7 Politics

Chapter 7 Politics The new home in Braintree was a big letdown. It was larger than their old house, but compared to the mansion in Paris, it seemed to Abigail like a little "wren's house." It had low ceilings and was dark inside. Also much of their furniture had been damaged in the ocean crossing. The house needed work—lots of work —if Abigail wanted to turn it into a home. She hired carpenters and masons. She planted roses she brought from England. (They still grow there today.) Their home would be called Peacefield.

布伦特里的新家让人非常失望。 它比他们的老房子大，但与巴黎的豪宅相比，阿比盖尔觉得它就像一个小小的“鹪鹩的房子”。 它的天花板很低，里面很黑。 此外，他们的许多家具在横渡海洋的过程中也遭到了破坏。 如果阿比盖尔想把这所房子变成一个家，那它就需要修理——很多修理。 她雇了木匠和泥瓦匠。 她种了从英国带来的玫瑰。 （它们至今仍在那里生长。）他们的家将被称为和平之地。

Now home, John couldn't resist returning to politics. He was elected to the US Congress. In 1789, in the first presidential election, George Washington got the most votes, but John Adams came in second. In those days, that automatically made John the vice president of the United States. Abigail was the first vice president's wife. So the Adamses were to move again!

回到家后，约翰忍不住要重返政坛。 他被选为美国国会议员。 1789年，在第一次总统选举中，乔治·华盛顿得票最多，但约翰·亚当斯名列第二。 在那些日子里，约翰自然而然地成为了美国副总统。 阿比盖尔是第一副总统的妻子。 于是亚当斯一家又要搬家了！

New York was the new capital city. Abigail loved their rented mansion that overlooked the Hudson River. Nabby had just had a second baby, John Adams Smith. Her family moved into the mansion with John and Abigail. The Adamses' son Charles, now nineteen years old, was living there, too, and so was Louisa, the daughter of Abigail's brother, who had died recently. Whenever Abigail's children or relatives needed a place to stay, she took them in. More to the point, Abigail loved having everyone

纽约成为了新的首都。 阿比盖尔喜欢他们租来的俯瞰哈德逊河的豪宅。 纳比刚生了第二个孩子，名叫约翰·亚当斯·史密斯。 她的家人与约翰和阿比盖尔一起搬进了豪宅。 亚当斯家19岁的儿子查尔斯也住在那里，阿比盖尔最近去世的哥哥的女儿路易莎也住在那里。 每当阿比盖尔的孩子或亲戚需要住的地方，她都会收留他们。 更重要的是，阿比盖尔喜欢大家

there. But there were worries, too. Nabby's husband, William, was irresponsible and owed people money. John Quincy was having a hard time starting his law practice. Charles drank too much. Thomas was often sick.

在那里。但也有担忧。 纳比的丈夫威廉不负责任，欠别人钱。 约翰·昆西在开始他的律师生涯时遇到了困难。 查尔斯喝得太多了。托马斯经常生病。

WHAT TO CALL THE PRESIDENT WITH SUCH A NEW GOVERNMENT, NO ONE WAS SURE WHAT TO CALL THE PRESIDENT. SHOULD HE BE JUST "MR. WASHINGTON" OR "MR. PRESIDENT"? OR SHOULD HE BE "EXCELLENCY" OR EVEN "HIS HIGHNESS THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND PROTECTOR OF THE RIGHTS OF SAME"? JOHN ADAMS ARGUED THAT THE TITLE SHOULD BE HONORABLE AND GRAND. HE LIKED "HIS MAJESTY THE PRESIDENT." ABIGAIL WOULD NOT HAVE LIKED THAT. SHE DIDN'T BELIEVE IN FANCY TITLES. THE SENATE ARGUED ABOUT THIS FOR A

在这样一个新政府里，该怎么称呼总统，没有人知道该怎么称呼总统。 他应该只是“华盛顿先生”还是“华盛顿先生”？ 总统”吗?或者他应该是“阁下”，甚至是“美利坚合众国总统殿下和公民权利的保护者”？ 约翰·亚当斯认为这个头衔应该是光荣的和崇高的。 他喜欢“总统陛下”。 阿比盖尔不会喜欢这样的。 她不相信花哨的头衔。 参议院为此争论了很久

MONTH, AND THEIR DECISION MUST HAVE PLEASED ABIGAIL. SIMPLY "THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES" WAS GOOD ENOUGH. AND PEOPLE WOULD JUST CALL HIM "MR. PRESIDENT."

他们的决定一定让阿比盖尔很高兴。 简单地说“美国总统”就足够了。 人们只会叫他“先生”。 总统”。