■高校英単語(American History 11_2)
出典: Voice of America > Learning English > U.S. History
《問題》 次の英文の中で青色で示した語句の意味を答えてください。
初めに右欄で英語を1つ選び、続いて選択肢から1つを選んでください。やり直すときは、英語を選び直すことから始めてください。右の[単語帳]を参考にすることもできます。)
The American colonists fought several battles against British troops during seventeen seventy-five. Yet the colonies were still not ready to declare war. Then, the following year, the British decided to use Hessian soldiers to fight against the colonists. Hessians were mostly German mercenaries who fought for anyone who paid them. The colonists feared these soldiers and hated Britain for using them.
At about the same time, Thomas Paine published a little document that had a great effect on the citizens of America. He named it, "Common Sense." It attacked King George, as well as the idea of government by kings. It called for independence.
About one hundred fifty thousand copies of "Common Sense" were sold in America. Everyone talked about it. As a result, the Continental Congress began to act. It opened American ports to foreign shipping. It urged colonists to establish state governments and to write constitutions. On June seventh, delegate Richard Henry Lee of Virginia proposed a resolution for independence.
The resolution was not approved immediately. Declaring independence was an extremely serious step. Signing such a document would make delegates to the Continental Congress traitors to Britain. They would be killed if captured by the British.
The delegates wanted the world to understand what they were doing, and why. So they appointed a committee to write a document giving the reasons for their actions. One member of the committee was the Virginian, Thomas Jefferson. He had already written a report criticizing the British form of government. So the other committee members asked him to prepare the new document. They said he was the best writer in the group. They were right. It took him seventeen days to complete the document that the delegates approved on July fourth, seventeen seventy-six. It was America's Declaration of Independence.
【続く】
  • Hessian soldiers:ヘッセン人の傭兵(金で雇われた兵隊),ヘッセンはドイツ中部の州
  • Thomas Paine:トーマス・ペイン,Common Senseは「常識」または「良識」という意味




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