考察一个城市的文明,可看其河流。提起美国自然地理,一般都知道密西西比河;但若论起政治地理,波多马克河则颇像中国的黄河,美国现代政治文化的风云史大多发生在那里。所以一到华盛顿,我先看波多马克河,她流量充沛、河水清澈。华盛顿的核心地带,全位于波多马克河畔。国会大厦、最高法院大厦、白宫,是美国政治的“三巨头”;华盛顿纪念碑、杰斐逊纪念堂、林肯纪念堂,象征着美国精神。 Study a city’s civilization, you can see the river. When it comes to U.S. natural geography, the Mississippi River is generally known. However, if the political geography is concerned, the Potomac River is quite like the Yellow River in China. The history of the modern political culture in the United States happens most often. So as soon as I came to Washington, I first looked at the Potomac River, and she had plenty of flow and the river was clear. The heart of Washington, all located on the Potomac River. The Capitol, the Supreme Court Building, the White House, is the “Big Three” of American politics; the Washington Monument, the Jefferson Memorial, and the Lincoln Memorial, symbolizing the spirit of the United States.