在泰晤士河上游,离伦敦约20英里的地方,有一个与英国女王别墅温莎古堡隔河相望的伊顿小镇。镇子里到处是挺拔参天的大树和中世纪的建筑,给人一种宁静的感觉。街上除镇子的居民外,人们还可以看到三三两两的孩子匆匆来去。他们身穿黑色无袖罩袍,腋下夹着书本,稚气的脸上故意装出几分庄重的神色。这些孩子不是别人,就是闻名英国乃至世界的伊顿公学的学生。名人辈出伊顿小镇因有这所公学而出名。全镇两千多人,学生几乎占一半。伊顿公学是一所培养英国统治集团“中坚分子”的贵族子弟学校。许多首相、大臣、殖民地总督、将军、大使和主教均毕业于此。迄今英国有史以来的50来个首相中,毕业于伊顿的有20个,其中最著名的有1815年率领英军在滑铁卢大败拿破仑军队的威 In the upper reaches of the Thames, about 20 miles from London, there is a small town of Eaton across the river from the Queen’s Castle, the Windsor Castle. The town is full of towering trees and medieval buildings, giving a feeling of tranquility. In addition to the residents of the town on the street, people can also see the twos and threes children hurry to go. They were wearing black sleeveless robes, books in their arms under their arms, and a deliberately subtle look on their childlike faces. These children are none other than students who are well-known in the United Kingdom and the world at Eton College. The famous generation of Eaton town because of this public school is famous. The town of more than two thousand people, accounting for almost half of students. Eton is a noble school that nurtured the “backbone” of the British ruling clique. Many prime ministers, ministers, colonial governors, generals, ambassadors and bishops have graduated. Of the 50 prime ministers so far in Britain, 20 have graduated from Eaton. The most famous of these are the British forces that led the British army to defeat Napoleon in Waterloo in 1815