美国学生历史 第33期:驱除法国人(5)

 　　101. Capture of Quebec, 1759. 101．攻陷魁北克（1759年）

　　Of all the younger generals James Wolfe was foremost. 在所有青年将领中，詹姆斯o沃尔夫是最年轻的，

　　To him was given the task of capturing Quebec. 他的任务是夺取魁北克。

　　Seated on a high bluff¹, Quebec could not be captured from the river. 不可能沿河而上夺取魁北克， 它坐落在高高断崖之上，

　　The only way to approach it was to gain the Plains of Abraham in its rear and besiege² it on the land side. 唯一的进路是夺得它背后的亚伯拉罕平原，从陆地上包围他。

　　Again and again Wolfe sent his men to storm the bluffs³ below the town. 沃尔夫一次次派兵猛攻魁北克下面的断崖，

　　Every time they failed. 一次次以失败告终。

　　Wolfe felt that he must give up the task, when he was told that a path led from the river to the top of the bluff above the town. 当知道有一条从大河通往魁北克上面崖顶的路时，沃尔夫觉得必须放弃进攻，

　　Putting his men into boats, they gained the path in the darkness of night. 他让士兵们在夜幕的掩护下沿河而上，

　　There was a guard at the top of the bluff, but the officer in command was a coward and ran away. 崖顶有一个哨兵， 但是负责指挥的军官是一个懦夫，他落荒而逃。

　　In the morning the British army was drawn⁴ up on the Plains of Abraham. 早晨， 不列颠军队在亚伯拉罕平原受阻，

　　The French now attacked the British, and a fierce battle took place. 法军马上开始攻击不列颠人 ，一场残酷的战斗拉开大幕。

　　The result was doubtful when Wolfe led a charge at the head of the Louisburg Grenadiers. 在沃尔夫冲在路易斯保精锐部队前面发起冲锋时，战争胜负难料。

　　He was killed, but the French were beaten. 沃尔夫阵亡，但是法国人战败，

　　Five days later Quebec surrendered. 五天后魁北克投降，

　　Montreal was captured in 1760, and in 1763 the war came to an end. 1760年蒙特利尔失陷，1763年战争结束。

　　102. Peace of Paris, 1763. 102．《巴黎和约》（1763年）

　　By this great treaty, or set of treaties, the French withdrew from the continent of North America. 根据这个伟大的条约，或者说根据这一条约，法国人从北美洲到西班牙之间的大陆撤出，

　　To Spain, who had lost Florida, the French gave the island of New Orleans and all of Louisiana west of the Mississippi. 西班牙已经失去佛罗里达， 法国将新奥尔良岛和密西西比河以西所有属于路易斯安那的土 地交给西班牙。

　　To Great Britain the French gave up all the rest of their American possessions except two small islands in the Gulf⁵ of St. Lawrence. 除了圣劳伦斯湾中的两个小岛， 法国人将他们在美洲的所有殖民地割让给大不列颠。

　　Spain, on her part, gave up Florida to the British. 西班牙则放弃佛罗里达，将它交给不列颠。

　　There were now practically only two powers in America,-the British in the eastern part of the continent, and the Spaniards west of the Mississippi. 现在， 实际上美洲只有两股力量-- 东部的英国人和密西西比河西部的西班牙人。

　　The Spaniards also owned the island of New Orleans and controlled both sides of the river for more than a hundred miles from its mouth. 西班牙人还拥有新奥尔良的岛屿， 并控制着从密西西比河入海口以上一百多里沿河两岸，

　　But the treaty gave the British the free navigation of the Mississippi throughout its length. 但是， 这个条约给英国人以自由航行于整个密西西比河的权力。

1 bluff   

v.虚张声势，用假象骗人；n.虚张声势，欺骗

参考例句：

• His threats are merely bluff.他的威胁仅仅是虚张声势。
• John is a deep card.No one can bluff him easily.约翰是个机灵鬼。谁也不容易欺骗他。

2 besiege   

vt.包围，围攻，拥在...周围

参考例句：

• The Afghan air force was using helicopters to supply the besieged town.阿富汗空军正用直升机向被围城镇提供补给。
• She was besieged by the press and the public.她被媒体和公众纠缠不休。

3 bluffs   

恐吓( bluff的名词复数 )； 悬崖； 峭壁

参考例句：

• Two steep limestone bluffs rise up each side of the narrow inlet. 两座陡峭的石灰石断崖耸立在狭窄的入口两侧。
• He bluffs his way in, pretending initially to be a dishwasher and then later a chef. 他虚张声势的方式，假装最初是一个洗碗机，然后厨师。

4 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

5 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。