品味名人故居的魅力 Living In The Past_英美文化

品味名人故居的魅力 Living In The Past

residences before he acquired the furnished Kennedy estate as his primary residence. He likes to show off President Kennedys narrow bed with its carved Gothic oak headboard and a walk-in closet drawer labeled in the careful script of matriarch Rose Kennedy black underwear. 卡斯尔现年71岁，早在28岁时他就是身价百万的商人银行家了。在购买这幢带家具的肯尼迪家族房产作为主要住所之前，他已经拥有了三处住房。他喜欢显摆肯尼迪总统窄小的床（橡木床头板雕成哥特式风格）和步入式衣帽间的抽屉，肯尼迪家族的女性家长罗丝(Rose Kennedy)在抽屉上一笔一画地标注上了“黑色内衣”。 John F. Kennedy interviewed most cabinet candidates in the library of the stark white Mediterranean compound and swam in the Olympic-size pool the weekend before his 1963 assassination. In 1991, the compound was the scene of an alleged rape by William Kennedy Smith, a nephew of JFKs who was ultimately acquitted. Hulton Archive/Getty Images威尔逊在新泽西州的普林斯顿住到1902年，当时他还是大学教授。1963年遭刺杀之前，肯尼迪总统曾在这座纯白色地中海风格大宅的图书室内面试过多数内阁候选人，周末，他会在大小可与奥运场馆媲美的泳池里游泳。1991年，肯尼迪总统的外甥史密斯(William Kennedy Smith)被控在这座大宅里实施强奸，最终他被宣判无罪。 The Kennedys sold the property in 1995, and Palm Beach declared part of the mansion a landmark after Mr. Castle bought it. Designation as a local landmark or placement in a historic district typically limits a homeowners ability to make exterior changes. In Mr. Castles case, he had to agree not to alter a 60-foot portion of the wall where the president occasionally gave news conferences. 肯尼迪家族1995年卖掉了这处产业，而棕榈滩在卡斯尔购房后不久宣布该豪宅的一部分为地标性建筑。如果一座建筑被定为地方地标性建筑，或者被划入历史街区，一般来说房主改变建筑外观的余地会受到限制。卡斯尔面对的情况是，他必须同意不对壁上一片60英尺见方的区域（肯尼迪总统有时在这一区域前举行资讯发布会）进行改造。 Mr. Castle said souvenir hunters frequently showed up during his $6 million renovation of the 11-bedroom mansion, put chunks of brick in their car, and drove away. He also had to cope with strict demands from local officials. We had an inspection every day, he said. 卡斯尔投入600万美元对这幢有11间卧室的豪宅进行了翻修，他说，在进行翻修的过程中，常常有人来搜集纪念品，他们“把一块块大砖头搬进车里然后开走”。他还得应付地方官员的严格要求。他说：“每天都会有一次检查。” One inspection failed, he said, because a screw near an electrical connection was one-eighth of an inch out of alignment. Another time, preservation officials limited the height of the new indoor/outdoor spiral staircase that Mr. Castle was building to enjoy a grander view of his 205-foot oceanfront. Scott Lewis for The Wall Street Journal卡伦站在门厅里。门厅的推拉门和镶嵌的彩色玻璃是房子原先就有的。他说，有一次检查他没能通过，因为电器连线附近的一颗螺丝“偏了八分之一英寸”。还有一次，为了在欣赏205英尺海滨美景时有更广的视野，卡斯尔要新建室内外螺旋楼梯，而建筑保护部门官员对楼梯的高度做了限制。 Today, Mr. Castle relishes living amid 62 years of Kennedy family history. He especially likes to unravel knotty work problems while seated in the mansions outdoor loggia, where President Kennedy crafted his inaugural speech and overlooking the sea. 如今，卡斯尔很享受置身于肯尼迪家族62年历史中的滋味。他特别喜欢坐在屋外的凉廊里（肯尼迪总统在这里起草了就职演说稿），一边眺望大海，一边思考工作中的棘手问题。 You get an enormous sense of inspiration, Mr. Castle said. 卡斯尔说：“在这里你会获得很多灵感。” Presidential Preservation 威尔逊总统故居 Restoring the Wilson residence turned into a lengthy labor of love for Mr. Carr, a longtime U.S. history buff who bought it in 2003 for about $2.1 million. 修复威尔逊的住宅成为卡尔的一项长期个人爱好。卡尔多年来一直对美国历史很着迷，2003年，他以约210万美元购买了这座大宅。 The house had remained vacant for two years and gone through 19 owners since Woodrow and Ellen Wilson left. There was very little preserved, he said. 威尔逊夫妇搬走后，这座房子空置了两年，之后又19次易主。卡尔说：“保存下来的东西少之又少。” Mr. Carr wanted to recapture much of the houses original character and update its amenities. His efforts were guided in part by his review of Wilsons correspondence about the homes construction. The renovation cost more than $7 million and lasted until spring 2007. 卡尔想重现这幢房屋最初的风貌，并对其设施进行更新。他研读了威尔逊有关建房的信件，将其作为指导房屋修缮的部分依据。房屋翻修耗资逾700万美元，一直持续到2007年春季。 There was no budget and no time restrictions, Mr. Carr said. It seemed like the right thing to do as the custodian of a bit of history. 卡尔表示：“这项工程没有预算和时间限制，感觉自己是历史的守护者，在做一件正确的事情。” Except for a new solarium, the three-story residence with pale-lemon stucco walls looks from the outside as it did 110 years ago. Mr. Carr even pulled up the concrete circle driveway and replaced it with the type of red stones used by the Wilsons. 除一个新建的日光浴室外，这幢有着淡柠檬黄灰泥的三层住宅从外面看起来和110年前没有区别。卡尔甚至铲除了一个混凝土环形车道，换成了威尔逊当年使用的那种红色石头。 While showing a visitor around, Mr. Carr paused in the unusual foyer with a fireplace where Mr. Wilson, a Princeton University professor, often taught his students as a fire roared. To restore the foyer to its original condition, contractors disassembled, structurally reinforced and reassembled the room using the same individual pieces of vertical-grain fir. 在带领一名访客四处参观时，卡尔在一间不同寻常的门厅里停下了脚步，门厅里有一个壁炉，威尔逊在普林斯顿大学(Princeton University)做教授时，常在熊熊燃烧的壁炉边给学生讲课。为了让门厅还原成最初的样子，承包商对房间进行了拆卸，并使用相同的纵切纹杉木进行结构加固和重新组装。 This room and the ceiling are exactly the way they were when Woodrow Wilson lived here, the chief executive said. 这位首席执行长说：“这个房间和天花板与威尔逊住在这里时一模一样。” Despite his attention to detail, Mr. Carr worries about Princetons proposed creation of a historic district that would cover the Wilson home. People tell you if you can paint your house, he said. It may not help the resale value. He and other disgruntled owners wrote a letter protesting that the district would significantly chill the market for owning and investing in these homes. 尽管卡尔对细节一丝不苟，他还是担心普林斯顿一项设立历史街区的提议，该街区会将威尔逊故居囊括在内。他说：“这样一来，你要经过允许才能粉刷房子，这对提高房屋转售价值可能没有好处。”他和其他持不满态度的房主写信抗议此项提议，认为设立历史街区会“导致这类住房的购置和投资市场显著降温”。 Princeton officials declined to comment, but in a September report recommending creation of the district, the towns Historic Preservation Review Committee said supporters cited studies showing a positive effect of historic districting on property values. 普林斯顿的官员拒绝就此置评，但当地的古迹保护审议委员会(Historic Preservation Review Committee) 9月份发布了一份建议创建历史街区的报告，报告援引支持者的话称，研究显示“设立历史街区对房地产价值有提振效果”。 Meanwhile, the executive loves to celebrate his homes famous former owner. He threw a 150th birthday party for the former president at his home in December 2006. He gives talks about Mr. Wilsons life at local schools. And in October, he hosted a centennial celebration of President Wilsons election. As an extra treat, his 530 guests could view a newly framed note in Mrs. Wilsons handwriting that restoration workers found behind a fireplace frame. 与此同时，卡尔也爱通过活动纪念这栋房子的前主人。2006年12月，他在家里举办了一场前总统诞辰150周年纪念派对。他在当地的学校里做讲座，介绍威尔逊的生平。今年10月份，他主办了纪念威尔逊当选总统百周年庆典。他的530名来宾还享受了一项额外款待，他们看到一个刚装裱起来的威尔逊夫人手写便笺，这是房屋修缮工人在壁炉架后面发现的。 s a privilege to live in a house like this, Mr. Carr said. 卡尔说：“能住在这样的房子里实属幸事。”