8 Chapter 7 Last Years at Monticello

Chapter 7 Last Years at Monticello Jefferson was nearly sixty-six when he retired to Monticello. He spent the last seventeen years of his life at the home he loved. The year her father returned, Patsy moved to Monticello with her husband and children. Of Patsy's twelve sons and daughters, all but one reached adulthood. Jefferson's daughter Maria had died. But her son, Francis, who was seven years old when Jefferson retired, was often at Monticello. Jefferson loved nothing more than to pass the time with his grandchildren. Grandpapa Jefferson played the violin for them while they danced. He ran races with them on the lawn. He enjoyed giving them books and other presents. His granddaughter Ellen received a special gift. Jefferson gave her the portable desk on which he had written the Declaration of Independence.

第七章在蒙蒂塞洛的晚年杰斐逊退休到蒙蒂塞洛时已快六十六岁了。 他生命的最后17年是在他所爱的家里度过的。 父亲回来的那一年，帕齐带着丈夫和孩子搬到了蒙蒂塞洛。 帕齐的12个儿子和女儿，除了一个之外，都长大成人了。 杰斐逊的女儿玛丽亚去世了。 但她的儿子弗朗西斯(Francis)经常在蒙蒂塞洛(Monticello)，杰斐逊退休时他才七岁。 杰斐逊最喜欢和他的孙子们一起消磨时间。 他们跳舞时，杰斐逊爷爷为他们拉小提琴。 他和他们在草坪上赛跑。 他喜欢给他们送书和其他礼物。 他的孙女艾伦收到了一份特别的礼物。 杰斐逊把他写过《独立宣言》的写字台送给了她。

When away from his grandchildren, Jefferson wrote to them. In a letter to his granddaughter Cornelia, he pointed out that she should remember her periods and capital letters while writing. He included a little rhyme to show what he meant: I've seen the sea all in a blaze of fire I've seen a house high as the moon and higher I've seen the sun at twelve o'clock at night I've seen the man who saw this wondrous sight.

当杰斐逊离开他的孙辈时，他给他们写信。 在给孙女科妮莉亚的一封信中，他指出她在写字时应该记住句号和大写字母。 他还写了一首小诗来表达他的意思:我曾见过一片火海我曾见过一座房子高如月亮，甚至更高我曾见过午夜十二点的太阳我曾见过看到这奇妙景象的人。

Jefferson wanted his granddaughter to see that this only makes sense if punctuated properly: I've seen the sea. All in a blaze of fire I've seen a house. High as the moon and higher I've seen the sun. At twelve o'clock at night I've seen the man who saw this wondrous sight. Nine-year-old Cornelia Jefferson Randolph wrote back to her grandfather: Dear Grandpapa I hope you will excuse my bad writing, for it is the first letter I ever wrote, there are a number of faults, in it I know but those you will excuse; I am reading a very pretty little book, I am very much pleased with it. all the children send their love to

杰斐逊想让他的孙女明白，只有加上适当的标点符号，这句话才有意义:我见过大海。 在熊熊大火中，我看到了一座房子。 像月亮那么高，我看到的太阳更高。 在夜里十二点钟的时候，我看见了那个看见这奇异景象的人。 9岁的科妮莉亚·杰斐逊·伦道夫回信给她的祖父:亲爱的祖父，我希望您能原谅我写得不好，因为这是我写的第一封信，我知道里面有很多错误，但您会原谅的;我正在读一本非常漂亮的小书，我对它非常满意。 所有的孩子都向你问好

you we all want to see you very much. adieu my dear Grandpapa, believe me to be your most affectionate Granddaughter. C.R. Jefferson complained to his grandchildren if they didn't answer his letters. In turn, they teased him if he didn't answer theirs. In 1813, eleven-year-old Francis wrote: Dear Grandpapa April 1813 I wish to see you very much I am very sorry that yo wont write to me this leter will make twice I have wrote to you and if you dont answer this leter I sha write to you any more … Actually, Jefferson rarely failed to answer a letter. He wrote 36,000 letters in his lifetime. In those days, most people made copies of their letters by hand. Jefferson had a device that made copies for him as he wrote. It was a special desk with several pens attached by wires. As he used one pen, the others moved automatically and copied his letter. Although he hadn't invented this device, he did make improvements to it.

你，我们都很想见你。 再见了，我亲爱的爷爷，请相信我是您最深情的孙女。 C.R.杰斐逊向他的孙子们抱怨，如果他们不给他回信。 反过来，如果他不回答他们的问题，他们就取笑他。 1813年4月，11岁的弗朗西斯在信中写道:“亲爱的爷爷，我非常希望见到您。我很遗憾您不给我写信。这封信将是我给您写的第二次，如果您不给我回信，我将再给您写信。” 他一生写了36000封信。 在那些日子里，大多数人都用手抄写他们的信件。 杰斐逊有一个设备，可以在他写作时为他复印。 那是一张特殊的桌子，上面有几支用电线连着的笔。 当他用一支笔时，其他的笔自动移动，抄写他的信。 虽然他没有发明这个装置，但他确实对它进行了改进。

THE EARLY POST OFFICE

早班邮局

IN 1789, CONGRESS CREATED THE UNITED STATES POST OFFICE AS PART OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. POSTAGE RATES WERE FIXED ACCORDING TO THE DISTANCE THAT THE MAIL TRAVELED AND THE NUMBER OF PAGES BEING SENT. MOST PEOPLE COLLECTED THEIR MAIL AT THE NEAREST POST OFFICE (OFTEN THE LOCAL TAVERN OR GENERAL STORE), BUT A 1794 ACT DID PERMIT HOME DELIVERY FOR TWO CENTS EXTRA PER LETTER. IN EITHER CASE, THE PERSON WHO RECEIVED THE MAIL WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING

1789年，国会创建了美国邮局，作为联邦政府的一部分。 邮费是根据邮件传送的距离和发送的页数来确定的。 大多数人在最近的邮局(通常是当地的小酒馆或杂货店)收集邮件，但1794年的一项法案确实允许送货到家，每封信额外收费2美分。 在任何一种情况下，收到邮件的人都要负责付款