Backpacker: [美東之旅] Washington DC 傑佛遜紀念堂、羅斯福紀念碑 (2) [背包旅行]

2010.06.01 Day 3

在造幣局取票時，就刻意不取第一梯次，預計留一個半小時橫跨潮汐湖前往傑佛遜紀念。

拿完票後，就前往傑佛遜紀念堂。這張圖完整展示出來三者的地理位置：左邊是華盛頓紀念碑，中間是造幣局，右邊是傑佛遜紀念堂。

千萬不要以為很近，事實上隔在中間的潮汐湖超大！大到光從造幣局走到傑佛遜紀念堂就至少要 20 分鐘。

潮汐湖很漂亮，真的很漂亮。我在白宮遊客中心看到一幅潮汐湖在櫻花季拍華盛頓紀念碑的照片，實在美到不行。現在這幅畫就掛在我的書桌前。

早上八點多的潮汐湖，幾乎沒有人，偶有兩三位跑者劃過平靜的路面，路面的另一邊一艘艘遊艇恣意漂浮其上。

潮汐湖可以說是把傑佛遜紀念堂和小羅斯福紀念堂，從國家大草坪隔絕開來最好的地理位置。國家大草坪的喧囂，在潮汐湖的另一邊，完全聽不到，只有靜謐。

橫跨一座橋，就抵達潮汐湖的另一邊了。這座橋寫明不能釣魚，偏偏就是有人會在上面釣魚。

Thomas Jefferson 為 1943 年獨立宣言起草者，同時也是美國第三任總統。在傑佛遜的 200 年誕辰建造了這座紀念堂。

羅馬神殿般的圓型建築可以說是華盛頓特區最有特色的建築物之一。

其內部以白色大理石建造

傑佛遜的青銅像昂然佇立

當你慢慢看著傑佛遜的銅像，會覺得自己是多麼渺小

內部嵌有四篇小段文章

"God who gave us life gave us liberty. Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that his justice cannot sleep forever. Commerce between master and slave is despotism. Nothing is more certainly written in the book of fate than that these people are to be free. Establish a law for educating the common people. This it is the business of the state and on a general plan."

Original Passages:

"But let them [members of the parliament of Great Britain] not think to exclude us from going to other markets to dispose of those commodities which they cannot use, or to supply those wants which they cannot supply. Still less let it be proposed that our properties within our own territories shall be taxed or regulated by any power on earth but our own. The God who gave us life gave us liberty at the same time; the hand of force may destroy, but cannot disjoin them."

-- "A Summary View of the Rights of British America"

"I am not an advocate for frequent changes in laws and constitutions, but laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths discovered and manners and opinions change, with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also to keep pace with the times. We might as well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him when a boy as civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors."

Original Passage:

"I am certainly not an advocate for frequent and untried changes in laws and constitutions. I think moderate imperfections had better be borne with; because, when once known, we accommodate ourselves to them, and find practical means of correcting their ill effects. But I know also, that laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths disclosed, and manners and opinions change with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also, and keep pace with the times. We might as well require a man to wear still the same coat which fitted him when a boy, as civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors."

-- to Samuel Kercheval, July 12, 1810

"We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, that to secure these rights governments are instituted among men. We . . . solemnly publish and declare, that these colonies are and of right ought to be free and independent states. . . And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine providence, we mutually pledge our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor."

"Almighty God hath created the mind free. All attempts to influence it by temporal punishments or burthens . . . are a departure from the plan of the Holy Author of our religion . . . No man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship or ministry or shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief, but all men shall be free to profess and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion. I know but one code of morality for men whether acting singly or collectively."

Original Passage:
"Well aware that the opinions and belief of men depend not on their own will, but follow involuntarily the evidence proposed to their minds; that Almighty God hath created the mind free, and manifested his supreme will that free it shall remain by making it altogether insusceptible of restraint; that all attempts to influence it by temporal punishments, or burthens, or by civil incapacitations, tend only to beget habits of hypocrisy and meanness, and are a departure from the plan of the holy author of our religion . . . ."

-- "A Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom," Section I

從傑佛遜紀念堂隔著潮汐湖看華盛頓紀念碑。