A Day in Colonial Time

Karen这次将带大家去了解殖民时期的美国，看看在当时极具殖民地特色的乡镇，如今人们是怎么生活的。了解美国的这段历史，也能让大家加深对美国的认识。

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[旋风般的] visit to the prestigious[有名望的] town of Williamsburg， Virginia， on a breezy[微风的] December afternoon was like galloping[飞奔] 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[荒芜的]—trees were bare[光秃的]， gravel[碎石] roads were nearly empty， blackened slush was piled at the curb. The biting wind scraped through my ears. The remnants[残留部分] 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[白种人] and African Americans—rambled[闲逛] 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[花环] 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[委婉的说法].

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.