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裝扮成班納克的說故事人：史密斯(Robert
Smith)
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班納克(Benjamin
Banneker)歷史公園及博物館
地方性遺產
您認識班哲明班納克(Benjamin Banneker)嗎？您知道他做了那些事嗎？
當大部分的非裔美人還是奴隸時，班納克已經是一位自學的科學家。生為自由黑人的班納克於1731年英國殖民時期(British
Colony)的馬裡蘭出生，曾受過一些正式的教育，但他大部分的科學及數學知識都是學自他借來的書本。22歲時，他向他人借來了一個懷錶，在未經任何訓練的下，他自己動手雕刻、製作了一個每小時報時一次的木製時鐘
。他因為這個時鐘而出名，人們會去拜訪他，只為了觀賞他的創造品。
班納克經營家中農場多年，但在他的五十歲晚年時，鄰居的兒子借了一幅望遠鏡給他，自此開啟了他對天文學的興趣；他開始研究行星及天體，並且再次自學一門新的科學領域
。他計算潮汐及太陽的起落時間，甚至預測日蝕的發生日期。連續幾年的時間，他出版了一本載有上列計算公式的曆書。時至今日，他因
出版了六本曆書而聞名於世，而這六本出版於1792至1797年的曆書
被稱為「班納克曆書」(Benjamin
Banneker's Almanac)。
1790年代，班納克也幫忙勘測及繪製華盛頓特區的土地，而華盛頓特區後來成為國家的首府
。若要一探班納克的驚人生平，可造訪位於馬裡蘭埃立科特市(Ellicott
City)的班納克歷史公園及博物館。
Do you know who Benjamin Banneker was and what he did?
Benjamin Banneker was a self-educated scientist at a time when most African Americans were slaves. Born a free black man in the British Colony of Maryland in 1731, he received some formal education, but he mostly borrowed books and taught himself science and mathematics. At 22, he borrowed a pocket watch, and without any training, figured out how to carve a working wooden clock that chimed each hour. Because of this clock, he became well known and people would visit him just to see his creation.
Banneker ran his family farm for many years, but when he was in his late 50s, a neighbor's son lent him a telescope. He became interested in astronomy, the study of the planets and stars, and again taught himself a new science. He made calculations of tides, sunrises and sunsets, and even predicted an eclipse. For several years he published an almanac of these calculations. Today, he is best known for publishing six almanacs, called "Benjamin Banneker's Almanac," between 1792 and 1797.
In the 1790s, Banneker also helped survey and lay out the land for Washington, D.C., which became the nation's capital. For a look at Banneker's amazing life, visit the Benjamin Banneker Historical Park & Museum in Ellicott, City, Maryland.
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