William Henry Harrison was the ninth President of the United States. He was born in 1773 into a wealthy plantation-owning family. He studied classics and history at college and then began studying medicine in 1791. In that same year, Harrison switched interests and joined the First Infantry of the Regular Army. He headed to the Northwest, where he spent much of his life.
威廉·亨利·哈里森是美国第9任总统。他于1773年出生在种植者贵族家庭。大学期间,他学习了古典文学和历史。1791年,他开始学医。同年,哈里森又将兴趣转向军队,加入了正规军第一步兵营。后来,他前往西北,并在那里度过了一生中的大部分时光。
Harrison resigned from the army in 1798 to become Secretary of the Northwest Territory. He used his contacts in the east to get elected to Congress. In 1801 he became Governor of the Indiana Territory, serving 12 years. His prime task as governor was to take over Native American lands. His victory in the Battle of the Thames against Native Americans and the British in 1813 made him a national hero.
1798年,哈里森辞去了军中职务,担任起西北地区部长。他利用东部关系,当选为国会议员。1801年,他成为了印第安纳州州长,任职12年。作为印第安纳州州长,他的首要任务是接管印第安人的土地。1813年,哈里森击退前来进犯的印第安人和英国人,取得了泰晤士河战役的胜利,并成为了美国的民族英雄。
Thereafter Harrison returned to civilian life. The Whigs, in need of a national hero, nominated him for President in 1840. He won by a majority of less than 150,000, but swept the Electoral College, 234 to 60. He arrived in Washington in February 1841 and gave the longest Inaugural Address in American history. It took him nearly two hours to read.
自此以后,哈里森过回了自己的平民生活。1840年,急需一位民族英雄的辉格党人将哈里森提名为美国总统。哈里森以不足15万的多数票通过了美国总统候选人的选举,并最终以234票对60票的表决结果震惊选举人团。1841年2月,他来到华盛顿就职,他的就职演说持续了将近两个钟头,成了美国历史上最长的总统就职演说。
1841年4月4日,哈里森因患肺炎逝世。哈里森上任仅30天,他的执政时间比美国历史上任何一位总统还要短。他是美国历史上第一个在任内逝世的总统,且属于英国统治下的最后一代人(也就是说,他出生在《独立宣言》颁布之前)。同时,哈里森也是第一位照过相的美国总统。后来,他的孙子当选为美国第23任总统,他们成了美国历史上唯一一对祖孙俩都担任过总统的总统。
译文属可可英语原创,未经允许,不得转载。