Shedding Light on Lady Liberty
─Adam Nelson & Ben Bousada
The Statue of Liberty is one of America's most well-known landmarks. But for something so famous, there is a lot about it that most people don't know.
A gift from France to America, Liberty Enlightening the World—the true name of the statue—was originally brown when it was finished in 1886. However, over time, the statue's copper body slowly turned green from reacting with the oxygen in the air.
Because the statue represents America, it's a happy fact that it was directly funded by Americans. Early on, there was much worry that the statue's base would never get built due to a lack of funds. Eventually, Americans took it upon themselves to contribute money, leading to the base's construction. In the 1980s, direct public funding was again used to pay for the statue's much-needed repairs.
Although it is a statue of a woman, the Statue of Liberty was an ironic sight to women's rights groups. After all, in the 19th century, American women didn't have the liberty to vote. In fact, no American women were invited to the statue's dedication; however, speeches calling for women's right to vote were blasted from a boat just outside the event.
你所不知道的自由女神像
自由女神像是美國最著名的地標之一。不過對於這麼有名的事物，還是有很多大多數人都不知道的事。
「自由照耀世界」（這座雕像真正的名字）是法國送給美國的禮物，它在一八八六年完成時是棕色的。然而經過一段時間後，雕像的銅身因為與空氣中的氧氣作用，慢慢地就變成了綠色。
因為這座雕像代表美國，很高興它是由美國人直接出資的。一開始很多人擔心雕像的底座會因為缺乏資金而蓋不成。最後美國人自動自發捐錢，才讓底座得以建造完成。一九八○年代，再度由民間直接出資來支付雕像急需的維修費用。
雖然這是一座女性雕像，自由女神像對女權團體來說卻是一個諷刺的景象。畢竟在十九世紀時，美國女性沒有投票權。事實上，沒有一位美國女性受邀參加雕像的落成典禮；然而，要求女性投票權的演說就在活動現場外的一艘船上大聲播放著。
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