华盛顿的奴隶(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。
华盛顿的奴隶
in 1790, when the united states' capital was moved to philadelphia, pennsylvania, president george washington brought his own slave chef, hercules, from his virginia plantation, mount vernon. but he faced a problem: pennsylvania law stipulated that slaves be given their freedom after six months' residency. to get around this, washington systematically rotated the president house slaves in and out of the state to prevent their establishing a six-month continuous residency. this rotation was itself a violation of pennsylvania law, but the president's actions were not challenged.
washington could be very brutal in treating his slaves, and one night hercules escaped from mount vernon. though washington tried to have him captured, he was never found. hercules' six-year-old daugher was reported to have said,"i am very glad, because father is now free."

一七九○年,美国首都迁到宾州费城,总统乔治.华盛顿带着奴隶身分的主厨赫克力士前往。赫克力士来自华盛顿的弗吉尼亚州佛南山农场。当时华盛顿面临一个难题:宾州法律规定,奴隶在州内住满六个月,就可获自由。华盛顿为了规避这条法律,把总统府的奴隶轮流调离然后又调回宾州,以免他们有定居六个月的资格。这样的调动,本身也触犯宾州法律,但没有人质疑总统所为。
华盛顿对待手下奴隶,有时十分残暴。一天晚上,赫克力士逃出了佛南山农场。华盛顿想把他捉回去,但始终找不到他。有报道说,赫克力士六岁的女儿表示:「我很高兴,因为父亲现在自由了。」