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LESSON 1 The great siege of gibraltar(1779-1782)
第一課 直布羅陀包圍戰 (1779-1782)
Gibraltar fell into the hands of the English in 1704, during the War of the Spanish Succession —the war in which Marlborough gained so much glory for the English arms. Admiral Sir George Rooke had been sent to the Mediterranean, to watch the French and Spanish fleets. For a long time he was unable to accomplish anything of importance; but, learning that Gibraltar was very poorly garrisoned, he suddenly attacked and captured it, and hoisted the English flag on its Signal Station.
直布羅陀于1704年落入英國人之手，當時正值西班牙王位繼承戰爭——馬爾伯勒在這場戰爭中為英國軍隊贏得了很大榮譽。海軍上將喬治·魯克爵士被派往地中海，監視法國和西班牙的艦隊。在很長一段時間里，他無法取得任何功績；但是，當他得知直布羅陀的駐軍很差時，他突然襲擊并占領了直布羅陀，并在直布羅陀的信號站升起了英國國旗。
That flag is the only one that has ever floated there since the 23rd of July 1704. Time after time have the Spaniards tried to recover this "key of the Mediterranean;" but every effort has been repulsed most gallantly, and often with tremendous loss to the enemy.
這面旗是自1704年7月23日以來唯一飄揚在那里的旗幟。西班牙人一次又一次地試圖奪回這把“地中海的鑰匙”; 但是，每一次的努力都被最勇敢地擊退了，往往給敵人帶來巨大的損失。
The last attempt they made was the most gigantic and determined of all; and its successful resistance by the English garrison forms one of the most heroic incidents in the annals of modern warfare. It occurred during the struggle which severed from England her North American colonies. France recognized the United States as an independent power in 1778, and a war with England was the consequence. In the following year Spain joined France, and Gibraltar was immediately blockaded.
西班牙最后一次嘗試是所有嘗試中規模最大、決心最大的一次。英國駐軍的成功抵抗是現代戰爭史上最英勇的事件之一。它發生在英國與北美殖民地分離的斗爭中。1778年，法國承認美國為一個獨立的國家，并因此與英國開戰。第二年，西班牙加入法國，直布羅陀立即被封鎖。
