参考译文：

北方军在内战的第一次重大战役中失利

 

南北双方的战事在1861年夏天迅速漫延。北方士兵在巴尔的摩和圣路易斯的大街小巷与支持南方的叛乱者交火，有一个南方支持者枪杀了北方的一位年轻的官员。双方未经训练的士兵在维吉尼亚西部山脉中交战。然而，尽管如此，到目前为止，南北双方的战斗并没有造成多大的伤亡。但，不久，战斗变得异常的猛烈。本周，我们继续向你讲述美国内战的故事。

指挥北方军的老将军温菲尔德.斯科特不想马上将他的军队投入到战斗中。斯科特认为这场战争将会持续很长时间。他打算利用在第一年里做好战争的准备。他手里有一支数千人的部队，这支部队将在未来几个月内不断发展壮大，但这支军队没有经过训练，他的士兵大多数都是平民，他们对战争一无所知。他需要时间来训练这些士兵，使他们成为真正的士兵。他还需要时间组建补给体系，以给他的部队提供枪炮、子弹、食品和衣物等，没有这些补给，他的部队无法持续战斗。

然而，在北方，有许多人认为斯科特太谨慎了。他们说，没错，北方的军队未经训练，但南方军队同样如此，而且南方军队的补给问题甚至比北方更严重。南方没有更多的工业，铁路线也很少，南方不能像北方那样生产那么多的军事装备，而且南方的铁路运输也没有北方那么方便。在战争暴发的头几个月里，南方总统杰斐逊.戴维斯甚至不能向他的军队提供足够的枪支。这些要求立即采取行动的人期望打一场很短时间的战争。他们说，斯科特应向雷切蒙德进军。他们确信，如果北方军队占领南方邦联的首都雷切蒙德的话，那么南方叛乱就将结束。北方的报纸开始狂叫：“向雷切蒙德进军！”北方的政治领导人开始向斯科特施加压力，要求北方尽快取得胜利。北方的民众也施加压力，要求军队采取行动。

在一个多月的时间里，欧文.麦克道尔将军在北维吉尼亚组建了一支北方军队，这支军队正从华盛顿通过波托马可河到达维吉尼亚州。他的这支军队有三万人，驻扎在阿林顿和亚历山大军事基地。在七月下旬，麦克道尔得到命令：“向南方的皮埃尔.包瑞德将军进军。”包瑞德将军率领二万大军，驻扎在马纳萨斯汇合点（Manassas Junction），这里距华盛顿不足五十公里，这是一个有铁路线的小村庄。麦克道尔将军准备在7月9日向马纳萨斯进军，但他延迟了一个多星期。

麦克道尔对发动这次进攻非常谨慎，他担心在马纳萨斯西面的另一支更大规模的南方军队会支援包瑞德，这支南方军队由乔.约翰斯顿将军率领，驻扎在维吉尼亚州哈珀斯渡口附近的雪兰多山谷（Shenandoah Valley）中，它的对面有一支北方军队，其规模大约为约翰斯顿军队的两倍，这支北方军队得到的命令就是给约翰斯顿军队施加压力，迫使其无法支援包瑞德。

包瑞德将军很早就从南方的间谍那得知麦克道尔将要对其发动进攻，他所得到的消息更多来自于一位女士，这位女士叫罗斯.奥尼尔.格林豪（Rose O'Neal Greenhow）太太。格林豪太太是一位寡妇，她在华盛顿是一位重要人物，她几乎了解华盛顿政府的所有高层，而且她还几乎在政府各个部门都有朋友。这位漂亮的格林豪太太还有一些特别的朋友，其中一个是马萨诸塞州联邦参议员亨利.威尔逊（Henry Wilson），他是美国参议院军事委员会主席，另一位特别朋友是托马斯.约旦（Thomas Jordan），他是包瑞德军中的一位上校。

在美国内战暴发后不久，约旦就要求格林豪太太当一名间谍，为南方效力。格林豪太太同意了，她很快就向南方传递了许多有关北方军事计划的有价值的消息。在七月初，她送出消息，告诉包瑞德，北方军队将要向他发起进攻。她还送出了一张军用地图，这张军用地图是美国参议院军事委员会所用的地图，地图上显示北方军队将如何到达马纳萨斯汇合点。后来，在7月16日早晨，格林豪太太写了一张只有九个字的纸条，她派人将这张字条送给了包瑞德将军。这位南方将军在当天傍晚收到了这张字条，这张字条上面写到：“麦克道尔得到的命令是今晚进攻马纳萨斯。”

包瑞德将军　向雷切蒙德发了一封电报，他告诉南方联邦政府，麦克道尔就在进攻他的路上，他要求约翰斯顿驻扎在雪兰多山谷的一万多人马加入到他的战斗中，他曾经被告知，可以得到约翰斯顿的援助。但约翰斯顿正受到一支更大规模的北方军队的威胁，这支北方军队从马里兰进入到维吉尼亚，这支北方军队由罗伯特.帕特森（Robert Patterson）率领。罗伯特.帕特森率领的这支北方部队正向一支更小的南方部队运动，准备发起攻击，他们对与约翰斯顿部队交战并不是真的感兴趣，但他们要阻止约翰斯顿部队支援包瑞德。约翰斯顿知道，他难以抵御帕特森，所以，他决定用计骗帕特森。约翰斯顿一面组织他的军队撤退去支援包瑞德，一面又派遣一支小股部队向帕特森发起攻击。帕特森认为约翰斯顿是利用全部的力量进攻他，因此他停止了部队的前进，转而准备抵御这支更为强大的敌人的进攻。到约翰斯顿的诡计被揭穿时，约翰斯顿和他的主力已经到达马纳萨斯。

麦克道尔率领他的大军于7月16日下午离开阿林顿驻地，那时天气炎热，道路满是灰尘，再加上这支部队没有很好的组织，因此行进速度很慢，他们每到一条河流就停下来喝水，洗脸，一路上，有些士兵还离开队伍去采摘水果吃。这在沿路观看他们行军的人来看，这支穿着花花绿绿衣服的部队，简直就像是马戏团在巡游。这些士兵中，很多人是刚刚才成为士兵，他们的体质很弱，因而很快就感到了疲劳。到达布尔朗前的最后一个小镇――圣特威尔镇（Centreville）用了四天时间，而从阿林顿到圣特威尔只有四十五公里的路程。这场战役就要在第二天早晨，即7月21日星期日打响。

这个星期天的早晨，从华盛顿来的路上非常拥挤，很多人骑马或坐马车来观看这场战斗。成百上千的男男女女站在圣特威尔附近一个小山包上观看这场战斗，这小山包下面就是布尔朗。但是战场被树木被遮挡，在小山包上观看战斗的人群只能看到一点点战场的情形。然而，他们能够看到战场上的硝烟，他们能够听到枪声和爆炸声。不时地，他们看到北方军官跑到小山包来报告他们取得了重大的胜利。

在战斗打响的头几个小时里，北方军队进攻顺利，麦克道尔已经将他的主力推进到包瑞德军队的这一侧，麦克道尔利用大炮迫使南方军队后撤，南方军队的防线似乎就要突破了，有些南方士兵开始向后逃跑，而有些士兵则继续战斗。有一位南方军官想办法阻止士兵后退，他指着一支由维吉尼亚的T.J.杰克逊将军率领的部队喊到：“看！那是杰克逊将军，他们像一堵墙那样坚守阵地！像维吉尼亚人一样勇敢地战斗！”

南方军队不再后退了，战斗异常猛烈，整个空气中到处都是穿梭的子弹。有一位新闻记者记录下了山谷中的烟尘，有一位南方士兵对他的朋友说：“那些北方佬正向前推进，我们的子弹将他们送进了地狱。”任何一方都不想放弃这场战斗，后来，一支更大规模的军队，即约翰斯顿的部队乘坐火车赶到了，并投入到战斗。突然之间，北方军队停止了战斗，并开始后撤。麦克道尔将军和他的指挥官们试图阻止这种退却，但没能成功，他们的士兵不想再打了。

溃退的北方士兵，扔掉他们手中的枪和装备，一心只想逃跑，有很多士兵一口气跑到了华盛顿。这是一次痛苦的大溃败，但这使北方意识到，他们必须为这次战争组建真正意义上的军队，一支经过训练和装备良好的军队。亚伯拉罕.林肯将这项任务交给了乔治.麦克莱伦（George McClellan）将军。

欲知后事如何，请看下周分解。

简评

　　马纳萨斯战役，是美国内战的第一次重大战役，这次战役以北方军队的溃败而结束。从本文提供的信息来看，北方军队的失败是必然的。

　　第一、在此次战役开始前，林格豪，这个身处华盛顿高层的美丽寡妇，充当南方间谍，不断地将北方最高军事机密传递给南方，就在此次战役暴发前夕，还将准确的情报送到了南方的统率手里在。如此，北方军队焉能不败！

第二、政治家们和广大民众与军事指挥者的意见严重不合，是政治家和广大民众，迫使军事指挥员不得已开始此次战役。北方陆军最高指挥官本来想好好准备，然后再向南方发动攻击，可是北方的政治家们，想当然地认为，北方拥有比南方更为有利的军事优势，认为战争会很快就结束，如果能够及时占领对方的首都的话。同样，广大民众也希望北方军尽快军事行动。在这种情况下，北方军怎能不败。

第三、北方军是一支没有良好组织，没有经过良好训练，没有必胜信心的部队。军队纪律涣散，甚至没有什么纪律。部队的行军就像马戏团巡游，部队根本就没有进行过训练，士兵的身体条件很弱，根本就不适合战争的要求。只有四十五公里的路程却行进了四天时间，丧失了宝贵的时间。如此的军队，焉能不败。

第四、北方人根本就没有做好进行残酷战争的准备。当4月21日这个星期天要打战时，成百上千的北方人纷纷从华盛顿赶到马纳萨斯，来观看南北双方如何打战。他们竟然将打战当成了可以观赏的游戏。就这样的民众，其军队焉能不败。

第五、北方军各部相互协调不够，没能有效地阻止南方的约翰斯顿支援包瑞德，直接导致北方军队在此次战役中失败。

第六、没有必胜的信心。刚开始，南方军队在北方强大的火力压制下，步步后退，一些士兵开始逃跑，但南方指挥官及时制止，并奋起反击。而当南方军队占优势时，北方军队就不打了，他们竟然扔掉手中的武器，一心只想着逃命，他们有力气，一口气从战场跑回华盛顿，却没有力气继续坚持战斗。就这样的军队，怎么能不败。

 

The North Loses the First Major Battle of the War

 

The battle between the North and the South spread in the summer of eighteen sixty-one. Union soldiers fought pro-southern rioters in the streets of Baltimore and Saint Louis. A Confederate supporter shot and killed a young officer from the North. Untrained soldiers from both sides fought in the mountains of western Virginia. So far, though, the fighting had not claimed many lives. But very soon, the battle would become fierce. This week in our series, we continue the story of the American Civil War.　　

General Winfield Scott

The old general who commanded the Union forces, Winfield Scott, did not want to rush his men into battle. Scott believed it would be a long war. He planned to spend the first year of it getting ready to fight. He had an army of thousands of men, and it would get much larger in coming months. But this army was not trained. His soldiers were civilians who knew nothing about fighting a war. General Scott needed time to make soldiers of these men. He also needed time to organize a supply system to get to his forces the guns, bullets, food, and clothing they would need. Without supplies, his army could not fight very long. 　

There were many in the North, however, who thought Scott was too careful. It was true, they said, that Union forces were untrained. But so were those of the South. And the Confederacy's supply problems were even greater than those of the Union. The South had much less industry and fewer railroads. It could not produce as much military equipment, and it could not transport supplies as easily as the North could. In the early months of the war, Jefferson Davis, the Confederate president, did not even have guns enough for the men in his army. Those who demanded immediate action expected a short war. They said Scott should take the army and march to Richmond. They were sure that if Union forces seized the Confederate capital, the southern rebellion would end. Northern newspapers took up the cry, "On to Richmond!" Political leaders began pressing for a quick northern victory. Public pressure forced the army to act. 　

General Irvin McDowell

For more than a month, General Irvin McDowell had been building a Union army in northern Virginia, just across the Potomac River from Washington. He had more than thirty thousand men at bases in Arlington and Alexandria. Late in June, McDowell received orders: "March against the Confederate Army of General Pierre Beauregard."  Beauregard had twenty thousand soldiers at Manassas Junction, a railroad village in Virginia less than fifty kilometers from Washington. McDowell planned to move on Manassas Junction July ninth, but was delayed for more than a week. 　

He planned the attack carefully. McDowell was worried that another large Confederate force west of Manassas Junction might join Beauregard's army. This force, led by General Joe Johnston, was in the Shenandoah Valley near Harpers Ferry, Virginia. Across from Harpers Ferry, in Maryland, was a Union army almost twice the size of Johnston's. It was ordered to put pressure on Johnston's force to prevent it from helping Beauregard. 　

Rose O'Neal Greenhow and her daughter Rose

General Beauregard received early warning from Confederate spies that McDowell would attack. Much of his information came from a woman, Missus Rose O'Neal Greenhow. Missus Greenhow, a widow, was an important woman in Washington. She knew almost all the top government officials. And she had friends in almost every department of the government. The beautiful Missus Greenhow also had some very special friends. One was Senator Henry Wilson of Massachusetts. He was chairman of the Senate Committee on Military Affairs. Another special friend was Thomas Jordan, a Confederate colonel in Beauregard's army.

Jordan asked Missus Greenhow, soon after the war started, to be a spy for the South. She agreed and sent much valuable information about Union military plans. Early in July, she sent word to Beauregard that he would be attacked soon. She also sent a map used by the Senate Military Affairs Committee showing how the Union army would reach Manassas Junction. Then, on the morning of July sixteenth, Missus Greenhow wrote a nine-word message. She gave it to a man to carry to Beauregard. The Confederate general received it that evening. It said: "Order given for McDowell to march upon Manassas tonight." 　

Beauregard sent a telegram to Richmond. He told the Confederate government that McDowell was on the way. He asked that Johnston's ten thousand-man force in the Shenandoah Valley join him for battle. He was told to expect Johnston's help. But Johnston's army was threatened by a large Union force that entered Virginia from Maryland. Led by General Robert Patterson, the Union troops moved toward the smaller Confederate force. They were not really interested in fighting Johnston. But they did want to prevent him from reaching Beauregard. Johnston knew he could not defeat Patterson. So he decided to trick him. While most of his army withdrew and prepared to join Beauregard, Johnston sent a small force to attack Patterson's army. Patterson believed Johnston was attacking with all his troops. He stopped moving forward and prepared to defend against what seemed to be a strong Confederate attack. By the time the trick was discovered, Johnston and most of his troops were at Manassas.

General McDowell's huge Union army left Arlington on the afternoon of July sixteenth. It was a hot day, and the road was dusty. The march was not well organized, and the men traveled slowly. They stopped at every stream to drink and wash the dust from their faces. Some of the soldiers left the road to pick fruits and berries from bushes along the way. To some of those who watched this army pass, the lines of soldiers in bright clothes looked like a long circus parade. Most of these men had not been soldiers long. Their bodies were soft, and they tired quickly. It took them four days to travel the forty-five kilometers to Centreville, the final town before Bull Run. The battle would start the next morning -- Sunday, July twenty-first.

The road from Washington was crowded early Sunday morning with horses and wagons bringing people to watch the great battle. Hundreds of men and women watched the fight from a hill near Centreville. Below them was Bull Run. But the battleground was covered so thickly with trees that the crowds saw little of the fighting. They could, however, see the smoke of battle. And they could hear the sounds of shots and exploding shells. From time to time, Union officers would ride up the hill to report what a great victory their troops were winning.

A newspaper drawing of the battle

In the first few hours of the battle, Union forces were winning. McDowell had moved most of his men to the left side of Beauregard's army. They attacked with artillery and pushed the Confederate forces back. It seemed that the Confederate defense would break. Some of the southern soldiers began to run. But others stood and fought. One Confederate officer, trying to prevent his troops from moving back, pointed to a group led by General T. J. Jackson of Virginia. "Look!" He shouted. "There is Jackson, standing like a stone wall! Fight like the Virginians!" 　

The Confederate troops refused to break. The fighting was fierce. The air was full of flying bullets. A newsman wrote that the whole valley was boiling with dust and smoke. A Confederate soldier told his friend, "Them Yankees are just marching up and being shot to hell."  Neither side would give up. Then, a large group of Johnston's troops arrived by train and joined in the fight. Suddenly, Union soldiers stopped fighting and began pulling back. General McDowell and his officers tried to stop the retreat, but failed. Their men wanted no more fighting. 　

The fleeing Union soldiers threw down their guns and equipment, thinking only of escape. Many did not stop until they reached Washington. It was a bitter defeat. But it made the North recognize the need for a real army -- one trained and equipped for war. President Abraham Lincoln gave the job of building such an army to General George McClellan.

http://www.21voa.com/path.asp?url=/200908/se-nation-99-abraham-lincoln-part-five-26-aug-09_0.Mp3

 

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