Ponce de Leon Discovery Florida 庞塞·德莱昂发现佛罗里达

侯冬意

Florida， the State of the USA

美国佛罗里达州的州名来自西班牙语。西班牙航海家胡安·庞塞·德莱昂在1513年4月2日发现了这片地方。时值西班牙人称为Pascua Florida的节日，所以此地被德莱昂命名为La Florida。

Near present-day St. Augustine， Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon comes ashore1 on the Florida coast， and claims the territory2 for the Spanish crown.

在今天的圣奥古斯丁（佛罗里达州东北部的港口城市）附近，西班牙探险家胡安·庞塞·德莱昂在佛罗里达州的海岸登岸，并宣称其为西班牙王室的领地。

Although other European navigators3 may have sighted the Florida peninsula4 before， Ponce de Leon is credited with the first recorded landing and the first detailed exploration of the Florida coast. The Spanish explorer was searching for the “Fountain of Youth”， a fabled water source that was said to bring eternal youth. Ponce de Leon named the peninsula he believed to be an island “La Florida” because his discovery came during the time of the Pascua Florida.

虽然其他欧洲航海家在那之前也许看到过佛罗里达半岛，但庞塞·德莱昂被认为是第一个有记载的登陆并详细勘探佛罗里达州海岸的第一人。这位西班牙探险家当时正在寻找传说中的水源“青春之泉”，据说它能带来永恒的青春。庞塞·德莱昂将他认为是座岛屿的半岛命名为“拉佛罗里达”，因为他发现此地时正是Pascua Florida节（西班牙节日）期间。

In 1521， he returned to Florida in an effort to establish a Spanish colony on the island. How-ever， hostile5 Native Americans attacked his expedition soon after landing， and the party retreated to Cuba， where Ponce de Leon died from a mortal wound suffered during the battle. Successful Spanish colonization6 of the peninsula finally began in 1565， and in 1819 the territory passed into U.S. control under the terms of the Florida Purchase Treaty between Spain and the United States.

1521年，為在岛上建立一个西班牙殖民地，庞塞·德莱昂重回佛罗里达。然而，在他登陆后，敌对的印第安人袭击了他的探险队。他们撤退到今天的古巴一带，在那里庞塞·德莱昂死于战斗中受到的致命伤。西班牙最终在1565年成功殖民了这个半岛，而在1819年西班牙和美国签订了《佛罗里达州购买条约》后，美国取得了这片土地的控制权。

Notes：

1. ashore adv. 在岸上；上岸

2. territory n. 领土，领域

3. navigator n. 航海家

4. peninsula n. 半岛

5. hostile adj. 敌对的；怀敌意的

6. colonization n. 殖民；殖民地化