Copper Captain
美音、自然拼读、分级阅读与词汇复习
The school bus had just pulled up to the curb when I looked across the street and saw her, a long bike cable looped around her waist and the copper leg of the statue.
校车刚刚拉到路口,当时我对面看到她,一条长长的自行车缆线环绕着她的腰和雕像的铜腿.
I grabbed Chris’s arm.
我抓住了Chris的手臂。
“Let’s go,” I said.
" 让我们去, " 我说。
We made it to the park in time to hear the police officer address Ashley.
我们及时赶到公园 听到警察给阿什利的地址
Chris whipped out his camera and started snapping photos.
克里斯鞭打出他的相机 并开始拍出相片。
“Miss, you’ll have to unlock that or we’ll cut it off,” the officer said, trying to conceal a smile.
“小姐,你必须打开它,否则我们就切断它。” 这位官员说,
“This is a protest,” Ashley announced calmly.
Ashley冷静地宣布:「这是一场抗议,
“They want to get rid of the Copper Captain, and it’s not right.
他们想除掉铜队长,
Plus, it’s good luck if you rub his beard before a big test.
如果在大测试前擦他的胡子,
See how shiny it is?”
看到它有多亮了吗? “
“He isn’t going anywhere today,” the officer said, “and I’ d hate to ruin your bike lock.”
“他今天哪儿也不去,”该官员说,“我不愿意破坏你的自行车锁。 “
“I just got it,” Ashley admitted glumly.
Ashley承认"我刚拿到"
“Promise he’ll be here for Pioneer Day?
" 保证他会来参加先锋节?
It’s next Friday.”
下个星期五。 “
“Promise.”
“保证。”
While the officer helped Ashley free herself, Chris turned to me.
警官帮忙的时候 阿什利释放自己, 克里斯转向我。
“Great photos!”
"伟大的相片!"
he cried, scanning the images on his camera.
他哭了,扫描了他的相机上的图像。
“What’s the kerfuffle about the statue, anyway?”
为何雕像会这样? “
“Read my story.”
“读我的故事。 “
I winked at him, then stepped up to the action, my pen and paper at the ready.
我朝他眨眼,然后加速行动 我的笔和纸都准备好了
“Good morning, officer.
"早上好,长官。
Noni Lopez with the Whitmore Weekly.
诺尼·洛佩兹与"惠特摩尔周刊".
Can I get your name and title?”
能告诉我你的名字和头衔吗? “
Captain Mitchell Thaddeus Whitmore (1834–1901) Soldier, Indian Fighter, City Founder That’s how the plaque reads on the base of the statue.
Mitchell Thaddeus Whitmore上尉(1834年–1901年) 印度战士,城市创始人 雕像底部的牌匾就是这么写的。
Captain Whitmore—or the “Copper Captain,” as everyone calls him—glares across at Whitmore School from Whitmore Park.
惠特摩尔校长(Whitmore Captain),
Half the stuff in town is named for him, including the town itself.
镇上一半的东西都为他取名,包括镇上本身.
He founded the place, right?
他建立了这个地方,对不对?
But like a lot of history, there’s more to it.
但与许多历史一样,
A week ago, a group of citizens spoke at the town council.
一周前,一群公民在市议会发言。
They made an official request: remove the statue.
他们正式要求:取出雕像.
Long ago, Captain Whitmore and some soldiers attacked a Native American village where our town stands now.
很久以前 Whitmore上尉和一些士兵 袭击了一个美国原住民村落 我们的城镇现在在那里。
They forced the men, women, and children off their land.
他们迫使男女老幼离开自己的土地。
Whitmore later got rich selling that land to settlers.
惠特摩尔后来得到富人 出售土地给定居者。
How do I know all this?
我怎么会知道这些?
Every year, our town celebrates Pioneer Day.
每年我们镇都庆祝先锋日
I spent yesterday evening in the history section of the Whitmore Public Library doing research for the Pioneer Day issue of the school paper.
我昨天晚上在惠特莫尔公共图书馆历史科 研究校刊的先锋日刊
Also, full disclosure: my mom and grandpa are two of the people asking the town to take down the Copper Captain.
另外,全面披露:我妈妈和外公是两个要求镇上拿下铜队长的人.
You see, my great- great-even-more-great grandparents lived on the land Captain Whitmore stole.
我的曾祖父母住在惠特摩船长偷的地上
Ashley staged her protest on a Wednesday morning; that Thursday, all through study hall and lunch, I typed furiously.
阿什利在星期三上午举行了她的抗议活动;那个星期四,通过学习大厅和午餐,我愤怒地打字.
Miguel and Ashley, the paper’s coeditors, read my article during our staff meeting after school.
Miguel和Ashley是报纸的编辑,
“Great article, Noni,” Miguel said.
Miguel说,“大文章,Noni,”
Ashley was less enthusiastic.
阿什利没有那么热情
“I don’t think it’s very objectionable,” she said.
“我不觉得这很令人反感,
I thought a moment.
我想了一会儿。
“You mean objective?”
“你是说客观? “
She sniffed.
她闻到了
“Whatever.
“无论如何。
You’re blaming the Copper Captain for something that happened, like, more than a hundred years ago.”
你责怪铜队长, “
“Yeah, because he’s to blame.
「是的,
He stole from Native Americans, he despised Native Americans—he said so himself—but he also built the library and the home for old soldiers.
他从美洲原住民那里偷来,他鄙视美洲原住民,他自己也这么说,但他也为老兵建造了图书馆和住宅.
I even included a quote from you about why people think he was a hero.
我甚至引用了你的话 人们为什么认为他是英雄
I was objective.”
我是客观的。 “
“Still, the facts make him seem like a bad guy,” Ashley said, “when he’s the father of our city.”
Ashley说:「事实上, “
“He can be both!”
“他既可以做到两个!”
I cried.
我哭了起来。
“It’s not my fault he was a scoundrel.”
他是一个无赖, “
Miguel looked confused.
米格尔看起来很困惑
“I thought he was a captain.”
“我以为他是船长。 “
“Look,” I said, “why don’t we run dueling arguments on the editorial page?
“看,”我说,“我们为什么不在编辑网页上讨论辩论呢?
Ashley, you write about why the statue should stay; I’ll write about why it should go.”
Ashley, 你写为什么雕像应该留下来; 我会写为什么它应该去。 “
“I like it,” Miguel said.
Miguel说:“我喜欢,”
“ A pro/ con debate!”
“赞成/反对辩论!”
people; it is a wonderful place to live.
人民,这是一个美好的生活的地方。
represents the best of who we are.
代表着我们最好的人
Captain Whitmore doesn’t do that.
惠特莫尔上尉不这样做。
He was a bully and a thief who stole Native American land.
他是一个欺负和盗贼 谁偷了美洲原住民的土地。
Yes, Captain Whitmore is part of our history.
是的 惠特摩船长是我们历史的一部分
For some of us, though, he is a symbol of greed and cruelty.
对我们有些人来说,他是贪婪和残忍的象征。
if we don’t fix past wrongs.
如果我们不纠正过去的错误,
It was one of the easiest things I’ve ever written.
这是我写过最简单的事情之一。
When you’re a reporter, you have to keep your opinions under control.
当您是记者时,
This time I was able to include my personal views.
这一次,我能够包括我的个人观点。
Even so, I had to be smart.
即便如此,我必须聪明
I wanted to say that the statue should be melted down and turned into a new swing set, but that would just make a lot of people mad without changing any minds.
我想说的是,雕像应该被熔化并变成一副新的秋千相机,但这只会让很多人发疯而不改变主意.
I had three main points in my editorial: Poor Ashley.
我在社论中有三个主要观点: 可怜的阿什利。
I found her in the newspaper office after school the next day.
我第二天放学后在报社找到她
She looked tired and grumpy.
她看起来又累又暴躁
There were wads of paper on the floor and ink smudges on her face.
地板上有纸屑 脸上有墨水
Gentle is not my style, but I tried.
温柔不是我的风格,但我试过了。
“How’s it going?”
" 情况如何? “
I asked.
我问。
She covered her eyes.
她遮住她的眼睛。
“This is really hard.”
“这确实很难。 “
“Do you want me to take a look?”
“你想让我看看吗? “
“Why would you help me?
“你为什么要帮我?
You’re trying to win the debate.”
你试图赢得辩论。 “
I sighed.
我叹息了
“We’re a team, Ash.
我们是一个团队,
If the newspaper is fair and good, we all win.”
如果报纸是公平好的, 我们都赢了。 “
She slid her notebook across the desk to me.
她把笔记本滑到桌子对面给我
I bit my lip to keep from saying something I’ d regret and took a big breath instead.
我咬了嘴唇,
Then together, we scratched out a new outline: Captain Whitmore was a hero.
然后我们一起划出一个新的大纲: 惠特摩船长是个英雄
Maybe what he did was bad.
也许他做的是坏事
But that was way more than a hundred years ago.
但这是一百多年前的事了
Can’t we forgive and forget?
我们不能原谅和忘记吗?
So we have to keep his statue.
所以我们得保留他的雕像
It’s part of our history!
这是我们历史的一部分!
good people do bad things.
好人会做坏事
Sometimes bad people do good things.
有时坏人做好事.
That’s true of Captain Whitmore.
惠特摩船长就是这样。
History is complicated, too.
历史也是复杂的。
Times change, and so do the things we accept as good and bad.
时代变了,我们所接受的东西 也是好的和坏的。
us not to repeat the bad things.
我们不要重蹈覆辙
We need to keep the statue.
我们需要保留雕像。
It can teach us to be better people.
它能教我们成为更好的人。
“Thanks, Noni,” Ashley said softly.
Ashley温和地说:“谢谢,
I smiled.
我笑过
“You still have to write it.”
“你仍然必须写作。 “
She did, and she did a good job.
她做到了,她做了一个好工作。
It wasn’t as good as my editorial, but what can I say?
但还能说什么呢?
On Pioneer Day, we got a surprise during announcements.
在先锋日,我们得到了一个惊喜 在公告。
“ Ashley Watson and Noni Lopez, will you please come to the office?”
“阿什利·沃森和诺尼·洛佩兹,请到办公室来一下。 “
“Oooh!”
"呜!"
went the class, as if we must be in big trouble.
上过课 好像我们惹了大麻烦
Were we?
是吗?
We walked into the office and stared up at the man standing there.
我们走进办公室 看着站在那里的人
Principal Sikes introduced him.
西克斯校长介绍的
“This is Mitchell T.
“这是米切尔·T.
Whitmore,” she said.
Whitmore,“她说。
There he stood!
他站着!
Same uniform, same beard, same steely look.
同样的制服,同样的胡子,同样的钢筋外观。
Captain Whitmore in the flesh!
怀特莫尔船长!
My mouth dropped open.
我的嘴张开
“We thought you were dead!”
“我们以为你死了!”
Ashley blurted.
阿什利模糊了。
He burst out laughing.
他笑了起来
“I’m Mitchell T.
" 我是米切尔·T.
Whitmore the Fifth,” he said.
他说,
“Captain Whitmore was my—” he counted on his fingers, “great-great- grandfather.
" Whitmore上尉是我的 -- -- " 他的指头是 " 曾祖父 " 。
I’m here to do a presentation for Pioneer Day.”
我是来做先锋日的演讲的。 “
He shook our hands.
他握了我们的手。
“My daughter is in second grade, and she brought this home yesterday.”
“我女儿在二年级,她昨天把这个带回家。 “
I nearly fainted when he held up the newspaper.
我差点晕倒 当他拿起报纸。
Then he sat down so we were eye to eye.
然后,他坐下来,所以我们是面对面的。
“I want to commend you for your editorials—both of you.”
" 我要赞扬你们两位的社论。 “
This time I nearly fainted from relief.
这次我差点晕倒了
“I’m the director of the Whitmore Historical Society.
“我是惠特摩历史学会会长。
No offense, Ashley, but I agree with Noni that it might be time to retire Captain Whitmore from the park.
无意冒犯 Ashley 但我同意Noni的意见 也许是时候让Whitmore船长从公园退休了
Times change, and for some citizens, his statue is a symbol of a painful past.
时事变迁,对于一些公民来说,他的雕像是痛苦过去的象征.
I don’t think it’s fair to make them walk past him every time they go for a picnic.
他们每次去野餐都要经过他身边,
At the same time, he is an important part of our history, just like you both said.”
同时,他也是我们历史的重要部分,就像你们说的. “
An idea popped into my head.
我脑子里冒出一个想法
“I.
“一.
I might know of a good home for him: the Whitmore History Museum.”
我可能知道他的好家: 惠特摩历史博物馆。 “
Mr.
先生,请问...
Whitmore smiled beneath his thick beard.
惠特摩在浓厚的胡子下微笑.
“That might be exactly where the Copper Captain belongs now, in a museum where we can tell his whole story—the bad and the good.
" 这可能是铜船长现在属于的地方,在一个博物馆里我们可以讲述他的整个故事——坏事和好事。
Would you two be willing to help write a proposal to the town council?”
你们俩愿意帮忙写个提案给市议会吗? “
We jinxed each other saying yes.
我们互相指责对方说"是"
Then Ashley cleared her throat.
然后阿什利清理了她的喉咙。
“Um, can we still come and rub his beard, you know, for luck?”
“嗯,为了运气,我们还能来帮他擦胡子吗? “
Mr.
先生,请问...
Whitmore rubbed his own beard.
惠特摩擦了自己的胡子。
“ Absolutely.”
“当然。 “