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As the initials of the United States are U.S., some one said they stand for Uncle Sam, so the old fellow dressed in a flag we call Uncle Sam.
美国的首字母是U.S,于是有人说它代表山姆大叔（Uncle Sam,首字母同U.S.),我们因此就把那个穿着国旗的老伙计叫做山姆大叔。
The map of the U.S.looks as if it were made like a patch-work quilt of patches of different sizes and shapes.These patches are the States that are United—that means, joined to one another.As a matter of fact, of course, there are no lines between the States.The lines on the map are marked on the ground by stone posts set so far apart that you may cross from one State to another without even knowing when you are in a different State.Each State has towns and cities and country.I live in a city and the city is in the State of Maryland.You may live in a city or a town or in the country in another State.But every one in the U.S.must live in some Stale unless—I'll tell you later the few places he may live without being in any State.
美国地图看起来就像由不同尺寸和形状的布块拼缝而成的被子。这些布块就是美国的州，这些州联合在一起—也就是说彼此联为一体。当然，实际上这些州之间并没有线。地图上的这些 线在地面上就只是用界石远远地做的标记，所以你可能从一个州跨进了另一个州自己却不知道。每个州都有城镇、城市和乡村。我住在位于马里兰州的一座城市里。你也许住在另一个州的 某座城市或者镇或者乡村里。但是每个美国人都得住在某个州里，除非他是住在不属于任何一个州的地方—稍后我会告诉你有哪几个地方。
Some of the States have straight sides and some have one, two or more crooked sides.Some are big and some are little.The biggest State is Texas, at the bottom, near the center—only we don't say bottom, we say south.The smallest State is Rhode Island, which is not an island at all.It is near the upper right hand corner —only we don't say upper right-hand corner, we say northeast.Texas would make more than 200 Rhode Islands.That is, you could put more than 200 Rhode Islands in Texas.
有些州有着笔直的边界，有些州的边界至少有一两处是弯曲的。有的州大，有的州小。最大的州是德克萨斯州，靠近中心下边的地方—不过我们不说下边，而说南边。最小的州是罗德岛 州，实际上它根本不是什么岛。它靠近右上角—不过我们不说右上角，而说东北部。德克萨斯州有两百多个罗德岛州那么大，也就是说，你可以把两百多个罗德岛州放进德克萨斯州里。
Not so long ago there was no United States.There were only thirteen little States along the shore of the Atlantic Ocean.These States were so small they thought they ought to form a club.There is an old story about a man who wanted to break a bundle of sticks.He tried and he tried but he couldn't break the bundle.Then some one told him to take the bundle apart and break each stick separately; so he did, and broke them easily.The States thought that they, in the same way, might be broken easily if separate, so they tied themselves together like a bundle of sticks in order that they might not be “broken” by an enemy.And so the 13 States formed a 13 club and called themselves the United States.They took as their motto “In Union is Strength”, which means “In one bundle we are strong.”
不久以前美国还不存在。只有沿大西洋海岸的13个小州。这些州都很小，所以他们觉得应该成立一个倶乐部。这与一个古老的故事有关，故事说有个男人想折断一束树枝，他怎么折都折不 断。于是有人给他出主意把树枝解开，再一根一根折；他就照做了，果然很容易就把树枝折断了。这13个州认为如果他们彼此分开，同样也会很容易被打垮，于是他们团结起来就像一捆树 枝那样，不会被任何敌人“折断”了。所以这13个州就组成了一个“十三俱乐部”，起名叫“合众国”。他们的座右铭是： “团结就是力量。”意思就是“抱成团，折不断”。
