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Four Great Americans: Washington, Franklin, Webster, Lincoln. A Book for Young Americans by James Baldwin, THE STORY OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN. VI.—THE BOATMAN.

THE STORY OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN. VI.—THE BOATMAN.

One of Thomas Lincoln's friends owned a ferry-boat on the Ohio River. It was nothing but a small rowboat, and would carry only three or four people at a time. This man wanted to employ some one to take care of his boat and to ferry people across the river.

Thomas Lincoln was in need of money; and so he arranged with his friend for Abraham to do this work. The wages of the young man were to be $2.50 a week. But all the money was to be his father's. One day two strangers came to the landing. They wanted to take passage on a steamboat that was coming down the river. The ferry-boy signalled to the steamboat and it stopped in midstream. Then the boy rowed out with the two passengers, and they were taken on board.

Just as he was turning towards the shore again, each of the strangers tossed a half-dollar into his boat. He picked the silver up and looked at it. Ah, how rich he felt! He had never had so much money at one time. And he had gotten all for a few minutes' labor! When winter came on, there were fewer people who wanted to cross the river. So, at last, the ferry-boat was tied up, and Abraham Lincoln went back to his father's home. He was now nineteen years old. He was very tall—nearly six feet four inches in height. He was as strong as a young giant. He could jump higher and farther, and he could run faster, than any of his fellows; and there was no one, far or near, who could lay him on his back.

Although he had always lived in a community of rude, rough people, he had no bad habits. He used no tobacco; he did not drink strong liquor; no profane word ever passed his lips.

He was good-natured at all times, and kind to every one.

During that winter, Mr. Gentry, the storekeeper in the village, had bought a good deal of corn and pork. He intended, in the spring, to load this on a flatboat and send it down the river to New Orleans.

In looking about for a captain to take charge of the boat, he happened to think of Abraham Lincoln. He knew that he could trust the young man. And so a bargain was soon made. Abraham agreed to pilot the boat to New Orleans and to market the produce there; and Mr. Gentry was to pay his father eight dollars and a half a month for his services.

As soon as the ice had well melted from the river, the voyage was begun. Besides Captain Lincoln there was only one man in the crew, and that was a son of Mr. Gentry's. The voyage was a long and weary one, but at last the two boatmen reached the great southern city. Here they saw many strange things of which they had never heard before. But they soon sold their cargo and boat, and then returned home on a steamboat.

To Abraham Lincoln the world was now very different from what it had seemed before. He longed to be away from the narrow life in the woods of Spencer county. He longed to be doing something for himself—to be making for himself a fortune and a name.

But then he remembered his mother's teachings when he sat on her knee in the old Kentucky home, "Always do right." He remembered her last words, "I know you will be kind to your father." And so he resolved to stay with his father, to work for him, and to give him all his earnings until he was twenty-one years old.

THE STORY OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN. VI.—THE BOATMAN. L'HISTOIRE D'ABRAHAM LINCOLN. VI - LE BATELIER. ABRAHAM LINCOLN'ÜN HİKAYESİ. VI.-KAYIKÇI. ІСТОРІЯ АВРААМА ЛІНКОЛЬНА. VI. ЧОВНЯР. 亚伯拉罕·林肯的故事。六、船夫。

One of Thomas Lincoln's friends owned a ferry-boat on the Ohio River. Thomas Lincoln'ün arkadaşlarından birinin Ohio Nehri'nde bir feribot teknesi vardı. 托马斯·林肯的一位朋友在俄亥俄河上拥有一艘渡船。 It was nothing but a small rowboat, and would carry only three or four people at a time. Küçük bir kayıktan başka bir şey değildi ve bir seferde sadece üç ya da dört kişi taşıyabiliyordu. This man wanted to employ some one to take care of his boat and to ferry people across the river. Bu adam teknesine bakacak ve insanları nehirden geçirecek birini işe almak istiyordu.

Thomas Lincoln was in need of money; and so he arranged with his friend for Abraham to do this work. Thomas Lincoln'ün paraya ihtiyacı vardı; bu yüzden arkadaşıyla Abraham'ın bu işi yapması için anlaştı. 托马斯·林肯需要钱。于是他和他的朋友安排亚伯拉罕来做这项工作。 The wages of the young man were to be $2.50 a week. Genç adamın maaşı haftada 2.50 dolar olacaktı. But all the money was to be his father's. Ama tüm para babasının olacaktı. One day two strangers came to the landing. Bir gün iki yabancı iskeleye geldi. 有一天，两个陌生人来到了楼梯平台。 They wanted to take passage on a steamboat that was coming down the river. Nehirden gelen bir buharlı gemiye binmek istediler. 他们想搭乘顺河而下的汽船。 The ferry-boy signalled to the steamboat and it stopped in midstream. Vapur çocuğu vapura işaret etti ve vapur akıntının ortasında durdu. 摆渡人向汽船打了个手势，汽船就停在了河中央。 Then the boy rowed out with the two passengers, and they were taken on board. Sonra çocuk iki yolcuyla birlikte kürek çekti ve gemiye alındılar.

Just as he was turning towards the shore again, each of the strangers tossed a half-dollar into his boat. Tam tekrar kıyıya doğru dönerken, yabancıların her biri teknesine yarım dolar attı. 当他再次转向岸边时，每个陌生人都向他的船上扔了半美元。 He picked the silver up and looked at it. Gümüşü aldı ve ona baktı. Ah, how rich he felt! Ah, ne kadar zengin hissediyordu! He had never had so much money at one time. Bir seferde hiç bu kadar çok parası olmamıştı. And he had gotten all for a few minutes' labor! Ve tüm bunları birkaç dakikalık emek karşılığında elde etmişti! 而他仅仅几分钟的劳动就得到了一切！ When winter came on, there were fewer people who wanted to cross the river. Kış geldiğinde, nehri geçmek isteyen daha az insan vardı. So, at last, the ferry-boat was tied up, and Abraham Lincoln went back to his father's home. Sonunda feribot bağlandı ve Abraham Lincoln babasının evine geri döndü. He was now nineteen years old. Şimdi on dokuz yaşındaydı. He was very tall—nearly six feet four inches in height. Çok uzun boyluydu, neredeyse 1.80 boyundaydı. 他很高——将近六英尺四英寸高。 He was as strong as a young giant. Genç bir dev kadar güçlüydü. He could jump higher and farther, and he could run faster, than any of his fellows; and there was no one, far or near, who could lay him on his back. Arkadaşlarının hepsinden daha yükseğe ve daha uzağa zıplayabilir ve daha hızlı koşabilirdi; ve uzakta ya da yakında onu sırt üstü yatırabilecek kimse yoktu. 他比任何人都跳得更高、更远，跑得更快。无论远近，都没有人能让他仰卧。

Although he had always lived in a community of rude, rough people, he had no bad habits. Her zaman kaba saba insanlardan oluşan bir toplulukta yaşamış olmasına rağmen, hiçbir kötü alışkanlığı yoktu. He used no tobacco; he did not drink strong liquor; no profane word ever passed his lips. Tütün kullanmazdı; sert içki içmezdi; ağzından küfürlü bir söz çıkmazdı.

He was good-natured at all times, and kind to every one. Her zaman iyi huyluydu ve herkese karşı nazikti.

During that winter, Mr. Gentry, the storekeeper in the village, had bought a good deal of corn and pork. O kış boyunca, köydeki dükkân sahibi Bay Gentry iyi miktarda mısır ve domuz eti satın almıştı. 那年冬天，村里的店主金特里先生买了很多玉米和猪肉。 He intended, in the spring, to load this on a flatboat and send it down the river to New Orleans. İlkbaharda bunu bir kayığa yükleyip nehirden aşağı New Orleans'a göndermeyi planlıyordu.

In looking about for a captain to take charge of the boat, he happened to think of Abraham Lincoln. Teknenin başına geçecek bir kaptan ararken aklına Abraham Lincoln geldi. 在寻找一位船长来掌管这艘船时，他碰巧想到了亚伯拉罕·林肯。 He knew that he could trust the young man. Genç adama güvenebileceğini biliyordu. And so a bargain was soon made. Ve böylece kısa sürede bir pazarlık yapıldı. 于是，一笔交易很快就达成了。 Abraham agreed to pilot the boat to New Orleans and to market the produce there; and Mr. Gentry was to pay his father eight dollars and a half a month for his services. Abraham gemiyi New Orleans'a götürmeyi ve ürünleri orada pazarlamayı kabul etti; Bay Gentry de hizmetleri karşılığında babasına ayda sekiz buçuk dolar ödeyecekti.

As soon as the ice had well melted from the river, the voyage was begun. Nehirdeki buzlar iyice erir erimez yolculuğa başlandı. 河上的冰完全融化后，航行就开始了。 Besides Captain Lincoln there was only one man in the crew, and that was a son of Mr. Gentry's. Kaptan Lincoln dışında mürettebatta sadece bir kişi vardı ve o da Bay Gentry'nin oğluydu. 除了林肯船长之外，船员中只有一个人，那就是金特里先生的儿子。 The voyage was a long and weary one, but at last the two boatmen reached the great southern city. Yolculuk uzun ve yorucuydu ama sonunda iki kayıkçı büyük güney şehrine ulaştı. 航行是一段漫长而疲惫的旅程，但两个船夫终于到达了这座伟大的南方城市。 Here they saw many strange things of which they had never heard before. Burada daha önce hiç duymadıkları pek çok tuhaf şey gördüler. But they soon sold their cargo and boat, and then returned home on a steamboat. Ancak kısa süre sonra yüklerini ve teknelerini satıp bir buharlı gemiyle evlerine döndüler.

To Abraham Lincoln the world was now very different from what it had seemed before. Abraham Lincoln için dünya artık daha önce göründüğünden çok farklıydı. He longed to be away from the narrow life in the woods of Spencer county. Spencer ilçesinin ormanlarındaki dar yaşamdan uzak kalmayı özlemişti. 他渴望远离斯宾塞县树林里狭窄的生活。 He longed to be doing something for himself—to be making for himself a fortune and a name. Kendisi için bir şeyler yapmayı, bir servet ve isim sahibi olmayı arzuluyordu.

But then he remembered his mother's teachings when he sat on her knee in the old Kentucky home, "Always do right." Ama sonra Kentucky'deki eski evinde dizinin dibinde oturduğu annesinin öğretilerini hatırladı: "Her zaman doğru olanı yap." He remembered her last words, "I know you will be kind to your father." Onun son sözlerini hatırladı: "Babana karşı nazik olacağını biliyorum." And so he resolved to stay with his father, to work for him, and to give him all his earnings until he was twenty-one years old. Böylece babasının yanında kalmaya, onun için çalışmaya ve yirmi bir yaşına gelene kadar tüm kazancını ona vermeye karar verdi.