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As the initials of the United States are U.S., some one said they stand for Uncle Sam, so the old fellow dressed in a flag we call Uncle Sam.
美國的首字母是U.S,于是有人說它代表山姆大叔（Uncle Sam,首字母同U.S.),我們因此就把那個穿著國旗的老伙計叫做山姆大叔。
The map of the U.S.looks as if it were made like a patch-work quilt of patches of different sizes and shapes.These patches are the States that are United—that means, joined to one another.As a matter of fact, of course, there are no lines between the States.The lines on the map are marked on the ground by stone posts set so far apart that you may cross from one State to another without even knowing when you are in a different State.Each State has towns and cities and country.I live in a city and the city is in the State of Maryland.You may live in a city or a town or in the country in another State.But every one in the U.S.must live in some Stale unless—I'll tell you later the few places he may live without being in any State.
美國地圖看起來就像由不同尺寸和形狀的布塊拼縫而成的被子。這些布塊就是美國的州，這些州聯合在一起—也就是說彼此聯為一體。當然，實際上這些州之間并沒有線。地圖上的這些 線在地面上就只是用界石遠遠地做的標記，所以你可能從一個州跨進了另一個州自己卻不知道。每個州都有城鎮、城市和鄉村。我住在位于馬里蘭州的一座城市里。你也許住在另一個州的 某座城市或者鎮或者鄉村里。但是每個美國人都得住在某個州里，除非他是住在不屬于任何一個州的地方—稍后我會告訴你有哪幾個地方。
Some of the States have straight sides and some have one, two or more crooked sides.Some are big and some are little.The biggest State is Texas, at the bottom, near the center—only we don't say bottom, we say south.The smallest State is Rhode Island, which is not an island at all.It is near the upper right hand corner —only we don't say upper right-hand corner, we say northeast.Texas would make more than 200 Rhode Islands.That is, you could put more than 200 Rhode Islands in Texas.
有些州有著筆直的邊界，有些州的邊界至少有一兩處是彎曲的。有的州大，有的州小。最大的州是德克薩斯州，靠近中心下邊的地方—不過我們不說下邊，而說南邊。最小的州是羅德島 州，實際上它根本不是什么島。它靠近右上角—不過我們不說右上角，而說東北部。德克薩斯州有兩百多個羅德島州那么大，也就是說，你可以把兩百多個羅德島州放進德克薩斯州里。
Not so long ago there was no United States.There were only thirteen little States along the shore of the Atlantic Ocean.These States were so small they thought they ought to form a club.There is an old story about a man who wanted to break a bundle of sticks.He tried and he tried but he couldn't break the bundle.Then some one told him to take the bundle apart and break each stick separately; so he did, and broke them easily.The States thought that they, in the same way, might be broken easily if separate, so they tied themselves together like a bundle of sticks in order that they might not be “broken” by an enemy.And so the 13 States formed a 13 club and called themselves the United States.They took as their motto “In Union is Strength”, which means “In one bundle we are strong.”
不久以前美國還不存在。只有沿大西洋海岸的13個小州。這些州都很小，所以他們覺得應該成立一個倶樂部。這與一個古老的故事有關，故事說有個男人想折斷一束樹枝，他怎么折都折不 斷。于是有人給他出主意把樹枝解開，再一根一根折；他就照做了，果然很容易就把樹枝折斷了。這13個州認為如果他們彼此分開，同樣也會很容易被打垮，于是他們團結起來就像一捆樹 枝那樣，不會被任何敵人“折斷”了。所以這13個州就組成了一個“十三俱樂部”，起名叫“合眾國”。他們的座右銘是： “團結就是力量。”意思就是“抱成團，折不斷”。
