Rushmoore National Monument

The well－known Rushmoore National Monument in the United States is erected1） on the Rush moore Peak，１８２９meters above sea level，of the Black Hills in the south－west of South Dakota．It is a group of huge stone statues of four American presidents，George Washington，Thomas Jefferson，Abraham Licoln and Theodore Roosevelt．President Washington is the founding father of the country；the ３rd President Jefferson drafted the U．S．Declaration of Independence；the １６th President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation2） and the２６th President Roosevelt protected the average people's right to compete fairly with trusts．All the four presidents made outstanding achievements for their country．They were pioneers of U．S．history．

The stone statues of presidents were built at the suggestion of an historian in the State of Dakota，with a view to carrying forward the U．S．pioneering spirit everlastingly．The famed artist Gutzon Borglum，a naturalized Danish－American，made the design and was in charge of the project of historic significance．It was the ３０th President Calvin Coolidge who announced in １９２７the start of the stone work．But before the work done，the sculptor passed away w hen he was ７３years of age．He was then succeeded by his son，and it was not until１９４１that the National Monument was put up．

As the stone statues were rather enormous，technology of directional blasting was resorted to in the main．Explosives were used to blow up the peak into models first，and then the stonemasons carved them into statues with tools．The broken stones weighed about four hundred fifty thousand tons in total．This project was the fruit of arduous3） work done by a contingent of ３６０odd masons4） in as long as １４years．A sum of one million dollar was expended．

The statues are １８meters high．They are the highest and greatest realistic stone statues in the world，taller than a ６－storied building and larger than the Great Sphinx of Egypt．The size of each head is ２０sq mt，with a ２０meter long face，a ７meter long nose，a ２．６meter wide mouth and two １．５meter wide eyes．Though not facing the same direction，they are all lifelike and look ahead gravely in harmony with fixed gazes．On clear days，one can have a sight of the four presidents with their firm and steady expression at a distance of dozens of kilometers．

Since the stone sculpture is unique in style，the Monument is now the U．S．National Art Centre of Popular Education．Groups of people keep streaming everyday to the site for a visit and tourists across the world are also interested in taking a view of this colossal5） Monument．

拉什莫尔国家纪念碑

美国著名的拉什莫尔国家纪念碑位于南达科他州西南一座海拔１８２９米的布莱克山拉什莫尔峰顶。这宝座纪念碑由雕刻在岩石上的乔治•华盛顿、托马斯•杰斐逊、亚伯拉罕•林肯以及西奥多•罗斯福四位美国国总统的巨型头像组成。华盛顿总统是美国开国元勋；第３任总统杰斐逊是《独立宣言》的起草人；第１６任总统林肯颁布了黑奴解放令；第２６任总统罗斯福保护了黎民百姓向托拉斯进行公平竞争的权益。这几位总统都对美国作出过非凡的业绩，是美国历史的开拓者。

倡议雕刻总统石像的是达科他州一位历史学家，其目的是弘扬美国的开拓精神，使其永存。一位颇有名望的艺术家、丹麦移民的儿子格桑•博格伦进行了设计，并负责这一具有历史意义的纪念碑的施工。第３０任总统卡尔文•柯立芝于１９２７年宣布这项工程正式开工。但工程尚未结束，当时已７３岁高龄的雕刻家不幸病故，由其子接任了这一大业，到１９４１年才胜利完成。

开凿偌大的石像主要是采用定向爆破技术，先用炸药炸出人像雏形，再用人工雕凿。炸毁的碎石块共达４５万吨之多。这些石像是３６０余名石工１４年辛勤劳动的结晶。工程共耗资１００万美元。

雕像高１８米，是世界上最高最大的写实岩石像，高于６层楼房，大于埃及的狮身人面大雕像。每尊头像的面积为２０平米，脸部长２０米、鼻子长７米、嘴宽２．６米、眼宽１．５米。总统头像个个栩栩如生，虽不是面朝同一个方向，但都以凝练而庄重的神态和谐地直视着前方。在晴朗的日子里，几十公里以外就能遥望到这四位坚毅沉着的总统的雕像。

由于石像具有独特的雕刻风格，这里已成为美国国立普及教育艺术中心。前往学习观摩的人每天络绎不绝，世界各国的旅游者也都纷纷来到这座气势磅礴的纪念碑前观赏游览。

NOTE 注释：

1. erect vt. 使竖立, 使直立, 树立, 建立

2. Emancipation Proclamation 独立宣言

3. arduous adj. 费劲的, 辛勤的, 险峻的

4. mason n. 石工，泥瓦匠

5. colossal adj. 巨大的, 庞大的
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