阅读原文

In 1784, fives years before he become president of the United States, George Washington, 52, was near toothless. So he hired a dentist to transplant nine teeth into his jaw-having extracted them from the mouths of his slaves.

That’s a far different image from the cherry-tree-chopping George most people remember from their history books. But recently, many historians have begun to focus on the roles slavery played in the lives of the founding generation. They have been spurred in part by DNA evidence made available in 1998, which almost certainly proved Thomas Jefferson had fathered at least one child with his slave Sally Hemings. And only over the past 30 years have scholars examined history from the bottom up. Works of several historians reveal the moral compromises made by the nation’s early leaders and the fragile nature of the country’s infancy. More significantly, they argue that many of the Founding Fathers knew slavery was wrong-and yet most did little to fight it.

More than anything, the historians say, the founders were hampered by the culture of their time. While Washington and Jefferson privately expressed distaste for slavery, they also understand that it was part of the politic and economic bedrock of the country they helped to create.

For one thing, the South could not afford to part with its slaves. Owning slaves was “like having a large bank account,” says Wiencek, author of An Imperfect God: George Washington, His slaves, and the Creation of America. The southern states would not have signed the Constitution without protections for the “peculiar institution,” including a clause that counted a slave as three fifths of a man for purposes of congressional representation.

And the statesmen’s political lives depend on slavery. The three-fifths formula handed Jefferson his narrow victory in the presidential election of 1800 by inflating the votes of the sourthern states in the Electoral College. Once in office, Jefferson extended slavery with the Louisian Purchase in 1803; the new land was carved into 13 states, including three slave states.

Still, Jefferson freed Hemings’s children-though not Hemings herself or his approximately 150 other slaves. Washington, who have begun to believe that all men was created equal after observing the bravery of the black soliders during the Revolutionary War, overcame the strong opposition of his relatives to grant his slaves their freedom in his will. Only a decade earlier,such as act would have required legislative approval in Virgina.

 

 

题目

36. George Washington’s dental surgery is mentioned to

[A] show his primitive medical practice in the past.

[B] demnstrate the cruelty of slavery in his day.

[C] stress the role of slaves in the U.S. history.

[D] reveal some unknow aspect of his life.

 

37. We may infer from the second paragraph that

[A] DNA technology has been widely applied to history research.

[B] in its early days the U.S. was confronted with delicate situations.

[C] historians deliberately made up some stories of Jefferson’s life.

[D] political compromises are easily found throughout the U.S. history.

 

38. What do we learn about Thomas Jefferson?

[A] His political view changed his attitude towards slavery.

[B] His status as a father made him free the child slaves.

[C] His attitude towards slavery was complex.

[D] His affair with a slave stained his prestige.

 

39. Which of the following is true according to the text?

[A] Some Founing Fathers benefit politically from slavery.

[B] Slaves in the old days did not have right to vote.

[C] Slave owners usually had large savings accounts.

[D] Slavery was regarded as a peculiar institution.

 

40. Washington’s decision to free slaves orignated from his

[A] moral considerations.

[B] military experience.

[C] financial experience.

[D] political stand.

 

 

全文翻译

在1784年，乔治·华盛顿52岁（成为美国总统的五年前），他已经几乎牙齿掉光了。因此他雇佣了一名牙医给他在下巴移植了九颗牙，这九颗牙全部是从他的奴隶嘴中拔出来的。

这个和许多人来自历史课本中的砍倒樱桃树的乔治有着很大的不同形象。但是，最近许多历史学家已经开始关注奴隶在建国一代时期中的作用。在1998年，历史学家受到的可获得DNA证据的刺激，有证据几乎确定的证明托马斯·杰斐逊和他的奴隶莎莉·海明斯至少有一个孩子。仅仅过去了30年，学者们自上而下的调查了历史。数个历史学家揭示了国家初期的脆弱本质和早期领导者的道德折中。更显著的是，他们认为建国领袖的许多人知道奴隶制度是错误的，但是大多数人都没有去推翻它。

历史学家说，最主要的是，建国元勋们被当时的文化所阻碍。虽然华盛顿和杰弗逊私下里表达厌恶奴隶制，但是他们也理解奴隶制是国家的政治和经济基础的一部分，奴隶们帮助创造了这些。

首先，南方负担不起废除奴隶制。《不完美的上帝：乔治·华盛顿，他的奴隶和他开创的美国》的作者Wiencek说，拥有奴隶就好像拥有一个大的银行账户。如果没有“特殊机制”的保护，南方各州也不会签署宪法，其中有一条条款是为了获得国会代表权每个奴隶按五分之三个人算。

政治家的政治生活依赖于奴隶。在1800年的总统选举中，正是由于五分之三的计算公式扩大了南方总统选举权的投票，使得杰弗逊以微弱的优势获得了成功。刚执政，杰弗逊就在购买的Louisian延伸了奴隶制；新土地被分割成13个州，包括3个奴隶州。

尽管如此，杰弗逊让Hemings的孩子获得了自由，但是Hemings自己和杰弗逊的其他大约150个奴隶没有获得自由。华盛顿在革命战争中目睹了黑人士兵的勇敢后开始相信所有被创造的人都是平等的，他说服他亲人的强烈反对在他的遗嘱中给予他的奴隶自由。而仅仅在华盛顿给予奴隶自由的十年前，如此的行为在弗吉尼亚州必须通过法律的授予。

 

 

逐句翻译

第一段

In 1784, fives years before he become president of the United States, George Washington, 52, was near toothless.

在1784年，乔治·华盛顿52岁（成为美国总统的五年前），他已经几乎牙齿掉光了。

 

 

So he hired a dentist to transplant nine teeth into his jaw(下巴；教训；唠叨)-having extracted(提取，萃取的；引出的) them from the mouths of his slaves.

因此他雇佣了一名牙医给他在下巴移植了九颗牙，这九颗牙全部是从他的奴隶嘴中拔出来的。

 

 

第二段

That’s a far different image from the cherry-tree-chopping George most people remember from their history books.

这个和许多人来自历史课本中的砍倒樱桃树的乔治有着很大的不同形象。

 

 

But recently, many historians have begun to focus on the roles slavery played in the lives of the founding generation.

但是，最近许多历史学家已经开始关注奴隶在建国一代时期中的作用。

 

 

They have been spurred (刺激，马刺) in part by DNA evidence made available (可获得的；可购得的；可找到的；有空的) in 1998, which almost certainly proved Thomas Jefferson had fathered at least one child with his slave Sally Hemings.

在1998年，历史学家受到的可获得DNA证据的刺激，有证据几乎确定的证明托马斯·杰斐逊和他的奴隶莎莉·海明斯至少有一个孩子。

 

 

And only over the past 30 years have scholars(学者) examined(检查过的；验讫；检查；调查) history from the bottom up(从上至下).

仅仅过去了30年，学者们自上而下的调查了历史。

 

 

Works of several(几个；数个；几个的；各自的) historians reveal the moral compromises(妥协；和解；折中) made by the nation’s early leaders and the fragile(脆的；易碎的) nature of the country’s infancy (初期；婴儿期；幼年).

数个历史学家揭示了国家初期的脆弱本质和早期领导者的道德折中。

 

 

More significantly(显著地；相当数量地), they argue that many of the Founding Fathers knew slavery was wrong-and yet most did little to fight it.

更显著的是，他们认为建国领袖的许多人知道奴隶制度是错误的，但是大多数人都没有去推翻它。

 

 

第三段

More than anything(最主要的是；主要地), the historians say, the founders were hampered(阻碍；限制；受阻碍的) by the culture of their time.

历史学家说，最主要的是，建国元勋们被当时的文化所阻碍。

 

 

While Washington and Jefferson privately expressed distaste(厌恶；讨厌) for slavery, they also understand that it was part of the politic and economic bedrock(基岩；根底；基本原理) of the country they helped to create.

虽然华盛顿和杰弗逊私下里表达厌恶奴隶制，但是他们也理解奴隶制是国家的政治和经济基础的一部分，奴隶们帮助创造了这些。

 

 

第四段

For one thing, the South could not afford(给予；提供；买得起) to part with(与…分开；舍弃) its slaves.

首先，南方负担不起废除奴隶制。

 

 

Owning slaves was “like having a large bank account,” says Wiencek, author of An Imperfect(优缺点的；不完美的；未完成的；有瑕疵的) God: George Washington, His slaves, and the Creation of America.

《不完美的上帝：乔治·华盛顿，他的奴隶和他开创的美国》的作者Wiencek说，拥有奴隶就好像拥有一个大的银行账户。

 

 

The southern states would not have signed the Constitution(宪法) without protections for the “peculiar(特殊的；罕见的；财产)institution,” including a clause(条款，子句) that counted a slave as three fifths of a man for purposes of(为了) congressional(国会的；会议的) representation.

如果没有“特殊机制”的保护，南方各州也不会签署宪法，其中有一条条款是为了获得国会代表权每个奴隶按五分之三个人算。

 

 

第五段

And the statesmen’s political lives depend on slavery.

政治家的政治生活依赖于奴隶。

 

 

The three-fifths formula (公式；准则；配方) handed (帮助) Jefferson his narrow (变窄；狭窄的；有限的) victory(胜利；成功；克服) in the presidential election of 1800 by inflating (膨胀；充气；膨胀的) the votes of the sourthern states in the Electoral College(总统选举团).

在1800年的总统选举中，正是由于五分之三的计算公式扩大了南方总统选举权的投票，使得杰弗逊以微弱的优势获得了成功。

 

 

Once in office(执政；在位), Jefferson extended slavery with the Louisian Purchase in 1803; the new land was carved into 13 states, including three slave states.

刚执政，杰弗逊就在购买的Louisian延伸了奴隶制；新土地被分割成13个州，包括3个奴隶州。

 

 

第六段

Still, Jefferson freed Hemings’s children-though not Hemings herself or his approximately 150 other slaves.

尽管如此，杰弗逊让Hemings的孩子获得了自由，但是Hemings自己和杰弗逊的其他大约150个奴隶没有获得自由。

 

 

Washington, who have begun to believe that all men was created equal after observing the bravery of the black soliders during the Revolutionary War, overcame the strong opposition of his relatives to grant(同意；授予；允许；承认；拨款) his slaves their freedom in his will(在他的遗嘱中).

华盛顿在革命战争中目睹了黑人士兵的勇敢后开始相信所有被创造的人都是平等的，他说服他亲人的强烈反对在他的遗嘱中给予他的奴隶自由。

 

 

Only a decade earlier,such as act would have required legislative approval in Virgina.

而仅仅在华盛顿给予奴隶自由的十年前，如此的行为在弗吉尼亚州必须通过法律的授予。

 

 

题目翻译

36. George Washington’s dental surgery(外科；外科手术；手术室；诊疗室) is mentioned to

[A] show his primitive medical practice in the past.

[B] demnstrate the cruelty of slavery in his day.

[C] stress the role of slaves in the U.S. history.

[D] reveal some unknow aspect of his life.

 

36.乔治·华盛顿的牙科手术被提及是为了

[A] 展示在过去他的私人医疗。

[B] 介绍他那个时代残酷的奴隶制。

[C] 强调在美国历史上奴隶的重要性。

[D] 揭示一些关于他不为人知的一面。

 

37. We may infer from the second paragraph that

[A] DNA technology has been widely applied to history research.

[B] in its early days the U.S. was confronted(面临；遭遇；比较) with delicate(微妙的；精美的；柔和的；易碎的) situations.

[C] historians deliberately(故意地；谨慎地；慎重地) made up some stories of Jefferson’s life.

[D] political compromises are easily found throughout the U.S. history.

 

37.从第二段中我们可以推断出

[A] DNA技术已经被广泛的应用于历史研究。

[B] 在早期，美国面临着微妙的情况。

[C] 历史学家慎重地编造一些杰弗逊生活的故事

[D] 政治折中在美国的整个历史中很容易找到。

 

38. What do we learn about Thomas Jefferson?

[A] His political view changed his attitude towards(朝；向；对于；有助于；) slavery.

[B] His status as a father made him free the child slaves.

[C] His attitude towards slavery was complex.

[D] His affair(事情；事务；私事) with a slave stained(玷污的；着色的；败坏；玷污) his prestige(威望，声望；声誉).

 

38. 从托马斯·杰弗逊中我们学到了什么？

[A] 他的政治观点改变了他对奴隶制的态度。

[B] 他作为父亲的身份给了他的孩子奴隶的自由。

[C] 他对奴隶的态度是复杂的。

[D] 他和奴隶的风流事败坏了他的威望。

 

39. Which of the following is true according to the text?

[A] Some Founing Fathers benefit politically from slavery.

[B] Slaves in the old days did not have right to vote.

[C] Slave owners usually had large savings accounts.

[D] Slavery was regarded as a peculiar institution.

 

39. 根据文章下面哪一个是对的？

[A] 一些建国元勋从奴隶中获得了政治上的利益。

[B] 在旧时期奴隶没有投票的权利。

[C] 奴隶的主人通常拥有巨大的储存账户。

[D] 奴隶被视为特殊机制。

 

40. Washington’s decision to free slaves orignated from his

[A] moral considerations.

[B] military experience.

[C] financial experience.

[D] political stand.

 

40. 华盛顿决定给予他的奴隶自由是来自于他的

[A] 道德考虑。

[B] 战争经验。

[C] 财政经验。

[D] 政治立场。