(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
Welcome to the MAKING OF A NATION – American history in VOA Special English. Martin Van Buren was sworn-in as the eighth president of the United States in eighteen thirty-seven. Not long after he took office, the United States suffered an economic depression. Many state banks had printed more money than they could guarantee with gold or silver. As more paper money came into use, the value fell. Prices rose sharply. Some people could not buy food or other necessities. In a short time, the demand on banks to exchange paper money for gold and silver grew too heavy. The banks halted such exchanges. They said the situation was only temporary. But the crisis continued. This week in our series, Harry Monroe and Tony Riggs talk about the economic situation. And they discuss foreign affairs during the Van Buren presidency.Many of the weaker state banks closed after gold and silver payments were suspended. Those that stayed open had almost no money to lend. Businessmen could not pay back money they owed the banks. And they could not get loans to keep their businesses open. Many factories closed. Great numbers of people were out of work. The federal government itself lost nine million dollars because of bank failures. Businessmen said the government was to blame for the economic depression. They said the biggest reason was an order made by former president Andrew Jackson. Jackson had said the government would not accept paper money as payment for the purchase of government land. It would accept only gold or silver. Opponents of the order said it had caused fear and mistrust. Even some of Jackson's strongest supporters said the order should be lifted. They said it had done its job of ending land speculation. Now, they said, it was hurting the economy. Two of President Van Buren's closest advisers urged him to continue the order. Lifting it, they argued, would flood the federal government with paper money of questionable value. Van Buren was troubled about the government's money. He wanted to make sure the government had enough money. And he wanted this money safe until needed. At the same time, Van Buren did not believe the federal government had the responsibility for ending the depression. And he did not believe the government had the right to interfere in any way with private business. So Van Buren decided to continue the order. No government land could be bought with paper money.
The economy got worse. The president called a special meeting of Congress. In his message to Congress, Van Buren said "over-banking and over-trading" had caused the depression. He proposed several steps to protect the government. Van Buren asked Congress to postpone payment of surplus federal government money to the states. He said the money would be needed to operate the federal government in the coming year. He also asked Congress to pass a law permitting the government to keep its own money in the Treasury, instead of putting it in private banks. This was the so-called "independent Treasury" bill. The opposition Whig Party denounced the president's proposals. It criticized Van Buren for thinking only of protecting the federal government -- and not helping businessmen, farmers and the states. Whig opposition was not strong enough to defeat all the president's proposals. Congress approved a bill to postpone payment of surplus federal government money to the states. But the Whigs -- together with conservative Democrats -- rejected the proposal for an independent Treasury. America's Treasury Department received money when it collected import taxes and sold land. It used this money to pay what the government owed. The Treasury did not, however, hold the money from the time it was collected to the time it was paid out.
The Treasury put the money in private banks. President Van Buren wanted to end this situation. He wanted a law to permit the Treasury to keep government money in its own secure places. The Whigs argued that such a law would give presidents too much power over the economy. Some Democrats who believed strongly in states' rights also opposed it. Between them, they had enough votes in Congress to defeat the proposal. President Van Buren tried again the following year to get approval for an independent Treasury. Again, the proposal was defeated. Finally, in June, eighteen-forty, Congress passed a law permitting the Treasury Department to hold government money itself. Van Buren signed the bill. The economic depression of eighteen thirty-seven lasted for six years. It was the major problem -- but not the only problem -- during Van Buren's one term as president. In foreign affairs, one of the chief problems Van Buren faced was a dispute with Britain about Canada. Canadian rebels had tried two times to end British rule of Canada. They failed both times. Rebel leaders were forced to flee to safety in the United States. There they found it easy to get men and supplies to help them continue their struggle. The rebels built a base on a Canadian island in the Niagara River which formed part of the border between the two countries.
They used an American boat to carry supplies from the American side to their base. In December eighteen thirty-seven, Canadian soldiers crossed the Niagara River and seized the boat. One American was killed in the fight. For a while, Canadian forces and Canadian rebels exchanged attacks on river boats. A number of American citizens fought with the rebels. President Van Buren was troubled. He declared that the wish to help others become independent was a natural feeling among Americans. But, he said no American had a right to invade a friendly country. He warned that citizens who fought against the Canadian government, and were captured, could expect no help from the United States. Another problem between the United States and Canada at that time concerned the border along the state of Maine. That part of the border had been in dispute ever since seventeen eighty-three when Britain recognized the independence of the American states. Years later, the king of the Netherlands agreed to decide the dispute. The king said it was impossible to decide the border from words of the peace treaty between Britain and the United States. So he offered what he believed was a fair settlement instead: The United States would get about two times as much of the disputed area as Canada.
Britain accepted the proposal by the king of the Netherlands. The United States did not. The United States refused, because the state of Maine would not accept it. In eighteen thirty-eight, Britain withdrew its acceptance of the proposal. And Canadians entered the disputed area. The governor of Maine sent state forces to the area. The soldiers drove out the Canadians and built forts. Canada, too, began to prepare for war. President Van Buren sent General Winfield Scott to Maine. Scott was able to get the governor to withdraw his forces from the disputed area. He also received guarantees that Canadian forces would not enter the area. The danger of war passed. Americans in the border area, however, were angry with President Van Buren. They believed Van Buren was weak, because he did not want war. Not only in the Northeast was the president losing support. People all over the country were suffering because of the economic depression. Most people believed Van Buren was responsible for their troubles, because he did not end the depression. The economy had fallen apart because of the hard money policies of former President Andrew Jackson, and the opposition to those policies by businessmen and bankers. And Van Buren did nothing to change those policies. Van Buren had been a good political adviser to President Jackson. But he had not been a strong president. He was unable to make the people understand his policies. The opposition Whig Party was happy over these developments. It saw an excellent chance to win the next presidential election. The issues in American politics before the election of eighteen forty will be our story in the next program of THE MAKING OF A NATION.
重点解析
1.sworn in 使宣誓就职；宣誓就职
She was sworn in as head of an interim government in March.
她3月份宣誓就任过渡政府首脑。
2.come into use 开始使用；投入使用
That method has only recently come into use.
那种方法只是最近才开始使用的。
3.blame for 因......责备；责怪
The policy is partly to blame for causing the worst unemployment in Europe.
欧洲出现了最严重的失业情况，这应当部分归咎于这项政策。
4.flee to 逃到；逃至
He successfully went back home and met his eldest brother, who helped him flee to Canada.
这一次他成功地回家，遇到了他的大哥，得到了大哥的帮助，顺利地逃亡到加拿大。
参考译文
欢迎收听VOA慢速英语之建国史话节目。马丁·范布伦于1837年宣誓就任美国第八任总统，他上任后不久，美国遭受了经济萧条。许多国有银行印钞量超过了用金银担保的数额。随着越来越多的纸币投入使用，其价值下跌，物价急剧上涨，有些人买不到食物或其他必需品。在很短的时间内，银行用纸币兑换金银的需求急速增长。银行终止了这种交易，他们说这种情况只是暂时性的，但危机一直在继续。在本周的系列节目中，哈里·门罗和托尼·里格斯将讨论当时的经济形势，他们会讲述在范布伦担任总统期间发生的外交事务。
许多实力弱小的国有银行在黄金和白银暂停支付后就停业了，那些依然营业的银行几乎没有钱款可贷。商人无力偿还他们欠银行的钱，也不能获到贷款来维持他们的生意。许多工厂倒闭，很多人因此而失业。由于银行倒闭，联邦政府本身损失了900万美元。商人们表示，政府应该为经济萧条负责。他们说最主要的原因是前总统安德鲁·杰克逊下达的一条命令。杰克逊曾表示，政府不接受用纸币购买政府土地，而只接受黄金或白银。反对者说，这条命令引起了恐惧和不信任，甚至连一些极力支持杰克逊的人也表示应该撤销该命令。它已经帮助终止了土地投机的状况，而现在，它在损害本国经济。总统范布伦最亲密的两位顾问敦促他继续执行这项命令。他们争辩说，如果把它撤销，联邦政府将充斥着价值可疑的纸币。范布伦为政府的钱款而烦恼，他想确保政府有足够的资金。他希望这笔钱在需要用之前都是安全的。同时，范布伦认为联邦政府无须对结束经济萧条负有责任，他认为政府无权以任何方式干涉私有企业经营。所以范布伦决定继续执行此命令，不能用纸币购买政府土地。
经济状况持续恶化，总统召开了国会特别会议。范布伦对国会发表的演说中表示：是“银行数量过多和过度交易”导致了经济萧条。他提出了几项保护政府的措施。范布伦要求国会推迟向各州支付联邦政府的盈余资金，他说，在未来一年，联邦政府将需要用这些资金进行运作。他还要求国会通过一项法律，允许政府将自己的资金存放在国库，而不是存放在私有银行，这就是“独立国库”法案。反对派辉格党谴责了总统的提议，批评范布伦只考虑保护联邦政府，而不帮助商人、农民和各州。辉格党的反对力量还不足以击败总统的所有提议，国会批准了一项推迟向各州支付联邦政府盈余资金的法案。但是，辉格党和保守的民主党人拒绝了建立独立国库的提议。美国财政部在征收进口税和出售土地时收到资金，它用这笔钱款偿还政府的欠款。然而，款项从收取到支付这段时间，并未归财政部所有。
财政部把钱款存入私有银行，总统范布伦想结束这种局面。他希望通过一项法律，允许财政部将政府资金存放在自己所有的安全的地方。辉格党认为这样的法律会给总统过多的经济权力，一些坚信各州权利的民主党人也表示反对。他们在国会有足够的票数来否决这项提案。第二年，总统范布伦再次尝试让独立国库的法案获得批准，这项提议又一次遭到否决。最后，在1840年6月，国会通过了一项法律，允许财政部自行持有政府资金。范布伦签署通过了该法案。1837年的经济萧条持续了六年，这是范布伦总统任期内遇到的主要问题，但并不是唯一的问题在外交事务中，范布伦面临的主要问题是与英国就加拿大问题产生的争端。加拿大反叛武装曾两次试图结束英国对加拿大的统治，但两次都以失败告终，反叛者首领被迫逃到美国避难。他们发现在这里，能够容易找到帮助他们继续抗争的人和物资。反叛者在加拿大尼亚加拉河上的一个岛屿上建立了基地，尼亚加拉河是美加边界的一部分。
他们用一艘美国船只把补给从美国运到他们的基地。1837年12月，加拿大士兵跨过尼亚加拉河，劫持了这艘船，一名美国人在战斗中丧生。有一段时间，加拿大军队和加拿大反叛武装曾一度交替攻击尼亚加拉河上的船只，有一批美国人与加拿大反叛者一起战斗，对此，总统范布伦感到很麻烦。他宣称想帮助他人独立的愿望，对美国人来说很正常。但是，美国人无权入侵一个友好的国家。他警告到，那些与加拿大政府作战并被抓获的公民得不到美国的帮助。当时美加两国的另一个争议是缅因州的边界问题。自1783年英国承认美国独立以来，这部分边界一直存在争议。几年后，荷兰国王同意解决这一争端。国王说，用英美之间的和平条约来决定边界问题是不可能的。因此，他提出了一个自认为是公平的解决方案：美国可获得的争议区域约为加拿大的两倍。
英国接受了荷兰国王的建议，但美国没有接受，美国表示拒绝，因为缅因州不会接受该建议。1838年，英国撤销接受该项提议，加拿大人进入争议区域。缅因州州长派州政府军进驻该地区。士兵们赶走了加拿大人，又修建了堡垒。加拿大也开始备战。总统范布伦派温菲尔德·斯科特将军前往缅因州，斯科特让州长下令从争议地区撤军。斯科特还向州长保证，加拿大军队不会进入该地区。由此避免了一场战争的发生。然而，边境地区的美国人却对总统范布伦感到气愤。他们认为范布伦软弱，因为他不想打仗。总统失去了东北部地区的支持，而此时全国人民都在因经济萧条而受苦受难。大多数人认为范布伦应该对他们遇到问题负责，因为他没能终止经济萧条。由于前总统安德鲁·杰克逊实行的硬通货政策，以及商人和银行家对这些政策的反对，国内经济已全盘崩溃。而范布伦却未对这些政策做任何调整。范布伦曾是总统杰克逊出色的政治顾问，但他不是一位强有力的总统。他无法让人民理解他的政策。反对派辉格党对事态进展感到高兴，因为这是赢得下届总统选举的绝佳机会。1840年总统大选之前，美国的政局事态将是我们下期建国史话节目要讲述的内容。
译文为可可英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载！
