A Day in Colonial Time

Karen這次將帶大家去了解殖民時(shí)期的美國(guó)，看看在當(dāng)時(shí)極具殖民地特色的鄉(xiāng)鎮(zhèn)，如今人們是怎么生活的。了解美國(guó)的這段歷史，也能讓大家加深對(duì)美國(guó)的認(rèn)識(shí)。

There is so much to learn about American history in British-ruled colonial[殖民地的] times. Even an American would say so. Our whirlwind[旋風(fēng)般的] visit to the prestigious[有名望的] town of Williamsburg， Virginia， on a breezy[微風(fēng)的] December afternoon was like galloping[飛奔] on a horse through a beautiful garden too swiftly to appreciate the details. Williamsburg was the capital of the Virginia Colony in the 18th century. In 1780， Thomas Jefferson moved Virginias government to Richmond and Williamsburg became a quiet country town.

Perhaps it was wintertime. The attraction looked desolate[荒蕪的]—trees were bare[光禿的]， gravel[碎石] roads were nearly empty， blackened slush was piled at the curb. The biting wind scraped through my ears. The remnants[殘留部分] of firewood burned by the sidewalk， suggesting the townspeople had just left. They were modern people in plain colonial costumes. Occasionally， several locals—both Caucasians[白種人] and African Americans—rambled[閑逛] on the street or politely greeted us in front of their shops. I couldnt tell if they were actors or truly residents of the town. Their appearance properly matched the architectural background， revealing the colonial time.The brick buildings looked roomy from the outside and inviting with colorful Christmas wreaths[花環(huán)] hung on the doors. But as we walked in some of them， the cramped interior would have disappointed you.

We went into an old-fashioned inn for lunch. It served unique home cooking from back in the old days. The food portion was half the amount of a regular serving in a modern American restaurant. No wonder the Americans in the colonial time seemed a third of the size smaller. African Americans were noticeably the key servers in the inn to demonstrate the slave history—I was aware of the fact that all the customers around me were Caucasians. I was probably the only Asian there.

The most intriguing sign in the inn was the direction to “the necessary.” This was the first time I saw restroom was referred to as the necessary. I doubted people outside the inn understood the euphemism[委婉的說(shuō)法].

Even though our tour time was limited in Williamsburg， I appreciated the ersatz [仿制的] experience—the colonial court house and a mock trial we attended， the public stock where wrongdoers were locked for public viewing， the horse wagons and the layout of the town. I couldnt help thinking that while Americans have preserved its historical sites， China seems to have demolished numerous historical buildings for its modernized development. Perhaps this is my biggest revelation after the trip to the historic conservation.