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272. The Privateers.
272．武裝民船
No British fleets could keep the privateers from leaving port.
沒有哪支英國艦隊可以阻止美國的武裝民船出海，
They swarmed upon the ocean and captured hundreds of British merchantmen, some of them within sight of the shores of Great Britain.
這些船蜂擁在海上并奪取了數(shù)以百計的英國商船，它們當中有一些船只甚至靠近大不列顛的海岸。
In all, they captured more than twenty-five hundred British ships.
這些武裝民船一共奪取了2500艘英國船
They even fought the smaller warships of the enemy.
它們甚至還與英軍的小型軍艦作戰(zhàn)。
273. Treaty of Ghent, 1814.
273．《根特條約》（1814年）
The war had hardly begun before commissioners to treat for peace were appointed by both the United States and Great Britain.
幾乎在戰(zhàn)爭開始之時英國和美國都任命了處理和平事務的官員，
But they did nothing until the failure of the 1814 campaign showed the British government that there was no hope of conquering any portion of the United States.
但是他們沒有做任何工作，這種情況一直持續(xù)到1814年戰(zhàn)役，這場戰(zhàn)役讓英國政府相信沒有征服美國任何一個部分的希望。
Then the British were ready enough to make peace, and a treaty was signed at Ghent in December, 1814.
之后，英國已經(jīng)做好了和平談判的充分準備，1814年，英美在根特簽訂條約。
This was two weeks before the British disaster at New Orleans occurred, and months before the news of it reached Europe.
條約簽訂后的第二周，英國在新奧爾良慘敗，幾個月后這次慘敗的消息傳到歐洲。
None of the things about which the war was fought were even mentioned in the treaty.
但在條約中沒有提及引發(fā)這些戰(zhàn)爭的事端，
But this did not really make much difference.
而這并無難于理解之處，
For the British had repealed their orders as to American ships before the news of the declaration of war reached London.
因為，在對英國宣戰(zhàn)的消息到達倫敦之前，英國已經(jīng)取消了關(guān)于美國船只的命令。
As for impressment, the guns of the Constitution had put an end to that.
至于"強制征兵"，"憲法"號的火炮已經(jīng)將它變成歷史。
