One of the most famous monuments in the world, the Statue of Liberty, was presented to the United States of America in the nineteenth century by the people of France. The great statue, which was designed by the sculptor Auguste Bartholdi, took ten years to complete. The actual figure was made of copper supported by a metal framework which had been especially constructed by Eiffel. Before it could be transported to the United States, a site had to be found for it and a pedestal had to be built. The site chosen was an island at the entrance of New York Harbour. By 1884, a statue which was 151 feet tall had been erected in Paris. The following year, it was taken to pieces and sent to America. By the end of October 1886, the statue had been put together again and it was officially presented to the American people by Bartholdi. Ever since then, the great monument has been a symbol of liberty for the millions of people who have passed through New York Harbour to make their homes in America.
New words and expressions 生詞和短語
noble adj. 高尚的,壯麗的
monument n. 紀(jì)念碑
statue n. 雕像
liberty n. 自由
present v. 贈送
sculptor n. 雕刻家
actual adj. 實(shí)際的,真實(shí)的
copper n. 銅
support v. 支持,支撐
framework n. 構(gòu)架,框架
transport v. 運(yùn)送
site n. 場地
pedestal n. 底座
世界上最著名的紀(jì)念碑之一的自由女神雕像是在19世紀(jì)時(shí)由法國人民贈送給美國的。這座由雕像家奧古斯特.巴索爾地設(shè)計(jì)的巨大雕像是用10年時(shí)間雕像刻成的。這座雕像的主體是用銅制成的,由艾菲爾特制的金屬框架支撐著。在雕像被運(yùn)往美國之前,必須為它選好一塊場地,同時(shí)必須建造一個(gè)基座。場地選在了紐約港入口處的一個(gè)鳥上。到1884年,一座高度達(dá)151英尺的雕像在巴黎豎立起來了。第二年,它被拆成若干小塊,運(yùn)到美國。到1886年10月底,這座雕像被重新組裝起來,由巴索爾地正式贈送給美國人民。從那時(shí)起,這座偉大的紀(jì)念碑對通過紐約港進(jìn)入美國定居的千百萬人來說就一直是自由的象征。