美國華盛頓特區是美國的政治中心，位于特區的國會山、白宮和參眾兩院是美國權力的象征。這些機構提供了很多實習生項目，讓學生們有機會切身了解美國政治體系及運作。雖然環境肅穆，但走進國會山，能夠與政治大人物近距離接觸，能夠和總統一起看球賽，“山”上的實習生真可謂福利多多！

By Amirah Ahmad

黃湘淇 注

I had never truly appreciated my home until June 1, 2015.

I live in the suburbs of D.C., meaning the nation’s capital is half an hour away from my doorstep. Although I had visited Washington D.C. to admire the Smithsonian museums, gawk at the White House from afar, and sit on the National Mall for a pleasing picnic, I have just recently begun to explore all that is D.C.

We call ourselves “Hillterns”. Hillterns are students, typically in college, interning at Capitol Hill . Capitol Hill is home to the United States Congress, meaning the Hill is the starting point of all legislation, both national and international. The Hilltern network is massive , with hundreds of students working for Congress members. I am one of those hundred.

The first day, like all first days at a new job, was extremely daunting . I boarded the metro at 7:00 a.m. along with the other dozens of work-going citizens, with a newspaper in hand. I figured I should be using this time to brush up on current events.

I arrived at Capitol Hill nearly an hour early, and had nothing to do until 8:45 a.m. which is when I would actually head over to my office. During that hour, I drank a coffee, went through security to enter the Capitol Hill, and wandered through the expansive halls, imagining I was walking where President Obama once walked. At 8:45 a.m. I finally went to my office, completely unaware of what to expect. I was greeted by the staff assistant, and sat down on the couch. The entire office was clad in Michigan souvenirs. Soda, chips, brochures from Michigan were hung on the walls, sitting on the shelves, and dispersed throughout.

Needless to say , I was interning for the Congresswoman from the state of Michigan.

A couple minutes later, the two other interns began to file in along with the other staff in the office. Everyone was extremely friendly and welcoming, and I was glad my first day was heading in the right direction.

My first day on the job primarily consisted of getting my bearings of Capitol Hill, walking around the premises, and meeting people I needed to meet. The next day, I was bombarded with what my internship duties would actually consist of. I was responsible for handing out the morning newspaper to each staff member and turn on the TV’s in the office. Interns also give tours. I actually gave my first tour a couple days ago to a nice couple from Michigan. I walked them through the old Supreme Court Chamber, the old Senate Chamber, the ornate Rotunda, and through various rooms like the old House of Representatives meeting room. Hillterns also conduct research for bills and press releases, and most importantly: answer phone calls. At first thought, answering phone calls doesn’t seem like an arduous task. Answering phone calls on the Hill, however, is close to torture . Angry constituents call to voice their opinions on certain national and international issues, some people call to inquire on how the Congresswoman would vote on a particular bill, some people want to talk to the other staffers in the office, some people call to complain about their personal problems with the United States government. On a typical day, an intern picks up close to a hundred phone calls about various issues.

However, the perks of actually working in the Capitol counter the pitfall of picking up phone calls. I have spotted influential politicians like John Lewis, Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, and even President Obama in or near the Capitol.

John Lewis, a civil rights activist who worked with Martin Luther King Jr., gave a speech to all of the Hillterns. After his inspiring speech, I was given a task to drop off a document at a nearby building when I ran into John Lewis casually shining his shoes.

The second week of my internship, I happened to fall upon a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The Congresswoman had invited me to the annual congressional baseball game with the Democrats versus the Republicans. I had originally planned on going with my other friends, but I was sure satisfied with my decision to accompany the Congresswoman instead.

Because we were with a member of Congress, we got access to the buffet in the VIP lounge. The buffet included lobster rolls, crab cakes, barbeque, burritos, and bread, pie, and an assortment of drinks. After stuffing ourselves, we headed over to the stands where we got free t-shirts and hats before finally sitting down five rows from the front. Our seats were located right behind the batter, very close to the Democratic dugout. Near the 2nd inning, when I began to get bored as a result of my lack of understanding for the game of baseball, people suddenly began to rise from their seats and were looking in the direction of the Democratic dugout. Chatter began to reverberate through the crowd as everyone began to lift up their cellphones, their cameras on the ready. Curious myself, I stood up. I was looking around for an attraction of some sort when I heard a small kid squeal “Is the President coming?”

Feeling the inner child within me, I excitedly whipped out my phone. Shortly, two men who looked like detectives stepped out of the dugout and began to scan their surroundings. These men were part of the Presidential bodyguard . Finally, after five anxious minutes, President Obama stepped out of the Democratic dugout with a waving hand and infectious smile greeting the crowd. The Democrats began to chant , “Four more years!”

I couldn’t believe my eyes as he walked passed my seat. He was about eight feet away from where I was sitting! He spent about 10 minutes greeting various members of Congress and watching the game before he descended the dugout steps to continue his busy day.

Experiences like these make my internship experience in Congress extremely rewarding . Although by the end of the day my feet are aching, I’m dozing off, and I constantly hear the ring of the telephone in the back of my mind, my Hillternship is wonderful. As I get accustomed to my duties, I feel confident that it’s only going go up hill from here.

Vocabulary

1. suburb: 郊區。

2. 雖然我去過華盛頓特區，參觀了史密森尼博物館，從遠處癡癡地觀望過白宮，也曾坐在國家廣場上愉快地野餐，但我是最近才開始探索特區的種種的。Smithsonian museums: 史密森尼博物館群，是美國唯一一所由美國政府資助、半官方性質的第三部門博物館機構，擁有世界最大的博物館系統和研究聯合體；gawk at: 發呆地看著；the White House: 白宮，是美國總統的官邸和辦公室；from afar: 從遠處；the National Mall: 國家廣場，是位于美國首都華盛頓特區的一處開放型國家公園，是美國國家慶典和儀式的首選場所，同時也是美國歷史上重大示威游行、民權演說的重要場地。

3. Capitol Hill: 美國國會山。

4. Congress: 美國國會；legislation: 法律，立法。

5. massive: 規模巨大的。

6. daunting: 使人畏縮的，令人怯步的。

7. metro: 地鐵。

8. brush up on: 重溫，復習。

9. 在那一小時里，我喝了杯咖啡，通過安檢進入了國會，漫步走過了寬敞的大廳，想象自己走在奧巴馬總統曾經走過的地方。wander through: 漫步走過；expansive: 廣闊的。

10. clad: 被……覆蓋的；Michigan: 密歇根州，位于美國中北部；souvenir: 紀念品。

11. brochure: 小冊子；disperse throughout: 分散，散落。

12. needless to say: 不用說。

13. file in: 進入。

14. get one’s bearings: 在陌生的環境中確定方向，知道自己該怎么做；premise: 辦公場所。

15. be bombarded with: 被……炮轟。

16. the Supreme Court Chamber: 最高法院會議廳；the Senate Chamber: 參議院會議廳；ornate: 華麗的；the Rotunda:（國會大廈里的）圓形大廳；the House of Representatives: 眾議院。

17. arduous: 費力的。

18. torture: 折磨。

19. 憤怒的選民打電話來表達他們在某個國家或國際問題上的看法，有人打電話來詢問女議員會在某項法案上投什么票，有人想要和辦公室里的其他員工通話，還有人打電話來抱怨他們個人與美國政府的過節。constituent: 選民；staffer: 職員。

20. perk: 特殊待遇；counter: v. 抵消；pitfall: 缺陷。

21. spot: 認出；John Lewis: 約翰?劉易斯（1940— ），美國政治家及民權領袖，民主黨成員，自1987年起擔任美國喬治亞州第五選區代表；Marco Rubio: 馬爾科?魯比奧（1971— ），美國律師、政治人物，美國共和黨成員，現任美國參議員（2011年就職），2015年4月13日宣布參選2016年美國總統；Rand Paul: 蘭德?保羅（1963— ），美國肯塔基州醫生與政治人物，于2011年代表共和黨當選美國參議員至今，2015年4月7日宣布參選2016年美國總統。

22. drop off: 投送。

23. Congressional: 國會的；the Democrate: 民主黨；versus: 對戰；the Republican: 共和黨。

24. VIP lounge: 貴賓休息室；buffet: 自助餐。

25. lobster roll: 龍蝦卷；crab cake: 蟹餅；barbeque: 烤肉；burrito: 玉米煎餅；pie: 派，餡餅；an assortment of: 各式各樣的。

26. stuff: 填飽；stand: 攤位。

27. batter: 擊球手；dugout: 棒球場邊供球員休息的地方。

28. 到比賽的第二局，我就開始感覺無聊了，因為我對棒球比賽知之甚少，這時人群忽然開始從座位上起立，朝著民主黨隊的休息區方向看來。inning: （棒球比賽的）一局。

29. chatter: 喋喋不休；reverberate: 使回響。

30. of some sort: 某種……；squeal: 尖聲地說。

31. whip out: 快速掏出。

32. bodyguard: 保鏢。

33. infectious: 有感染力的。

34. chant: 反復地喊。

35. descend: 往下走。

36. rewarding: 有意義的，值得的。

37. aching: 疼痛的；doze off: 打瞌睡，困倦。

38. get accustomed to: 習慣，適應；go up hill: 走上坡路，步步高升，這里的hill為一語雙關，既是比喻，也指國會山。

（來源：英語學習雜志 編輯：丹妮）