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CHAPTER2
In 1913, robert suffered a severe illness in the spring, and for a few months his life was despaired of, but he quickly recovered. soon after his recovery, his father took him on a fishing trip to spirit lake. the old darky of slavery days went along, and while he was putting worms on robert's hook, told the story about this lake and why it was named "spirit lake". the old darky said that the spirit of a beautiful lady walked on the waters of the lake at night and that was why they called it spirit lake.
1913年春，罗伯特害了场大病，几个月以来生活在绝望中，但他恢复得很快，在他痊愈后不久，他父亲带他到幽灵湖去钓鱼。奴役时期留下来的老黑人也跟着他们，一边给钩上饵，老黑人一边给罗伯特讲“幽灵湖”名字由来的故事。他说夜晚会有一个美丽姑娘的灵魂在水中漫步，这也是为什么大家管它叫幽灵湖的原因。
long, long years ago, the daughter of a wealthy planter fell in love with a poor but honest boy and after many years of courtship, in which they spent many moonlight nights rowing on the beautiful lake, the  came when they felt that they could no longer be separated. the young man pleaded with her father to consent to their marriage, but he stubbornly refused and threatened to kill the young man if he ever called at his home again. they then planned to elope one night, and as her sweetheart was placing a ladder ubder the window and helping her to get down, her father shot her lover and killed him. when she found that he was dead, she ran to the lake and drowned herself.they they searched for days for body and one moonlight night they saw her walking on the water. they rowed out on the lake and found her body floating on the water. he said that the fish would always bite better at full moon, but the darkies were afraid to fish there because the spirit of this beautiful young lady walked on the water.
很久以前，一个富有的农场主女儿爱上了一个穷但却正直的年轻人，经过几年来的热恋，和不知多少个月夜美丽湖面的荡漾，他们终于到了谁也离不开谁的地步。年轻人向她的父亲求婚，但遭到拒绝，并被威胁说如果再看到他来他家来就杀了他。他们准备在一个夜晚私奔，当她的心上人把梯子放在窗户下帮助她下来时，她父亲一枪干掉了她的爱人。当她发现他死了，便投河自尽。人们花了几天时间来找她的尸体，一个月夜人们看到她漫步于水中。于是划船过去，发现她的尸体浮于水面。老黑人说满月时鱼好钓，但他不敢那样做，因为会看到年轻的女子走过湖面。
Bobbie came home very much interested and excited and told his mother all about the fish they caught at spirit lake and about the story old moses told him about the spirit walking on the water. he told his mother that the sunday school taecher had read in the bible where christ walked on the water, and he wanted her to explain how this could happen. she told him that all of those things happened in the days of miracles which had passed and no longer happened in these days. bobbie had a great desire to walk or ride upon the water, and was enthusiastic about bicycles. he told his mother that he intended to build a bicycle some day that he could ride on the water.
博比( 罗伯特的昵称）回家后仍就对故事感到意犹未尽，他告诉他妈妈他们在幽灵湖钓鱼的全部经过，还说了老摩西给他说的幽灵在水面上行走的故事。他告诉他妈妈主日学校的教师读过圣经上基督也可以在水面上走，他要她解释这是怎么发生的。她告诉他主显圣的日子发生于奇迹的年代，是一去不复返的年代，现在再也不会有这种事了。听到这话，博比便有一个愿望，希望能够骑行于水面，这就像他热衷于自行车一样。他告诉他妈妈他志于造辆车，总有一天，他能在水面骑着它。
In 1914, when war broke out, capt gordon, who had once served in the spanish-american war, became very much interesed in the conflict and followed it very closely, reading the papers daily and talking about it. Robert soon began to take great interest in the war and asked his father and mother many questions about the foreign countries which were involved in the great struggle. he would sit for hours, listening to his mother read the bible, from the book of revelation, the prophecies of the great war, where it says that nation shall rise  nation.
1914年，战争爆发，曾在美西战争中服过役的戈登上尉变得非常关心战况，每天都会读报上最新的消息并谈论它们。因此罗伯特也开始对战况感兴趣，经常问父母有哪些国家正被卷入争端中。他会坐在屋子里听妈妈讲圣经启示录，正如预言所述的世界大战，国必功国。
robert's mother told him of his grandfather who distinguished himself in the civil war, and the great hardship her mother had to go thru during the war days;how her great-grandfather fought in the war of 1812.she talked of his grandfather, colonel robert gordon, for whom he was named, and how he became famous during the civil war, and how later robert's own father went with colonel roosevelt and became a captain in the spanish-american war in 1898. robert's oldest brother, herbert, was born in 1894, and his second brother, ralph, was born in 1898 after his father went to the war. his mother spent many anxious months and worried with the children while capt.gordon was away at war. she prayed that war would be ended for all .
罗伯特的妈妈告诉他，他爷爷曾在内战中扬名，而他的外婆则在艰辛中熬过战争岁月；而他那伟大的曾外祖父参加过美对英的1812年战争。她谈到他爷爷，罗伯特 戈登上校，也就是他的命名者，说他怎样在内战中发迹，也说到罗伯特的父亲如何跟随罗斯福上校上前线，成了1898年美西战争的上尉。罗伯特的大哥赫伯特生于1894年，二哥拉尔夫生于1898年他父亲上前线之后。在戈登上尉奔赴前线的这段日子里他妈妈为孩子们担忧寝食难安。她祈祷战争永远结束。
She said, "Bobbie, you come from a generation of fighters on both sides, but I hope that you will be a minister and preach war. While the tragic death of your Brother Herbert in San Francisco was a shock that I have never fully recovered from, yet I had rather know that he went that way than to have him go to war and lose his life. I remember well the many sleepless nights that I have passed thru while your father was away at war and how happy I was when he returned. I prayed to God then that war might be ended and that none of my sons would ever have to go to war."
她说：“博比，你出生在一个军人世家里，但我希望你能成为一个牧师，倡导反战。我还没有从你哥哥在旧金山地震的惨死中恢复过来，然而我宁愿他这样丧生也不愿他去前线送死。我仍然清楚得记得你爸爸上前线时我度过的不知多少个不眠之夜以及你爸爸回来时我的那份高兴。当时我向神祈祷，战争结束，我的儿子不再参与战争。
"Mother," said Bobbie, "when I get to be a man, I will be a preacher and tell the people to be peaceful and stop fighting, but why doesn't God stop the war?"
“妈妈”博比说，“当我长大成人，我要做一名牧师，劝人和善，阻止争端，但为什么神不阻止战争？”
" my son, war is the work of the devil, not of god, and the bible tells us that the old dragon has to be loosed for a little season, but in the book of revelation, we read that satan is bound for thousand years. I hope I live to see that day and I feel I sure you will. a few nights before you were born I had a very strange dream. I thought I saw San Francisco and Los Angeles destroyed in two days by some war machine, and that one of my sons came near losing his life there，but was saved and afterwards he saved his country and made peace with the world. I suppose I dreamed about san francisco because herbert lost his life there but ,somehow, I feel that it was more than a dream, and that you are born to be a peacemaker."
“我的儿子，战争是魔鬼在做功，不是神，圣经早告诉我们撒旦那条老龙已逍遥了好一段日子了。然而在启示录中我们却读到撒旦是要被绑千年的，我希望我能看到那天的到来，我觉的你可以看到。在你出生以前的几个夜晚，我做了个非常奇怪的梦。我们梦见旧金山与洛杉矶在两日内被一些武器摧毁。而我的一个儿子在那附近丧了命。但在那之后他复活并救了他的祖国，给世界带来和平。我猜我会梦见旧金山是因为赫伯特死在那里，但不知道怎样地，我觉得这是一个不寻常的梦，没准你生来就是一个和平使者。”
Bobbie was greatly impressed with his mother's dream and her hopes and ambitions for him, but his brother would quarrel and try to fight with him. Bobbie would tell him that dad wanted him to be peaceful and that his mother wanted him to be a peacemaker and that he would not fight. his brother called him "cottonhead" becaues his hair was so white, and accused him of being a white-livered coward, but Bobbie was patient and not lose his temper. his mother would commend him for this and tell him that the bible said to control your temper and let your angry passionsrise.
他妈**梦与对他的期望与抱负给博比留下了很深的印象，但他的哥哥总是与他争吵并挑衅他。博比告诫他说父亲要他安宁，母亲要他和善，所以他不会去打斗。他哥哥便称他为棉花头，因为他的头发是那么白，而这一称呼实际上是说他是一个苍白憔悴的胆小鬼。然而博比对此依旧表示忍受与克制。他妈妈称赞博比这一行为，并告诉他，圣经上说控制住你的脾气，便能使你得救。
About this time some of the prejudice which little Robert had inherited from his grandfather and from his father, began to show forth. unfavorable conditions thruout the country and the low price of cotton left Capt. Gordon practically penniless, causing him and all of his child to labor hard in order to support themselves. he tried to force young Robert to work in the fields help cultivate the cotton, but he stubbornly rebelled. he would play around the house ，use his father's tools and talk about the great inventions that he was going to make. his mother was always in sympathy with robert and tried to encourage him, but she could never get him to take an interest in working on a farm. he talked of being a preacher, talked of great inventions and discoveries, but would not work at hard labor.
这段日子里，从小罗伯特的祖父与父亲哪儿继承过来的成见，在他身上初露端倪。由于国际形式恶化，棉花价格一路走低，戈登上尉几近破产。为了维持生计，他与他的孩子不得不更为卖力的劳作。他试着强迫小罗伯特来地里帮忙耕种棉花，但他顽固得拒绝了。他在屋子里玩耍，用他父亲的工具并谈论他要做的伟大的发明。他妈妈很赞同他并试着鼓励他，但她也从不使他对在地里干活感性趣。他谈论要当一个牧师，谈论他的伟大的发明发现，就是不去干粗活。
In 1917,when the United States entered the World War,young Robert was eleven years old.He had great ambitions to join the Army and go to the war.His older brother Ralph joined the Army.Young Robert
said that if he could not go and fight for his country he would stay at home and work on a patent which
would help them to win the war.He did not  " /> or get along with his older brother and was glad when he had gone away to war.His parents were still in poor circumstances but they could not induce young Robert to do any work on the farm.He continued to tinker around and work with his father’s tools,trying to make a bicycle which he could ride upon the water in the lake nearby.He tried various kinds of lumber to build wheels for the bicycle but none of them worked success-fully.Finally his mother suggested that he use thin cedar boards because cedar was durable in the water, was light and would float easily.He finally succeeded in building the wheels out of cedar and after heating pine rosin hot and pouring it into the cracks,he was able to ride successfully across the lake,but in a short time the wheels sprung a leak and the bicycle sunk with him in the lake,but he swam out and brought the bicycle with him.
1917年，当美国卷入世界大战时，小罗伯特11岁。他对去参军打仗抱有奢望。他的哥哥拉尔夫已经参军。小罗伯特说如果他不能为国征战，他就呆在家里做些能帮他们打赢的东西。由于与他的哥哥不和，他哥哥上前线倒使他有几分高兴。他的父母仍旧处于贫困，但他们还是不能劝导小罗伯特到地里干任何事。他继续用他父亲的工具修修补补，打算造辆可以在附近湖面上骑行的车子。他试着用各种杂物做车轮，但无一成功的。最后，他母亲建议他用雪松薄板，因为雪松耐用，轻盈，易浮起。他最后成功地用雪松造出轮子，用烤热的松香封住缝隙，他一度成功地骑过湖面，但车轮瞬间的爆裂使他连人带车一起沉入湖底。最后他不得不带着车子一起游上岸来。
Bobbie was not the kind to be discouraged by obstacles and later his ingenuity overcame the difficulties.After trying to put inner tubes from bicycle tires on the inside of the wheels of his water bicycle and failing again,he finally got some inner tubes from an automobile and placed them inside his wooden wheels and pumped them up.When they were filled with air,they pushed against the wooden sides of the wheel,buoying up the wheel,and he was then able to ride his bicycle around over the lake without any trouble.
博比没有因困阻而气馁，不久之后他就克服了困难。在用自行车的内胎来当他的车子的内胎的试验失败后，他终于找到了一些汽车内胎，安装到木轮上，给它们充气。当它们充满了气后，紧贴着木轮的边上，使车轮可以浮在水面上。所以他终于可以在湖面上自由自在的骑行了。
His mother was very proud of him and said“Bobbie, one day your dream of becoming a great inventor will he realized.You have not been wasting your time tinkering around with your father’s tools trying to make things.”His brother,Ralph,continued to call him“Fool Bobbie”and“Mother’s dream”;said he would never amount to anything because he wouldn’t work on the farm like the rest of them.Bobbie always found a willing listener in his mother.She helped him with his studies in school and encouraged him in every way and showed that she believed in him and had faith that one day he would be a great man.This encouraged him to do greater things.
他妈妈无不为他感到骄傲，对他说道：“博比，总有一天你会实现当一个伟大发明家的梦想。你用你父亲的工具所做的尝试不是在浪费时间。”他哥哥，拉尔夫，继续称他为“傻瓜博比”和“妈**美梦”，说他终究一事无成，因为他不像其他人那样老老实实在地里干活。博比的妈妈是他最好的听众。她在学业上帮助他，用各种方法鼓励他，证明她相信他会成为一名伟人的信念。这鼓舞着他去做伟大的事业。
The success with the water bicycle had kindled his ambition and created a desire to complete other inventions that he had in mind. He told his mother of a dream he had of a white-winged bird that flew across the ocean thru the air; that he was riding the bird and that he received a great triumph and reception when he visited the foreign countries, and how his own people received him in great glory when he returned. His father called these stories “pipe dreams,” but his mother took great interest in them and always encouraged him. Robert talked very little to his father or brother but always went to his mother and talked over things and confided in her. She encouraged him because she felt that he was an answer to her prayer,after her eldest son had died, -- that God might give her another son who would live and that she might have her desires and hopes realized which were lost thru the death of her eldest son.
水上自行车的成功激起了他的雄心，使他设立一个完成他想法中其他发明的愿望。他告诉他妈妈他的愿景就是打造一架能上天越洋的白鸟。当他骑着这鸟访问外国时，受到的接见是热烈的，而凯旋而归时则是巨大的荣耀。他爸爸称此想法为“白日梦”，而他妈妈则对此保持极大的兴趣，并总是鼓励他。罗伯特对于父亲与哥哥很少讲话，而对妈妈则无话不谈，能对她吐露心声。她鼓励他，因为她觉得他是她祈祷的答案。自从她的长子死后，——上帝给她带来的这个孩子就好像要实现她寄予长子的梦想与愿望一样。
[ 本帖最后由 logoslogos 于 2009-6-19 11:42 编辑 ] |
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发表于 2009-6-19 11:41:12
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