古德明《征服英语》之英语军事故事,古德明,香港英语教育作家,他开了一个《征服英语专栏》,在专栏中专门用英语写了世界近代史上的军事小故事,用英语讲述历史中那些惊心动魄的战争。
哀 矜 勿 喜
after signing the surrender papers, confederate general robert lee got on his horse and rode slowly back to his army. union soldiers began to celebrate. artillerymen fired their guns to salute the victory over lee.
union general ulysses grant heard the artillery booming and sent orders that it should stop. "the rebels are our countrymen again," he said. "we can best show our joy by refusing to celebrate their downfall." having given birth to a reunited nation, grant experienced a post-partum melancholy. "i felt... sad and depressed," he wrote, "at the downfall of a foe who had fought so long and valiantly, and had suffered so much for a cause, though that cause was, i believe, one of the worst for which a people ever fought."