69.Who is the “Father of Our Country”？
69.谁是我们的“国父”？
Answer:
答案：
(George) Washington
（乔治）华盛顿
Explanation:
解释：
There were many great men among the Founding Fathers (or the people who helped to create the United States), but only one of them is called the “Father of our Country.” His name was George Washington, and although he is best known for having been the first president of the United States, he also did many other things to merit (or deserve) the title of “Father of our Country.”
建国元首中有很多著名人物，但只有一位被称为“国父”，他就是乔治.华盛顿，他因美国第一任总统而出名，但还有其他的事情也足以让她获得“国父”的头衔。
Born in Virginia in 1732, George Washington was always very interested in the military, which are organizations with soldiers that fight for the country’s freedom.He was a very well-respected colonel (or an important leader in the military) and he fought many battles (or smaller fights in a war) during the French and Indian War.
乔治.华盛顿1732年出生于佛吉尼亚，他对军队很感兴趣。他在部队中是很受尊重的上校，并在法国和印度战争期间多次参加。
When the new United States declared (or officially stated or told others of) its independence (or freedom) from Britain, George Washington became the commander-in-chief (or top leader of the military) in the Revolutionary War between Britain and America. He helped the United States win the war and secure (or get) its freedom.
新美国宣布从英国独立后，乔治.华盛顿成为英美革命战争的总指挥，他帮助美国赢得战争获得自由。
When the war ended in 1783, Washington was tired of fighting. He wanted to return to his home in Virginia and work on his plantation (or big farm). However, once he was there, he began to understand that there were many problems with the Articles of Confederation (or the legal document that existed before the Constitution). He decided to help the other Founding Fathers create a new legal document for the country and went to participate in the Constitutional Convention. The other members of the Constitutional Convention unanimously voted (or all voted in agreement) to make him the president of the Convention. The Constitution was written under his leadership in 1787. Just two years later, in 1789, George Washington became the first president of the United States.
1783年战争结束后，华盛顿厌倦了打仗，他想回到佛吉尼亚家乡管理自己的大农场。但是当他到家乡后，才开始感觉到邦联宪法的很多问题，华盛顿决定帮助其他建国元首为国家建立一部新法律就参加了制宪会议。制宪会议的其他成员一致同意投票选华盛顿位总统。宪法于1787年在华盛顿的领导下开始编写，两年后，即1789年，乔治.华盛顿成为美国的第一任总统。
George Washington had a major (or very important) influence (or effect) on the United States as the country was developing. That is why he is often called the “Father of our Country.”
乔治.华盛顿对美国的发展有重要影响，这就是为什么他被称为“国父”。
Glossary
词汇
69.Who is the “Father of Our Country”？
69.谁是我们的“国父”？
to merit - to deserve something; to be worthy of something
To merit—赢得某物；值得某事
*Vicky merits a college scholarship because she has always been a good student and athlete in high school.
*维姬赢得了大学奖学金因为她高中时是个好学生和运动员。
military - the people and organizations who fight for a country, usually to protect it
Military—通常为保护国家而战的个人或组织
*Do you have any relatives in the military?
*你在部队中有亲戚吗？
colonel - an important leader in the military
Colonel—部队中重要的领导
*There are not many women who reach the rank of colonel in the U.S. military.
*美国部队中很少有妇女能升到上校职位。
battle - a fight in a war
Battle—战争中打仗
*The Battle of Bunker Hill was one of the most famous battles in the American Revolutionary War.
*邦克山战役是美国革命战争中最出名的战争之一。
to declare - to officially state that something is true; to tell other people that something is true or has been decided
To declare—官方宣布某事是真的；告诉他人某事是真的或已决定的
*In 1983, the U.S. government declared Martin Luther King, Jr. Day to be a national holiday.
*1983年美国政府宣布马丁.路德.金日为国家节日。
commander-in-chief - the person who leads a country's military (in the United States, this is the president)
Commander-in-chief—领导国家部队的人
*The commander-in-chief can decide whether soldiers should go into war zones.
*总指挥官能决定战士是否要进入战争区域。
to secure (something) - to succeed in getting something, especially if or rare
To secure (something)—成功得到某物，尤其是在难得或稀少的情况下
* I want to secure your promise that you will never do that again.
*我需要你保证以后再不会这样做了。
unanimously - with everyone in agreement; with decision
Unanimously—所有人都同意的；所有人一致决定
*The students unanimously decided to use some year party.
*学生一致同意将他们部分费用用于年底聚会。