The Patriot《愛國者》（精講之五）
[ 2007-03-28 18:01 ]
影片對白 To your
mind, what are appropriate levels of hostile attention?
文化面面觀 人物：Charles Cornwallis &
William Tavington (Banastre Tarleton)
2. William Tavington
Colonel William Tavington is based on Lt. Colonel
Banastre Tarleton.
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Lieutenant-Colonel Banastre
Tarleton by Sir Joshua Reynolds | The notable successes of Sir Banastre Tarleton (1754-1833), English cavalry
officer during the American Revolution, earned him the sobriquet "Bloody
Tarleton."
Banastre Tarleton was the son of a wealthy Liverpool merchant, a sometime
mayor of the city. After attending Oxford, young Tarleton entered the King's
Dragoon Guards in 1775. He volunteered for service in the American colonies and
gained his first military experience in Henry Clinton's unsuccessful venture
against Charleston, S.C., in June 1776. Tarleton participated in the New York,
Philadelphia, and Monmouth campaigns and was a member of the small party that
captured American general Charles Lee in late 1776.
Accompanying Clinton on his second expedition against Charleston in 1780,
Tarleton demonstrated his ability as commander of light infantry and dragoons.
In a number of engagements he sometimes annihilated the opposition at little
loss to his own men. After the bloody battle at Waxhaws, S.C., in May, Tarleton
was regarded by the Revolutionaries as bloodthirsty and merciless. His
reputation was largely a consequence of his tactics - usually a rapid cavalry
charge followed by the energetic use of sabers and bayonets - and their impact
upon the often poorly trained Americans.
Tarleton helped rout Horatio Gates's army at Camden, S.C., in August 1780 and
surprised and destroyed the mixed forces of Thomas Sumter at Fishing Creek.
Tarleton's defeat at Cowpens, S.C., in January 1781 materially weakened British
forces in the South and raised rebel morale and encouraged resistance to the
British. Subsequently, he won minor engagements and led a spectacular raid deep
into Virginia in July. But, as he admitted, the results of this raid did not
compensate for the loss of men and horses. He served with Lord Cornwallis in the
Yorktown campaign, and their forces surrendered in October.
After being paroled, Tarleton returned to England in 1782. He served (with
one year's exception) as a Liverpool member of the House of Commons from 1790 to
1812. Sometimes active in the army, he advanced gradually to become full general
in 1812. He received a baronetcy in 1815.
Tarleton was involved with the actress Mary Robinson, former mistress of the
Prince of Wales (the future George IV), for many years. He later married an
illegitimate daughter of the Duke of Ancaster. Tarleton died on Jan. 25, 1833,
in Leintwardine, Shropshire.
A historian of the American Revolution wrote of Tarleton: "As a leader of
cavalry, he was unmatched on either side for alertness and rapidity of movement,
dash, daring and vigor of attack."
Tarleton never had a face-to-face with any of the militia leaders as he does
with Martin in the movie.
考考你
用今日所學將下面的句子譯成英語。
1． 婚姻失敗后，她對事業投入了全部精力。
2． 他會變成什么樣呢？
3． 他該退休、為年輕的教授讓位了。
The Patriot《愛國者》（精講之四）考考你 參考答案
Dan Scott, barely a week ago I heard you railed for two
hours about independence. Mr. Hardwick, how many times have I heard you speak of
freedom at my father's table? Half the men in this church, including you,
Father, and you, Reverend, are as ardent patriots as I. Will you know, when you
are needed most, stop at only words? Is that the sort of men you are? I ask only
that you act upon the beliefs of which you have so strongly spoken and in which
you so strongly believe.
丹·斯科特，僅僅一個星期以前，我還聽到你慷慨激昂地談論了兩個小時獨立。海德威克先生，你在我父親的餐桌上發表過多少關于自由的論調了？這個教堂里有一半的人，包括你，父親，還有你，牧師，都和我一樣是滿腔熱情的愛國者。當國家最需要你們的時候，你們就只是說說算了嗎？你們就是這樣的人嗎？我只是請求你們，按照你們曾經積極提倡過的堅定信仰來行動。
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