As time went on, white flags became more closely linked with surrender. The change happened slowly, but a few key events helped speed up this process. In 1625, Hugo Grotius, a Dutch jurist, wrote about white flags in his famous book on the laws of war. He stated that a white flag could be used to request peace talks. This further helped spread the idea that white flags were about ending fights. During the American Civil War in the 1860s, white flags played a significant role. In a key battle in 1865, a Confederate officer carried a white dish towel as a flag to request a ceasefire so both sides could negotiate.
隨著時間的推移，白旗與投降之間的關聯越來越緊密。雖然發展得很緩慢，但一些關鍵的事件加速了這個過程。1625 年，荷蘭法學家雨果．格勞秀斯在他關於戰爭法的著名著作中談到了白旗。他表示白旗可以被用來要求和平會談。這進一步散播了白旗意味著戰鬥結束的想法。在 1860 年代的美國內戰期間，白旗發揮了重要作用。在 1865 年的一場關鍵戰役中，一名南方邦聯的軍官舉著白色洗碗巾作為旗幟來要求停火，以便雙方進行談判。
生活必備字詞：
speed up... / speed... up 加快……的速度
request vt. 要求，請求
negotiate vi. 談判
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本文節錄自《常春藤生活英語》雜誌，完整內容請見四月號。