美国学生世界地理教材 第20期:十三俱乐部(2)

 As the initials¹ of the United² States are U.S., someone said they stand for Uncle Sam, so the old fellow dressed in a flag we call Uncle Sam. 美国的首字母是U.S,于是有人说它代表山姆大叔（Uncle Sam,首字母同U.S.),我们因此就把那个穿着国旗的老伙计叫做山姆大叔。

The map of the U.S.looks as if it were made like a patch-work quilt of patches³ of different sizes and shapes. 美国地图看起来就像由不同尺寸和形状的布块拼缝而成的被子。

These patches are the States that are United—that means⁴, joined to one another. 这些布块就是美国的州，这些州联合在一起—也就是说彼此联为一体。

As a matter of fact, of course, there are no lines between the States. 当然，实际上这些州之间并没有线。

The lines on the map are marked on the ground by stone posts set so far apart that you may cross from one State to another  地图上的这些线在地面上就只是用界石远远地做的标记，

without even knowing when you are in a different State. 所以你可能从一个州跨进了另一个州自己却不知道。

Each State has towns and cities and country.I live in a city and the city is in the State of Maryland. 每个州都有城镇、城市和乡村。我住在位于马里兰州的一座城市里。

You may live in a city or a town or in the country in another State. 你也许住在另一个州的 某座城市或者镇或者乡村里。

But everyone in the U.S.must live in some State unless—I'll tell you later the few places he may live without being in any State. 但是每个美国人都得住在某个州里，除非他是住在不属于任何一个州的地方—稍后我会告诉你有哪几个地方。

Some of the States have straight sides and some have one, two or more crooked⁵ sides. 有些州有着笔直的边界，有些州的边界至少有一两处是弯曲的。

Some are big and some are little. 有的州大，有的州小。

The biggest State is Texas, at the bottom, near the center—only we don't say bottom, we say south. 最大的州是德克萨斯州，靠近中心下边的地方—不过我们不说下边，而说南边。

The smallest State is Rhode Island, which is not an island at all. 最小的州是罗德岛州，实际上它根本不是什么岛。

It is near the upper right hand corner—only we don't say upper right-hand corner, we say northeast. 它靠近右上角—不过我们不说右上角，而说东北部。

Texas would make more than 200 Rhode Islands. 德克萨斯州有两百多个罗德岛州那么大，

That is, you could put more than 200 Rhode Islands in Texas. 也就是说，你可以把两百多个罗德岛州放进德克萨斯州里。

Not so long ago there was no United States.There were only thirteen little States along the shore of the Atlantic Ocean. 不久以前美国还不存在。只有沿大西洋海岸的13个小州。

These States were so small they thought they ought to form a club. 这些州都很小，所以他们觉得应该成立一个倶乐部。

There is an old story about a man who wanted to break a bundle⁶ of sticks. 这与一个古老的故事有关，故事说有个男人想折断一束树枝，

He tried and he tried but he couldn't break the bundle.Then someone told him to take the bundle apart and break each stick separately;  他怎么折都折不断。于是有人给他出主意把树枝解开，再一根一根折；

so he did, and broke them easily. 他就照做了，果然很容易就把树枝折断了。

The States thought that they, in the same way, might be broken easily if they separate,  这13个州认为如果他们彼此分开，同样也会很容易被打垮，

so they tied themselves together like a bundle of sticks in order that they might not be broken by an enemy. 于是他们团结起来就像一捆树枝那样，不会被任何敌人折断了。

And so the 13 States formed a 13 club and called themselves the United States. 所以这13个州就组成了一个十三俱乐部，起名叫合众国。

They took as their motto In Union is Strength,  他们的座右铭是 团结就是力量。

which means In one bundle we are strong. 意思就是抱成团，折不断。

1 initials   

n.首字母，姓名

参考例句：

• a glass tankard with his initials etched on it 刻有他姓名首字母的玻璃大酒杯
• All the towels were personalized with their initials. 所有毛巾上都标有物主姓名的首字母。

2 united   

adj.和谐的；团结的；联合的，统一的

参考例句：

• The whole nation is closely united.全国人民紧密团结。
• The two men were united by community of interests.共同的利益使两个人结合在一起。

3 patches   

n.小块( patch的名词复数 )；斑；补丁；小块土地v.补( patch的第三人称单数 )；修理；调停；解决

参考例句：

• The dog's coat is white with black patches. 这只狗的皮毛白色中带有黑斑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She sewed patches on the elbows of jacket. 她在夹克肘部缝了几块补丁。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 means   

n.方法，手段，折中点，物质财富

参考例句：

• That man used artful means to find out secrets.那人使用狡猾的手段获取机密。
• We must get it done by some means or other.我们总得想办法把它干完。

5 crooked   

adj.弯曲的；不诚实的，狡猾的，不正当的

参考例句：

• He crooked a finger to tell us to go over to him.他弯了弯手指，示意我们到他那儿去。
• You have to drive slowly on these crooked country roads.在这些弯弯曲曲的乡间小路上你得慢慢开车。

6 bundle   

n.捆，包，束；一堆，一批；v.把…扎成一捆

参考例句：

• My uncle sent me a large bundle on my birthday.我生日时叔父给我寄来一个大包裹。
• Dad found a bundle of spelling mistakes in my composition.爸爸在我作文里找出一大堆拼写错误。