What White House Gardens Say about America

What White House Gardens Say about America

白宫花园对美国的象征意义

【听力音频】

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　　By Gregory Stachel

　　25 December 2023

　　The earliest presidents who lived in the White House did not want the large outdoor areas that the monarchs of Europe might enjoy.

　　Marta McDowell is writer of All the Presidents' Gardens. She said, "You can understand that, given our democratic form of government." But she said she thinks that a visit to the home of the British royal family, Buckingham Palace, caused President John Kennedy to expand the White House gardens.

　　From the start, presidents and their families influenced the 7.2 hectares of open space in the front and back of the White House differently. Their choices often showed their values and traditions of their day.

　　McDowell said that the White House is "really their home" while they are in office. She added that as long as they work with the historic plan of the gardens the National Park Service tries to meet the desires of the administration. The National Park Service oversees the gardens.

　　John Quincy Adams, America's sixth president, worked in the garden. Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president, took down glass structures called greenhouses that were first built by James Buchanan, the 15th president, in the 1850s.

　　John Kennedy, the 35th president, redesigned one garden called the Rose Garden in the 1960s. First lady Michelle Obama, wife of the 44th president, built a food garden using plants and seeds from the home of Thomas Jefferson, the third president. Today, the garden has more than 50 kinds of vegetables.

　　Pierre L'Enfant was the city planner and architect for America's first president, George Washington. At first, he planned for a 30-hectare presidential garden. However, as a believer in small government, Jefferson reduced the White House grounds to just 2 hectares. The gardens were expanded to the current 7.2 hectares

　　Jefferson, like many Americans who had just freed themselves from a British monarch, was concerned about creating a new king.

　　"Avoid palaces and gardens of palaces," William Thornton, a Washington city representative warned. "If you build a palace with gardens, I will find you a king."

　　Over time, several different plants and flowers were planted at the White House. They include roses which have been around since at least Jefferson's time. They also include peonies, wanted by first lady first lady Nancy Reagan of the 40th president, and Texas bluebells, asked for by first lady Laura Bush of the 43rd president.

　　Oak and elm trees have also been on the White House grounds almost since the beginning. One tree, a chestnut oak southeast of the White House, might be the oldest tree on the grounds. The White House says it has been around since 1800.

　　McDowell says the White House gardens represent gardening tradition over time. First it followed designs in Europe, and then it was shaped by local traditions, the area, and the climate.

　　But she said, "It's not that they are always the leader. In fact, sometimes they're following."

　　The White house grounds were open to the public up until 1923. That was when Calvin Coolidge, the 30th president, permanently closed them to unapproved visitors.

　　These days, the White House Garden planned visits for the public are usually available for the public twice a year, one weekend in the spring and again in autumn.

　　McDowell said, "They are full of tradition. They're full of beauty."

　　I'm Gregory Stachel.

　　Dora Mekouar reported this story for Voice of America. Gregory Stachel adapted it for VOA Learning English.

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　　作者：Gregory Stachel

　　2023年12月25日

　　最早在白宫居住的总统并不希望拥有欧洲君主可能享受的大型户外区域。

　　Marta McDowell是《所有总统的花园》的作者。她说：“考虑到我们的民主政府形式，你可以理解这一点。”但她认为，对英国皇家家庭，白金汉宫的一次访问，促使约翰·肯尼迪总统扩大了白宫的花园。

　　从一开始，总统和他们的家人就以不同的方式影响了白宫前后的7.2公顷的开放空地。他们的选择往往显示了他们的价值观和他们那个时代的传统。

　　McDowell说，白宫在他们任职期间“真的是他们的家”。她补充说，只要他们按照花园的历史规划进行工作，国家公园服务局就会尽力满足政府的愿望。国家公园服务局负责监管这些花园。

　　美国的第六任总统约翰·昆西·亚当斯在花园里工作。第26任总统西奥多·罗斯福拆除了由第15任总统詹姆斯·布坎南在19世纪50年代首次建造的被称为温室的玻璃结构。

　　第35任总统约翰·肯尼迪在20世纪60年代重新设计了一个被称为玫瑰园的花园。第44任总统的妻子，第一夫人米歇尔·奥巴马，使用来自第三任总统托马斯·杰斐逊家的植物和种子建造了一个食物花园。如今，这个花园有50多种蔬菜。

　　皮埃尔·伦方特是美国第一任总统乔治·华盛顿的城市规划师和建筑师。起初，他计划建一个30公顷的总统花园。然而，作为小政府的信奉者，杰斐逊将白宫的土地减少到只有2公顷。花园后来扩大到现在的7.2公顷。

　　像许多刚从英国君主手中解放出来的美国人一样，杰斐逊担心创造一个新的国王。

　　“避免建造宫殿和宫殿的花园，”华盛顿市的代表威廉·桑顿警告说。“如果你建造一个带有花园的宫殿，我会找到一个国王来。”

　　随着时间的推移，白宫种植了几种不同的植物和花卉。其中包括自杰斐逊时代以来就有的玫瑰。还包括第40任总统的第一夫人南希·里根想要的牡丹，和第43任总统的第一夫人劳拉·布什要求的德克萨斯蓝铃花。

　　橡树和榆树也几乎从一开始就在白宫的土地上。其中一棵树，位于白宫东南方的栗橡，可能是园内最古老的树。白宫表示，这棵树自1800年以来就一直存在。

　　McDowell说，白宫的花园代表了随着时间推移的园艺传统。首先，它遵循了欧洲的设计，然后又受到了本地传统、地区和气候的影响。

　　但她说，“并不是说他们总是领导者。事实上，有时候他们是在跟随。”

　　直到1923年，白宫的庭院都对公众开放。那是第30任总统卡尔文·柯立芝永久地将其关闭，不再对未经批准的访客开放。

　　如今，白宫花园对公众的计划访问通常每年有两次，分别在春季和秋季的一个周末。

　　McDowell说，“它们充满了传统，充满了美丽。”

　　我是Gregory Stachel。

　　Dora Mekouar为美国之音报道了这个故事。Gregory Stachel为美国之音学习英语改编了它。

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　　这个故事中的词汇：

　　monarch – n. 君主（如国王或女王）统治一个王国或帝国

　　garden – n. 花园，种植区，种植植物（如花或蔬菜）的地方

　　architect – n. 建筑师，设计建筑物的人

　　king – n. 国王，通常继承其职位并终生统治的国家的男性统治者

　　palace – n. 宫殿，国王、女王或总统的官方住所