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America's Presidents - George Washington 美国总统-乔治·华盛顿菽粟
VOA Learning English prents America's Presidents.海员
美国之⾳慢速英语介绍美国总统栏⽬。
Today we are talking about George Washington.
今天，我们来谈论乔治·华盛顿。
He was the first president of the United States. He rved from 1789 to 1797.
他是美国第⼀任总统，任职于1789-1797年。
But he had many other accomplishments , too.
但他除了总统还有许多其他成就。
He owned thousands of hectares of land in his home state of Virginia.
在他的家乡弗吉尼亚州他拥有数千公顷的⼟地。
He was a famous general, who led the American colonists to freedom from British rule.
他是⼀位著名的将军，领导美国摆脱英国殖民统治并恢复⾃由。
And he presided over the convention that created the U.S. Constitution.
并且主持了美国的制宪会议。
For Washington, that was enough. He said he wanted to retire from public rvice and return home.
对于华盛顿来说，这些已经⾜够。他曾经说过，他想从公职退休返回家乡。
But the country’s new electors had other ideas. They wanted him to move to New York and invent the American presidency.但是美国的新选民有其他的想法，他们想让华盛顿去纽约创⽴美国总统。
Washington accepted the job as his duty.
华盛顿接受了这项职责⼯作。
Wa shingto n a s pr esident 总统时期的华盛顿
[1]
Washington was sworn in as president in 1789. At the time, a truly united states was still just an idea. Americans were unconnected groups.
华盛顿于1789年宣誓成为总统。那个时候，⼀个真正的联合众国仅仅是⼀个想法。美国⼈民处于分隔的团体。
They came from different countries, had different religions, and spoke different languages. For example, a quarter of the people in the state of Pennsylvania spoke only German.
他们来⾃于不同的国家，怀有不同的宗教信仰，以及说着不同的语⾔。例如，宾⼣法尼亚州四分之⼀的⼈只讲德语。
Doug Bradburn is the founding director of the Washington Library at Mount Vernon. He says when Washington took office, the country was “fragile.”
道格·布拉德伯恩是弗农⼭庄华盛顿图书馆的创⽴主任。他说，华盛顿执政时，国家正处于⽀离破碎的状态。
“The chances that it would even survive were probably very, very slim.”
“国家能够存活的机会也许会⾮常⾮常渺茫。”
Bradburn explains that Washington had to establish social and political unity. But the Constitution did not say how the president could do that.
布拉德伯恩解释说，华盛顿必须要建⽴起社会和政治统⼀。但是，宪法并没有告诉总统该怎样去做。
So, Bradburn says, George Washington invented the job for all future presidents.
所以，布拉德伯恩说道，乔治·华盛顿为以后的总统建⽴了总统这项⼯作的雏形。
He established a group of advisors — called the cabinet—as well as the nation’s official money. He appointed a six-member Supreme Court. And he created the Department of Foreign Affairs, now called the State Department.
他成⽴了⼀组顾问 — 叫做内阁 — 如同国家的官⽅资⾦。他认命了⼀个6⼈组的最⾼法院，并且成⽴了外交部，现在叫做国务院。
However, Washington said it was the president’s responsibility to t foreign policy.
不管怎样，华盛顿说设置外交政策是总统的责任。
[2]
表示心情的成语
Historian Doug Bradburn explains that Washington established the president not just as a figurehead, but as a decision maker.
历史学家道格·布拉德伯恩解释说，华盛顿创建的总统不仅仅只是挂个虚名⽽已，⽽是⼀个实实在在的决策者。
But he always ud the Constitution as his guide.
⽽且他总是以宪法作为准则。
精诚大医“He wasn’t just trying to establish an office and then figure out a way to justify it, he was trying to work with his Constitution.”
“他不只是试图去建⽴⼀个政府部门，然后想出⼀个⽅法去证明它，他试图去依据宪法来⼯作。”
鬼火是怎么形成的ung m a
Wa shingto n a s a yo ung ma n 年轻时的华盛顿
Courtesy of George Washington's Mount Vernon 感谢乔治·华盛顿弗农⼭庄提供配图
Courtesy of George Washington was born in 1732 in the colony of Virginia. His father died when George was 11 years old. As a boy, he learned reading, writing and math. Then he worked as a land surveyor in western Virginia.
乔治·华盛顿于1732年出⽣于弗吉尼亚殖民地，他的⽗亲在他11岁时便去世了。作为男孩，他学习了阅读，写作和数学，然后他在西弗吉尼亚做了⼀名⼟地勘测员。
Historian Joph Ellis points out that Washington did not have a formal education. Instead of going to college, Ellis says,Washington went to war. He fought against the French and Indians as a British Army officer.
历史学家约瑟夫·埃利斯指出，华盛顿没有接受过正规教育，没有去上⼤学，⽽是去参加了战争。他作为⼀名英国军官与法国印第安⼈战⽃。That experience informed Washington’s world view. Ellis describes the first president as “a realist.” At the same time,
Washington was a “very passionate man” with “extremely strong emotions.” He was known to get angry, but he showed his temper to only a few people.
这段经历使他了解了世界观。埃利斯描述这第⼀位总统是“⼀个现实主义者”。同时，华盛顿也是⼀位带有“强烈情感”的“富有激情的⼈”。他易怒，但只在部分⼈⾯前展现过。
Washington not only acted like a great leader – he looked like one. George Washington stood about 1.9 meters tall. That was a head taller than the average man of his time.
华盛顿不仅仅⾏为举⽌像⼀位伟⼤的领袖——他看起来也很像。乔治·华盛顿有1.9⽶⾼，在当时⽐平均男⼈⾝⾼还要⾼⼀个头。
He was very strong, and very graceful . He was known as one of the best horback riders and best dancers in Virginia.他⾮常强壮，也很优雅。在佛吉尼亚，他是最好的马背上的骑⼿以及最好的舞者之⼀。
But he had a problem: bad teeth.
但是他有⼀个问题：糟糕的⽛齿。
Unlike his wife, Martha, who was known for her lovely smile, George Washington began losing his teeth in his twenties. When he was sworn in as president, he had only one tooth left.
不像他的妻⼦玛莎拥有甜美的微笑，乔治·华盛顿在20⼏岁时就开始⽛齿脱落。当他宣誓当总统时，只剩⼀个⽛齿了。
Courtesy of George Washington's Mount Vernon 感谢乔治·华盛顿弗农⼭庄提供配图
Wa shingto n a s a m yth 神化的华盛顿
Washington remains an important figure in the American imagination. Even today people tell stories about him.
华盛顿⼀直是美国⼈⼼⽬中的⼀位重要⼈物，即使到今天⼈们还在叙说着他的故事。
One popular story, that he had wooden teeth, is not true. But he did wear dentures . They were made, in part, from
hippopotamus ivory .
[3]
[4][5][6][7][8][9]
⼀个流⾏的故事是关于他的假⽛不是⽊头制作的。但是他确实戴着假⽛，只是部分是由河马⽛和象⽛雕刻⽽成的。
And he did not chop down a cherry tree as a child and then admit it by saying, “I cannot tell a lie.” In fact, historian Joph Ellis says George Washington “lied many times.”
他少年时砍掉⼀颗樱桃树并承认⾃⼰的过犯，他说：“我不能撒谎。” 事实上，历史学家约瑟夫·埃利斯认为华盛顿 ”撒过很多次谎⾔。“But it is true that as Washington became more famous, his reputation grew. People thought of him as a man who always did the right thing.
但是随着华盛顿越来越有名⽓，他的声誉也变得越来越好。⼈们会认为他做的事情总是正确的。
Joph Ellis says even Washington understood people would look at his writings and judge him.
约瑟夫·埃利斯认为华盛顿甚⾄知道⼈们会看他的作品来评判他。
摩羯座流星雨
“Washington went from being a man to a monument. He was aware of the fact that he had a role to play and that all emerging nations need mythical heroes.”
“华盛顿从⼀个男⼈变成了纪念碑。他很清楚地知道他所需要扮演的⾓⾊以及新兴国家需要神话英雄的事实。”
George Washington portrait by Gilbert Stuart 乔治·华盛顿肖像，出⾃吉尔伯特·斯图尔特
Washington became very protective of his personal thoughts. His wife burned most of their letters.
华盛顿很注重保护他的个⼈思想。他的妻⼦烧毁了他们之间的⼤部分信件。
Yet we know a little bit about George Washington’s thoughts from other writing. One of his regrets, he said, was that he had not done something to end slavery.
但是我们还是会从乔治·华盛顿其他的作品中知道⼀些他的思想。他说，他的⼀个遗憾是没有为结束蓄奴制做⼀些事情。
Like many plantation owners, Washington was a slave holder. More than 300 enslaved people lived on his property.
就像许多农场主⼀样，华盛顿是⼀个蓄奴主，有超过300个奴⾪⽣活在他的农场上。
By the end of his life , Washington oppod slavery. He left a will ordering his survivors to free his slaves after his wife’s death.
华盛顿晚年时期是反对奴⾪制的。他留下⼀份遗嘱，在他的妻⼦死去之后释放他的奴⾪。
Washington’s will became relevant sooner than he might have liked.
华盛顿的遗嘱⽐他可能期望的更早。
Three years after he finished his cond term as president, Washington fell ill. He had been outside riding his hor on a cold,wet day. When he came home, he complained of a sore throat.
当华盛顿结束他第⼆届总统任期后的3年，他病倒了。他在⼀个寒冷潮湿的天⽓外出骑马，当返回家中时，他抱怨喉咙痛。
Over the next two days, his condition became wor. On December 14, 1799, he died in his bed, surrounded by his wife,[10][11]
enslaved maids, and friends. He was 67.
接下来的两天，他的状况越发糟糕。1799年12⽉14号，在他妻⼦、⼥佣和朋友的围绕下，他去世了，享年67岁。
Benjamin Latrobe's "A View of Mount Vernon with the Washington Family"(Courtesy of George
Washington's Mount Vernon) 华盛顿家族弗农⼭庄的景⾊，出⾃本杰明·拉特罗布（感谢乔治·华盛顿弗农⼭庄提供
配图）
Wa shingto n’s lega c y 华盛顿的遗产
Historian Joph Ellis says one of the best things about George Washington was his ability to give up power. At the end of the Revolutionary War , General Washington returned his sword. And at the end of his administration, President Washington simply returned home.复议前置
历史学家约瑟夫·埃利斯认为乔治·华盛顿最为⼈称道的⼀件事是他能够放弃权利。独⽴战争结束后，华盛顿将军收回了他的宝剑。在他的任期结束后，华盛顿总统返回了家乡。
“You could trust Washington with power becau he was so conspicuously willing to give it up.”
“你可以信任华盛顿拥有的权利，因为很显然他愿意放弃权利。”
Doug Bradburn says Washington was the right man at the right time. Bradburn, like many historians, calls George Washington the “indispensable man.”
道格·布拉德伯恩说华盛顿是正确的时间正确的⼈。跟许多历史学家⼀样， 布拉德伯恩也认为乔治·华盛顿是“不可或缺的⼈”。
顾恺之
In other words, Washington was esntial to the American experiment in lf-government. He made ideas about American freedom real, and he showed that even the president would operate under the rule of law.
也就是说，华盛顿对于美国实验性⾃治政府是必须的。他使美国⼈民⾃由的想法成真，并且展⽰了即使是总统也要在法治下运作。
原⽂链接
1. accomplishment – n. something done or achieved successfully -- 成就 ↩
2. figurehead – n. a person who is called the head of something but who has no real power -- 挂名的⾸脑, 傀儡 ↩
3. Courtesy of -- 我们经常会在浏览英⽂⽹站时注意到这样的⼀个现象，在⼀些⽹站的配图旁边，往往会出现这样的字样：Photograph
Courtesy of （someone’s name）。你知道这句话代表什么意思吗？其实，这句英⽂⽤语表达的意思是：“感谢某某提供配图。”
Courtesy of在这⾥的意思是：thanks to；as a result of。（感谢…）为什么要表达感谢呢？因为这类配图是对⽅⽆偿赠与、或免费贡献的（Someone contributed the image, and it is given to you for free.）。
注意Courtesy有两种主要的含义，⼀种是：礼貌，礼节（polite behavior）；另⼀种是：帮忙、协助、慷慨（favor, help, generosity）。在courtesy of这个短语中，取第⼆种含义。另外，你也会见到by courtesy of…的⽤法，参考这个例句：The costumes for the play were by courtesy of the local department store.（感谢百货⼤楼为本剧提供服装。）下次你在博客上提供朋友或热⼼⼈提供的免费图⽚，你也可以在图⽚底部注明：courtesy of …，以表达你的谢意哦。 ↩
4. surveyor – n. a person who job is to measure and examine an area of land -- 勘测员 ↩[12][13][14]
