4 Chapter 3 A Young Soldier

Chapter 3 A Young Soldier It was the early 1750s. For some time, France and England had been fighting over land in the Ohio River Valley. The problem was simple: Both countries wanted to control it.

那是18世纪50年代初。 一段时间以来，法国和英国一直在争夺俄亥俄河谷的土地。 问题很简单:两个国家都想控制它。

The French built many forts in the area. They wanted to keep British colonists hemmed in on the east coast. George Washington was sent to deliver a warning to the French: Abandon the forts at once. The French ignored the message. Still, the trip was an important one for George. Along with a small band of men, he traveled through a thousand miles of wilderness. He crossed two ranges of mountains. He got thrown off a crude raft into an icy river. The water was so cold, his clothes froze solid. Yet he made it home safely and was promoted for his bravery. He wrote a journal about his travels that appeared in newspapers. The Journal of Major George Washington made him famous.

法国人在这一地区建造了许多堡垒。 他们想把英国殖民者困在东海岸。 乔治·华盛顿奉命向法国人发出警告:立即放弃堡垒。 法国人没有理会这个消息。 不过，这次旅行对乔治来说还是很重要的。 他和一小群人一起穿越了一千英里的荒野。 他翻越了两座山脉。 他从一条简陋的木筏上被扔进了结冰的河里。 水太冷了，他的衣服都冻僵了。 然而，他安全回到了家，并因他的勇敢而被提升。 他写了一篇游记，刊登在报纸上。 《乔治·华盛顿少校日记》使他出名。

A few months later, he was sent back to the Ohio River Valley. This time there were more than a hundred and fifty men with him. They were to build a fort. The British and French were not openly at war. But when Washington's men came upon French soldiers, a shot rang out. Which side began the attack? To this day, no one is sure who started it. But while Washington lost none of his men, ten French soldiers ended up dead. Among them was their leader. That was all it took to spark a real war between the French and British. Soon eight hundred French soldiers along with four hundred Indians attacked Washington's much smaller army. A hundred of his men died. What choice did he have except to surrender? He and his men were not taken prisoner. Instead, they had to abandon their fort and return home. For George, the defeat was a big blow. All his life, he was concerned about his image. He wanted to appear brave, honorable. To surrender was

几个月后，他被送回俄亥俄河谷。 这次跟随他的有一百五十多人。 他们要建一座堡垒。 英国和法国并没有公开交战。 但是，当华盛顿的人遇到法国士兵时，一声枪响。 是哪一方开始进攻的? 直到今天，没有人确定是谁开始的。 但是，虽然华盛顿没有损失一个人，但最终有10名法国士兵阵亡。 他们的领袖也在其中。 这就引发了一场真正的英法战争。 很快，800名法国士兵和400名印第安人袭击了华盛顿的小军队。 他的手下死了一百人。 除了投降，他还有什么选择? 他和他的手下没有被俘。 相反，他们不得不放弃堡垒，返回家园。 对乔治来说，这次失败是一个沉重的打击。 他一生都在关心自己的形象。 他想表现得勇敢、可敬。 投降是

embarrassing. Yet once again he was praised for his leadership. His career as a soldier was taking off. Next he became the aide of the British general in charge of chasing out the French from the Ohio Valley. Up to now, Washington had led American soldiers. Now he was to serve alongside the tough, fearsome "redcoats." (This was the nickname for soldiers in the British army because of the bright red coats they wore.) The general assembled a mighty force of two thousand men to attack one of the largest French forts.

尴尬。然而，他又一次因其领导能力而受到赞扬。 他当兵的事业正在起飞。 接下来，他成为负责将法国人赶出俄亥俄河谷的英国将军的助手。 到目前为止，华盛顿一直领导着美国士兵。 现在他要和那些顽强、可怕的“英国士兵”并肩作战了。 (这是对英国军队士兵的昵称，因为他们穿着鲜红色的外套。)这位将军集结了一支2000人的强大军队，攻击法国最大的堡垒之一。

In Europe, enemy armies met face-to-face, in open fields. Line after line of troops would march straight toward one another, firing cannons and muskets.

在欧洲，敌军在开阔的田野里面对面。 一列又一列的军队互相射击，用大炮和火枪射击。

Washington warned the British general that fighting was done differently in America. The enemy would come at the redcoats from all sides. The French and Indians would attack from the woods. They would stay hidden behind trees and rocks.

华盛顿警告这位英国将军，美国的战斗方式与美国不同。 敌人将从四面八方袭击英军。 法国人和印第安人会从树林里进攻。 他们会躲在树和石头后面。