(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
Welcome to THE MAKING OF A NATION – American history in VOA Special English. On March fourth, eighteen sixty-five, Abraham Lincoln was sworn-in as president after winning a second term. The election had taken place in the Union of northern states. The Union still followed the United States Constitution. The Confederacy of southern states had left the Union. The South had its own Constitution. On the evening of Inauguration Day, the White House was opened to the public. The party ended near midnight. Thousands of people went to see President Lincoln. This week in our series, Kay Gallant and Harry Monroe continue the story of President Lincoln and the American Civil War. Lincoln was glad the celebrations were over. Now he could get back to the urgent problems that faced him. He hoped that during his second four-year term he could end the Civil War. He hoped he could ease the bitterness and hatred the war had brought.
Lincoln hoped for an easy peace. He wanted no hangings or other brutal acts against the losers. He wanted to see Confederate soldiers go back to their homes to become peaceful citizens of a united country. Lincoln wanted the nation to grow together again. The war could not last much longer. The South already was defeated. But Confederate leaders refused to accept defeat. General Robert E. Lee's army still held the area around Richmond, Virginia. Richmond was the Confederate capital. Lee did not believe, however, that he could hold the city much longer. His once mighty army now had less than fifty thousand men. These men were tired and hungry. And they had to defend a line almost sixty kilometers long, from Richmond to the city of Petersburg. There just were not enough Confederate soldiers left to fight. Lee decided that his only hope was to give up the two cities. He would march south and join General Joe Johnston's army in North Carolina. Perhaps the two armies could defeat Union forces moving up through the state. Then they could turn to meet the army of General Ulysses Grant.
This plan had little chance of success. But it would keep the Confederate armies active for a few more weeks or months. Lee soon discovered that it would not be easy to break out of the trap that Richmond and Petersburg had become. Grant's army seemed to be everywhere. Lee put eleven thousand of his men into position near Grant's line. They waited for the enemy to attack. At first, the Confederates received some help from the weather. Heavy rains fell for more than a day. Many roads and fields were flooded. The Union army could not move forward. When it did, the Confederates were ready. They pushed back the attackers. The victory did not last long. There were five times more Union soldiers than Confederate soldiers. The Confederates fought hard, but could not stop them. They were forced to withdraw. The Confederates moved slowly, then more quickly as Union troops chased them. They began to flee wildly. About half of them were captured. Grant ordered an immediate attack all along Lee's line. He was sure the line was weak. He was sure he could break it. A Union army doctor watched the battle from a distance. He said he could see the flash of light from Confederate guns along a line a kilometer long.
After a while, part of the line went dark. Then another part. And another. Flashes of gunfire became fewer. Finally, all of the line was dark. The doctor said he knew then that the Confederate line had fallen. General Grant had been trying to break General Lee's line for almost a year. Now he had done it. His troops raced forward to seize the railroad. Lee no longer had a way to supply his troops in Petersburg. He no longer had a quick way to move his army south. He would have to move west first, then turn south. This meant he would have to give up Richmond. The government of the Confederacy would have to go with him or be captured. Confederate President Jefferson Davis gave the order to go. Southern soldiers began to burn military supplies they could not take from Richmond. Huge amounts of shells and gunpowder were exploded. The fires got out of control. Many buildings burned to the ground. The streets were filled with refugees trying to escape the burning city. Mobs broke into stores looking for food.
Union troops quickly moved into Richmond. Then they raised the United States flag over the once proud capital of the Confederacy. President Lincoln visited Richmond on April fourth. He visited the Confederate state house where the rebel Congress had met. He had lunch in the Confederate White House where Confederate President Jefferson Davis had lived. Everywhere Lincoln went, hundreds of people crowded around him. Blacks, especially, wanted to get near him. They wanted to touch the man who had made them free. At no time was any kind of hostile act made against the president. In the next few days, Lincoln followed carefully Grant's campaign against Lee's withdrawing army. By telegraph and messenger, he was informed of every move. Lee's men marched without food. They did not have time to search for it. They could not stop. The Union army was only a day behind them. On and on they marched. Many of them -- weak from hunger and tired beyond belief -- could go no farther. They left the road to sleep. Most never got back. Others continued to March. But many threw down their guns and equipment.
Union forces attacked the moving line when they could. There were battles at such places as Amelia Court House, Sayler's Creek, High Bridge and Farmville. Lee's army fought off each attack. But it was slowly bleeding and starving to death. Lee asked one of his officers to report on the situation. "There is no situation," the officer said. "Nothing remains, General Lee, but to put your poor soldiers on their poor horses and send them home in time to plant the spring crops." Lee answered: "What would the country think of me, if I did that." "Country." the officer cried. "There is no country. You are the country to these men. They have fought for you. Without pay or food. There are still thousands of us who will die for you." On April seventh, General Grant sent a message to General Lee. He said it was hopeless to continue the struggle. He asked for the surrender of Lee's army. Lee did not agree that the situation was hopeless. He believed there was still one small chance to escape. He wanted to reach a place called Appomattox Station. There his men could get food. Then they could march to Lynchburg where a railroad would carry them south to safety. But the Union Army reached Appomattox Station first.
Lee and his officers decided to make a final effort to break out of the circle of Union forces. If their plan failed, Lee would have no other choice. He would have to surrender. Lee rose early on the appointed day. He put on a new gray coat and a bright red sash. He looked as if he were going to a parade. His officers wondered. Then Lee explained: "I probably will be General Grant's prisoner. I thought I should look my best." At sunrise, Lee arrived on a hill outside the town of Appomattox Court House. He looked down on what was to be his final battlefield. His men fought hard and well. But they could not break through the Union line. Finally, Lee said: "There is nothing left me but to go see General Grant. And I would rather die a thousand deaths." Lee was sure Grant would not demand unconditional surrender. He said: "Grant will give us good terms -- as good as we have the right to demand. I can surrender this army on the condition that its members will never fight again." Lee turned his horse toward the enemy lines behind his army. He sent a message to General Grant. It said: "I now request to meet with you at such time and place as you may name to discuss the terms of the surrender of this army." The place would be a home in a town called Appomattox Court House. That will be our story next week.
重点解析
1.take place 发生；举行
The meeting will take place as planned.
会议将按预定的计划进行。
2.wait for 等候；等待
Just wait for me in the lounge.
请在休息室里等我就行了。
3.out of control 失控；不受控制
My impression is that they are totally out of control.
我的感觉是它们完全失去了控制。
4.at no time 决不；从来没有
At no time can we give up learning.
在任何时候，我们都不能放弃学习。
参考译文
欢迎收听VOA慢速英语之建国史话节目。1865年3月4日，亚伯拉罕·林肯在第二次赢得竞选后，宣誓就任总统。选举是在联邦的北方各州举行的，该联邦仍然遵循美国宪法。南部联盟国各州已经脱离联邦，南方拥有自己的宪法。在就职典礼当日的晚上，白宫向公众开放。晚会将近午夜时才结束，成千上万的人来到白宫会见林肯总统。在本周的系列节目中，凯格·兰特和哈里·梦露继续讲述林肯总统和美国内战的故事。林肯很高兴庆祝活动结束了，现在他可以继续处理他面临的那些紧急问题。他希望在第二个四年的总统任期内，能够结束内战，希望能够减轻战争带来的痛苦和仇恨。林肯希望国家维持和平，对战败方不再施以绞刑，或进行残忍的报复。他希望看到联盟国的士兵返回家乡，成为统一的国家中爱好和平的公民。林肯希望国家能再次团结起来。战争不会持续太久，南方已经被打败。但同盟国领导人拒绝接受失败。罗伯特·E·李将军的军队仍然控制着弗吉尼亚州里士满周围的地区，里士满是同盟国首都。然而，李将军不相信他能更长时间的占领这座城市。他曾经强大的军队现在只有不到5万人，这些人又累又饿。他们必须保卫一条从里士满到彼得堡长达近60公里的防线。剩下的同盟国将士不足以迎战。李将军决定他唯一的希望就是放弃这两座城市，他将向南进军，在北卡罗来纳州与乔·约翰斯顿将军的军队会合。也许这两支军队可以击败跨州前进的联邦军队，随后再去与尤利西斯·格兰特将军的军队会合。
这项计划几乎没有成功的机会，但这将使同盟国军队在未来数周或数月内积极作战。李将军很快就发现，很难摆脱里士满和彼得堡目前所处的困境。格兰特将军的军队似乎无处不在。李将军把一万一千人安排到格兰特将军的防线附近，他们等待敌人进攻。起初，天气助了同盟国军队一臂之力。大雨持续下了一天多，许多道路和田地被洪水淹没。联邦军不能前进。当他们终于可以进军时，同盟国军队已经都部署到位，他们击退了进攻者。士兵比同盟国士兵多5倍。同盟国军队奋战，但未能阻止联邦军的攻势。他们被迫撤退。同盟国军队行军迟缓，而联邦军队追击他们时速度更快。同盟国士兵开始疯狂地逃跑，其中约一半人被俘。格兰特下令沿李将军的战线立即发动进攻，他确信这条战线很薄弱，能够将其突破。一位在远处观战的联邦军军医说，他能看到绵延一公里长的战线上，同盟国士兵枪炮闪耀出的光亮。
过了一会儿，部分战线变暗，然后是另一部分，再一部分。枪炮的闪光越来越少，最后，所有的战线都变的漆黑一片。医生说他当时就知道了，同盟国阵线已经落陷。近一年来，格兰特将军一直试图打破李将军的战线，现在他做到了。他的部队向前突击夺取铁路，李将军已经无法给驻扎在彼得堡的军队提供补给。他没有能够让军队迅速南下的方法。他必须先向西行军，然后再转向南方。这意味着他必须放弃里士满。同盟国政府要么跟他移都，要么被敌军攻占。同盟国总统杰斐逊·戴维斯下令撤离。南方士兵开始燃烧无法从里士满带走的军事物资，他们炸毁了大量的炮弹和火药。大火失去了控制，许多建筑物被夷为平地，街道上挤满了难民，他们试图逃离这座火焰汹涌的城市。暴徒闯入商店寻找食物。
联邦军迅速侵入里士满，他们在曾经引以为豪的同盟国首都升起了美国国旗。林肯总统4月4日访问里士满。他参观了同盟国议会大楼，叛军的国会在大楼中召开会议。他在同盟国总统杰斐逊·戴维斯居住的白宫享用午餐。林肯所到之处，总会有数以百计的民众簇拥在他身边。尤其是黑人，都想接近他。他们想去触摸那个让他们获得自由的人。没有发生针对总统的任何敌对行动。在接下来的几天里，林肯仔细遵照格兰特应对李将军退兵的作战方针。通过电报和信差，他得知了每一次行动。李将军的部下行军却没有粮食供给，他们没有时间去寻找食物，还不能停下来。联邦军只落后他们一天时间。虚弱，而且极度疲惫，再也走不动了。他们离开大路去睡觉，大多数人都没有再回来。其他人继续前进，但是很多人扔掉了他们的枪支和装备。
撤退中的战线，在阿米莉亚法院大厦、塞莱河、高桥和法姆维尔等地都发生过战斗。李将军部队对每一次进攻都进行还击，但战士们的血在慢慢流淌，没有食物让他们濒临死亡。李将军要求他的一名军官报告情况。“没有任何情况，”军官说。“李将军，现在什么都没有了，只剩下让可怜的士兵骑上可怜的战马，及时送他们回家，等春天来时好种庄稼。”李将军回答道：“如果我这样做，国家会怎么看我？”“国家。”军官喊道。“没有国家了，你是这些人的祖国，他们为你而战。没有报酬或食物。我们还有成千上万的将士会为你战死沙场。”4月7日，格兰特将军给李将军发了一封信，他说继续这样战斗下去是无望的，他要求李将军的军队投降。李将军不同意形势没有希望，他相信尚存很小的机会可以逃跑。他想去一个叫阿普姆托克斯车站的地方。在那里，他的士兵可以得到食物。然后他们可以行至林奇堡，在那里有一条铁路可以把他们带到南方的安全地带。但是，联邦军队首先到达了阿普姆托克斯车站。
李将军和他的军官决定做最后一搏，冲破联邦军队的包围。如果他们的计划失败，李将军别无选择，只能投降。李将军在约定的那天早晨，起得很早，他穿上一件新的灰色外套和一条鲜红色的腰带。他看起来好像要去参加游行。他的军官们很好奇，李将军随后解释道：“我可能会成为格兰特将军的囚犯，我得穿上最好的衣服才行。”日出时分，李将军来到阿普姆托克斯法院大厦外的一座小山上。他向下看了看自己最后的战场。他的部下战斗力非常强，但他们无法突破联邦的战线。最后，李将军说：“除了去见格兰特将军，我什么也没剩下。我宁愿有一千名将士战死。”李将军确信格兰特将军不会要求无条件投降，他说：“格兰特会给我们开出很好的条件，就像我们有权要求的那样。我可以让这支军队投降，条件是这些战士再也不会参加战斗。”李将军把马转向自己部队后面的敌人防线，他给格兰特将军发了一封信，信上说：“我现在请求在你指定的时间和地点与你会面，讨论军队投降的条件。”这个地方将是一个叫做阿普姆托克斯法院大厦小镇的一户人家里，这将是我们下周要讲述的故事。
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