AbrahamLincoln

wasbornintheStateofKentuckyin1809.HewonanelectedseatontheIllinoisstatelegislaturein1834attheearlyageoftwenty-five.亞伯拉罕·林肯1809年誕生于肯塔基州。1834年他只有25歲時就在伊利諾伊州的議會選舉中獲勝。HejoinedtheRepublicanPartyin1856,afterhavingservedfortwoyearsasaRepresentativeinCongress.In1860hewaselectedsixteenthPresidentoftheUnitedStates.他任國會的眾議員兩年后，于1856年加入共和黨。1860年，他當選為美國第16任總統。Lincolnwasre-electedPresidentin1864,butdidnotservethefullsecondterm,ashewasassassinatedin1865.1864年林肯連任總統，但第二任任期未滿，即于1865年遇刺身亡。OneeveningPresidentLincolnandasmallparty

ofhisfriendswenttothetheatre.Whenthepresident’spartyenteredthetheatre,andwasmakingitswaybehindtheseatsofthedresscircle,theorchestraplayed“HailtotheChief.”Thepeople,risingintheirseatsandwavinghatsandhankerchiefs,cheeredandcheered.Andtheactorsonthestagestoodsilent.Thepartypassedthroughthenarrowentranceintothebox,bowedand

smiledtothecrowdbelow.MrLincolnsatinalargearmchairattheleft,MrsLincolnnexttohim,MissHarrisnext,andtotheveryright,alittlebehindMissHarris,MajorRathbone;andthentheplaybegan.一天晚上，林肯總統和他的幾個朋友去劇場看戲。總統一行步入劇場，經過二層樓座座位后面時，樂隊演奏《向領袖歡呼》的樂曲。觀眾都站了起來揮動帽子和手帕，不停地歡呼。演員們肅靜地站在舞臺上。總統一行通過狹窄的入口走進包廂，朝下面的人群鞠躬，微笑致意。林肯坐在左邊一個大安樂椅上，他旁邊坐著林肯夫人和海莉斯小姐。最后邊靠海莉斯小姐稍后些的是拉思伯恩少校。坐定后，表演開始。Thepartyintheboxwasverypleased,itseemed,especiallythePresi-dent,wholaughedatthejokesandtalkedhappilybetweentheacts.Hemovedfromhisseatonlyonce,risingthentoputonhisovercoat,forthetheatrewascold.Theotherpeopletherewerealsoquitehappy,thoughafewkeptaneyeontheboxentrance,stillexpectingGeneralGrant.Thefewwhoseeyeswereontheboxnoticed,inthemiddleofthethirdact,thatamanwaspassingbehindtheseatsofthedresscircleandapproachingtheentrancetothebox.Thosewhodidnotknowhimnoticedthathewasquitehandsome,thoughverypale;thatwasall.Theydidnotlookagain.ItwasnotGeneralGrant.包廂里的人似乎都很高興，特別是總統。他在看到有趣的地方就笑起來，并在幕間談笑風生。總統只有一次離開過座位。那是因為劇場里冷，他站起來穿上大衣。劇場里其他的人也很高興，只是有幾個人注視著包廂的入口，盼著格蘭特將軍的到來。當戲演到第三幕中間的時候，那幾個盯著包廂的人看到一個男人從二層樓座后面穿過,走向包廂的入口。那些不認識他的人注意到他長得很英俊，但臉色蒼白，僅此而已。他們沒有再注意看。反正那個人不是格蘭特將軍。No－onequestionedhismovements.Hewasapersoninthetheatrewithfreeentrancetoeverycorner.Hehadbeenthereduringtheday;hehadpassedoutandinonceortwiceduringtheevening.沒有人查問這個人的行動。他是劇院里的人，哪里都可以去。那天，他白天就去過劇院，傍晚曾出入劇院一兩次。Themanseemedtoknowhiswayabout

andhesoonslippedsilentlyoutofsightthroughthedoorleadingintothepassagebehindthePresident’sbox.Heclosedthedoorbehindhim,waitedforamoment,thendidacuriousthingfora

visitortoatheatreparty.Hepickedupapieceofwoodwhichheseemedtoknowwasthere.Heslippedoneendintoaholeinthewallclosetothedoor.Thepieceofwoodwentacrossthedoor,making

aroughbutstrongbar.Turningtothedoorwhichledfromthepassagetotheboxes,hemayhavelookedthroughasmallholewhichhadbeenmadethere.Ifhedid,hesawaquietpartywatchingtheplay,thePresidentjustthensmilingatsomethingfunny.這個人看來熟門熟路，很快就悄悄地溜進通往總統包廂后面通道的門里不見了。他關上身后邊的門，稍等了一會兒，然后干了一件作為一個和友人一起到劇院觀劇的人來說是十分離奇的事。他撿起一根好像他事先就知道在那里的木棍，把木棍的一端插進門旁的一個墻洞里，木棍橫在門前，成為一根粗糙但結實的門閂。然后他轉向包廂的門。他可能從門上原有的一個小孔往包廂里看了一下。如果他看了的話，他就會看見那里邊的人都在靜靜地看戲,總統看到有趣的地方正在微笑。Openingthedoorsoquietlythatno-oneheardhim,themanenteredthebox.Thenifanyeyeinthetheatrehadlooked,ifoneheadintheboxhadbeenturned,itwouldhavebeenseenthatthemanheldaguninhisrighthand,andthatheraiseditandaimeditsteadilyattheheadofthesmilingPresident.他輕輕地打開了門，輕得沒有人聽到他的動靜。他走進包廂。如果那時劇場里有人朝那里看,如果包廂里有人回一下頭,就會看見這個人手里拿著一支槍,并看見他舉起槍來，不偏不倚地瞄準了正在微笑的總統的頭部。Noeyesawhim,butasecondlatereveryearheardagunshot.Manypeopleinthetheatrethoughtitapartoftheplay.Thosewhoknewtheplay,“OurAmericanCousin”,lookedaroundinsurprisetoseewherethesoundcamefrom.Onlythreepeopleinthewholetheatreknewjustwhereitwas—threeofthefourintheboxknewitwastherebytheirside.Thefourthsawnothing,heardnothing,thoughtnothing.Hisheadhadfallenquietlyonhisbreast,hisar