美国学生历史 第47期:从邦克山到特伦顿(4)

 　　143.Trenton, December 26, 1776. 143．特伦顿（1776年12月26日）

　　Washington did not give up. On Christmas night, 1776, he crossed the Delaware with a division of his army. 华盛顿没有放弃，1776年圣诞节之夜他带着一个分队穿过特拉华。

　　A violent snowstorm was raging, the river was full of ice. 罕见的暴风雪在施虐，河上结满了冰，

　　But Washington was there in person, and the soldiers crossed. 但华盛顿身体力行，带领士兵们渡河；

　　Then the storm changed to sleet¹ and rain. But on the soldiers marched. 然而暴风雪又变成了雨加雪，士兵们继续挺进。

　　When the Hessian garrison² at Trenton looked about them next morning they saw that Washington and Greene held the roads leading inland from the town. 当特伦顿的海塞守备军第二天早晨举目四望时，他们看到华盛顿和格林挡住了从特伦顿通往岛上的路，

　　Stark³ and a few soldiers-among them James Monroe-held the bridge leading over the Assanpink to the next British post. 斯塔克和部分士兵（其中包括詹姆斯·门罗）占据从阿三平克通往下一个英军据点的桥，

　　A few horsemen escaped before Stark could prevent them. But all the foot soldiers were killed or captured. 只有少数人骑马冲破斯塔克的阻拦，但所有的步兵都被杀死或俘虏。

　　A few days later nearly one thousand prisoners marched through Philadelphia. 几天后，有近千个囚犯穿过费城。

　　They were Germans, who had been sold by their rulers to Britain's king to fight his battles. 这些人是德国人，他们的统治者将他们卖给英国国王，为他打仗，

　　They were called Hessians by the Americans because most of them came from the little German state of Hesse Cassel. 美洲人把他们叫做海塞人，因为他们多数来自德国的海塞·卡塞尔州。

　　144. Princeton, January, 1777. 144. 普林斯顿（1777年1月）

　　Trenton saved the Revolution by giving the Americans renewed courage. 特伦顿之战让美国人恢复了勇气，这场战斗拯救了革命。

　　General Howe sent Lord Cornwallis with a strong force to destroy the Americans. 豪威将军派罗德·康沃利斯带着一支劲旅去摧毁美洲人，

　　Washington with the main part of his army was now encamped on the southern side of the Assanpink. Cornwallis was on the other bank at Trenton. 此时的华盛顿带着他的主力在阿三平克南部地区扎营，而康沃利斯在特伦顿的对岸。

　　Leaving a few men to keep up the campfires, and to throw up a slight fort by the bridge over the stream, Washington led his army away by night toward Princeton. 华盛顿只留下少数士兵打理营地的篝火，他们要在横跨小溪的桥附近尽快构筑一个堡垒，其余的人在华盛顿的带领下趁着夜色向普林斯顿进发。

　　There he found several regiments⁴ hastening to Cornwallis. 华盛顿发现有几个团的敌军匆匆赶来增援康沃利斯，

　　He drove them away and led his army to the highlands of New Jersey⁵ where he would be free from attack. 他击溃了他们，并带领军队占领新泽西的高地，在这些高地上他可免于遭到攻击。

　　The British abandoned nearly all their posts in New Jersey and retired⁶ to New York. 英国人几乎放弃了他们在新泽西的所有据点，他们退到纽约。

1 sleet   

n.雨雪；v.下雨雪，下冰雹

参考例句：

• There was a great deal of sleet last night.昨夜雨夹雪下得真大。
• When winter comes,we get sleet and frost.冬天来到时我们这儿会有雨夹雪和霜冻。

2 garrison   

n.卫戍部队；驻地，卫戍区；vt.派(兵)驻防

参考例句：

• The troops came to the relief of the besieged garrison.军队来援救被围的守备军。
• The German was moving to stiffen up the garrison in Sicily.德军正在加强西西里守军之力量。

3 stark   

adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地

参考例句：

• The young man is faced with a stark choice.这位年轻人面临严峻的抉择。
• He gave a stark denial to the rumor.他对谣言加以完全的否认。

4 regiments   

（军队的）团( regiment的名词复数 )； 大量的人或物

参考例句：

• The three regiments are all under the command of you. 这三个团全归你节制。
• The town was garrisoned with two regiments. 该镇有两团士兵驻守。

5 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

6 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。