在线英语听力室

THE MAKING OF A NATION 100 - Abraham Lincoln, Part 5

时间:2006-03-13 16:00:00

搜索关注在线英语听力室公众号:tingroom,领取免费英语资料大礼包。

(单词翻译)

THE MAKING OF A NATION #100 - Abraham Lincoln, Part 5
By Frank Beardsley

Broadcast: Thursday, February 03, 2005

(MUSIC)

VOICE 1:

THE MAKING OF A NATION -- a program in Special English.

(MUSIC)

The storm of battle spread across the United States in the summer of eighteen-sixty-one. For several months, small fights had flashed like lightning around the edge of this great storm.

Soldiers fought pro-southern rioters in the streets of Baltimore and Saint1 Louis. A Confederate supporter shot and killed a famous young officer from the north. Untrained soldiers of both sides fought in the mountains of western Virginia.

So far, the fighting had not claimed many lives. But very soon, the storm would break in all its fury2.

VOICE TWO:

The old general who commanded the Union forces, Winfield Scott, did not want to rush his men into battle.

Scott believed it would be a long war. He planned to spend the first year of it getting ready to fight. He had an army of thousands of men, and it would get much larger in coming months. But this army was not trained. His soldiers were civilians3 who knew nothing about fighting a war. General Scott needed time to make soldiers of these men.

He also needed time to organize a supply system to get to his forces the guns, bullets, food, and clothing they would need. Without supplies, his army could not fight very long.

VOICE ONE:

There were many in the north, however, who thought Scott was too careful. It was true, they said, that Union forces were untrained. But so were those of the south. And the Confederacy's supply problems were even greater than those of the Union. The south had much less industry and fewer railroads. It could not produce as much military equipment, and it could not transport supplies as easily as the north could.

In the early months of the war, Jefferson Davis, the Confederate President, did not even have guns enough for the men in his army.

Those who demanded immediate5 action expected a short war. They said Scott should take the army and March to Richmond. They were sure that if Union forces seized the Confederate capital, the southern rebellion6 would end.

Northern newspapers took up the cry, "On to Richmond!" Political leaders began pressing for a quick northern victory. Public pressure forced the army to act.

VOICE TWO:

For more than a month, General Irvin NcDowell had been building a Union army in northern Virginia, just across the Potomac River from Washington. He had more than thirty-thousand men at bases in Arlington and Alexandria. Late in June, McSowell received orders: "March against the Confederate Army of General Pierre Beauregard. "

 
General Pierre Beauregard
Beauregard had twenty-thousand soldiers at Manassas Junction7, a railroad village in Virginia less than fifty kilometers from Washington. McDowell planned to move on Manassas Junction July ninth, but was delayed for more than a week.

He planned the attack carefully. McDowell was worried that another large Confederate force west of Manassas Junction might join Beauregard's army.

This force, led by General Joe Johnston, was in the Shenandoah Valley near Harpers Ferry, Virginia. Across from Harpers Ferry, in Maryland, was a Union army almost twice the size of Johnston's. It was ordered to put pressure on Johnston's force to prevent it from helping8 Beauregard.

VOICE ONE:

General Beauregard received early warning from Confederate spies that McDowell would attack. Much of his information came from a woman, Misses Rose O'Neal Greenhow. Misses Greenhow, a widow, was an important woman in Washington. She knew almost all the top government officials. And she had friends in almost every department of the government.

The beautiful Misses Greenhow also had some very special friends. One was Senator9 Henry Wilson of Massachusetts. He was chairman of the Senate Committee on Military Affairs. Another special friend was Thomas Jordan, a Confederate colonel10 in Beauregard's army.

VOICE TWO:

Jordan asked Misses Greenhow, soon after the war started, to be a spy for the south. She agreed and sent much valuable information about Union military plans.

Early in July, she sent word to Beauregard that he would be attacked soon. She also sent a map used by the Senate Military Affairs Committee showing how the Union army would reach Manassas Junction.

Then, on the morning of July sixteenth, Misses Greenhow wrote a nine-word message. She gave it to a man to carry to Beauregard. The Confederate General received it that evening. It said: "Order given for McDowell to march upon Manassas tonight."

VOICE ONE

Beauregard sent a telegram to Richmond. He told the Confederate government that McDowell was on the way. He asked that Johnston's ten thousand-man force in the Shenandoah Valley join him for battle. He was told to expect Johnston's help.

But Johnston's army was threatened by a large Union force that entered Virginia from Maryland. Led by General Robert Patterson, the Union troops moved toward the smaller Confederate force. They were not really interested in fighting Johnston. But they did want to prevent him from reaching Beauregard.

Johnston knew he could not defeat Patterson. So he decided11 to trick him.

While most of his army withdrew and prepared to join Beauregard, Johnston sent a small force to attack Patterson's army. Patterson believed Johnston was attacking with all his troops. He stopped moving forward and prepared to defend against what seemed to be a strong Confederate attack.

By the time the trick was discovered, Johnston and most of his troops were at Manassas.

VOICE TWO

General McDowell's huge Union army left Arlington on the afternoon of July sixteenth. It was a hot day, and the road was dusty. The march was not well organized, and the men traveled slowly. They stopped at every stream to drink and wash the dust from their faces. Some of the soldiers left the road to pick fruits and berries from bushes along the way.

To some of those who watched this army pass, the lines of soldiers in bright clothes looked like a long circus parade.

Most of these men had not been soldiers long. Their bodies were soft, and they tired quickly. It took them four days to travel the forty-five kilometers to Centreville, the final town before Bull4 Run. The battle would start the next morning -- Sunday, July twenty-first.

VOICE ONE

The road from Washington was crowded early Sunday morning with horses and wagons12 bringing people to watch the great battle.

Hundreds of men and women watched the fight from a hill near Centreville. Below them was Bull Run. But the battleground was covered so thickly with trees that the crowds saw little of the fighting. They could, however, see the smoke of battle. And they could hear the sounds of shots and exploding shells.

From time to time, Union officers would ride up the hill to report what a great victory their troops were winning.

VOICE TWO

In the first few hours of the battle, Union forces were winning. McDowell had moved most of his men to the left side of Beauregard's army. They attacked with artillery13 and pushed the Confederate forces back. It seemed that the Confederate defense14 would break. Some of the southern soldiers began to run. But others stood and fought.

One Confederate officer, trying to prevent his troops from moving back, pointed15 to a group led by General T. J. Jackson of Virginia. "Look!" He shouted. "There is Jackson...standing17 like a stone wall! Fight like the Virginians!"

The Confederate troops refused to break.

The fighting was fierce. The air was full of flying bullets. A newsman wrote that the whole valley was boiling with dust and smoke. A Confederate soldier told his friend, "Them Yankees are just marching up and being shot to hell."

Neither side would give up. Then, a large group of Johnston's troops arrived by train and joined in the fight. Suddenly, Union soldiers stopped fighting and began pulling back. General McDowell and his officers tried to stop the retreat, but failed. Their men wanted no more fighting.

VOICE ONE:

The fleeing Union soldiers threw down their guns and equipment, thinking only of escape. Many did not stop until they reached Washington.

It was a bitter defeat. But it made the north recognize the need for a real army -- one trained and equipped for war. President Abraham Lincoln gave the job of building such an army to General George McClellan.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

You have been listening to the Special English program, THE MAKING OF A NATION. Your narrators were Jack16 Weitzel and Frank Oliver. Our program was written by Frank Beardsley. THE MAKING OF A NATION can be heard Thursdays.


分享到:


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 saint yYcxf     
n.圣徒;基督教徒;vt.成为圣徒,把...视为圣徒
参考例句:
  • He was made a saint.他被封为圣人。
  • The saint had a lowly heart.圣人有谦诚之心。
2 fury sf5z6     
n.狂怒,激烈,狂怒的人,(希神)复仇女神
参考例句:
  • She felt a wave of wild fury overcame her.她顿时觉得怒不可遏。
  • He flew into fury when I said I couldn't help him.当我说不能帮助他时,他立刻暴跳如雷。
3 civilians 2a8bdc87d05da507ff4534c9c974b785     
平民,百姓( civilian的名词复数 ); 老百姓
参考例句:
  • the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
  • At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后,至少有300名平民下落不明。
4 bull jshzd     
n.公牛,买进证券投机图利者,看涨的人
参考例句:
  • It's only a hair off a bull's back to them.这对他们来说,不过九牛一毛。
  • Many dogs closed around the bull.很多狗渐渐地把那只牛围了起来。
5 immediate aapxh     
adj.立即的;直接的,最接近的;紧靠的
参考例句:
  • His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
  • We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。
6 rebellion stVyI     
n.造反,叛乱,反抗
参考例句:
  • The next year they rose up in rebellion.第二年他们就揭竿起义了。
  • The new government quickly suppressed the rebellion.新政府迅速把叛乱镇压下去。
7 junction N34xH     
n.连接,接合;交叉点,接合处,枢纽站
参考例句:
  • There's a bridge at the junction of the two rivers.两河的汇合处有座桥。
  • You must give way when you come to this junction.你到了这个路口必须让路。
8 helping 2rGzDc     
n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的,辅助的
参考例句:
  • The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
  • By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。
9 senator UzJwm     
n.参议员,评议员
参考例句:
  • The senator urged against the adoption of the measure.那参议员极力反对采取这项措施。
  • The senator's speech hit at government spending.参议员的讲话批评了政府的开支。
10 colonel iWUyO     
n.(英国陆军、美国陆空军及海军陆战队)上校
参考例句:
  • It's a pity we didn't mend our fences with the colonel.可惜我们还没有和上校先生调整好关系。
  • An army major ranks between a captain and a colonel.陆军少校的军阶在上尉与中校之间。
11 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
参考例句:
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
12 wagons ff97c19d76ea81bb4f2a97f2ff0025e7     
n.四轮的运货马车( wagon的名词复数 );铁路货车;小手推车
参考例句:
  • The wagons were hauled by horses. 那些货车是马拉的。
  • They drew their wagons into a laager and set up camp. 他们把马车围成一圈扎起营地。
13 artillery 5vmzA     
n.(军)火炮,大炮;炮兵(部队)
参考例句:
  • This is a heavy artillery piece.这是一门重炮。
  • The artillery has more firepower than the infantry.炮兵火力比步兵大。
14 defense AxbxB     
n.防御,保卫;[pl.]防务工事;辩护,答辩
参考例句:
  • The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
  • The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。
15 pointed Il8zB4     
adj.尖的,直截了当的
参考例句:
  • He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
  • She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。
16 jack 53Hxp     
n.插座,千斤顶,男人;v.抬起,提醒,扛举;n.(Jake)杰克
参考例句:
  • I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
  • He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。
17 standing 2hCzgo     
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
参考例句:
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

本文本内容来源于互联网抓取和网友提交,仅供参考,部分栏目没有内容,如果您有更合适的内容,欢迎 点击提交 分享给大家。