×

We use cookies to help make LingQ better. By visiting the site, you agree to our cookie policy.

Start learning this lesson now
image

Four Great Americans: Washington, Franklin, Webster, Lincoln. A Book for Young Americans by James Baldwin, THE STORY OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN. V.—LIFE IN THE BACKWOODS.

THE STORY OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN. V.—LIFE IN THE BACKWOODS.

Abraham Lincoln now set to work with a will to educate himself. His father thought that he did not need to learn anything more. He did not see that there was any good in book-learning. If a man could read and write and cipher, what more was needed?

But the good step-mother thought differently; and when another short term of school began in the little log school-house, all six of the children from the Lincoln cabin were among the scholars.

In a few weeks, however, the school had closed; and the three boys were again hard at work, chopping and grubbing in Mr. Lincoln's clearings. They were good-natured, jolly young fellows, and they lightened their labor with many a joke and playful prank.

Many were the droll stories with which Abraham amused his two companions. Many were the puzzling questions that he asked. Sometimes in the evening, with the other five children around him, he would declaim some piece that he had learned; or he would deliver a speech of his own on some subject of common interest.

If you could see him as he then appeared, you would hardly think that such a boy would ever become one of the most famous men of history. On his head he wore a cap made from the skin of a squirrel or a raccoon. Instead of trousers of cloth, he wore buckskin breeches, the legs of which were many inches too short. His shirt was of deerskin in the winter, and of homespun tow in the summer. Stockings he had none. His shoes were of heavy cowhide, and were worn only on Sundays or in very cold weather.

The family lived in such a way as to need very little money. Their bread was made of corn meal. Their meat was chiefly the flesh of wild game found in the forest.

Pewter plates and wooden trenchers were used on the table. The tea and coffee cups were of painted tin. There was no stove, and all the cooking was done on the hearth of the big fireplace.

But poverty was no hindrance to Abraham Lincoln. He kept on with his reading and his studies as best he could. Sometimes he would go to the little village of Gentryville, near by, to spend an evening. He would tell so many jokes and so many funny stories, that all the people would gather round him to listen.

When he was sixteen years old he went one day to Booneville, fifteen miles away, to attend a trial in court. He had never been in court before. He listened with great attention to all that was said. When the lawyer for the defense made his speech, the youth was so full of delight that he could not contain himself.

He arose from his seat, walked across the courtroom, and shook hands with the lawyer. "That was the best speech I ever heard," he said. He was tall and very slim; he was dressed in a jeans coat and buckskin trousers; his feet were bare. It must have been a strange sight to see him thus complimenting an old and practiced lawyer.

From that time, one ambition seemed to fill his mind. He wanted to be a lawyer and make great speeches in court. He walked twelve miles barefooted, to borrow a copy of the laws of Indiana. Day and night he read and studied.

"Some day I shall be President of the United States," he said to some of his young friends. And this he said not as a joke, but in the firm belief that it would prove to be true.

THE STORY OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN. V.—LIFE IN THE BACKWOODS. DIE GESCHICHTE VON ABRAHAM LINCOLN. V.-LEBEN IN DEN HINTERWÄLDERN. エイブラハム・リンカーン物語。V.- 裏山での生活。 에이브러햄 링컨의 이야기. V.-불모지에서의 삶. A HISTÓRIA DE ABRAHAM LINCOLN. V.-VIDA NO FUNDO. ABRAHAM LINCOLN'ÜN HİKAYESİ. V.-TAŞRADA YAŞAM. 亚伯拉罕·林肯的故事。 V.——偏远地区的生活。

Abraham Lincoln now set to work with a will to educate himself. Abraham Lincoln zabrał się teraz do pracy z chęcią zdobycia wykształcenia. Abraham Lincoln agora começou a trabalhar com vontade de se educar. Abraham Lincoln artık kendini eğitme isteğiyle çalışmaya başladı. 亚伯拉罕·林肯现在开始带着自学的意愿开始工作。 His father thought that he did not need to learn anything more. Jego ojciec uważał, że nie musi się niczego więcej uczyć. Babası onun daha fazla bir şey öğrenmesine gerek olmadığını düşünüyordu. He did not see that there was any good in book-learning. Nie widział nic dobrego w uczeniu się z książek. Kitap öğrenmenin iyi bir şey olduğunu düşünmüyordu. If a man could read and write and cipher, what more was needed? Jeśli człowiek potrafił czytać, pisać i szyfrować, czego więcej było potrzeba? Bir adam okuyup yazabiliyor ve şifre çözebiliyorsa, daha ne gerekiyordu? 如果一个人能够读写和密码，还需要什么呢？

But the good step-mother thought differently; and when another short term of school began in the little log school-house, all six of the children from the Lincoln cabin were among the scholars. Ale dobra macocha uważała inaczej i kiedy kolejny krótki semestr szkolny rozpoczął się w małym domku z bali, cała szóstka dzieci z chaty Lincolna znalazła się wśród uczniów. Ama iyi kalpli üvey anne farklı düşünüyordu; ve küçük kütük okul evinde kısa bir dönem daha okul başladığında, Lincoln kulübesindeki altı çocuğun hepsi de öğrenciler arasındaydı. 但好心的继母却有不同的想法。当又一个短期的学校在小木校舍开始时，林肯小屋的所有六个孩子都成为了学者。

In a few weeks, however, the school had closed; and the three boys were again hard at work, chopping and grubbing in Mr. Lincoln's clearings. Jednak w ciągu kilku tygodni szkoła została zamknięta, a trzej chłopcy znów ciężko pracowali, rąbiąc i karczując na polanach pana Lincolna. Ancak birkaç hafta içinde okul kapandı ve üç çocuk yine Bay Lincoln'ün açıklıklarında kesip biçerek çalışmaya başladılar. 然而几周后，学校就关闭了。三个男孩又开始辛勤工作，在林肯先生的空地上劈砍挖土。 They were good-natured, jolly young fellows, and they lightened their labor with many a joke and playful prank. Byli dobrodusznymi, wesołymi młodymi ludźmi i umilali sobie pracę wieloma żartami i figlami. İyi huylu, neşeli gençlerdi ve işlerini birçok şaka ve muziplikle hafifletiyorlardı. 他们都是心地善良、快乐的小伙子，他们用许多笑话和顽皮的恶作剧来减轻他们的劳动。

Many were the droll stories with which Abraham amused his two companions. Wiele było zabawnych historii, którymi Abraham zabawiał swoich towarzyszy. İbrahim'in iki arkadaşını eğlendirdiği pek çok komik hikâye vardı. Many were the puzzling questions that he asked. Zadawał wiele zagadkowych pytań. Sorduğu pek çok şaşırtıcı soru vardı. 他问了许多令人费解的问题。 Sometimes in the evening, with the other five children around him, he would declaim some piece that he had learned; or he would deliver a speech of his own on some subject of common interest. Czasami wieczorem, z pozostałą piątką dzieci wokół niego, deklamował jakiś utwór, którego się nauczył; lub wygłaszał własną mowę na jakiś wspólny temat. Bazen akşamları, etrafındaki diğer beş çocukla birlikte, öğrendiği bir parçayı seslendirir ya da ortak ilgi alanına giren bir konuda kendi konuşmasını yapardı. 有时晚上，他会和其他五个孩子一起朗诵一些他学过的作品；或者他会就一些共同感兴趣的话题发表自己的演讲。

If you could see him as he then appeared, you would hardly think that such a boy would ever become one of the most famous men of history. Onu o zamanki haliyle görebilseydiniz, böyle bir çocuğun tarihin en ünlü adamlarından biri olacağını düşünemezdiniz. 如果你能看到他当时的样子，你很难想象这样一个男孩会成为历史上最著名的人物之一。 On his head he wore a cap made from the skin of a squirrel or a raccoon. Başına sincap ya da rakun derisinden yapılmış bir şapka takardı. 他头上戴着一顶用松鼠或浣熊皮制成的帽子。 Instead of trousers of cloth, he wore buckskin breeches, the legs of which were many inches too short. Kumaş pantolon yerine, paçaları birkaç santim kısa olan geyik derisi pantolonlar giyiyordu. 他没有穿布裤，而是穿着鹿皮马裤，裤腿短了很多英寸。 His shirt was of deerskin in the winter, and of homespun tow in the summer. Gömleği kışın geyik derisinden, yazın ise ev dokuması kumaştandı. 他的衬衫冬天是鹿皮的，夏天是土布的。 Stockings he had none. His shoes were of heavy cowhide, and were worn only on Sundays or in very cold weather. Ayakkabıları ağır sığır derisindendi ve sadece Pazar günleri ya da çok soğuk havalarda giyilirdi.

The family lived in such a way as to need very little money. Aile çok az paraya ihtiyaç duyacak şekilde yaşıyordu. 一家人的生活需要很少的钱。 Their bread was made of corn meal. Ekmekleri mısır unundan yapılırdı. 他们的面包是用玉米粉做的。 Their meat was chiefly the flesh of wild game found in the forest. Etleri çoğunlukla ormanda bulunan yabani hayvanların etiydi.

Pewter plates and wooden trenchers were used on the table. Masada kalaylı tabaklar ve ahşap siperler kullanılmıştır. The tea and coffee cups were of painted tin. Çay ve kahve fincanları boyalı tenekeydi. There was no stove, and all the cooking was done on the hearth of the big fireplace. Ocak yoktu ve tüm yemek pişirme işi büyük şöminenin ocağında yapılıyordu. 没有炉子，所有的烹饪都是在大壁炉的炉边完成的。

But poverty was no hindrance to Abraham Lincoln. Ama yoksulluk Abraham Lincoln için bir engel değildi. He kept on with his reading and his studies as best he could. Elinden geldiğince okumaya ve çalışmaya devam etti. Sometimes he would go to the little village of Gentryville, near by, to spend an evening. Bazen bir akşam geçirmek için yakınlardaki küçük Gentryville köyüne giderdi. He would tell so many jokes and so many funny stories, that all the people would gather round him to listen. O kadar çok fıkra ve komik hikaye anlatırdı ki, tüm insanlar onu dinlemek için etrafında toplanırdı.

When he was sixteen years old he went one day to Booneville, fifteen miles away, to attend a trial in court. On altı yaşındayken bir gün mahkemedeki bir duruşmaya katılmak için on beş mil uzaklıktaki Booneville'e gitti. He had never been in court before. Daha önce hiç mahkemeye çıkmamıştı. He listened with great attention to all that was said. Söylenen her şeyi büyük bir dikkatle dinledi. When the lawyer for the defense made his speech, the youth was so full of delight that he could not contain himself. Savunma avukatı konuşmasını yaptığında, genç o kadar sevinç doluydu ki kendini tutamadı. 当辩护律师发言时，青年欣喜若狂。

He arose from his seat, walked across the courtroom, and shook hands with the lawyer. Yerinden kalktı, mahkeme salonunu boydan boya geçti ve avukatla el sıkıştı. "That was the best speech I ever heard," he said. "Hayatımda duyduğum en iyi konuşmaydı," dedi. He was tall and very slim; he was dressed in a jeans coat and buckskin trousers; his feet were bare. Uzun boylu ve çok zayıftı; kot ceket ve geyik derisi pantolon giymişti; ayakları çıplaktı. 他很高，很瘦。他穿着牛仔外套和鹿皮裤子。他光着脚。 It must have been a strange sight to see him thus complimenting an old and practiced lawyer. Eski ve tecrübeli bir avukata bu şekilde iltifat ettiğini görmek tuhaf bir manzara olsa gerek. 看到他如此称赞一位经验丰富的老律师，一定是一种奇怪的景象。

From that time, one ambition seemed to fill his mind. O zamandan beri zihnini tek bir hırs doldurmuş gibiydi. 从那时起，他的心中似乎就充满了一种野心。 He wanted to be a lawyer and make great speeches in court. Avukat olmak ve mahkemede harika konuşmalar yapmak istiyordu. He walked twelve miles barefooted, to borrow a copy of the laws of Indiana. Indiana yasalarının bir kopyasını ödünç almak için çıplak ayakla on iki mil yürüdü. Day and night he read and studied. Gece gündüz okudu ve çalıştı.

"Some day I shall be President of the United States," he said to some of his young friends. Bazı genç arkadaşlarına "Bir gün Birleşik Devletler Başkanı olacağım" dedi. “有一天我将成为美国总统，”他对一些年轻的朋友说。 And this he said not as a joke, but in the firm belief that it would prove to be true. Ve bunu bir şaka olarak değil, doğru olduğunun kanıtlanacağına olan kesin inancıyla söyledi. 他说这句话并不是开玩笑，而是坚信这将被证明是真的。