VOA慢速英语2014 南方将领罗伯特·爱德华·李在阿波马托克斯投降

 

Southern General Robert E. Lee Surrenders at Appomattox 南方将领罗伯特·爱德华·李在阿波马托克斯投降

From VOA Learning English, this is The Making of a Nation. I’m Kelly Jean Kelly.

And I’m Christopher Cruise¹.

The end of the American Civil War came in April 1865. Union General Ulysses Grant had pushed Confederate General Robert E. Lee and his army away from the Confederate capital at Richmond, Virginia.

Lee’s army fled westward² across Virginia. The tired, hungry soldiers tried to turn south, to reach safety in the Carolinas and prepare to fight again. But always, the Union army blocked the way.

Finally Lee’s army found it could flee no farther. A Union force at Appomattox Station blocked any further movement west. Lee tried to break through the Union soldiers that surrounded his army. But he failed.

Lee sent General Grant a letter and asked to discuss the terms of surrender. On Sunday, August 9, the two men met at a home in the village of Appomattox Court House.

Lee rose as Grant walked into the house. Grant did not look like a great military leader, the chief of all Union armies. He was dressed simply. His clothes were the same as those worn by the lowest soldiers in his army. His boots and pants were covered with mud. His blue coat was dirty and wrinkled³. But on its shoulders were the three gold stars of the Union's highest general.

Lee was dressed in his finest clothing. He wore a beautiful gray coat with a red sash tied around it. At his side, he carried an ivory⁴ and silver sword.

The two generals greeted each other and shook hands. Grant reminded Lee that they had met before, when they were both serving in the Mexican War. 

The men exchanged light talk for several minutes. Finally, Lee raised the real reason for the meeting. He asked Grant to write the terms of surrender.

Grant sat at a nearby table. He wrote the agreement in the form of a letter. It said the Confederate army would give its weapons and public property to the Union army.

Grant did not ask for Lee’s sword, or for any of the Confederate soldiers’ private property. And, he said all the Southern soldiers would be permitted to return home in peace.

When he finished writing, Grant asked if Lee wished to propose any changes. Lee said many soldiers in his army owned their horses. He asked Grant if his men could keep them.

Grant said he understood many of the Confederate soldiers were farmers who needed the animals for planting. He agreed to tell his officers to let the Confederates take their horses and mules⁵ home.

In addition, Grant told the Union supply officer to feed the Confederate army. He ordered food for 25,000 men.

The terms of the surrender were generous. President Abraham Lincoln had discussed them earlier with General Grant. Lincoln said he wanted the Confederates to return to their homes safely and easily.

But the meeting between the two generals was filled with emotion. Witnesses to the event wrote that Lee’s face showed pain and sorrow. As he left the house, he did not seem to see the Union officers who stood as a sign of their respect.

Grant lifted his hat in a final salute⁶ to Lee. Lee did the same. Then he got on his horse and rode slowly back to his army to tell them the news.  

On the other side of the lines, Union soldiers began to celebrate. Artillerymen fired their guns to cheer the victory over Lee’s army.

Grant heard the artillery⁷ booming⁸ and sent orders that it should stop. The rebels are our countrymen again, he said. We can best show our joy by refusing to celebrate their defeat.

Words in This Story

sash – n. long piece of cloth

reminded – v. made someone think about something; cause someone to remember

mules – n. animals whose parents are a horse and a donkey

sorrow – n. a feeling of sadness or grief⁹ caused especially by the loss of something

booming – n. deep and loud sound

1 cruise   

v.巡航，航游，缓慢巡行；n.海上航游

参考例句：

• They went on a cruise to Tenerife.他们乘船去特纳利夫岛。
• She wants to cruise the canals of France in a barge.她想乘驳船游览法国的运河。

2 westward   

n.西方，西部；adj.西方的，向西的；adv.向西

参考例句：

• We live on the westward slope of the hill.我们住在这座山的西山坡。
• Explore westward or wherever.向西或到什么别的地方去勘探。

3 wrinkled   

adj.有皱纹的v.使起皱纹( wrinkle的过去式和过去分词 )；（尤指皮肤）起皱纹

参考例句：

• She smoothed down a wrinkled tablecloth. 她把起皱的桌布熨平了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A wrinkled purse,a wrinkled face. 手中无钱，愁容满面。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 ivory   

n.象牙，乳白色；adj.象牙制的，乳白色的

参考例句：

• My grandmother has some jewelry made of ivory.我祖母有一些象牙首饰。
• It is carved from ivory.它是用象牙雕成的。

5 mules   

骡( mule的名词复数 )； 拖鞋； 顽固的人； 越境运毒者

参考例句：

• The cart was pulled by two mules. 两匹骡子拉这辆大车。
• She wore tight trousers and high-heeled mules. 她穿紧身裤和拖鞋式高跟鞋。

6 salute   

vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮

参考例句：

• Merchant ships salute each other by dipping the flag.商船互相点旗致敬。
• The Japanese women salute the people with formal bows in welcome.这些日本妇女以正式的鞠躬向人们施礼以示欢迎。

7 artillery   

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。

8 booming   

adj.急速发展的v.激增( boom的现在分词 )；猛涨；发出隆隆声；以低沉有力的声音说话

参考例句：

• The opera singer has a deep, booming, masculine voice. 这位歌剧演唱家有一副深沉而又浑厚有力的嗓音。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• He is booming as a teacher. 作为一位教师，他日趋成功。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 grief   

n.悲伤，悲痛，悲伤的事，悲痛的缘由

参考例句：

• Don't allow yourself to sink into grief,it can do no good.不要使自己陷入悲哀之中，这样一点好处也没有。
• After her mother died,she abandoned herself to grief.母亲死后，她沉浸于悲痛之中。