一位伟大总统之死（节选） 中英互译

AbrahamLincoln

wasbornintheStateofKentuckyin1809.HewonanelectedseatontheIllinoisstatelegislaturein1834attheearlyageoftwenty-five.亚伯拉罕·林肯1809年诞生于肯塔基州。1834年他只有25岁时就在伊利诺伊州的议会选举中获胜。HejoinedtheRepublicanPartyin1856,afterhavingservedfortwoyearsasaRepresentativeinCongress.In1860hewaselectedsixteenthPresidentoftheUnitedStates.他任国会的众议员两年后，于1856年加入共和党。1860年，他当选为美国第16任总统。Lincolnwasre-electedPresidentin1864,butdidnotservethefullsecondterm,ashewasassassinatedin1865.1864年林肯连任总统，但第二任任期未满，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，林肯总统和他的几个朋友去剧场看戏。总统一行步入剧场，经过二层楼座座位后面时，乐队演奏《向领袖欢呼》的乐曲。观众都站了起来挥动帽子和手帕，不停地欢呼。演员们肃静地站在舞台上。总统一行通过狭窄的入口走进包厢，朝下面的人群鞠躬，微笑致意。林肯坐在左边一个大安乐椅上，他旁边坐着林肯夫人和海莉斯小姐。最后边靠海莉斯小姐稍后些的是拉思伯恩少校。坐定后，表演开始。Thepartyintheboxwasverypleased,itseemed,especiallythePresi-dent,wholaughedatthejokesandtalkedhappilybetweentheacts.Hemovedfromhisseatonlyonce,risingthentoputonhisovercoat,forthetheatrewascold.Theotherpeopletherewerealsoquitehappy,thoughafewkeptaneyeontheboxentrance,stillexpectingGeneralGrant.Thefewwhoseeyeswereontheboxnoticed,inthemiddleofthethirdact,thatamanwaspassingbehindtheseatsofthedresscircleandapproachingtheentrancetothebox.Thosewhodidnotknowhimnoticedthathewasquitehandsome,thoughverypale;thatwasall.Theydidnotlookagain.ItwasnotGeneralGrant.包厢里的人似乎都很高兴，特别是总统。他在看到有趣的地方就笑起来，并在幕间谈笑风生。总统只有一次离开过座位。那是因为剧场里冷，他站起来穿上大衣。剧场里其他的人也很高兴，只是有几个人注视着包厢的入口，盼着格兰特将军的到来。当戏演到第三幕中间的时候，那几个盯着包厢的人看到一个男人从二层楼座后面穿过,走向包厢的入口。那些不认识他的人注意到他长得很英俊，但脸色苍白，仅此而已。他们没有再注意看。反正那个人不是格兰特将军。No－onequestionedhismovements.Hewasapersoninthetheatrewithfreeentrancetoeverycorner.Hehadbeenthereduringtheday;hehadpassedoutandinonceortwiceduringtheevening.没有人查问这个人的行动。他是剧院里的人，哪里都可以去。那天，他白天就去过剧院，傍晚曾出入剧院一两次。Themanseemedtoknowhiswayabout

andhesoonslippedsilentlyoutofsightthroughthedoorleadingintothepassagebehindthePresident’sbox.Heclosedthedoorbehindhim,waitedforamoment,thendidacuriousthingfora

visitortoatheatreparty.Hepickedupapieceofwoodwhichheseemedtoknowwasthere.Heslippedoneendintoaholeinthewallclosetothedoor.Thepieceofwoodwentacrossthedoor,making

aroughbutstrongbar.Turningtothedoorwhichledfromthepassagetotheboxes,hemayhavelookedthroughasmallholewhichhadbeenmadethere.Ifhedid,hesawaquietpartywatchingtheplay,thePresidentjustthensmilingatsomethingfunny.这个人看来熟门熟路，很快就悄悄地溜进通往总统包厢后面通道的门里不见了。他关上身后边的门，稍等了一会儿，然后干了一件作为一个和友人一起到剧院观剧的人来说是十分离奇的事。他捡起一根好像他事先就知道在那里的木棍，把木棍的一端插进门旁的一个墙洞里，木棍横在门前，成为一根粗糙但结实的门闩。然后他转向包厢的门。他可能从门上原有的一个小孔往包厢里看了一下。如果他看了的话，他就会看见那里边的人都在静静地看戏,总统看到有趣的地方正在微笑。Openingthedoorsoquietlythatno-oneheardhim,themanenteredthebox.Thenifanyeyeinthetheatrehadlooked,ifoneheadintheboxhadbeenturned,itwouldhavebeenseenthatthemanheldaguninhisrighthand,andthatheraiseditandaimeditsteadilyattheheadofthesmilingPresident.他轻轻地打开了门，轻得没有人听到他的动静。他走进包厢。如果那时剧场里有人朝那里看,如果包厢里有人回一下头,就会看见这个人手里拿着一支枪,并看见他举起枪来，不偏不倚地瞄准了正在微笑的总统的头部。Noeyesawhim,butasecondlatereveryearheardagunshot.Manypeopleinthetheatrethoughtitapartoftheplay.Thosewhoknewtheplay,“OurAmericanCousin”,lookedaroundinsurprisetoseewherethesoundcamefrom.Onlythreepeopleinthewholetheatreknewjustwhereitwas—threeofthefourintheboxknewitwastherebytheirside.Thefourthsawnothing,heardnothing,thoughtnothing.Hisheadhadfallenquietlyonhisbreast,hisar