总统日

字幕原文

Presidents' Day, 总统日,

the third Monday in February, 每年二月的第三个星期一,

honors all the presidents of the United States — 旨在纪念所有美国总统——

but it began with two in particular: 但它最初是为了纪念两位特别的总统：

George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. 乔治·华盛顿和亚伯拉罕·林肯。

Washington was born to a wealthy Virginia family 华盛顿出生于弗吉尼亚州的一个富裕家庭，

and became a general in the Revolutionary War, 并在独立战争中成为一名将军，

helping the colonies win their freedom. 帮助殖民地赢得了自由。

In 1789, he became the country's very first president. 1789年，他成为美国的第一任总统。

Lincoln's start could not have been more different. 林肯的出身则截然不同。

He was born in a tiny log cabin to a poor family, and often went barefoot. 他出生在一个贫困家庭的小木屋里，经常光着脚。

He barely attended school — 他几乎没上过学——

all his school days together didn't add up to a single year. 他所有的上学时间加起来还不到一年。

But Abe loved books. 但亚伯拉罕热爱书籍。

He read every one he could find and taught himself, subject by subject. 他读遍了所有能找到的书，并自学了各种科目。

He rose to become the sixteenth president, and he freed the slaves. 他最终成为第十六任总统，并解放了奴隶。

One man started with everything, the other with almost nothing — yet both shaped a nation. 一个人拥有一切，另一个人几乎一无所有——然而他们都塑造了一个国家。

Lincoln's life says it best: where you begin does not decide how far you can go. 林肯的一生最好地诠释了这一点：你的起点并不能决定你能走多远。