视听文本

The Mexicans who were naturally unhappy
墨西哥人自然不高兴
protested angrily. Intent on grabbing even more
对此愤然抗议，意图控制更多墨西哥土地
Mexican land Polk staged a supposed Mexican
波尔克筹划了一个假定墨西哥攻击
attack which goaded Congress into
这驱使国会
declaring war on Mexico. Yet not everyone
向墨西哥宣战，然而不是所有人
was fooled by Polk's tactics.
都被波尔克的伎俩给愚弄
As a young Wig Congressman from Illinois
伊利诺伊的一名年轻议员
pointed out both on the House floor and
在众议院和
in the following letter to a friend,
之后写给一位朋友的信中指出

Polk was pretty transparent.
波尔克很易懂
"The provision of the Constitution "
宪法条款
giving the war making power to Congress
授予国会宣战的权力
was dictated as I understand it
我认为有
by the following reasons. Kings had always been
如下几个理由，国王总是
involving and impoverishing their people in wars.
将其人民卷入战争，令其贫困
Pretending generally if not always that
如果不是总是，也是通常假装
the good of the people was the object.
他们是为人民的福祉
This, our convention understood to be
我们的惯例被理解是
the most oppressive of all kingly oppressions.
众君主压迫中最具压迫的
And they resolved to so frame the Constitution
他们决心构建这样的宪法
that no one man should hold the power of
让任何人都不能
bringing this oppression upon us.
给我们带来这种压迫
But your view destroys the whole matter and places
但你的观点摧毁了所有
our president where kings have always stood." End quote.
而我们总统所在之处常是国王的位置，引用完毕
Representative Abraham Lincoln's bold stand
亚伯拉罕林肯代表胆大的立场
almost cost him his political career.
几乎会毁掉他的政治生涯
He lost his Congressional seat when his party
当他的党派在1849年拒绝支持他
refused to endorse him again in 1849.
他失掉了自己的国会位置
12 years later President Lincoln would be
12年后，林肯总统
declaring effective war upon the Confederacy.
将宣布对南部邦联的大战
Yet the Mexican War began in 1846 was wildly
然而1846年打响的墨西哥战争
successful in defeating the Mexicans.
大获全胜
Up to a point it was highly popular.
一定程度上，这场战争颇受欢迎
Thanks to Polk's economic reforms the US
由于波尔克的经济改革
could pay for, upfront for 60% of the war's costs.
美国能够支付，预付战争60%的开销
After Mexico City fell in 1848 the war was
1848年后，墨西哥陷落后
ended by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
战争因瓜达卢佩伊杜尔戈条约终结
Thanks to this treaty America gained Texas,
由于这项条约，美国赢得了德克萨斯州
California and the major parts of Arizona
加利福尼亚州和亚利桑那州的主要部分
and New Mexico, nearly 1.2 million square
和新墨西哥，约为120万方平米的新土地
miles of new land.Regardless of how one feels
不管人们对波尔克
about the means Polk used to start it
波尔克宣战的方法如何看
the Mexican War brought great benefit to
墨西哥战争给美国带来了巨大利益
the United States. The importance of the former
前墨西哥领地
Mexican Territory to our nation's development
对我们国家经济发展的重要性
cannot be understated. For instance the California
不容小觑，例如
gold rush of 1848 drew American people west
1848年的加州淘金热将美国人民吸引至西方
and poured millions of dollars into
将成百上千万美金投入到
the young nation's economy as did
这年轻国家的经济体中
the new state of Texas.
新德克萨斯州也如此
Because California became so heavily settled
因为加利福尼亚州有如此多人定居
the United States could simultaneously expand
美国可以同时
westward from the Mississippi River Valley
从密西西比河谷向西扩张
and eastward from California.
从加利福尼亚向东扩张
When the United States wanted to buy more
当美国想要买更多的墨西哥土地
Mexican land to straighten the borders out
来使边境线变直
some the Gaston Purchase of 1853 the Mexicans
1853年的加斯顿一些购买中
wisely kept quiet and sold it. The Mexicans
墨西哥人明智的保持沉默，卖掉了它
were the first to learn not to get in between
墨西哥人最先认识到
the United States and its manifest destiny.
不要卷入美国和其天定命运
Segment 5c: Life in the Good Old Days.
5c部分：美好往昔的生活
For decades the United States had performed
几十年来
a balancing act between the industrialized
美国都平衡着北方自由土壤区
free-soil north and the agricultural slave
和南方农业奴隶州的关系
owning south. When the nation was established
当国家确立时
it looked as if slavery would wither away in
看似奴隶制将在美国枯萎
the United States. This hope was shared by
北方人和南方人
northerners and southerners alike.
对此有相似期望
But with the invention of the cotton gin and
但轧棉机的发明和
technological advances such as spinning machinery
技术进步，如纺织机器
and the steam boat, cotton became king in the south.
和蒸汽船，棉花成为了南方的国王

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：