California, Oregon battle over landmark status

2012-06-12 17:30

分享到

 

Get Flash Player

Download

California, Oregon battle over landmark status

The US National Park Service is about to convey landmark status upon a place on the California coast, not far from San Francisco's famous Golden Gate Bridge.

That sounds kind of routine, but some people up the coast in Oregon are not at all happy about it.

Sir Francis Drake, the daring British explorer, is said to have sailed to that little piece of California's Pacific coastline 433 years ago, in 1579, in the middle of his epic three-year expedition around the world.

California, Oregon battle over landmark status

He mapped a cove where he landed - and named it and the surrounding cliffs "New Albion." Albion, which is Greek for "white," was an early name for Britain, inspired by the famous white cliffs near Dover.

Today, the California cove and bay are called "Drake's Bay" in the explorer's honor.

Drake is said to have hung around for five weeks, repairing his ships and interacting with Native American tribes. That's the main reason the place is historic, for this was the first recorded contact between the British and American Indians.

So why should people up the coast in Oregon be upset?

They say Drake's "Albion" visit didn't happen there at all, that he actually put ashore farther north on the rocky Pacific coast.

Amateur historian Gary Gitzen and other Oregonians say that first contact took place in and around Oregon's Nehalem Bay.

If you lay Drake's own map of the cove he visited atop a map of Nehalem Bay, Gitzen says, "it's the same outline." He's writing a book, called "Oregon's Stolen History," all about it.

California, Oregon battle over landmark status

The National Park Service sent the conflicting claims to a couple of historic commissions, which ruled in California's favor.

According to the Northwest News Network, the California location's landmark designation will be a "done deal" as soon as US Interior Secretary Ken Salazar signs the proclamation.

For now maybe, say the folks up north. Theyre not about to give up their claim that the real Drakes Bay should be in Oregon.

Related stories:

Hollywood sign gets makeover for fundraising drive

Life on a circus train; a trip to the Grand Canyon

Rangers watch over America's protected sites

Using national parks as classrooms

(来源:VOA 编辑:旭燕)

 

分享到

中国日报网英语点津版权说明:凡注明来源为“中国日报网英语点津:XXX(署名)”的原创作品,除与中国日报网签署英语点津内容授权协议的网站外,其他任何网站或单位未经允许不得非法盗链、转载和使用,违者必究。如需使用,请与010-84883561联系;凡本网注明“来源:XXX(非英语点津)”的作品,均转载自其它媒体,目的在于传播更多信息,其他媒体如需转载,请与稿件来源方联系,如产生任何问题与本网无关;本网所发布的歌曲、电影片段,版权归原作者所有,仅供学习与研究,如果侵权,请提供版权证明,以便尽快删除。

中国日报网双语新闻

扫描左侧二维码

添加Chinadaily_Mobile
你想看的我们这儿都有!

中国日报双语手机报

点击左侧图标查看订阅方式

中国首份双语手机报
学英语看资讯一个都不能少!

关注和订阅

本文相关阅读
人气排行
搜热词
 
 
精华栏目
 

阅读

词汇

视听

翻译

口语

合作

 

关于我们 | 联系方式 | 招聘信息

Copyright by chinadaily.com.cn. All rights reserved. None of this material may be used for any commercial or public use. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. 版权声明:本网站所刊登的中国日报网英语点津内容,版权属中国日报网所有,未经协议授权,禁止下载使用。 欢迎愿意与本网站合作的单位或个人与我们联系。

电话:8610-84883645

传真:8610-84883500

Email: languagetips@chinadaily.com.cn