Mount Rushmore: The Biggest Work of Art in the World 拉什莫爾山 ——世界上最大的藝術作品

侯冬意

There couldnt be a better way to pay a mark of respect to those who changed the course of history than by building a monument1 that was to become a hallmark2 for the country. On the Black Hills of South Dakota， Mount Rushmore is certainly one such feat3 that stands out in terms of design and skillfulness involved in its construction4. Whats more， the presence of extremely well known figures makes it even more attractive for the visitors. That is why nearly three million people flock toward this very site every year. The mastermind behind its making was Doane Robinson， a state historian. But the one who gave real life to his plan was a sculptor5 named Gutzon Borglum who built something with no precedent6 in its making. During the first 150 years of the countrys history， four US Presidents demand higher respect than others are Washington， Jefferson， Lincoln and Roosevelt. Borglum rightly picked out these four for his carving.

對于那些改變歷史進程的人來說，沒有比建造一座成為整個國家標志的紀念碑更好的方式來表達敬意了。拉什莫爾山位于南達科他州的黑山地區，尤其從建筑設計和技巧上來說，它無疑是這樣一個壯舉。更重要的是，杰出人物的存在使它更吸引游客，這就是為什么每年有近300萬人涌向這個地方的原因。它的幕后策劃者是歷史學家多恩·羅賓遜，但真正賦予該計劃生命力的是一位名叫格曾·博格勒姆的雕塑家，他建造了一座史無前例的作品。在美國歷史的前150年里，有四位美國總統比其他人更受人尊重，他們分別是：華盛頓、杰斐遜、林肯和羅斯福。博格勒姆挑選了這四位來雕刻是正確的。

A Brief History

It all began in 1923 when Robinson came up with an idea of turning one of the South Dakotas hills into something that has never been attempted before. He therefore sought the help of Peter Norbeck （a US senator7） who liked his idea so much that he told him to find a sculptor that would turn his dream into reality. In 1924， Robinson sent a proposal8 to Gutzon Borglum. Borglum agreed to his proposal right away. After passing through few bumpy9 rides on its way due to lack of money as well as environmentalists fear， the plan was eventually passed. However， the arrival of President Calvin Coolidge in 1927 put the project on a somewhat faster track. He formally announced Mount Rushmore as a “National Shrine10”.

簡要歷史? ☉☉☉☉

這一切始于1923年，當時羅賓遜提出了一個想法，要對南達科他州的一座山進行以前從未嘗試過的改造。因此，他尋求彼得·諾貝克（一位美國參議員）的幫助，諾貝克非常喜歡他的想法，他告訴羅賓遜要找一位能把他的夢想變成現實的雕塑家。1924年，羅賓遜向格曾·博格勒姆送去了一份提議。博格勒姆立刻同意了他的提議。由于缺乏資金以及環境保護主義者的擔心，該計劃幾經波折，終于獲得通過。不過，1927年卡爾文·柯立芝總統的到來加快了這項計劃的進程。他正式宣布拉什莫爾山為“國家圣地”。

Fascinating Mount Rushmore Facts

The carving of this mountain is indeed the biggest artistic11 work across the globe so far.

The mountain was named in 1885 after Charles E. Rushmore， a New York attorney12.

The four Presidents on Mount Rushmore are George Washington， Thomas Jefferson， Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt.

The project took 14 long years to complete.

Nearly 400 workers were involved in its making.

Luckily， no worker passed away during construction.

Borglum was 60 years old when he started carving Mount Rushmore.

450，000 tons of hard rocks were actually taken out from the hill.

關于拉什莫爾山的有趣事實 ☉☉☉☉

這座山的雕刻確實是迄今為止全球最大的藝術作品。

這座山是1885年以紐約的律師查爾斯·E·拉什莫爾的名字命名的。……