(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
People in America -- a program in Special English by the Voice of America. Every week at this time, we tell the story of a man or a woman who played an important part in the history of the United States. Today, LARRY WEST and WARREN SCHEER begin the story of Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce Indians. He is remembered as a hero of all American Indian people.
Chief Joseph loved peace. But he was forced to lead his people in war. He loved freedom and his land. But he lost both. Chief Joseph's story begins with his people and his land.
An old man looks out at a green valley. Tall dark mountains stand above it. Snow covers the mountain tops. In the clear water of a lake dance the dark shapes of the mountains.
The old man's name is Tuekakas. White men call him old Joseph. The Wallowa Valley is the old man's home -- and the home of the Nez Perce people -- for as long as anyone can remember. It lies in the northwestern part of the United States. Today, the land is part of the states of Idaho, Oregon and Washington.
No one knows exactly when the Nez Perce first came to the valley. From earliest times, the people hunted and raised cattle there. They kept horses, the kind called Appaloosas.
The Nez Perce did not own the land. They had not bought it from anyone else. They possessed no documents of ownership. But they believed the land was theirs, simply because that was where they lived.
For almost seventy years, the Nez Perce showed friendship to the white farmers, churchmen and explorers who came to their land.
Old Joseph, the chief, had been a friend to the white men. But in eighteen seventy-one, as he looked out across the valley, he could see a time of trouble coming. White people had discovered gold in mountains on Nez Perce land. More and more white farmers were asking the United States government to open the land for development.
To do that, the Indians had to be moved. The government usually offered the Indians money or gifts to leave the area. Different deals were made with different Indian groups.
Several years before, the white governor of the territory met with old Joseph. He asked the chief to sign a treaty. The governor said he wanted the land divided so the Indians and white men could live separately. "If the two groups are to live in peace," the governor said, "it is necessary for the Indians to have a country set apart for them. And in that country they must stay. "
Old Joseph was furious. "Take away your paper," he said. "I will not touch it with my hand. "
Other Nez Perce chiefs, however -- beyond the valley -- signed treaties to give up their lands. Those chiefs and their people became Christians. They cut their hair short. They forgot the ways of their tribe.
Old Joseph's people did not forget. They wore their hair long. And they loved the land.
Old Joseph had been chief for many years. Now he was dying. He called for his first son. The son, like the father, was named Joseph.
Old Joseph spoke. His voice was the voice of a dying man. But his words were the words of a strong, proud spirit: "My son," the old man said, "when I am gone you will be chief of these people. They look to you to guide them. Always remember that your father never gave up his land.
Young Joseph was thirty-one years old when his father died. His people called him Heinmot Tooyalaket. Those were the words the Nez Perce used to describe the noise that lightning makes in the mountains.
The young man had a wide face. His hair was tied on both sides of his head and hung down on his chest like long, heavy ropes. He wore chains of seashells around his neck. Small pieces of colored glass shone brightly on his clothing. Already, the Nez Perce knew him for his good judgment, his kindness, and his ability with words. And now they would know him as their leader -- Chief Joseph.
Chief Joseph remembered his dying father's words. He said: "This land has always belonged to my people. We will defend this land as long as Indian blood warms the hearts of our men. "
In eighteen seventy-three, Chief Joseph sent a message to the President of the United States, Ulysses Grant. He asked that no more white persons be permitted to live in the Wallowa Valley. President Grant agreed. But two years later, under pressure from farmers and gold-hunters, the president broke his promise. More white people came. Some stole cattle and horses. Some insulted the Indians.
Always, Chief Joseph kept the peace.
In May, eighteen seventy-seven, the government told General Oliver Howard to meet with the Nez Perce chiefs. He was ordered to tell the Indians that they must leave their land. The government had a place in Idaho for all Nez Perce people. It was called the Lapwai Reservation.
General Howard did not like his orders. To his friends he said it was a great mistake to take the valley from Joseph. But the general had spent many years in the army. He obeyed his orders.
To the Nez Perce chiefs he said: "I stand here for the president. My orders are clear and must be obeyed. You have thirty days to leave the valley. If you delay even one day," General Howard said, "the soldiers will force you to the reservation. And all your cattle and horses will fall into the hands of the white men. "
The chiefs had a difficult choice. They could leave. Or they could fight. Joseph and the other chiefs had only ninety warriors. They knew they could not defend the valley with such a small fighting force. Chief Joseph said: "I have carried a heavy load on my back ever since I was a boy. I learned then that we were but few, while the white men were many, and that we could not defeat them.
Some of the Nez Perce chiefs wanted to stay and fight. They were willing to try, even if there was little chance of winning. But Joseph said, "To protect my people from war, I will give up my country. I will give up everything. "
So the Nez Perce prepared to leave the Wallowa Valley. To get to the reservation in time, they had to leave behind many of the things they owned. They took some cattle and horses, and what food and possessions they could carry.
Chief Joseph had promised them peace. But peace would not follow them.
That will be our story next week.
重点解析
1.as long as只要；和…一样长
Banks could rediscount the bills with the ECB but they would not do so as long as they earned more on the bills than on the cash.
银行可以拿这些国债与欧洲央行进行再贴现，但只要这些国债的收益比现金高，它们就不会这样做。
2.set apart留出…；使分离；
Fighting dogs need to be set apart in the correct way.
正在打架的狗需要用正确的方式分离。
3.on both sides双方；两边
Recognition of the humanity of those on both sides of the apartheid barrier was essential, he said.
他说，认识到种族隔离制度下的施受双方都是有人性的人这一点很重要。
4.belong to 属于
For example, think of each of the groups you belong to: say at work, or within your family.
举例说，想想你自己属于什么群体：比如在工作上，或是在家庭中。
5.break promise违背诺言
People want to do friends favors and hate to break a promise.
人们希望助朋友一臂之力，不愿意违背诺言。
6.stand for 代表
The two terms describe almost the same category of software, but they stand for views based on fundamentally different values.
这两个词描述了几乎同样范畴的软件，但他们代表了两种完全不同的价值观。
参考译文
这里是VOA慢速英语栏目《美国人物志》。每周的这个时候，我们会讲述一位在美国历史上起了重要作用的男性和女性。今天，拉里·韦斯特和沃伦·希尔为您讲述内兹佩尔塞印第安人酋长约瑟夫的故事。他是所有美国印第安人的英雄。
约瑟夫酋长爱好和平。但是他被迫领导他的人民参加战争。他热爱自由和他的土地。但是这两者他都失去了。约瑟夫酋长的故事开始于他的人们和土地。
一位老者眺望着一个绿色山谷。它上面是高耸的黑山。雪覆盖了山顶。大山的黑色倒影在清澈的湖面上跳动。
这位老者名叫图亚拉克。白人叫他老约瑟夫。瓦洛瓦山谷是这位老人的家，也是内兹·佩尔塞人的家。只要有人还记得这个事实。它位于美国的西北部。今天，这片土地是爱达荷州、俄勒冈州和华盛顿州的一部分。
没有人确切知道内兹佩尔塞人第一次来到瓦洛瓦山谷是什么时候。最早的时候，那里的人们打猎，饲养牲畜。他们也养马，品种是阿帕卢萨马。
内兹佩尔塞人并不拥有这片土地。这不是他们从任何人那里买来的。他们没有土地所有权的文件。但是他们相信这片土地是他们的，就是因为这是他们生活的地方。
有将近7年的时间，内兹佩尔塞人向来到他们土地上的白人农民、牧师和探险家们表示友好。
老约瑟夫酋长一直是白人的一个朋友。但是在1871年，当老酋长望向山谷的时候，他能预料到麻烦将要来临。白人已经在内兹佩尔塞的土地发现了金子。越来越多的农民请求美国政府开发这片土地。
为了开发土地，这里的印第安人需要搬走。政府经常给印第安人提供金钱或礼物，让他们离开这片区域。政府和不同的印第安部落达成不同的协议。
几年前，这个地区的白人统治者会见了老约瑟夫。他要求约瑟夫酋长签订一个条约。这位统治者说，他想把这块土地分割开来，这样印第安人和白人就可以分开生活。这位统治者说“，如果两个族群想生活在和平之中的话，对印第安人来说，有必要为他们划分一片区域。然后他们必须留在那个区域。”
当时老约瑟夫就暴怒了。他说，“拿走你的文件，我是不会碰它一下的。”
然而，山谷之外的其他内兹佩尔塞酋长签署了放弃他们土地的条约。那些酋长和他们的人民成为了基督徒。他们把头发剪短。他们忘记了部落的生活方式。
老约瑟夫的人则没有忘记。他们依然留着长发。他们爱这片土地。
老约瑟夫当了很多年的酋长。现在他快要死了。他叫来了自己的第一个儿子。儿子和父亲一样，也叫约瑟夫。
老约瑟夫说话了。他的声音是一个垂死的人的声音。但是他说的是强有力的、骄傲的话语，他说：“儿子，我走了以后，你要做这些人的首领。”他们指望你领导他们。永远记得你的父亲从没放弃他的土地。
约瑟夫的父亲死的时候，他三十一岁。他的人民叫他海因莫特·图亚拉克。这些话语是内兹佩尔塞人经常用来形容闪电在群山中发出的声响。
那个年轻人的脸很宽。他的头发绑在头的两侧，像又长又重的绳子一样垂在胸前。他脖子上挂着贝壳链。小块彩色玻璃在他的衣服上闪闪发光。内兹佩尔塞人已经认识他了，因为他善良，有良好的判断力和语言能力。现在他们会知道他是他们的领袖——约瑟夫酋长。
约瑟夫酋长记得他临死的父亲说的话语。他说：“这片土地一直属于我的人民。只要我们身上还流淌着印第安人的血液，我们就会保卫这片土地。”
1873年，约瑟夫酋长给当时的美国总统尤里塞斯·格兰特传递了一个信息。他请求不要再允许白人生活在瓦罗瓦山谷了。格兰特总统同意了。但是两年后，在农民和淘金者的施压之下，总统违背了自己的诺言。更多的白人来到了这里。有些人偷盗牲畜和马匹。有些人侮辱印第安人。
像以前一样，约瑟夫没有扰乱治安。
1877年5月，政府让奥利弗·霍华德将军会见内兹佩尔塞的酋长们。政府下令让霍华德告诉印第安人，让他们必须离开自己的土地。政府在爱达荷州为所有内兹佩尔塞人提供了生活的地方。这个地方就是拉普瓦居留地。
霍华德将军不喜欢给他下达的命令。他对自己的朋友说，从约瑟夫那里夺走山谷是一个很大的错误。但是霍华德将军已在军队服役多年。他服从了命令。
他向内兹佩尔塞的酋长们说道：“我站在这里代表总统，我的命令是明确的，而且必须服从。霍华德将军说，“你们有三十天的时间离开山谷。如果你们延后一天的话，士兵们就会强迫你们赶往居留地。而且你们所有的牲畜和马匹都会落到白人的手中。”
酋长们面临着艰难的选择。他们可以选择离开，或者选择战斗。约瑟夫和其他的酋长总共只有90个士兵。他们知道以这么少的兵力是没法保卫山谷的。约瑟夫酋长说：“自从我是一个小男孩的时候，我的背上就背了一个重担。那时我知道，我们只是少数，而白人却很多，我们无法打败他们。
一些酋长想留下来战斗。他们想尝试一下，即便胜利的可能性很小。但是约瑟夫说道，“为了保护我的人民免于战争，我会放弃我的国家，我会放弃一切。”
所以他们为离开瓦罗瓦山谷做准备。为了能及时到达居留地，他们不得不放弃许多他们的东西。他们带走了一些牲畜和马匹，还有他们可以带走的食物和财产。
约瑟夫承诺带给他们和平，但是和平不会一直伴随着他们。
下周我们继续讲述约瑟夫的故事。
译文为可可英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载！
