台风散战云(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。
台风散战云
the pacific island kingdom of samoa was dominated by germany and the united states in the 1880s. when in 1889 germany decided to intervene in a samoan civil war, three american warships were dispatched to samoa to keep an eye on the three german warships there.
tension between the two countries grew. american public opinion was inflamed by reports that american citizens in samoa were being treated poorly by german soldiers, and that an american flag had been torn down. war seemed imminent.
then on 19 march, a powerful typhoon struck the island, severely damaging all six of the american and german warships. as many as 50 americans and 95 germans perished. the disaster eased tensions, and officers found themselves attending memorial services for their dead and for those of their enemy. eventually, the united states and germany agreed to put samoa under a joint protectorate.

一八八○年代,美、德两国控制了太平洋岛上王国萨摩亚。一八八九年,德国决定干预萨摩亚一场内战,美国就派遣战船三艘,到萨摩亚监视当地的三艘德国战船。
两国关系日趋紧张。有报道说,美国公民在萨摩亚遭德军不客气对待,又说一面美国国旗给扯了下来,美国的主战舆论一时沸沸扬扬。战争似乎迫在眉睫。
到了三月十九日,强烈台风吹袭萨摩亚,六艘美、德战船全遭重创,五十个美国人、九十五个德国人遇难。这场灾难缓和了美、德关系,两国军官既出席己方死者追悼会,也出席敌方死者追悼会。最后,美、德协议,使萨摩亚成为双方的保护国。