英语短文名人故事 政界精英 第5期:亚伯拉罕·林肯

 　　Abraham Lincoln 亚伯拉罕·林肯

　　Lincoln's face is familiar to people all around the world, at least his face when he was wearing a beard.  全世界的人们都熟悉林肯的脸，至少熟悉他留着大胡子的脸。

　　But he didn't wear a beard until later in his life.  但是他的胡子是在他后来的日子里才留起来的。

　　When he started out as a judge and then a lawyer, he had two nicknames. 当他开始当法官和后来当律师的时候，他有两个绰号。

　　The first was Honest Abe.  第一个是诚实正直的亚伯。

　　And there are many stories of his honesty both as a child and as he went on throughout all of  his life.  有许多关于林肯小时候和他以后一生中的诚实的故事。

　　His second nickname was Homely¹ Abe.  他的第二个绰号是其貌不扬的亚伯。

　　He was not good looking.  他长得不好看。

　　Then something happened in 1860.  然而在1860年发生了一件事。

　　That year Abe Lincoln was the Republican Party nominee², the man the recently formed Republican Party chose a sits candidate  for President of the United States. 那一年亚伯·林肯成了共和党的被提名者，即新近成立的共和党选出作为美国总统的候选人。

　　Just a few weeks before the presidential election,Lincoln received a short letter. It was from a girl who lived in New York State. 总统选举前的几个星期，林肯收到一封短信、信来自纽约州的一个小姑娘。

　　Her name was Grace Bedell. Grace wrote to Lincoln about his homely face, but in a polite way. 她叫格雷丝·伯戴尔。她写信给林肯是关于他那其貌不扬的脸，但信写得很有礼貌。

　　"I am a little girl only 11 years old, but I want you should be the President of the United States very much so I hope you won't think me very bold to write such a great man as you are." “我是一个11岁的小姑娘，但我非常想让您成为美国总统，所以我希望您不要认为我给您这样一个伟大的人写信太卤莽了。”

　　And then Grace went on. 然后格雷丝接着写道:

　　"I have got four brothers and part of them will vote for you anyway, and if you will let your whiskers grow, I will try to get the rest of them to vote for you.  “我有四个哥哥，无论如何有几个要投您的票，而且如果您让您的胡子长起来的话，我就设法让另外几个也投您的票。

　　You would look a great deal better for your face is so thin.  您会好看得多，因为您太瘦了。

　　All the ladies like whiskers and they would tease their husbands to vote for you, and then you would be President” 所有的夫人都喜欢胡子，而且她们会缠着她们的丈夫投您的票，这样您就能当上总统了”

　　Lincoln took Grace Bedell's advice, and over the next two weeks he did not shave.  林肯果然听从了格雷丝·伯戴尔的话，在随后两个星期里他没有刮胡子。

　　By election day on November 6th of 1860, he already had enough whiskers to make a short beard.  到1860年11月6日的选举日，他的胡子已经长得可以成为短的络腮胡子。

　　And he did get elected. Maybe his new beard had something to do with that.  而且他确实被选上了。或许这与他新留的胡子有关。

　　And he did wear the beard for the rest of his life.    在以后的岁月里他一直都留着络腮胡子。

1 homely   

adj.家常的，简朴的；不漂亮的

参考例句：

• We had a homely meal of bread and cheese.我们吃了一顿面包加乳酪的家常便餐。
• Come and have a homely meal with us,will you?来和我们一起吃顿家常便饭，好吗？

2 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。