Texas 德克萨斯州

Texas has long been known for its size. It was the largest state in the United States until 1959, when Alaska became a state. Now Texas is second largest.

德克萨斯州长期以来以其规模而闻名。 它是美国最大的州，直到 1959 年阿拉斯加成为一个州。 现在德克萨斯州是美国第二大州。

GUSHERS AND WILDCATTERS

井喷和野猫

Texas is famous for its oil. Today, Texas leads all other states in the production of oil and natural gas. Texas has become wealthy from oil money and from manufacturing related to oil, such as chemicals and oil-drilling equipment.

德克萨斯以石油闻名。 今天，德克萨斯州在石油和天然气生产方面领先于所有其他州。 得克萨斯州因石油资金和与石油相关的制造业（如化学品和石油钻井设备）而变得富有。

The Texas oil business took off in 1901, when drillers hit a ¡°gusher¡± at Spindletop, near Beaumont in southeastern Texas. The oil came out of the ground with such force that it destroyed the drill and the derrick¡ªthe structure used to lower the drill and pipes. The oil spurted 100 feet (30 meters) into the air.

德克萨斯州的石油业务于 1901 年起飞，当时钻井工人在德克萨斯州东南部博蒙特附近的 Spindletop 遇到了“井喷”。 石油以巨大的力量从地下流出，以至于破坏了钻机和井架。 石油喷射到空中 30 米。

After Spindletop, people began to look for oil all over Texas. In western Texas, drilling crews often encountered wildcats as they set up their equipment. Sometimes, the drillers shot these wildcats and hung them on oil derricks. These wells were called wildcat wells. The people who ran them were called wildcatters. Today, wildcatter refers to someone who uses a hunch rather than scientific studies to look for oil.

Spindletop 之后，人们开始在德克萨斯州各地寻找石油。 在德克萨斯州西部，钻井队在设置设备时经常遇到野猫。 有时，司钻会射杀这些野猫，然后将它们挂在石油井架上。 这些井被称为野猫井。 经营它们的人被称为野猫。 今天，野猫指的是使用预感而不是科学研究来寻找石油的人。

HOUSTON AND DALLAS

休斯敦和达拉斯

Oil helped build the two largest cities in Texas, Houston and Dallas. Houston is the fourth largest city in the United States and the center of the nation¡¯s oil industry. It is also a major port. Dallas is the nation¡¯s eighth largest city and an important manufacturing center. Both cities built towering skyscrapers during the oil boom of the 1970s.

石油帮助建造了德克萨斯州的休斯顿和达拉斯两个最大城市。 休斯顿是美国第四大城市，也是美国石油工业的中心。 它也是一个主要港口。 达拉斯是美国第八大城市和重要的制造业中心。 在 1970 年代的石油繁荣时期，这两个城市都建造了高耸的摩天大楼。

Space missions are directed from the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston. Astronauts are trained here. Flight controllers and other experts direct spaceflights from computers at the Mission Control Center. They also help maintain the International Space Station. At the visitor¡¯s center, you can go inside a space capsule, see where astronauts train, and find out what it¡¯s like to travel in space.

太空任务由休斯顿的林登·约翰逊航天中心指挥。 宇航员在这里接受训练。 飞行控制员和其他专家通过任务控制中心的计算机指挥太空飞行。 他们还帮助维护国际空间站。 在游客中心，你可以进入太空舱，看看宇航员在哪里训练，并了解在太空旅行是什么感觉。

RANCHING

牧场

Much of Texas is flat plains used for cattle ranching. Texas leads the United States in raising cattle as well as sheep. The city of Fort Worth, Texas, grew as a cattle market. Its nickname is Cowtown.

德克萨斯州的大部分地区是用于养牛的平原。 德克萨斯州在养牛和养羊方面领先美国。 德克萨斯州沃思堡市发展成为一个牛市。 它的绰号是牛城。

BIG BEND

大转弯

Texas isn¡¯t all flat plains, however. To the south, swamps and long, white beaches border the coast along the Gulf of Mexico. Pinewoods cover rolling hills to the east. To the west are canyons, mountains, and deserts.

然而，德克萨斯州并非都是平坦的平原。 在南部，沼泽和长长的白色沙滩与墨西哥湾沿岸的海岸接壤。 松林覆盖了东部连绵起伏的山丘。 西部是峡谷、山脉和沙漠。

The Rio Grande forms the border between Texas and Mexico. Rio Grande means big river in Spanish. Big Bend National Park lies along a large turn in the river, in southwestern Texas. It includes steep canyons and a large desert bordered by mountains. You¯ll find colorful, unusual plants and many kinds of birds and other animals in the park.

里奥格兰德河形成了德克萨斯州和墨西哥之间的边界。 Rio Grande 在西班牙语中的意思是“大河”。 大弯国家公园位于德克萨斯州西南部河流的一个大转弯处。 它包括陡峭的峡谷和群山环绕的大沙漠。 你会在公园里发现色彩缤纷、不寻常的植物以及多种鸟类和其他动物。

THE LONE STAR STATE

孤星州

Texas is nicknamed the Lone Star State. Did you know that Texas was an independent country from 1836 to 1845? Its flag had a single star on it. On December 29, 1845, Texas became the 28th state in the United States. It kept the flag with a lone star. Austin is the capital of Texas.

得克萨斯州被昵称为孤星之州。 你知道德州从 1836 年到 1845 年是一个独立的国家吗？ 它的旗帜上只有一颗星星。 1845 年 12 月 29 日，德克萨斯成为美国的第 28 个州。 奥斯汀是德克萨斯州的首府。

Texas got its name from Spanish explorers who came to the region in the mid-1500s. They thought the Native Americans whom they met called themselves tejas. But what they heard as tejas was actually a word meaning ¡°friend.¡± When Texas declared its independence, it took the name Republic of Texas.

德克萨斯得名于 1500 年代中期来到该地区的西班牙探险家。 他们认为他们遇到的美洲原住民称自己为 tejas。 但他们听到的 tejas 实际上是一个词，意思是“朋友”。当德克萨斯宣布独立时，它就取名为德克萨斯共和国。

WAR WITH MEXICO

与墨西哥的战争

Before Texas declared its independence, it belonged to Mexico. In 1835, English-speaking colonists in Texas began to rebel against Mexican rule. The colonists took control of the town of San Antonio, but Mexican troops fought back. In March 1836, the Mexicans defeated a small group of Texan soldiers who were inside a San Antonio mission called the Alamo. All of the Texan soldiers were killed, including frontiersmen Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie.

在德克萨斯宣布独立之前，它属于墨西哥。 1835 年，德克萨斯州说英语的殖民者开始反抗墨西哥的统治。 殖民者控制了圣安东尼奥镇，但墨西哥军队进行了反击。 1836 年 3 月，墨西哥人在阿拉莫击败了一小群德克萨斯士兵。 所有德州士兵都被杀，包括边防人员戴维·克罗克特 (Davy Crockett) 和吉姆·鲍伊 (Jim Bowie)。

After the defeat at the Alamo, the Texans continued the fight for independence. Their battle cry was ¡°Remember the Alamo.¡± In April 1836, Texan troops led by General Sam Houston defeated the Mexicans in the Battle of San Jacinto. After the battle, a treaty with Mexico ended the war and gave Texas its independence. Houston became the first president of Texas. The city of Houston was named in his honor. Today, the Alamo in San Antonio is one of the most popular tourist sites in Texas.

在阿拉莫战败后，德州人继续争取独立。 他们的战斗口号是“记住阿拉莫”。1836 年 4 月，萨姆·休斯顿将军率领的德克萨斯军队在圣哈辛托战役中击败了墨西哥人。 战斗结束后，与墨西哥签订的条约结束了战争并使德克萨斯独立。 休斯顿成为德克萨斯州的第一任总统。 休斯顿市以他的名字命名。 今天，圣安东尼奥的阿拉莫是德克萨斯州最受欢迎的旅游景点之一。

SIX FLAGS OVER TEXAS

德克萨斯州的六面旗帜

You¡¯ve probably heard of Six Flags amusement parks, but do you know how they got their name? Six Flags over Texas, the first of the Six Flags parks, opened in Arlington, Texas, in 1961. The park took its name from the flags of six different nations that have flown over Texas during its history. These are the flags of Spain, France, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the Confederate States of America, and the United States of America. The Six Flags over Texas theme park had six sections that focused on the six Texas cultures.

你可能听说过六旗游乐园，但你知道它们的名字是怎么来的吗？ 德克萨斯州第一个六旗公园，于 1961 年在德克萨斯州阿灵顿开放。该公园的名字来源于历史上曾飞越德克萨斯州的六个不同国家的国旗。 这些是西班牙、法国、墨西哥、德克萨斯共和国、美利坚联盟国和美利坚合众国的旗帜。 德克萨斯六旗主题公园有六个部分，专注于六种德克萨斯文化。

THE TEXAS RANGERS

德克萨斯游骑兵队

The Texas Rangers help enforce the law. They move around the state to solve crimes. The Rangers were organized in 1835, just before Texas broke away from Mexico. Later in the 1800s, they fought horse thieves and cattle rustlers. The major league baseball team, the Texas Rangers, took its name from these law-keepers.

德克萨斯游骑兵队帮助执法。 他们在州内四处走动以解决犯罪问题。 游骑兵队成立于 1835 年，就在德克萨斯脱离墨西哥之前。 在 1800 年代后期，他们与盗马贼和偷牛贼作战。 大联盟棒球队德州游骑兵队的名字来自这些守法者。