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The acquisition of an empire for empires sake
这种为了帝国本身而成为帝国的行为
became known as imperialism. The terms imperialism
就称为帝国主义，虽然"帝国主义"和
and imperialist were new but the concept as we will
"帝国主义者"是两个新词，但这一概念
see was not new. The US and its allies called the
由来已久，美国及其同盟将苏联
Soviets and their allies imperialists and vice versa
称为帝国主义者，而苏联反过来也这样
and to a certain extent both sides were right.
称呼美国，从某种意义上讲，双方都正确
Manifest destiny and nationalism.
另一点是天定命运论和民族主义
Another justification for empire is when a nation
帝国存在的合理性的另一个论据就是
considers itself divinely or historically destined to
有些国家认为自己是神圣的，命中注定要
achieve greatness. The term I will use in this class
开创新时代，这里我要用到的概念就是
is manifest destiny, invented in the 1840's to justify
"天定命运论" 这一概念出现在19世纪
the United States' westward expansion into territory
40年代，目的是为美国向西争夺墨西哥
held by Mexico, Great Britain and Russia.
英国和俄罗斯控制的领土寻找合适的借口
Of course most nations however bad they have it
当然，大多数国家不论实际情况如何
believe that god or the gods are strongly in their
都相信上帝是站在自己一边的
corner. The most rabidly atheist nations in history;
历史上最推崇无神论的两个国家
the Soviet Union and Red China, have believed just
苏联和新中国也同样坚信
as firmly that history as interpreted by Karl Marx
根据马克思极其继承者们的阐述
and his intellectual heirs is strongly in their corner
历史也是站在自己一边的
Often this big nation needs more natural resources
通常一个大国需要更多的自然资源
to fulfill its destiny or it needs more room for its
来达到自己的目的，或者需要更多的
growing population or it needs both.
土地来养活不断增长的人口
The nation's manifest destiny becomes an excuse to
天定命运论成为了大国不惜代价
acquire and rule territory whatever the cost.
获得并统治殖民地的借口
Land which belonged either to nobody or to nobody
那些不属于任何人或不属于任何文明的土地
civilized was regarded as quote unquote 'terra nullius',
被称作"未被任何国家并入辖区的区域"
nobodies land, and could be taken at will. Sometimes
这些土地可以被任意占有，有时另一个国家
another nation claimed possession of the terra nullius
也声称对这些土地拥有主权，那么
and then they had to fight to see who got it.
两国就通过战争争夺这片土地
An important part of manifest destiny is nationalism.
天定命运论的一个重要组成部分就是
Nationalism holds that human civilization can be
民族主义，即人类文明可以以民族为单位
broken up into units called nations which basically
进行划分，民族由拥有同样的起源和
consists of people having a similar origin and a
共同文化的人们组成
similar unifying culture. Supposedly each nation
理论上，每个民族都应该拥有
should have its own state; this is in fact the rule
自己的国家，而这一原则至今仍然如此
today. The United States is home to the
美国是美利坚民族的国家
American Nation. Russia is home to the Russian Nation
俄罗斯是俄罗斯族人的国家
and so on, or at least theoretically. The Soviet Union
至少理论上是这样，苏联作为一个国家
was a nation only to the extent that it was unified by
只能说是由共产主义团结起来的
communism. In 1991 it collapsed when various nations
1991年苏联解体，乌克兰，白俄罗斯
like the Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, Latvia and so on
格鲁吉亚和拉脱维亚等国相继
succeeded from it. The remainder of the Soviet Union
宣告独立，苏联余下的部分现在称自己为
now calls itself the Russian Federation, even though
俄罗斯联邦，尽管俄罗斯联邦认为自己
the Russian Federation considers itself representative
代表的是俄罗斯民族
of a Russian Nation it still incorporates a number of
它依旧包括了其他非俄罗斯民族
non Russian people speaking non Russian languages
他们不说俄语
in their non Russian cultures.
也不属于俄罗斯文化
Just what is a nation? It's hard to say sometimes.
什么是民族，什么是国家，有时很难说
Nationalism claims particular virtues for a given
民族主义认为，某个国家
nation and assumes particular responsibilities.
肩负着特殊的责任
Rome believed it had a mission to civilize the world.
罗马认为自己肩负带领世界走向文明的责任
Russia believed it had a mission to civilize the world
俄国认为自己肩负带领世界走向文明的责任
As did the Soviet Union, as does the United States,
苏联，美国也是如此
at least sometimes. I personally would say that
至少是有时如此，我个人认为
nationalism is basically a neutral concept.
民族主义是一个中性的概念。
