9 Chapter 8 Victory

Chapter 8 Victory The Continental Army was in a shambles in the spring of 1781, yet only seven months later, the war ended. One battle changed everything.

大陆军在1781年春天陷入一片混乱，然而仅仅七个月后，战争就结束了。 一场战役改变了一切。

For a long time Washington had dreamed of retaking New York City, which had been captured by the British. Washington wanted a "big win" badly. But wisely, he now focused on victory in the South, in Virginia. The British commanding general—Lord Charles Cornwallis—had just moved his entire army to Yorktown, Virginia. It was on a peninsula, which meant his army was surrounded on three sides by water. As American ships headed into the area, a fleet of French ships joined them. Then Washington sent two thousand troops to join forces with French soldiers at the tip of the peninsula. All told, Washington had the strength of twenty-one thousand men; Cornwallis had only about seven thousand. Cornwallis's army was not only outnumbered, it was hemmed in on all sides. The British were trapped! The battle began. And on October 17, on the eighth day of bombardment, General Cornwallis

长期以来，华盛顿一直梦想着夺回被英国占领的纽约市。 华盛顿非常想要一场“大胜”。 但明智的是，他现在集中精力在南方的维吉尼亚取得胜利。 英军的总指挥查尔斯·康沃利斯勋爵刚刚把他的全部军队调到了弗吉尼亚州的约克镇。 它位于一个半岛上，这意味着他的军队三面被水包围。 当美国船只驶入该地区时，一支法国舰队加入了他们。 然后，华盛顿派出2000名士兵在半岛的一端与法国士兵会合。 华盛顿总共有21000人的兵力;康沃利斯只有大约7000人。 康沃利斯的军队不仅寡不敌众，而且四面受敌。 英国人被困住了!战斗开始了。 10月17日，在轰炸的第八天，康沃利斯将军

surrendered. Two days later, George Washington sat on his favorite horse, Nelson, watching the defeated British soldiers march out of Yorktown.

投降了。两天后，乔治·华盛顿骑着他最喜欢的马纳尔逊，看着战败的英国士兵走出约克镇。

He did not realize right then that this victory spelled the end of the war. But it had. The Americans had won independence! It took two years before a treaty between Britain and the United States was signed in Paris, France.

他当时没有意识到这次胜利意味着战争的结束。 但它确实做到了。美国人赢得了独立!两年后，英美两国在法国巴黎签署了一项条约。

As soon as word of the treaty came, Washington said farewell to his army. First he said good-bye to the ordinary soldiers. He called them a "patriotic band of brothers." A month later he met with his officers in Fraunces Tavern, in New York City. (The tavern is still there.) He broke down in tears—here were men who had stood by him through the long years of war. Each officer stood before him for a handshake, then a kiss on the cheek.

条约的消息一传来，华盛顿就向他的军队告别。 首先，他向普通士兵告别。 他称他们为“爱国兄弟”。 一个月后，他在纽约市的弗朗斯酒馆会见了他的军官。 (酒馆还在。)他流下了眼泪——这些人在漫长的战争岁月中一直支持着他。 每个军官都站在他面前握手，然后亲吻他的脸颊。

George Washington resigned from the army. On Christmas Eve, 1783, he arrived home. Martha was there at Mount Vernon to greet him. He planned to take up farming again and spend the rest of his days in Virginia. He was fifty-one years old. It was time to retire.

乔治·华盛顿辞去了军职。 1783年的平安夜，他回到家。 玛莎在弗农山庄迎接他。 他打算重新开始务农，在弗吉尼亚度过余生。 他51岁。 是该退休的时候了。