视听文本

Americans began to see the United States as
美国人逐渐发现，美国的命运
having a sort of manifest destiny, to civilize,
是命中注定的，美国要进步
quote unquote, North America, but that definition
要创新，北美，但是这样一个关于
of civilized remains open to question.
"文明的"的概念是值得探究的
More than anything else the American Civil War
南北战争的根源就源于
arose from a dispute over whether the new
关于美国的西部的新领土是否
territories to the west would become free states
沿用奴隶制的争论
or slave holding states. Once slavery was abolished
最终奴隶制被废除

and the Union was restored then the Indians bore
联邦得以恢复，印第安人由于西进运动
the brunt of Americas drive westward and once the
也受到了巨大打击，十九世纪九十年代
western frontier closed down in the 1890's America
美国西部领土基本确定
began to look beyond its traditional boundaries.
于是它开始在传统疆界之外寻求新的领土
In all of this and the things we did as a result,
在这一过程中，在我们的一步步的行动中
as a nation, make up some of the
我们的文化内核逐渐形成
cultural baggage we carry as Americans.
这也是作为美国人的基础
Important as it is to understand who we were as
尽管真正理解作为美国人意味着什么
Americans before we understand who we are as
是非常重要的，但是在此之前
Americans we do tend to have a fuzzy
我们对于自己祖国的历史常常
sense of our nation's history.
没有一个清晰的认识
Part of the problem is the time factor.
造成这个问题的一个原因是时间过于久远
Although I am old and bald and graying I am
尽管我已近耄耋之年，鬓发斑白
not old enough to remember the American Revolution.
但依旧未曾经历过独立战争
Even my dad wasn't alive during the
那时候，即便是我的父亲
American Revolution. Actually, all of my ancestors
也还没有出生，实际上在独立战争期间
were in either Great Britain or Poland around the time
我的先辈人不是在英国就是在波兰
of the American Revolution. Neither side of my family
我家的祖辈们直到十九世纪五十年代
made it to the US until the 1850's. Once my ancestors
才达到美国，但是我的祖辈们一到美国
arrived though they willingly became Americans,
就自愿地成为了美国人
shouldering all the cultural baggage
肩负起以上我谈到的
that I have indicated just above.
所有的文化负担
Another problem is that a historical fact can be
另一个问题是，一个历史事实
and often is presented believably with 2 completely
所传达出的通常是两种截然不同的信息
different messages. For example as a kid growing up
例如，我从小在威斯康辛长大
in Wisconsin I was taught that the Civil War
我学的课本告诉我内战是因为
was fought because the northern states wanted to
北方要解放奴隶
free the slaves and the southerners wanted to keep
而南方要继续保持奴隶制
them in bondage. My wife growing up in Tennessee
我的妻子生长在田纳西
was taught that the Civil War happened because
她学到的是，南北战争是由于
the people of the south were tired of a bunch of
南方的人们不想再让
Yankee abolitionists telling them how to live.
北方佬对自己的生活指指点点
The truth as is often the case lies somewhere
通常情况下，真相就介于两者之间
in between. Slave owners were a minority in the
实际上南方的奴隶主和
south as abolitionists were in the north.
北方的废奴主义者都是少数
The real source of the war was the founder's
南北战争的真正原因是由于
unwillingness to confront the question head on
在起草宪法的时候
when they were drafting the constitution.
我们的先驱们没有直面这个问题
Had they dealt with slavery right up front we
如果他们一开始就解决了奴隶制的问题
might have been spared the civil war.
南北战争或许就不会发生
Our nation's history is full of cases like this.
这样的例子在我们的历史中比比皆是
If we really want to understand ourselves as a nation
如果我们想从国家的角度真正了解历史
we have to set aside if just for one day what we were
我们就必须抛掉我们原有的
told or taught to believe and reexamine critically
思维，批判性地去探究
what happened and why it happened.
事情的真相以及其背后的原因
Some people, myself included, love the study
包括我自己在内的一些人
of history for its own sake; reading it, discussing it
热爱历史，喜欢阅读历史，讨论历史
and even writing about it, and god help me,
甚至写历史类书籍，或者像我一样
trying to teach it. A quarter century of
教授历史，然而25年的教学生涯
teaching college has taught me that most students
使我明白，大多数学生并不像我一样
aren't as crazy about history as I am.
对历史如此痴迷
Some students may even feel about history the way
一些学生对历史的感觉甚至和我
I have always felt about math; a cruel and refined
对数学的感觉一样，那就是
type of torment. But a historical appreciation of
一种痛苦的折磨，但是从历史角度
America's role in the world is not merely
来看当今美国在世界的地位是
optional today. The United States is literally
不可避免的，可以说，美国每天
making history every single day which means that
都在创造历史，也就是说
you and I are literally living history
你和我，我们每天都在创造历史
every single day. Moreover, if we are to practice
除此之外，如果我们要践行
the involved citizenship described by Missouri State's
密苏里州公共事务委员会倡导的
state wide public affairs mission our own actions,
公民参与，那么我们的每一个行为
our own decisions contribute to this history.
我们的每一个决定都在创造历史。

视频及简介

课程介绍:
本课程对罗马帝国和前苏联的兴衰进行回顾，探讨它们历史变迁的内在规律，并将现代的超级大国——美国与它们进行比较，从而作出对未来可能的一些预测。

原声视频：