美国小学英语教材6:第57课 从印第安足迹到航空邮政(2)

 But the colonists¹ were brave, strong people. In spite of the forests and the rivers, 但这些殖民者很勇敢，很强壮，尽管有森林和湖泊，

they sent their letters back and forth² and kept the news moving from Boston to Albany, 他们来回运送信件，持续将消息从波士顿带到奥尔巴尼，

from Albany to New York, from New York to Philadelphia, and so on; 从奥尔巴尼到纽约，从纽约到宾州等等；

and from all these places the news traveled slowly but surely across the mountains to the daring pioneers in the Mississippi Valley. 所到之处讯息传递速度很慢，但却穿越了山峰，运送给密西西比河谷那些勇敢的开拓者。

Many of our highways and railroads today follow these old paths of the first mail carriers. 如今许多高速路和铁路就是沿着最开始邮递员所走的线路。

At first the colonists sent their letters by couriers, or runners. 起初殖民者通过邮递员，跑步者运送信件。

Often these runners were Indians who knew the forest trails and could run for miles and miles without stopping. 通常这些跑步者是印第安人，他们知晓森林小道。可以不停歇跑数英里。

The Indian trails were the first paths of the white men, too, 印第安人所走的路也为白人开拓了道路，

and the heavy boots of the settlers slowly deepened the paths that the soft moccasins of the red men had made. 殖民者沉重的靴子加深了印第安人平底鞋所踩过的道路。

The colonists had no horses at first, but as soon as they got them, the couriers went on horseback wherever they could. 起先殖民者没有马匹，但一旦有了马匹，邮递员就骑马去任何地方。

Sometimes the snow was too deep for any horse, and then the courier had to wear snowshoes, 有时大雪太厚马匹无法前行，邮递员不得不穿上雪鞋，

as he sometimes does today in the far North. 就像如今的邮递员在最北端所穿的鞋。

We are told that one courier on snowshoes took nine days to go forty miles through snowdrifts from six to fourteen feet deep. 据说一名邮递员穿雪鞋用了九天穿过了40英里，雪堆厚度从6英尺到14英尺。

The colonists asked the King of England to help them start a regular mail service, 殖民者要求英格兰国王帮助他们开设常规邮件配送服务，

but the king was too far away to care. So they slowly began to help themselves. 但国王身在很远的地方，无暇顾及，但他们慢慢自己操作，

Massachusetts, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and some of the other colonies 马塞诸塞州，弗吉尼亚州，宾夕法尼亚州等其他殖民地，

gave to certain men the right to carry letters and to be paid for it. 给予一定邮递员邮递信件的权利，并可以为此获利。

These men were supposed to keep the mail carefully locked, to make regular trips between certain places, 邮递员应该将信件安全锁好，从而实现特定地点的常规邮递，

to be courteous³ at all times, and to help travelers in any way that they could. 要时时刻刻保持热情，尽可能地帮助旅行者。

Sometimes they took travelers with them, and we know of at least one woman, 有时他们会带着旅行者，至少有一名女性我们很熟知，

Madame Knight⁴, who made a journey riding on horseback behind the postman 奈特女士，她在邮递员后面骑马旅行，

as he made his way through the forests and forded deep rivers. 邮递员会穿过森林，渡过深深的河流。

 

1 colonists   

n.殖民地开拓者，移民，殖民地居民( colonist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Colonists from Europe populated many parts of the Americas. 欧洲的殖民者移居到了美洲的许多地方。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Some of the early colonists were cruel to the native population. 有些早期移居殖民地的人对当地居民很残忍。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

3 courteous   

adj.彬彬有礼的，客气的

参考例句：

• Although she often disagreed with me,she was always courteous.尽管她常常和我意见不一，但她总是很谦恭有礼。
• He was a kind and courteous man.他为人友善，而且彬彬有礼。

4 knight   

n.骑士，武士；爵士

参考例句：

• He was made an honourary knight.他被授予荣誉爵士称号。
• A knight rode on his richly caparisoned steed.一个骑士骑在装饰华丽的马上。