Room)；金器室(the Goldware Room)；瓷器室(the Chinaware Room)；外交官接待室(the Diplomatic Reception Room)；陈列室(the State Floor，国家展室)；东厅(the East Room)用于招待新闻记者；绿厅(the Green Room)是非正式的会客厅；蓝厅(the Blue Room)为贵宾休息室；红厅(the Red Room)，总统夫人在此接见来客；国宴厅(the State Dining Room)，用于举办国宴的地方。二楼和三楼多数是总统的住宅，总统办公室连接玫瑰园(the Rose Garden)的密室。

Thomas Jefferson Memorial（杰斐逊纪念堂）

By Freelance Chinese Translator Li – English to Chinese translation or Chinese to English translation services - based in Harbin，China.

The Thomas Jefferson Memorial is a presidential memorial in Washington, D.C. that is dedicated to Thomas Jefferson, an American Founding Father（美国国父） and the third president of the United States. The neoclassical building was designed by John Russell Pope.
Composed of circular marble steps, a portico（柱廊）and a shallow dome, the building is open to the elements. Pope made references to the Roman Pantheon（万神殿） and Jefferson's own design for the Rotunda（圆形大厅） at the University of Virginia. It is situated in West Potomac Park, on the shore of the Tidal Basin of the Potomac River. The Jefferson Memorial, and the White House located directly north, form one of the main anchor points（重要景点） in the area of the National Mall in D.C. In 2007, it was ranked fourth on the List of America's Favorite Architecture by the American Institute of Architects.The current site of the Memorial was originally created using landfill（泥沙） dredged from the Potomac River in the late 1800s.

纪念堂按杰斐逊喜爱的古罗马神殿式圆顶建筑风格设计，是一座高96英尺的白色大理石建筑。大厅中央耸立着高近6米的杰斐逊总统立身铜像。身后的石壁上，镌刻着杰斐逊生前的名言：“我已经在上帝圣坛前发过誓，永远反对笼罩着人类心灵的任何形式的暴政。” 每年四月，纪念馆旁的潮汐湖畔樱花盛开，配上湖中纪念馆的倒影，景色十分秀丽。
为了纪念杰斐逊而建造的这座洁白的、以科林斯石柱环绕的圆顶建筑本身也成了经典之作。整座纪念堂典雅纯洁，外周共有54根巨大的花岗岩石柱，给人一种沉静、安详的感觉。纪念堂的北面是大斜坡状的台阶，游人至此都需仰望，可见门廊处庄严的大理石浮雕组。圆形主厅直径82英尺（约25米），地面铺以粉色和灰色相间的田纳西大理石。四周环绕着16根13米多高的石柱。高达5.8米（19英尺）的黑色杰斐逊铜像矗立在大理石基座上，是整个圆形纪念堂的中心。