Kentucky¯s nickname is the Bluegrass State. It gets this name from the rolling meadows of the Bluegrass region in the central part of the state. That¯s where a blue-green grass called bluegrass thrives. The fertile soils of the Bluegrass region drew Daniel Boone and other early pioneers to Kentucky in the late 1700s.
肯塔基州的昵称是蓝草州。它的名字来自该州中部蓝草地区的起伏草地。在这里蓝绿色的蓝草茁壮成长。蓝草地区的肥沃土壤在17世纪后期将丹尼尔·布恩和其他早期先驱者吸引到肯塔基州。
Today, the Bluegrass region is home to tobacco fields, thoroughbred horses, and the best farmland in Kentucky. The region has played a key role in Kentucky¯s history and culture.
如今，蓝草地区拥有烟草田、纯种马和肯塔基州最好的农田。该地区在肯塔基州的历史和文化中发挥了关键作用。
BETWEEN NORTH AND SOUTH
南北之间
Kentucky is in the east central United States. The Ohio River forms Kentucky¯s wavy northern border. That puts Kentucky on the border between states in the North and states in the South.
肯塔基州位于美国中东部。俄亥俄河形成肯塔基州波浪状的北部边界。这使得肯塔基州处于北方各州和南部各州之间的边界。
Early pioneers spelled Kentucky many ways, including Kaintuckee and Cantuckey. The name Kentucky comes from the Cherokee Indians. It was their word for the land south of the Ohio River. No one is exactly sure, but some historians believe the word means meadowland.
早期的先驱者用很多方法拼写肯塔基州，包括金塔基和坎塔基。肯塔基州这个名字来自切罗基印第安人。这是他们对俄亥俄河以南土地的称道。没有人确切地确定，但一些历史学家认为这个词的意思是草地。
On June 1, 1792, Kentucky became the 15th state to join the United States. Today, about 4 million people live in Kentucky. Frankfort is the capital. Lexington-Fayette is the largest city. But Louisville has Kentucky¯s biggest metropolitan area.
1792年6月1日，肯塔基州成为第15个加入美国的州。今天，大约有400万人生活在肯塔基州。弗兰克福特是首都。列克星敦-费耶特是最大的城市。但路易斯维尔有肯塔基州最大的大都市区。
MOUNTAINS, MEADOWS, AND ROLLING PLAINS
山脉、草地和起伏的平原
Eastern Kentucky is mountainous. The Appalachian Mountains rise along Kentucky¯s eastern border. The highest and most rugged land is in southeastern Kentucky. Here stands the state¯s highest peak, Black Mountain. It climbs to a height of 4,145 feet (1,263 meters). Thick forests cover much of the southeast. Big coalfields lie beneath the surface.
肯塔基州东部是山区。阿巴拉契亚山脉沿着肯塔基州东部边境上升。最高和最崎岖的土地是在肯塔基州东南部。这里矗立着该州最高的山峰——黑山。它爬到4，145英尺（1，263米）的高度。茂密的森林覆盖了东南部的大部分地区。大煤田位于地表之下。
The Bluegrass region spreads out over central Kentucky. The region¡¯s grassy pastures and meadows are ideal for breeding and raising horses. Farmers plant tobacco and many other crops in the area¯s rich soil.
蓝草地区分布在肯塔基州中部。该地区是繁殖和饲养马匹的理想之地。农民在该地区种植烟草和许多其他作物。
Rolling hills and plains cover western Kentucky. In the southwest, many caves and tunnels snake beneath the ground. Kentucky reaches it lowest point in the far west. That¡¯s where it touches the plain along the Mississippi River.
滚滚的丘陵和平原覆盖了肯塔基州西部。在西南部，许多洞穴和隧道在地下蜿蜒而过。肯塔基州在遥远的西部达到最低点。它触及密西西比河沿岸的平原。
DANIEL BOONE
丹尼尔·布恩
In colonial times, Kentucky was an unexplored wilderness west of the Appalachian Mountains. Daniel Boone helped to change that. From 1769 to 1771, Boone explored the Appalachians and found a narrow passage through the mountains called the Cumberland Gap. Later, Boone helped build the Wilderness Road through the mountains. Settlers traveling by wagon used the road to move into Kentucky.
在殖民时代，肯塔基州是阿巴拉契亚山脉以西一片未开发的荒野。丹尼尔·布恩帮助改变了这种状况。从1769年到1771年，布恩探索了阿巴拉契亚，发现了一条穿过坎伯兰峡谷的狭窄通道。后来，布恩帮助修建了穿越群山的荒野之路。乘坐马车旅行的定居者利用这条路进入肯塔基州。
Today, Cumberland Gap is a national historical park where the Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee borders meet. It has forested hills that are crossed by lots of hiking trails.
今天，坎伯兰峡谷是弗吉尼亚、肯塔基和田纳西交界处的国家历史公园。它有森林丘陵，被许多远足小径穿过。
CIVIL WAR DIVISIONS
内战
In 1861, a group of states in the South tried to leave the United States to form the Confederate States of America. The American Civil War was fought to hold the Union together. Kentucky was in between the North and the South, and its state government refused to take sides during the war.
1861年，南方的一些州试图离开美国，组成美国邦联。美国内战是为了把联盟团结在一起而战斗的。肯塔基州位于南北之间，其州政府在战争期间拒绝偏袒一方。
But Kentuckians did. Both Union president Abraham Lincoln and Confederate president Jefferson Davis were born in Kentucky. Men from Kentucky fought in both the Confederate and Union armies. Because some Kentuckians sided with the Confederacy, the Confederates put a star on their flag to represent Kentucky. But the Union flag already had a star for Kentucky. Kentucky was on both flags!
联盟主席亚伯拉罕·林肯和联邦总统杰斐逊·戴维斯都出生在肯塔基州。来自肯塔基州的人在邦联和联邦军队中都打过仗。因为一些肯塔基人站在邦联一边， 邦联在国旗上插了一颗星星来代表肯塔基州。但是联盟的旗帜已经为肯塔基州有了一颗星星。肯塔基州在两面旗帜上！
In 1862, soldiers fought a bloody battle at Perryville in central Kentucky. More than 7,600 men died. Today, Perryville Battlefield State Historic Park commemorates this bloody battle.
1862年，士兵们在肯塔基州中部的佩里维尔打了一场血腥的战斗。超过7，600人死亡。今天，佩里维尔战场国家历史公园纪念这场血腥的战斗。
MAMMOTH CAVE
猛犸洞穴
Visitors in southeastern Kentucky often go to Mammoth Cave National Park. The park contains cave passages that extend for hundreds of miles, making it the longest known cave system in the world! Parts of it are still being explored.
肯塔基州东南部的游客经常去猛犸洞国家公园。公园内有延伸数百英里的洞穴通道，使其成为世界上已知最长的洞穴系统！其中一部分仍在探索中。
The cave passages are on five different levels. They lead to a spectacular underground world of open chambers, deep shafts, and rock and crystal formations. There are even rivers flowing through the cave! Rare animals, such as blindfish and eyeless crayfish, make their homes here.
洞穴通道在五个不同的层次上。它们通向一个壮观的地下世界，包括开放室、深井以及岩石和晶体地层。甚至还有河流流过洞穴！珍稀动物，如盲鱼和无眼小龙虾，在这里安家落户。
KENTUCKY MUSIC
肯塔基音乐
Bluegrass isn¯t just a kind of grass or a region of Kentucky. It¯s a style of country music that grew up in Kentucky¯s Appalachian Mountains. Bluegrass uses instruments such as banjo, fiddle, and mandolin. Kentucky native Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys started the music in the late 1930s.
蓝草不只是一种草或肯塔基州的一个地区。它是一种在肯塔基州阿巴拉契亚山脉长大的乡村音乐风格。它使用班卓、小提琴和曼陀林等乐器。肯塔基州本地人比尔·门罗和他的蓝草男孩在20世纪30年代末开始音乐演奏。
Kentucky also gave country music one of its great performers. Singer and songwriter Loretta Lynn was born in Butcher Holler, a coal-mining village. Coal Miner¯s Daughter is one of her big hits and the title of a film about her life.
肯塔基州也给了乡村音乐一个伟大的表演者。歌手兼作曲人洛蕾塔·林恩出生在一个煤矿村，名叫布彻·霍勒。《煤矿工人的女儿》是她的热门作品之一，也是一部讲述她生活的电影的片名。
FORT KNOX
诺克斯堡
There¯s buried treasure in Kentucky! Only this gold wasn¯t hidden by pirates. It was buried by the United States government at Fort Knox, Kentucky. This is the site of the United States Gold Depository. Deep underground, resting on solid rock, a steel and concrete vault holds gold bars worth billions of dollars!
肯塔基州埋葬了宝藏！这些黄金不是被海盗藏起来的。它被美国政府埋葬在肯塔基州的诺克斯堡。这是美国黄金存管处的所在地。地下，靠在坚硬的岩石上，一个钢筋混凝土拱顶藏着价值数十亿美元的金条！
The U.S. government built Fort Knox as a training camp during World War I (1914-1918). It¯s still used for training soldiers. But usually when people think of Fort Knox, they think of gold.
美国政府在第一次世界大战期间（1914-1918年）将诺克斯堡建成训练营。它仍然用于训练士兵。但通常当人们想到诺克斯堡时，他们会想到黄金。
ALL ABOUT HORSES
马
Kentucky is world-famous for horses. The Bluegrass region is known for producing thoroughbred racing horses. Lexington is home to the International Museum of the Horse. The city is also the site of the Kentucky Horse Park, which hosts international competitions every year.
肯塔基州以马匹闻名于世。蓝草地区以生产纯种赛马而闻名。列克星敦是国际马博物馆的所在地。该市也是肯塔基马公园的所在地，该公园每年举办国际比赛。
The Kentucky Derby is the most famous horse race in the state. The race takes place at Churchill Downs in Louisville. It¯s held every year on the first Saturday in May. More than 150,000 people attend the race. Winning the Kentucky Derby makes a horse famous overnight!
肯塔基德比是该州最著名的赛马。比赛在路易斯维尔的丘吉尔唐斯举行。每年5月的第一个星期六举行。超过15万人参加了比赛。赢得肯塔基德比让一匹马一夜之间出名了！
标签：Kentucky
