2006年VOA标准英语-Revolutionary War Flags for Sale at Sothebys

By Kane Farabaugh
New York City
16 June 2006
 
watch Flag Auction¹ report

 

Original flag  
  

For more than 225 years, a series of four flags hung on the walls of a family home in southern England.  As they passed through generations, so did the story of what the flags were, whom they belonged to, and how they came to hang on the walls.  But, as VOA's Kane Farabaugh reports, the descendants of one of Britain's most celebrated² and feared military officers are returning the oldest known examples of the Stars and Stripes back to the land they were taken from more than two centuries ago.

---------------------------------------------

 
Captain Christopher Tarleton Fagan
  

Flag Day this year was a bittersweet occasion for Captain Christopher Tarleton Fagan. "My wife was wondering if it might not be a good idea that I come, but I said, 'No, come on, we've got to see it through.'"

What he's seeing through is the sale of his family's historic heirlooms at Sotheby's auction house --- a set of four American Revolutionary War battle flags that has been in the family for more than 225 years.

Captain Fagan recalls, "Right from the day that I was born I would have seen them, and obviously we often talked about them, and we talked about the fact that one of the flags had stripes on them and another had stars and that they represented the 13 colonies before those two stars and stripes were amalgamated³ to make America's national flag."

Captain Fagan is a descendant of Banastre Tarleton, the British officer who captured the flags around the year 1780 in New York and South Carolina.

Only through his decision to sell the flags did he come to learn their true significance. 

They are the only Revolutionary War flags that exist, and two of the flags are the earliest known examples of the Stars and Stripes. 

Another flag carries a bloodstain, most likely from the American standard bearer who died trying to keep the colors at the Battle of Waxhaws in South Carolina in 1780.

Fagan says he has one regret. "One of the regrets is I didn't know as much as I know now while we had them… because I would have loved them even more."

Banastre Tarleton was here at Sotheby's for the auction… both spiritually and physically⁴.  Captain Fagan proudly displayed a set of cufflinks he wore for the occasion, which contains a piece of Tarleton's hair.

In the end, the four flags sold for more than $17 million, more money than the United States government paid to fight the war in which they were captured.

"I personally rather hope that they will go to private hands, and that those private hands will love them and respect them as much as we have, and that they will allow them then to be seen in museum so they can be exhibited and so that they can see them."

The flags went to an anonymous⁵ bidder⁶.  At the close of the auction Captain Fagan didn't know if he would have the chance to meet the flags' new owner.  He was also coming to grips with the fact that he would soon say goodbye to four pieces of cloth and silk that had become such large pieces of his family history.

Fagan remains⁷ hopeful. "I am afraid to say that it might be today… so I shall say goodbye to them and tell them I hope to see them again."

1 auction   

n.拍卖；拍卖会；vt.拍卖

参考例句：

• They've put the contents of their house up for auction.他们把房子里的东西全都拿去拍卖了。
• They bought a new minibus with the proceeds from the auction.他们用拍卖得来的钱买了一辆新面包车。

2 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

3 amalgamated   

v.（使）（金属）汞齐化( amalgamate的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）合并；联合；结合

参考例句：

• The company has now amalgamated with another local firm. 这家公司现在已与当地一家公司合并了。
• Those two organizations have been amalgamated into single one. 那两个组织已合并为一个组织。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

5 anonymous   

adj.无名的；匿名的；无特色的

参考例句：

• Sending anonymous letters is a cowardly act.寄匿名信是懦夫的行为。
• The author wishes to remain anonymous.作者希望姓名不公开。

6 bidder   

n.(拍卖时的)出价人，报价人，投标人

参考例句：

• TV franchises will be auctioned to the highest bidder.电视特许经营权将拍卖给出价最高的投标人。
• The bidder withdrew his bid after submission of his bid.投标者在投标之后撤销了投标书。

7 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。