06 A City Built in a Swamp
建于沼泽中的城市
A cap which you wear on your head means “head.” A captain also means “head” —he's the head of a company of soldiers.A capital means “head” too—it's the head city of a country or of a State.When I was a boy I lived in the capital of the United States, but I did not live in the Capitol of the United States.That may sound funny, but it, s true, for there are two kinds of capitals.The capit-Al is a city, the Capit-Ol is a building, and of course I didn't live in the Capit-Ol building.Not even the President lives there.
有些含有cap (帽子）的英语单词表示“头”的意思。因为帽子是戴在头上的。Captain (队长）是“头”的意思——他是一队士兵的头。Capital (首都）同样也有“头”的意思——它是一个国家或一个州的头。我小的时候住在美国的首都，但我并不是住在美国的国会大厦。听起来很有趣，但真的是这样，因为这是两个不同的 词。“Capital”，首都，是一个城市；“Capital”，国会大厦，是一栋建筑，我当然不住在国会大度里，就连总统也不住在那里。

When our country was started men tried to find a suitable place for the capital.Eight places were tried out and at last a swamp was chosen as the proper place to build the city, because it was then near the center of our country.So a city was built there and called Washington after George Washington, because he was the First President of the United States.Even when-I-was-a-boy there was a part of Washington which every one called “Swamp Puddle” or “Swain-poodle.” I wonder if boys there still call it that.It is now one of the most beautiful cities in the World, with lovely parks and beautiful buildings.George Washington didn't live in Washington.He lived at a place in the State of Virginia about ten miles away called Mount Vernon.Washington is now on the edge of our country, over a thousand miles from the center.The capital hasn't moved, but the center of the country has.
美国刚建立的时候，人们要找一个合适的地方作首都。考察了八个地方后，最后一块沼泽地被选为最合适建首都的地方， 因为它当时靠近国家中心。于是在那里建了一座城市，并以美国第一届总统乔治·华盛顿的名字命名为华盛顿。当我还是个小孩子的时候，华盛顿还有一块地方人人都称之为“沼泽坑”或者“沼泽潭”。不知那里的孩子们是不是还这样叫。华盛顿现 在是世界上最美丽的城市之一，有可爱的公园和美丽的建筑。乔治?华盛顿那时并不住在华盛顿。而是住在距华盛顿有大约 10英里的弗吉尼亚州的一个叫做弗农山庄的地方。华盛顿现在处于美国的边界，离中心有一千多英里。首都还在原地，但是国 家的中心位置变了。
There are twenty-eight cities named “Washington” in the United States.Washington, the capital, looks on the map as if it were in the State of Maryland, but it isn't.It isn't in any State.The capital of all the States had to have a place all its own; so this piece of land is called the District of Columbia, or D.C.for short.The District of Columbia is named after Columbus, the man who discovered America.So if you write a letter to any one in Washington, the capital, you must be very careful to put "D.C."after Washington, for there are so many cities and towns named after Washington that your letter might not go to the right one.
美国有28个城市都叫“华盛顿”。在地图上看首都华盛顿好像是位于马里兰州，其实却不是。它不属于任何州。所有州的 首府必须有属于它自己的一块地方；所以这块地方就被叫做哥伦比亚特区，简称D.C.。哥伦比亚特区是以发现美洲大陆的哥伦 布的名字命名的。所以如果你写信给首都华盛顿的某人，你得很仔细地在华盛顿后面加上“D.C.”，因为叫华盛顿的城市和城 镇太多，不加的话很可能你的信就送不到你想寄去的地方。