书城外语课外英语-美国各州小知识(十一)(双语版)
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第3章 得克萨斯州(3)

One of the most beloved wildflower advocates made her voice heard when her husband,Lyndon B.Johnson,became president in 1963.Lady Bird Johnson,just two years later,along with Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall,a group of philanthropists(慈善家),designers,publishers,other officials and civic leaders formed the Committee for a More Beautiful Capital.This was Lady Bird Johnson’s first contribution to the“Keep America Beautiful”campaign.On her 70th birthday,December 1982,Lady Bird celebrated by donating 60acres of land on the Colorado River near Austin and the funding needed to found the National Wildflower Research Center.Now called the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center,she stated the goal of the center is“to educate people about the environmental necessity,economic values and natural beauty of native plants”.

In west Texas,the tall Big Bend bluebonnet grows up to three feet high .The shorter,more common Texas Bluebonnet,grows east of a line going from northeast to southwest Texas.It reaches a height of 15to 24inches,and blooms from early March to early May.Named for its color and,it is said,the resemblance(相似)of its petal to a woman’s sunbonnet(太阳帽),the bluebonnet is the state flower of Texas.It blooms in the early spring and can be readily found in fields and along the roadsides throughout central and south Texas.After it rains,look for a drop of water in each bonnet or bowl-like petal.As the Texas bluebonnet flower ages,one of the top petals turns purple-red.

Blooms March through May.

This flower is part of the Legume family.

State Flag州旗

西班牙、法国、墨西哥、得克萨斯州共和国、美国南部邦联和美国的旗帜都曾在得克萨斯州上空飘过。1839年本州将现在使用的州旗作为官方州旗。上面的白色星星,每个角都代表着不同的意思,包括:坚韧、忠诚、正直、节俭和心胸开阔,它们是作为一个好公民的基本特征。

Spain,France,Mexico,the Republic of Texas,the Confederacy and the United States have all flown flags over Texas.The large white star was first used on flags carried by Texas during the Texas Revolution against Mexico in the 1830s.It is thought that the star comes from the Bonnie Blue Flag used in 1810by the Settlers in West Florida.An official flag with this star was chosen in 1839,although during the Civil War,the Confederate flag was flown.

Senator William H.Wharton introduced a bill on December 28,1838,containing the flag’s design,and the bill was referred to a committee consisting of Senator Oliver Jones and two unnamed senators.This committee reported a substitute bill embodying the flag design introduced by Wharton,and the substitute bill was passed by the Congress on January 21,1839and approved by President Mirabeau B.Lamar on January 25,1839.

Today’s Lone Star Flag was adopted on January 25,1839as the national flag of the Republic of Texas.It was first proposed in legislation introduced in the Third Congress of the Republic by William Wharton.The designer of the flag is unknown.The Lone Star Flag represents the fourth of the Six National Flags of Texas.

The flag was later adopted as the state flag when Texas became the 28th state in 1845.As with the flag of the United States,the blue stands for loyalty(忠诚),the white represents strength,and the red is for bravery(勇敢).

In“The Lone Star Flag of Texas”,an article which appeared in the September 1948issue of Frontier Times,author Adina de Zavala suggests a meaning for each point of the star.According to the article,the five points of the star represent the characteristics of a good citizen,which are fortitude(坚韧),loyalty,righteousness,prudence(节俭),and broadmindedness(心胸开阔).

State Song州歌

Texas,Our Texas

Texas,Our Texas!all hail the mighty State!

Texas,Our Texas!so wonderful so great!

Boldest and grandest,withstanding ev’ry test

Empire wide and glorious,you stand supremely(无上地,崇高地)

blest(神圣的,成功的).

Texas,O Texas!your freeborn(生而自由的)single star,

Sends out its radiance(光辉)to nations near and far,

Emblem of Freedom!it set our hearts aglow(通红的),

With thoughts of San Jacinto and glorious Alamo.

Texas,dear Texas!from tyrant(暴君)grip now free,

Shines forth in splendor(光彩),your star of destiny(命运)!

Mother of heroes,we come your children true,

Proclaiming our allegiance(忠贞,效忠),

our faith,our love for you.

God bless you Texas!And keep you brave and strong,

That you may grow in power and worth,

throughout the ages long.

God bless you Texas!And keep you brave and strong,

That you may grow in power and worth(价值),

throughout the ages long.

Facts and Trivia相关资料

1.Texas is popularly known as The Lone Star State.

2.The Alamo is located in San Antonio.It is where Texas defenders fell to Mexican General Santa Anna and the phrase Remember the Alamo originated.The Alamo is considered the cradle(摇篮)of Texas liberty and the state’s most popular historic site.

3.The lightning whelk([动]峨螺,海螺)is the official state shell.

4.Texas is the only state to have the flags of 6different nations fly over it.They are:Spain,France,Mexico,Republic of Texas,Confederate States,and the United States.

5.Although six flags have flown over Texas,there have been eight changes of government:Spanish 1519-1685,French 1685-1690,Spanish 1690-1821,Mexican 1821-1836,Republic of Texas 1836-1845,United States 1845-1861,Confederate States 1861-1865,United States 1865-present.