ROBERT E. LEE: FROM MANLINESS TO MANHOOD
罗伯特. E . 李:从男孩到男人
Edith A. Heal
作者:伊迪丝A. 希尔
When Robert E. Lee had grown to manhood, he once wrote to his son that “duty” was the finest word in our language. Perhaps as you read this story, you will be able to tell whether, as a boy, he was faithful in doing the things that were his to do.
当罗伯特. E . 李长大成人后,他曾给儿子写信说,“责任”是我们语言中最美好的词。也许当你读这个故事的时候,你就会知道,作为一个男孩,他在做他应该做的事情时是否忠诚。
Robert E. Lee was born into an old Virginia family. The gentlemen of Virginia were proud of their homes, their horses, and their beautiful estates. They built their houses sturdily, so that many years later their sons and grandsons could still live in them.
罗伯特. E . 李出生于弗吉尼亚的一个古老的家庭。弗吉尼亚的绅士们为家、马和美丽的庄园而自豪。他们把房子盖得很结实,这样许多年后他们的儿子和孙子仍然可以住在里面。
It was in one of these famous old Virginia mansions that Robert E. Lee was born on January 19, 1807. Stratford House, the home of the Lees, stood high on a wooded hill overlooking the Potomac River in the county of Westmoreland. It was a grand old house. There were long halls with fine wainscoting and moldings brought over from England, beautifully furnished rooms, and broad stairways. Portraits of gallant soldiers recalled days that were gone, and it must have been easy for young Robert to imagine the time when gentlemen in white wigs and velvet breeches walked through the wide hallways. Wherever the boy looked, he was sure to see pictures and records of the deeds of the famous Lee family. He could not forget that he was one of a long line of brave Americans.
罗伯特. E . 李于1807年1月19日出生在维吉尼亚州一座著名的老宅第里。斯特拉福庄园坐落在威斯特摩兰郡一座树木繁茂的山上,俯瞰着波托马克河。那是一座宏伟的老房子。有长长的厅堂,墙上挂着漂亮的壁板和从英国带来的装饰材料,房间布置得很漂亮,还有宽阔的楼梯。英勇士兵的画像使人回想起逝去的岁月,年轻的罗伯特一定很容易就能想象出戴着白色假发、穿着天鹅绒马裤的绅士们走过宽阔走廊的情景。无论男孩往哪里看,他一定能看到著名的李氏家族的照片和记录。他不能忘记他是很多勇敢的美国人中的一员。