评论
打印
Segment 4a: Introduction.
4a章节，简介
The United States grew rapidly
美国在革命战争后
after the Revolutionary War.
发展迅速
It met several challenges in its first half century
在头半世纪之间遭遇了许多挑战
some of which it handled well.
其中有一些应对得还是不错的
For example the procedure for
比如说，允许一些
admitting new states to the Union.
新的州加入联邦这个过程
Some of these challenges it met terribly
可是有些挑战却处理得很糟糕
such as the forced relocation of the American Indians.
比如说美国印第安人的强制安置
Sadly what turned out to be
令人失望的是
the biggest challenge of all was the one that
美国遇到的最大的挑战
the founders had dodged;
也是建国之父们都回避了的一个问题
the issue of human slavery.
那就是奴隶制
In segment 4b the Northwest Ordinance
在4b章节，西北法令中
we examine a political decision
我们可以看到一次政治决策
which was crucial to the vitality of the United States.
它对于美国力量的壮大至关重要
The Northwest Ordinance of 1787
1787年的西北法令
allowed the admission of new states to the Union
允许新州加入联邦
on a fully equally basis with the existing states.
这些州和原有的州享有平等的权利
Any new territory acquired by the United States
美国获得的任何一片新领土
would not become a colony,
都不会成为殖民地
would not become a province,
也不会成为一个省
instead new territory would be
新的领土将会
fully integrated on an equal basis.
完全平等地融合进来
The Louisiana Purchase of 1803
虽然1803年路购置
even though its constitutionality was doubtful
路易斯安那州的宪法性受到质疑
nearly doubled the new nation's size.
但它几乎使美国美国国土面积翻了一番
Thanks to the Northwest Ordinance
多亏了西北法令
it was settled for the most part in an orderly manner.
大部分地区依然井然有序
Yet America remained hungry for more land
但是美国依然渴望更多的土地
causing in part the War of 1812.
这是导致1812年战争的部分原因
Once the bombs had finished bursting in air
后来当炸弹和
and the torpedoes had been fully damned
鱼雷都被人们所憎恨时
the United States made a peace with Great Britain
美国就和英国停战讲和
which has lasted to this day.
直到今日
In segment 4c, the Monroe Doctrine America
在4c章节的门罗主义中
becomes entangled in foreign affairs.
美国陷入了外交事务中
Spain's American empire had fallen by 1815
西班牙的美利坚帝国在1815年彻底瓦解
and this presented the United States with a dilemma.
这却让美国陷入了左右为难的境地
The rise of Central and South American republics
中美和南美共和国的崛起
where Spain once ruled
也就是西班牙曾经统治的那些地区
was a tribute to the American experiment.
就成为了美国的试验品
The new republics wanted not only
新的共和国不仅需要
American recognition but American aid.
美国的承认，还需要美国的援助
But Spain was still strong and interested
但是西班牙势力依然强大
in recapturing her old American empire.
而且非常渴望重新夺回美利坚帝国
Soon France and Russia started making noises
很快，法国和俄国开始造势
about helping Spain retain its empire.
要帮助西班牙夺回帝国
Despite the War of 1812
尽管经历了1812年战争
Britain sided with the American republics
英国站到美国一边
against its fellow monarchies.
共同抵抗君主制度
They suggested joining with America
他们召集大家加入美国
to protect the new republics' sovereignty.
一起保护新合众国的国家主权
President James Madison was conflicted
詹姆斯·麦迪逊总统曾经历战争
but his Secretary of State John Quincy Adams
但是他的国务卿昆西·亚当斯
persuaded him to take on this
劝他参与到
particular foreign entanglement.
这一次外交纠葛中去
Under the so-called Monroe Doctrine
在所谓的门罗主义指导下
the United States unilaterally,
美利坚合众国单方面的
and that means on its own,
也就是意味着它自己
forbade other nations to intervene with
禁止了其他国家干预
sovereign North or South American countries.
美国北部和南部的主权事务
Segment 4d, Trails of Tears
4d章节，血泪之路
introduces the United States's shabby treatment
介绍了美国对
of its Native American or Indian population.
美国印第安人的卑鄙手段
Once the trickle of Americans
当一小部分美国人
settling west of the Appalachians
在阿巴拉契亚山西部安顿下来后
had turned into a flood
随之就涌入了一大群人
the white Americans decided to clear the Indians out.
美国白人决定要把印第安人赶走
Even though many Indians,
虽然许多印第安人
most notably the Cherokee sought to strike a balance
尤其是切罗基族人希望
between tribal ways and living as Americans
在部落生活和美国人生活取得平衡
the Indian Removal Act of 1830 meant to
但是1830年的印第安人迁移法
drive all Indians west of the Mississippi.
旨在把所有印第安人驱逐到密西西比河以西
A particular low light was
其中一个非常卑鄙的行径是
the Trail of Tears of the 1830s
19世纪30年代的，血泪之路
in which thousands of Choctaw and Cherokee
数以万计的乔克托族和切罗基族人
were forced to walk from Georgia to Oklahoma.
被迫从乔治亚迁移到俄克拉荷马州
A decade later the Mormons were effectively
10年过后，摩门教徒也被
driven out of the Midwest
成功地从中西部驱逐出去
and forced to begin their great series of treks
被迫开始了最大规模的
from the Midwest to Utah.
从中西部到犹他州的艰苦跋涉
