视听文本

There would be no recurrence of taxation
也不会出现无代表的
without representation.
重复征税
Instead the United States would enjoy stability.
而且美国能够维持稳定
Even though the United States
虽然美国
had boundaries with the British in Canada,
和英国和加拿大仍有界限划分

the French in Louisiana
比如路易斯安那州的法国人
and the Spanish in Florida and Mexico,
还有佛罗里达和墨西哥的西班牙人
the United States was allowed
美国得以安享长达25年的和平
a quarter century of peace before the War of 1812
直到1812年
broke out with the British.
与英国的战争爆发
The Louisiana Purchase; France bows out.
路易斯安那州购买案，法国人拱手退让
After losing the French and Indian War in 1763
在1763年输掉法国和印第安战争后
France had to give up the Louisiana Territory to Spain.
法国不得不把路易斯安娜州的领土让给西班牙
This included all French territory
这里面包括了
west of the Mississippi River
密西西比河西边的所有法国领土
along with the strategic port of New Orleans
以及位于密西西比河河口的
located near the Mississippi River's mouth.
战略性的新奥尔良港口
But in 1803 Napoleon was
但是1803年，拿破仑正忙着
establishing French dominance all over Europe
在整个欧洲植入法国势力
and he also took Louisiana back
他也从西班牙人手中
from the simpering Spaniards.
夺回了路易斯安那
The United States was not happy about
美国人对于
having Napoleon's France
这个西边最大的法国邻居
as their largest western neighbor.
感到非常不满
But suddenly Napoleon made
但是拿破仑突然和
President Thomas Jefferson a deal that
托马斯·杰斐逊总统做了个交易
Jefferson couldn't refuse.
杰斐逊无法拒绝
To raise money for his European adventures
为了给欧洲的征战筹集资金
Napoleon offered America
拿破仑要求美国拿
the entire Louisiana Territory for 15 million dollars.
1500万美元赎回路易斯安那州
This addition,
这一附加条件
the so-called Louisiana Purchase
就是我们所说的路易斯安那州购买案
would nearly double America's size in one fell swoop.
这将一下子把美国领土扩大将近一倍
The US had in fact
事实上，美国政府只想要
only wanted to purchase New Orleans
买下新奥尔良
and its immediate surroundings.
以及附近的领土
Besides as Jefferson well knew
除此之外，杰斐逊总统深知
because he helped write the Constitution,
因为宪法是由他参与编撰的
a President had no constitutional right
宪法没有赋予总统权力
to make a treaty acquiring territory.
签订购买领土的条约
Moreover Jefferson was personally concerned as
而且杰斐逊本人来自南方
a southerner with preserving individual states' rights.
本州的权利就非常有限
But regardless of its legality
但是且不论它的合法性
Jefferson accepted the offer.
杰斐逊最终接受了这一条件
The Senate quickly recognized
参议院迅速地批准并
and ratified Jefferson's wise decision.
通过了杰斐逊明智的决策
This was the right choice.
这是一个正确的选择
Thanks to the Northwest Ordinance
多亏了西北法令
there was an established plan by which
能够根据现有的法律
this new land could be assimilated,
顺利地将这片新的土地融合进美国
politically at least, into the United States.
至少从政治层面上来说是这样的
Best of all France was now
这真是太好不过了，法国人终于
out of the Americas for good.
永远地从美洲消失了
War with Britain.
接下来就是与英国的战争
By 1807 the British ruled the seas
到1807年，英国依然凭借700艘军舰
with a navy 700 warships strong.
称霸海上
Yet life in the Royal Navy was so awful that
但是皇家海军的生活太可怕了
sailors and marines constantly deserted,
船员和海军常常逃跑
often going onto American ships.
很多都投靠了美国船舰
The Royal Navy began stopping American ships
因此皇家海军开始禁止美国船只进入
and searching for British sailors
并且下令搜查
and marines who shouldn't be there.
那些非法逃入的水兵和海员
And that was bad enough.
那实在是太糟糕了
When the British officers couldn't find
当英国官员们无法找到
any British deserters they often quote/unquote
任何弃船的英国船员时，他们通常会
impressed American soldiers into the British Navy
会吸引美国士兵到英国海军效力
on the grounds that they were
当然条件是
really Englishmen anyway.
他们必须是真正的英国人
In an attempt to
为了要反抗
intimidate Great Britain Congress embargoed,
并威胁英国
that is to say shut down,
1807年12月
all foreign trade in December of 1807.
国会完全关闭了所有的对外贸易
But it backfired completely.
但这一举措却事与愿违

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：