视听文本

But Texas was more suited to cattle ranching
但德克萨斯州更适合放牧
than cotton production. Texas itself would not
而不是棉花种植，德克萨斯自身
be enough to help the south match
不足以帮助南方
the economic progress of the rapidly growing north.
匹敌北方的经济迅速增长
Sadly the founders had either failed or refused to
可悲的是，国父们要么失败
consider the possibility of north-south division.
要么拒绝考虑南北分裂的可能性

This caused a tremendous sectional struggle
这导致巨大派系斗争
which ended in civil war.
那在内战中瓦解
The new frontier. The Midwest was growing
新边疆，中西部
by leaps and bounds too. It was being settled not
也在突飞猛进，其定居者不只有移民
just by immigrants but by restless northerners
还有躁动不安的北方人和南方人
and southerners. The Louisiana Purchase except
路易斯安那购买
for Missouri began really filling up after 1840.
除了密苏里，于1840年之后开始填满
Not only farmers moved west, Thomas Lincoln,
不只农民向西迁移，托马斯林肯
father of Abraham was one example moving from
亚伯拉罕的父亲是一个例子
Kentucky to Indiana to Illinois, but merchants
他从肯塔基移民至印第安纳，再到伊利诺伊
and skilled craftsmen too.
商人和技术工匠也如此
Whatever Midwesterners grew or produced
不管中西部人怎样发展或生产
and could not eat or use themselves the northeast
填满不能消耗或吃掉自己的产品
was happy to purchase. What the northwest
东北部人很高兴购买
could not consume it exported. By the start of
西北部人不能消耗掉的出口产品
the Civil War the Midwest was producing more than
内战开始时，中西部每年生产
170 million bushels of grain per year much of
1.7亿多蒲式耳的稻谷
which went to the northeast by boat or
由船运至东北或
by one of the railway lines which began to
通过一条
spring up all over the United States.
遍布全美的一条铁路线运过去
The south experienced the railroad boom too
南方也经历了铁路蓬勃发展
but the strong railroad links between north
但北方与中西部的牢固铁路连接
and Midwest helped keep the Midwest
使得内战期间
in the Union during the Civil War.
中西部留在联邦内
It would be hard to blame the southerners for
我们很难怪罪南方人
getting the feeling that they were being surrounded.
会感觉自己被包围了
Progress and Regress. Americans were
前进与回归
divided in other ways. The wave of Irish and German,
美国人在其它方面被分离
Catholic immigrants arriving in the first
前半个世纪，爱尔兰，德国，天主教移民浪潮
half of the century caused a backlash among
在土生土长的新教美国人中
native born Protestant Americans.
引起后冲
Aside from their unusual customs and religious
除了非同寻常的风俗与宗教习惯
practices Catholic immigrants competed with
天主教移民与
native born Protestants for jobs.
土生土长的新教徒竞争工作岗位
Because of their number and the ease of acquiring
因为他们的数量与获得公民身份的便利
citizenship the new immigrants gained considerable
新移民形成了巨大的政治势力
political clout at the expense of the previously
以先前的新教徒定居
Protestant establishment.
为代价
This would cause internal tensions.
这将导致内部冲突
Citizens also strove for greater rights and
公民也为更大的权力与机会奋斗着
opportunities. By 1860, thanks to organized labor,
到1860年，由于隶属工会的工人
the 10 hour workday was a generally accepted
10小时工作日在我国
standard around the nation. The need for a literate,
被普遍接受为标准时间
educated citizen body caused the establishment
对识字受教育公民群体的需求导致
of free, tax-supported schools across the north
免费，税收支持的学校在北方
and in some parts of the south. Prisons,
和南方部分地区的建立，监狱
social welfare and even the prohibition of
社会福利，甚至还有禁酒
alcohol became public issues as Americans
都成为公共问题
worked to ensure life, liberty and the pursuit of
随着美国人奋力保证生活，自由和追寻
happiness for just about everyone.
所有人的幸福
The position of women in society remained
妇女在社会中的地位
completely unequal. Although there was some
依旧完全不公，尽管一些传统
tradition of some young women being allowed to
允许一些年轻妇女
pursue their choice of career this was generally true
追寻其职业选择，但这仅限于
for a number of careers only and only until marriage.
一些职业，且只是在结婚之前
Then as always individual women found ways to
然后，总有个别妇女会设法
rise above society's arbitrary obstacles.
克服社会的专制障碍
By the 1840s a women's right movement emerged
到1840年代，一次妇女权利运动
under the leadership of Elizabeth Cady Stanton
在伊利莎白．凯蒂．史单顿和
and Lucretia Mott. Cady Stanton recognized that
瑞蒂雅．柯芬的领导下出现凯蒂．史单顿指出
for all of women's pressing concerns;
所有妇女的迫切担忧
equality before the law, equal access to education,
如法律平等，平等受教育权
equal right to take part in public life,
参与公众生活的平等权利
the right to vote had to come first
选举权必须列于第一
which if finally did in 1920.
这最终于1920年实现

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：