Still another famous Englishman of Elizabeth's time was Walter Ralegh. 在伊丽莎白时代还有一位著名的英国人，他的名字叫沃特·罗利，

　　He never saw the coasts of the United States, but his name is rightly connected with our history, 此人从未见过美国的海岸，但是，他的名字与我们的历史紧密相连，

　　because he tried again and again to found colonies on our shores. 因为他多次尝试在我们的海岸上创建殖民地。

　　In 1584 he sent Amadas and Barlowe to explore the Atlantic seashore of North America. 1584年，沃特·罗利派阿曼德斯和巴罗到北美的大西洋海岸探险，

　　Their reports were so favorable that he sent a strong colony to settle on Roanoke Island in Virginia, as he named that region. 两人的报告让他非常高兴，他将一支庞大的侨民队伍安置到弗吉尼亚的罗阿诺克岛，同时，他给这个地区命名。

　　But the settlers soon became unhappy because they found no gold. 但是，侨民们很快就失望了，因为他们没有找到黄金，

　　Then, too, their food began to fail, and Drake, happening along, took them back to England. 并且他们也很快吃光了食物，德雷克将他们带回了英格兰。

　　24. The "Lost Colony", 1587. 24．“失却的殖民地”（1857年）

　　Ralegh made still one more attempt to found a colony in Virginia. But the fate of this colony was most dreadful. 罗利还做了一次在弗吉尼亚创建殖民地的尝试，但这个殖民地的命运是最糟糕的。

　　For the settlers entirely disappeared,—men, women, and children. 因为安置下的人全都消失了，包括男人、女人和孩子。

　　Among the lost was little Virginia Dare, the first English child born in America. 在失踪的人当中有年幼的弗吉尼亚·戴艾，他是在美洲出生的第一个英国孩子，

　　No one really knows what became of these people. 没有人真正知道这些人的下落，

　　But the Indians told the later settlers of Jamestown that they had been killed by the savages. 但是，印第安人后来向在詹姆斯敦的殖民者说，这些人是被野蛮人杀死的。

　　25. Destruction of the Spanish Armada, 1588. 25．西班牙无敌舰队的覆灭（1588年）

　　This activity of the English in America was very distressing to the King of Spain. 英国人在美洲的活动令西班牙国王十分恼火，

　　For he claimed all America for himself and did not wish Englishmen to go thither. 因为他宣称整个美洲都是自己的，不想让英国人染指美洲。

　　He determined to conquer England and thus put an end to these English voyages. 西班牙国王决定征服英国以此终结英国的航海活动，

　　But Hawkins, Drake, Ralegh, and the men behind the English guns were too strong even for the Invincible Armada. 但是，霍金斯、德雷克、罗利和那些持枪的英国人十分顽强，就连不可战胜的无敌舰队也感到棘手。

　　Spain's sea-power never recovered from this terrible blow. 经过这次可怕的打击西班牙无敌舰队不复存在，

　　Englishmen could now found colonies with slight fear of the Spaniards. 英国人可以无视西班牙人而创建殖民地。

　　When the Spanish king learned of the settlement of Jamestown, he ordered an expedition to go from St. Augustine to destroy the English colony. 知道詹姆斯敦聚居地的情况后，西班牙国王从圣奥古斯丁派出一支远征军去摧毁英国的殖民地，

　　But the Spaniards never got farther than the mouth of the James River. 但是，西班牙人从此再也没有走到比詹姆斯河口更远的地方，

　　For when they reached that point, they thought they saw the masts and spars of an English ship. 因为，到达詹姆斯河口时他们看到的是英国船只的桅杆，

　　They at once turned about and sailed back to Florida as fast as they could go. 他们迅速调转方向以最快速度逃回佛罗里达。