一位偉大總統(tǒng)之死（節(jié)選） 中英互譯

AbrahamLincoln

wasbornintheStateofKentuckyin1809.HewonanelectedseatontheIllinoisstatelegislaturein1834attheearlyageoftwenty-five.亞伯拉罕·林肯1809年誕生于肯塔基州。1834年他只有25歲時(shí)就在伊利諾伊州的議會(huì)選舉中獲勝。HejoinedtheRepublicanPartyin1856,afterhavingservedfortwoyearsasaRepresentativeinCongress.In1860hewaselectedsixteenthPresidentoftheUnitedStates.他任國(guó)會(huì)的眾議員兩年后，于1856年加入共和黨。1860年，他當(dāng)選為美國(guó)第16任總統(tǒng)。Lincolnwasre-electedPresidentin1864,butdidnotservethefullsecondterm,ashewasassassinatedin1865.1864年林肯連任總統(tǒng)，但第二任任期未滿(mǎn)，即于1865年遇刺身亡。OneeveningPresidentLincolnandasmallparty

ofhisfriendswenttothetheatre.Whenthepresident’spartyenteredthetheatre,andwasmakingitswaybehindtheseatsofthedresscircle,theorchestraplayed“HailtotheChief.”Thepeople,risingintheirseatsandwavinghatsandhankerchiefs,cheeredandcheered.Andtheactorsonthestagestoodsilent.Thepartypassedthroughthenarrowentranceintothebox,bowedand

smiledtothecrowdbelow.MrLincolnsatinalargearmchairattheleft,MrsLincolnnexttohim,MissHarrisnext,andtotheveryright,alittlebehindMissHarris,MajorRathbone;andthentheplaybegan.一天晚上，林肯總統(tǒng)和他的幾個(gè)朋友去劇場(chǎng)看戲。總統(tǒng)一行步入劇場(chǎng)，經(jīng)過(guò)二層樓座座位后面時(shí)，樂(lè)隊(duì)演奏《向領(lǐng)袖歡呼》的樂(lè)曲。觀眾都站了起來(lái)?yè)]動(dòng)帽子和手帕，不停地歡呼。演員們肅靜地站在舞臺(tái)上?？偨y(tǒng)一行通過(guò)狹窄的入口走進(jìn)包廂，朝下面的人群鞠躬，微笑致意。林肯坐在左邊一個(gè)大安樂(lè)椅上，他旁邊坐著林肯夫人和海莉斯小姐。最后邊靠海莉斯小姐稍后些的是拉思伯恩少校。坐定后，表演開(kāi)始。Thepartyintheboxwasverypleased,itseemed,especiallythePresi-dent,wholaughedatthejokesandtalkedhappilybetweentheacts.Hemovedfromhisseatonlyonce,risingthentoputonhisovercoat,forthetheatrewascold.Theotherpeopletherewerealsoquitehappy,thoughafewkeptaneyeontheboxentrance,stillexpectingGeneralGrant.Thefewwhoseeyeswereontheboxnoticed,inthemiddleofthethirdact,thatamanwaspassingbehindtheseatsofthedresscircleandapproachingtheentrancetothebox.Thosewhodidnotknowhimnoticedthathewasquitehandsome,thoughverypale;thatwasall.Theydidnotlookagain.ItwasnotGeneralGrant.包廂里的人似乎都很高興，特別是總統(tǒng)。他在看到有趣的地方就笑起來(lái)，并在幕間談笑風(fēng)生。總統(tǒng)只有一次離開(kāi)過(guò)座位。那是因?yàn)閯?chǎng)里冷，他站起來(lái)穿上大衣。劇場(chǎng)里其他的人也很高興，只是有幾個(gè)人注視著包廂的入口，盼著格蘭特將軍的到來(lái)。當(dāng)戲演到第三幕中間的時(shí)候，那幾個(gè)盯著包廂的人看到一個(gè)男人從二層樓座后面穿過(guò),走向包廂的入口。那些不認(rèn)識(shí)他的人注意到他長(zhǎng)得很英俊，但臉色蒼白，僅此而已。他們沒(méi)有再注意看。反正那個(gè)人不是格蘭特將軍。No－onequestionedhismovements.Hewasapersoninthetheatrewithfreeentrancetoeverycorner.Hehadbeenthereduringtheday;hehadpassedoutandinonceortwiceduringtheevening.沒(méi)有人查問(wèn)這個(gè)人的行動(dòng)。他是劇院里的人，哪里都可以去。那天，他白天就去過(guò)劇院，傍晚曾出入劇院一兩次。Themanseemedtoknowhiswayabout

andhesoonslippedsilentlyoutofsightthroughthedoorleadingintothepassagebehindthePresident’sbox.Heclosedthedoorbehindhim,waitedforamoment,thendidacuriousthingfora

visitortoatheatreparty.Hepickedupapieceofwoodwhichheseemedtoknowwasthere.Heslippedoneendintoaholeinthewallclosetothedoor.Thepieceofwoodwentacrossthedoor,making

aroughbutstrongbar.Turningtothedoorwhichledfromthepassagetotheboxes,hemayhavelookedthroughasmallholewhichhadbeenmadethere.Ifhedid,hesawaquietpartywatchingtheplay,thePresidentjustthensmilingatsomethingfunny.這個(gè)人看來(lái)熟門(mén)熟路，很快就悄悄地溜進(jìn)通往總統(tǒng)包廂后面通道的門(mén)里不見(jiàn)了。他關(guān)上身后邊的門(mén)，稍等了一會(huì)兒，然后干了一件作為一個(gè)和友人一起到劇院觀劇的人來(lái)說(shuō)是十分離奇的事。他撿起一根好像他事先就知道在那里的木棍，把木棍的一端插進(jìn)門(mén)旁的一個(gè)墻洞里，木棍橫在門(mén)前，成為一根粗糙但結(jié)實(shí)的門(mén)閂。然后他轉(zhuǎn)向包廂的門(mén)。他可能從門(mén)上原有的一個(gè)小孔往包廂里看了一下。如果他看了的話，他就會(huì)看見(jiàn)那里邊的人都在靜靜地看戲,總統(tǒng)看到有趣的地方正在微笑。Openingthedoorsoquietlythatno-oneheardhim,themanenteredthebox.Thenifanyeyeinthetheatrehadlooked,ifoneheadintheboxhadbeenturned,itwouldhavebeenseenthatthemanheldaguninhisrighthand,andthatheraiseditandaimeditsteadilyattheheadofthesmilingPresident.他輕輕地打開(kāi)了門(mén)，輕得沒(méi)有人聽(tīng)到他的動(dòng)靜。他走進(jìn)包廂。如果那時(shí)劇場(chǎng)里有人朝那里看,如果包廂里有人回一下頭,就會(huì)看見(jiàn)這個(gè)人手里拿著一支槍,并看見(jiàn)他舉起槍來(lái)，不偏不倚地瞄準(zhǔn)了正在微笑的總統(tǒng)的頭部。Noeyesawhim,butasecondlatereveryearheardagunshot.Manypeopleinthetheatrethoughtitapartoftheplay.Thosewhoknewtheplay,“OurAmericanCousin”,lookedaroundinsurprisetoseewherethesoundcamefrom.Onlythreepeopleinthewholetheatreknewjustwhereitwas—threeofthefourintheboxknewitwastherebytheirside.Thefourthsawnothing,heardnothing,thoughtnothing.Hisheadhadfallenquietlyonhisbreast,hisar