(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
Thomas Jefferson, the nation's third president, was easily re-elected. He was head of the Democratic-Republican Party, known today as the Democratic Party. His political opponents were called Federalists. Now, Doug Johnson and Richard Rael begin the story of his second term as president of the United States. Jefferson had a very good record during his first term as president. He ended many taxes. He paid government debts. And he gained possession of the huge Louisiana Territory from France without going to war. The Federalists were sure he would win the election of eighteen-oh-four. Still, they were surprised by the strength of his election victory. Jefferson won one hundred sixty-two electoral votes. His opponent, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, won just fourteen. The Federalists had expected Pinckney to get about forty. Jefferson received support even in the Northeast. That is where the Federalists had their greatest strength. What was the explanation? One man tried to explain the meaning of Jefferson's great victory. He was John Quincy Adams, son of former president John Adams. President Adams had been a firm Federalist. This is what his son said: "The power of Jefferson's administration rests on a strong majority of the American people.
The president has great popular support. His re-election shows that the experiment of the Federalists has failed. It never can and never will be brought to life again. To try to bring it back would be foolish. It would be like trying to put life into a body that has been buried for years." After the election of eighteen-oh-four, only seven Federalists remained in the United States Senate. Only twenty-five remained in the House of Representatives. The Federalists no longer controlled the Congress, although they still controlled the courts. Many judges had been appointed during John Adams's last days as president. These judges opposed Thomas Jefferson. Some used the courtroom as a place to attack his policies. Judges were not supposed to make political speeches in court. One of the most powerful anti-Jeffersonian judges was Samuel Chase. He was a member of the Supreme Court. Samuel Chase was from the state of Maryland. He was active in local and national politics for a long time. He had signed America's Declaration of Independence from Britain. He had served in the Continental Congresses that governed America during and after its Revolutionary War. Yet he did not agree with all parts of the United States Constitution.
When the Maryland legislature voted to approve or reject the Constitution, he voted against it. Samuel Chase was not a republican: he believed that Americans should not have the same rights. For example, he believed that all citizens should not have the right to vote. He said this would lead to mob rule. He declared that great trouble would come to the government if common people had the same rights as educated people who owned property. President Jefferson heard about Chase's statement. He told a member of Congress that he was concerned. Jefferson asked: "Should this judge's attack on the ideas of our Constitution go without punishment? The public will look to Congress to take the necessary action against him." During the last months of Jefferson's first term as president, the House of Representatives began discussing the possibility of removing Justice Chase from the Supreme Court. A committee was named to investigate. The committee decided that there was enough evidence to bring him to trial before the Senate. The full House agreed. The impeachment trial was to begin in February, eighteen-oh-five. The judge in the trial was the chief officer of the Senate, Vice President Aaron Burr. Burr would decide what evidence could or could not be heard. His actions would have great influence over the final decision. Both Federalists and Republicans watched Burr closely during the trial. Both groups looked for some sign of support. Burr gave none.
No one found any reason to criticize his actions. The Senate heard testimony for a little more than three weeks. Then it voted on each of the eight charges against Justice Chase. A two-thirds vote was needed to declare him guilty. None of the charges received the necessary two-thirds vote. The impeachment had failed. Samuel Chase could not be removed from the Supreme Court. President Jefferson had hoped that Chase would be found guilty. He did not get this wish. But, after the trial, Chase no longer used the courtroom for political purposes. A few days after the impeachment trial ended, Thomas Jefferson was to be sworn in as president for a second term. In those days, the inauguration of the American president was held in March, not January. Aaron Burr would not be serving with Jefferson again. The Republican Party had not supported him for vice president. Instead, it chose George Clinton, who had been governor of New York state. Before leaving office, Burr decided to make one last speech to the Senate. The senators were very interested in what Burr had to say. Even his political opponents sat up and listened. Burr told his friends goodbye. He said he might never see them again. Yet he said they could still join together in defending freedom and social justice.
He spoke of the senators' great responsibility to protect liberty, the law, and the Constitution. "If the Constitution is ever destroyed," he said, "its final breaths will come on this floor." Aaron Burr faced a future full of questions. He had lost all political power. He owed large amounts of money. He could not return to his home in the New York area. He would face criminal charges there as a result of his duel with Alexander Hamilton. Burr had shot and killed Hamilton in the duel. At the end of March, eighteen-oh-five, Burr wrote to his daughter. "In ten or twelve days," he said, "I shall be on my way west. The trip may lead me to New Orleans, perhaps even farther." He also wrote to his daughter's husband. He said he would not return home. "In New York," he wrote, "I would lose my freedom. In New Jersey, I would be hanged. So, for the present, I will not take a chance." What would Burr do instead? For more than a year, he had thought about a secret plan. Details are not clear, because he said different things to different people. But history experts say the plan involved an attempt to seize Mexico from Spain.
Burr could not keep his plan a secret from everyone. He needed help. He worked with two men. One was Jonathan Dayton, a former United States senator. The other was James Wilkinson, military governor of the Louisiana Territory. Burr also needed money. He got some from his daughter's husband. And he got some from a man in Ohio named Harman Blennerhassett. Mister Blennerhassett had become rich after coming to America from Ireland. History experts say Burr tried to get help from Britain, too. Burr told the British ambassador in Washington that he wanted money and ships to create a new country. It would include Mexico and several western states. The states would be split away from the Union. The British ambassador liked Burr's plan. He told Burr that he would urge his government to support it. It would take at least four months, however, for the ambassador to communicate with his government in London. Burr decided not to wait for an answer. He began his trip to the West. That will be our story next week.
重点解析
1.political power 政治权力；政治力；政治力量
All political power in America is limited and it is temporary, and only given by the free vote of the people.
在美国，任何政治权力都是受制约的，而且这些权力必须通过人民自由的投票才能得到。
2.ambassador to 大使
I should have sent him as ambassador to Great Britain or maybe a former British colony," he said.
我当初应该派他去英国或者英国的某个殖民地担任大使一职的。”他说道。
3.communicate with 沟通；通话
Yet, they could communicate with her.
然而，他们可以与她沟通。
4.removed from 移除；远离
So for this reason, All alien practices are to be removed from the covenant community.
由于这个原因，所有异族习俗都被从这个契约团体中移除。
5.for the present 暂时，目前
I will leave the matter as it stands for the present.
这事我打算暂时搁一搁。
参考译文
美国第三任总统托马斯·杰斐逊轻松连任。他是民主共和党也就是今天的民主党的领袖。他的政治对手被称为联邦党。现在，道格·约翰逊和理查德·莱尔开始了他的第二个美国总统任期。杰斐逊在其第一个总统任期内有着非常好的政绩。他取消了许多税收，偿还了政府债务，在没有参战的情况下就从法国手中获得了路易斯安那州的大片领土。联邦党人确信他会赢得1804年的选举。尽管如此，他们还是惊讶于杰斐逊的选举实力。杰斐逊赢得了162张选举人票，他的对手，查尔斯·考特斯沃斯·平克尼，只获得了14张选票。联邦党人原以为平克尼能得到40张左右的选票。杰斐逊甚至在东北部也得到了支持。这就是联邦党人最强大的地方。怎么解释呢?一个人试图解释说是因为杰斐逊帮助美国取得胜利的缘故。这个人就是前总统约翰·亚当斯的儿子约翰·昆西·亚当斯。亚当斯总统一直是坚定的联邦党人。他儿子是这样说的："杰斐逊政府的权力掌握在绝大多数美国人民的手中。总统得到了广泛的支持。他的连任表明联邦党人的实验失败了。联邦党人永远不能也永远不会复活。试图让其恢复是愚蠢的。这就像试图把生命放进一具埋葬多年的尸体里。1804年选举之后，美国参议院只剩下7名联邦党人。众议院只剩下25人。联邦党人不再控制国会，尽管他们仍然控制着法院。约翰·亚当斯总统在任职的最后几天任命了许多法官。
这些法官反对托马斯·杰斐逊。一些人利用法庭来抨击杰斐逊的政策。法官不应该在法庭上发表政治演说。强烈反杰斐逊的法官之一是塞缪尔·蔡斯。他是最高法院的一名法官。塞缪尔·蔡斯来自马里兰州。他在地方和国家政治中活跃了很长一段时间。他签署了美国脱离英国的独立宣言。他曾在美国独立战争期间和之后的大陆议会任职。然而，他并不同意美国宪法的所有内容。当马里兰州的立法机关投票通过或否决宪法时，他投了反对票。塞缪尔·蔡斯不是共和党人：他认为美国人不应该拥有同样的权利。例如，他认为所有的公民都不应该有选举权。他说这会导致暴民统治。他宣称，如果普通人和拥有财产的受过教育的人享有同样的权利，那么政府将面临巨大的麻烦。杰斐逊总统听到了蔡斯的声明。他告诉一名国会议员，他对此感到担忧。杰斐逊问道："难道这位法官攻击我们的宪法思想不应该受到惩罚吗?公众将指望国会对他采取必要的行动。"杰斐逊在第一届总统任期的最后几个月，众议院开始讨论免去最高法院大法官蔡斯的职务。任命委员会对其进行了调查。委员会认为有足够的证据将蔡斯送交参议院审判。所有众议员都同意了。弹劾审判将于1805年2月开始。审判法官是参议院首席大法官、副总统亚伦·伯尔伯尔将决定哪些证词可以听取，哪些不能听取，他的行为将对最后的决定产生重大影响。联邦党人和共和党人在审判期间都密切关注着伯尔。两组人都在寻找支持的证据。伯尔没有给。
人们找不出任何理由批评他的行为。参议院听取了三个多星期的证词。然后就针对蔡斯法官的8项指控进行了投票。宣布他有罪需要三分之二的票数。这些指控都没有得到三分之二的赞成票。弹劾失败了。塞缪尔·蔡斯无法从最高法院罢免。杰斐逊总统曾希望蔡斯被判有罪，他的这一愿望没有实现。审判结束后，蔡斯不再将法庭用于政治目的。弹劾审判结束几天后，托马斯·杰斐逊宣誓就职总统，开始第二个任期。在那些日子里，美国总统的就职典礼是在3月举行的，而不是1月。亚伦·伯尔将不再为杰斐逊效力。共和党没有支持伯尔竞选副总统。而是选择了曾任纽约州州长的乔治·克林顿。离任前，伯尔决定向参议院做最后一次演讲。参议员们对伯尔要说的话很感兴趣，甚至他的政治对手也倾听了起来。伯尔和他的朋友告别。他说他可能再也见不到他们了。但是，他们仍然可以联合起来捍卫自由和社会正义。他谈到了参议员保护自由、法律和宪法的重大责任。伯尔说："如果宪法遭到破坏，那么宪法的最后一缕气息也将从这里产生。"未来，亚伦·伯尔将面临重重困难。他失去了所有的政治权力，欠了一大笔钱，无法回到他在纽约的家。由于与亚历山大·汉密尔顿的决斗，他将面临刑事指控。伯尔在决斗中射杀了汉密尔顿。
1805年3月底，伯尔写信给他的女儿，说道："再过十二天，我将向西部去。也许去新奥尔良，甚至更远。"他还写信给女儿的丈夫。他说他不会回家。他写道："在纽约，我会失去自由。"在新泽西，我会被绞死。所以，就目前而言，我不会冒险。"伯尔会怎么做呢？一年多来，他一直在想一个秘密计划。细节还不清楚，因为他对不同的人说了不同的话。但历史学家表示，该计划包括试图从西班牙手中夺取墨西哥。伯尔无法对每个人保守他的计划。他需要帮助。他和两个人一起工作。其中一位是美国前参议员乔纳森·戴顿。另一个是詹姆斯·威尔金森，路易斯安那州的军事长官。伯尔还需要钱。他从他女婿那里得到了一些，从俄亥俄州的一个叫哈曼· Blennerhassett的人那里得到了一些。Blennerhassett先生从爱尔兰来到美国后变得富有。历史学家说，伯尔也曾试图从英国获得帮助。伯尔告诉英国驻华盛顿大使，他想要钱财和船只来成立一个新的国家。这个新国家将包括墨西哥和几个西部州。这些州将脱离联邦。英国大使喜欢伯尔的计划。他告诉伯尔，他将敦促他所在的政府支持这项计划。但是，大使至少需要4个月的时间才能同他在伦敦的政府取得联系。伯尔决定不等待答复，开始了他的西部之旅。这就是我们下周要讲的故事。
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