The basic cause of the Americans’ struggle for independence against the mother country, England, was too much interference and intolerance from London and very little understanding of American problems and pride. Most galling to the Americans was the assumption by the English Government and the King that they had a right to tax their subjects overseas without their consent and without giving them anything in return. 3

　　The British were divided. It was a war inspiring no patriotism.

　　As for the troops which the Government sent to fight the rebels, they were unenthusiastic and incompetent, especially their leaders.

　　The Americans had no army. In fact, it is quite possible that but for the extraordinary faith and leadership of George Washington, the revolution might have come to nothing. 4 He built an army that remained loyal to him until the end, despite terrible hardships. He was a true frontiersman. He had seen lands that he knew would make an independent America a mighty nation. He was given valuable support by the two great patriots — Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin. 5 It was Franklin who helped persuade the French to come into the war against the British.

　　In 1781 a British army commanded by an exceptionally incompetent general, Lord Cornwallis, surrendered to the Americans at Yorktown6 , Virginia , and the war was over. Not long afterward, the 13 colonies became States and joined together in a Union.

　　The effect of the American Revolution was far-reaching. The Declaration of Independence drawn up by Thomas Jefferson is one of the most important documents ever published, and it dropped like a bombshell on the western world. Here are the two sentences which shook the ruling classes of Europe.“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. ”7 The second sen048 tence was even more disturbing to them:“That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. ”

　　閱讀自測

　　Ⅰ. Chan ge the following verbs in parentheses into the irnoun forms:

　　1. Their ________( assume ) that their project under way was something entirely new proved to be untrue .

　　2. He showed strong ________( lead) during his first term in office.

　　3. The whole book is produced and edited in the ________( pursue) of excellence .

　　4. If your neighbors are too noisy then you have cause for ________( complain ) .

　　Ⅱ. Are these sta tements True or False according to the article ?

　　1. The 4 th of July is a day for rejoicing because Christopher Columbus discovered the New World on this day.

　　2. In the British Parliament, there has achieved a consensus on fighting against the American colony.

　　3. The United States is originally composed of thirteen colonies.

　　4. It was Jefferson who persuaded the French to stand with themselves to fight against the British together.

　　參考答案

　　Ⅰ. 1. assumption 2 . leadership 3 . pursuit 4 . complaint Ⅱ. 1. F 2. F 3 . T 4 . F

　　參考譯文

　　7 月4 日———歡慶的一天

　　7 月4 日是美國最重要的節日, 因為它紀念了1776 年美國人宣告獨立的那個非常重要 的日子。就在那天, 大陸會議在費城發表《獨立宣言》, 那天晚上該城還舉行了各種歡慶活 動, 不久這些活動很快就遍及全國。從那以后, 7 月4 日在美國的日歷上就被標為獨立日。 在獨立日那天, 美國各地會有形式多樣的游行和慶祝活動。

　　美國人反對母國英國、爭取獨立的根本原因是倫敦方面干涉太多, 過于固執, 而且很少 理解美國人的種種問題和自尊心。最使美國人惱火的是英國政府和國王傲慢地認為他們 有權不經他們海外臣民的同意征收稅款, 卻不給予任何回報。

　　英國人對這場戰爭意見分歧。這場戰爭并沒有激起愛國熱情。

　　至于英國政府派去與反叛者作戰的部隊, 他們并不熱心, 也無力作戰, 他們的頭目更是 如此。

　　美國人沒有自己的軍隊。事實上, 要是沒有喬治· 華盛頓異常的忠誠和非凡的領導, 049 這 場革命本來是很可能會一事無成的。盡管條件十分艱苦, 他仍然創建了一支始終忠于他 的軍隊。他是個名副其實的邊疆開拓者。他已經看出他所熟悉的那些土地將會使獨立的 美國成為一個強大的國家。他還得到了兩位杰出的愛國志士托馬斯· 杰斐遜和本杰明· 富蘭克林的寶貴支持。正是富蘭克林說服了法國人同英國人交戰。

　　1781 年, 異常無能的康沃利斯勛爵指揮下的英國軍隊在弗吉尼亞的約克敦向美 國人投降了, 于是戰爭宣告結束。之后不久, 13 個殖民地變成了13 個州, 共同組成一個 聯邦。

　　美國獨立戰爭的影響是深遠的。由托馬斯· 杰斐遜起草的《獨立宣言》是有史以來發 表過的最重要的文獻之一, 它像一顆炸彈一樣扔向西方世界。下面兩句話震撼了歐洲統治 階級———“ 我們認為這些真理不言自明: 所有人都是生來平等的, 他們都有上帝賦予的某些 不可剝奪的權利, 其中包括生存權、自由權和追求幸福的權利。”第二句話甚至更使他們感 到不安,“ 為了保護這些權利, 人們便設立政府, 政府的正當權力來自被統治者的同意。”