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When eleven-year-old Grace Bedell wrote a letter in 1860, she couldn't have known that people would be reading it more than one hundred years later. But Grace's letter was written to Abraham Lincoln, who was running for President of the United States.

1860 年，当11岁的格雷丝• 比德尔动笔写信的时候，她不会想到100多年后人们仍会读到这封信。不过，格雷丝的这封信可是写给当时正在竞选美国总统的亚伯拉罕•林肯的。

Abraham Lincoln, sometimes called "Honest Abe", felt it was time to put an end to slavery. He was well liked by most, but faced several other candidates who felt differently about slavery.

亚伯拉罕•林肯有时又被人们叫作“诚实的亚伯”，他觉得到了该结束奴隶制的时候了。大多数人都很喜欢他，但他仍要面对来自另外几位对奴隶制有不同见解的候选人的竞争。

Grace Bedell desperately wished she could vote for Mr. Lincoln. "If only there were something I could do to help him get elected," she thought. Grace was about to get her chance.

格雷丝•比德尔多么希望自己可以投票给林肯先生啊！她想：“要是我能做点什么帮他当选就好了。”格雷丝的机会就要来了。

One evening, Grace's father returned from a fair (定期集市) in her hometown of Westfield, New York. He brought Grace a picture of Abraham Lincoln. She was thrilled to have a picture of him and took it to her room. As Grace looked closely at the image, she noticed how the shadows in her bedroom covered Mr. Lincoln's narrow face. The shadows gave the illusion of a beard, and Grace liked how it looked.

格蕾丝的家乡在纽约市韦斯特菲尔德镇。一天晚上，她的父亲从那里的市集上回来时，带给她一张亚伯拉罕•林肯的照片。能够拥有一张林肯的照片让格雷丝非常兴奋。她把照片拿进了自己的房间。当她细细打量这张照片的时候，她注意到，自己房间里的阴影投在照片中林肯先生那消瘦的脸庞上时，看上去就像是一副胡须，而格雷丝很喜欢这种效果。

Perhaps there was a way Grace could help Mr. Lincoln. She transferred her thoughts onto paper and wrote to him:

或许格雷丝也有办法能帮上林肯先生的忙，她把自己的想法付诸笔端，给林肯先生写了封信。

Dear Sir,

My father has just home from the fair and brought home your picture and Mr. Hamlin's (Lincoln's running mate (竞选伙伴，尤指副总统候选人). I am a little girl only eleven years old, but want you to be President of the United States very much. So I hope you won't think me very bold (冒失的) to write to such a great man as you are. Have you any little girls about as large as I am? If so, give them my love and tell her to write to me if you cannot answer this letter. I have got four brothers and part of them will vote for you any way. And if you will let your whiskers (胡须) grow, I will try and get the rest of them to vote for you. You would look a great deal better for your face is so thin. All the ladies like whiskers and they would tease (强求) their husbands to vote for you and then you would be President. My father is going to vote for you and if I was a man I would vote for you, too. But I will try and get everyone to vote for you. When you direct your letter, direct to Grace Bedell, Westfield County, New York.

I must not write any more. Answer this letter right off. Good bye.

Grace Bedell

亲爱的先生：

我爸爸刚从集市上回来，带回了您和哈姆林先生(林肯的副总统竞选伙伴)的照片。我是一个只有11 岁的小女孩，可我非常希望您能当上美国总统，所以希望您不会觉得我给您这样的伟人写信太冒失了。您有和我年龄相仿的女儿吗？要是有，请代我问候她们；要是您不能亲自回信，可以请她们代您给我回信。我有四个哥哥，其中几个无论如何都会投票支持您。但如果您能把胡子蓄起来，我将会尽力让其余的几个哥哥也把票投给您。您留胡子的样子应该会更好看，因为您的脸太瘦了。女士们全都喜欢留胡子的男人，她们会缠着自己的丈夫让他们投票给您。那样，您就能当上总统了。(译注：当时的美国妇女没有选举权。)我爸爸打算投您一票。要是我是男的，我也会投您一票。不过，我会努力让大家都投您一票。您给我回信时，把信寄到纽约州韦斯特菲尔德县，写上“格雷丝•比德尔收”就行。

我只能写到这儿了。请速回信。再见。

格雷丝•比德尔

Grace secretly mailed her letter on a gray day in October 1860. It was addressed to The Honorable Abraham Lincoln, Springfield, Illinois. Seven days later, Grace received this reply:

1860 年10月的一个阴天里，格雷丝悄悄把信寄了出去。收信人一栏写着“伊利诺伊州斯普林菲尔德，尊敬的亚伯拉罕•林肯”。七天后，格雷丝收到了下面这封回信。

My dear little Miss,

Your very agreeable letter of the 15th is received. I regret the necessity of saying I have no daughters. I have three sons—one seventeen, one nine, and one seven years of age. They, with their mother, constitute my whole family. As to the whiskers, having never worn any, do you not think people would call it a piece of silly affection (偏爱) if I were to begin it now?

Your very sincere well-wisher,

A. Lincoln

亲爱的小女士：

很高兴收到你15日的来信。我不得不遗憾地说我没有女儿—我有三个儿子，一个17岁，一个9岁，还有一个7岁—他们，再加上他们的母亲，就是我全部的家人了。关于胡子的问题，因为我从来没有留过，如果我现在开始留的话，你不觉得人们会把它说成是一种傻气的癖好吗？真诚地祝愿你一切都好的人，

A•林肯

Word spread quickly through Westfield that Mr. Lincoln had a correspondent (通信者) there. Grace couldn't have been more pleased that Mr. Lincoln had answered her letter, until she heard the exciting announcement that came by telegraph on November 7, 1860. Mr. Lincoln had been elected to be the 16th President of the United States!

林肯先生和一个本地人通信的消息很快就在韦斯特菲尔德传开了。收到林肯先生的回信让格雷丝高兴极了，而1860 年11月7日，当电报传来林肯当选为美国第16任总统的喜讯时，她更是快乐得无与伦比。

The news kept getting better. On his way to Washington D.C., the new President would be on a train that was scheduled to stop in Westfield. Grace begged to go to the station.

不久又有更好的消息传来：在去华盛顿特区的路上，这位新总统乘坐的火车计划在韦斯特菲尔德站停留片刻。格雷丝请求大人让她去火车站。

She stood on tiptoe behind the crowd, hoping for a glimpse of him. This surely would be a moment she would remember forever. Grace didn't know that things were going to become even more memorable. When Mr. Lincoln got off the train and greeted the crowds, he asked for Grace Bedell.

她踮着脚站在人群后面，希望能看一眼林肯，这绝对将会成为她永远铭记的一刻。格雷丝没有想到事情会变得让她更加难忘—当林肯先生走下火车问候人们时，他要求见见格雷丝•比德尔。

Grace saw the stares of many people. The crowd moved aside for the little girl to timidly make her way to Mr. Lincoln. It became a memorable moment for everyone present. Grace walked toward the platform and received a kiss from the fully bearded (有颊上胡须的) Abraham Lincoln, who had obviously taken her advice.

格雷丝看到众人的目光纷纷投向自己。人们为这个小女孩让开一条道，她怯怯地向林肯先生走去。对在场的所有人而言，这成了令人难忘的一刻。格雷丝走上月台，已经蓄起了络腮胡子的亚伯拉罕•林肯亲了她一下。显然，林肯早已接受了她的建议。

Today, a statue stands in Westfiefd that captures the magic of that historical day. Grace's innocent letter uncovered a side of the new President that people hadn't seen: Abraham Lincoln responded to Grace's request with kindness—and a full growth of whiskers that became as legendary as her letter. Some say she changed the face of history.

如今，在韦斯特菲尔德伫立着一座雕像，记下了那个神奇的历史时刻。格雷丝充满稚气的信件揭开了这位新总统身上不为人们所知的一面。亚伯拉罕•林肯不仅善意地回应了格雷丝的来信，并应她的请求蓄起了络腮胡子—林肯的络腮胡子和格雷丝的信一样都变得十分著名。有人说格雷丝改写了历史的面貌。