战争里的谣言(英中对照)

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。
战争里的谣言
the german sinking of the british luxury liner lusitania in 1915 enraged the us public since the passengers killed included 114 americans.
as it was in the interests of the british to keep us passions inflamed, a fabricated story was circulated that, in some regions of germany, schoolchildren were given a holiday to celebrate the sinking of the lusitania. this story was so effective that james gerald, the us ambassador to germany, recounted it in his memoir of his time in germany without substantiating its validity. the british also falsely claimed that a medal commemorating the event was awarded to every crew member of the submarine that had sunk the lusitania.

the seeds of american animosity towards the germans were sown. within two years the us entered world war i on the side of the british.
一九一五年，德国炸沉英国豪华邮轮卢西塔尼亚号，遇难乘客之中，有一百一十四个美国人。美国民众非常气愤。
美国民众意气不平，对英国有利，英国于是散播谣言，说德国一些地区的学校放假，庆祝击沉卢西塔尼亚号。这谣言十分奏效，美国驻德大使詹姆斯．哲罗德甚至没有查证，就在驻德回忆录中当作事实记下来。英国还造谣说，炸沉卢西塔尼亚号的潜艇上所有船员，都获德国当局颁赠炸船纪念章。
美国人仇德情绪的种子已经埋下，不过两年，美国就加入第一次世界大战，和英国同一阵营。