The presidency of the United States of America is often said to be one of the most powerful positions in the world.
美国总统被公认是世界上最有权力的职位。
But of all the U.S. presidents accused of misusing that power, only one has left office as a result.
但是所有被指责滥用权力的美国总统中，只有一个因此下台。
Does Richard Nixon deserve to be remembered for more than the scandal that ended his presidency?
理查德·尼克松更值得我们记住的，是否不只有让他下台时的丑闻而已？
Find out as we put this disgraced president's legacy on trial in History vs. Richard Nixon.
让我们一起通过审理这位声名狼藉的总统的遗产来探索。
'Order, order. Now, who's the defendant today, some kind of crook?'
“肃静，肃静。谁是今天的被告？他是因诈欺被起诉吗？”
'No, your Honor. This is Richard Milhous Nixon, the 37th president of the United States, who served from 1969 to 1974.'
“不，法官大人。这是理查德·尼克松，第37届美国总统，任职期间为公元1969到1974年。”
'Hold on. That's a weird number of years for a president to serve.'
“等等。这个总统任期的数字似乎不太对劲。”
'Well, you see, President Nixon resigned for the good of the nation and was pardoned by President Ford, who took over after him.'
“是这样的，尼克松总统因为国家利益而辞职，被接任他的福特总统赦免。”
'He resigned because he was about to be impeached, and he didn't want the full extent of his crimes exposed.'
“他由于快被弹劾而辞职，也拒绝公开犯罪的严重程度。”
'And what were these crimes?'
“那么他有哪些罪行呢？”
'Your Honor, the Watergate scandal was one of the grossest abuses of presidential power in history.
“法官大人，水门事件是史上最严重的总统滥权事件之一。
Nixon's men broke into the Democratic National Committee headquarters
尼克松的手下闯入了民主党全国委员会总部，
to wiretap the offices and dig up dirt on opponents for the reelection campaign.'
窃听办公室里的电话和找寻对手的把柄，就为了竞选连任。”
'It was established that the President did not order this burglary.'
“已经确定总统并没有下达窃听的指令。”
'But as soon as he learned of it, he did everything to cover it up, while lying about it for months.'
“但是当他得知这件事却想尽办法掩盖它，并为这件事说了好几个月的谎。”
'Uh, yes, but it was for the good of the country.
“嗯，是的，但这都是为了国家利益。
He did so much during his time in office and could have done so much more without a scandal jeopardizing his accomplishments.'
“他任期中有非常多的建树，如果没有丑闻来打击他的政绩，他将做出更多有意义的事。”
'Uh, accomplishments?'
“呃，政绩？”
'Yes, your Honor. Did you know it was President Nixon who proposed the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency,
“是的，法官大人。你知道就是尼克松总统提议建立美国环保署
and signed the National Environmental Policy Act into law?
并签署国家环境政策法案的吗？
Not to mention the Endangered Species Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, expansion of the Clean Air Act.'
更不要说濒危物种法案、海洋哺乳动物保护法、扩大清洁空气法案。”
'Sounds pretty progressive of him.'
“听起来他是个改革者。”
'Progressive? Hardly. Nixon's presidential campaign courted Southern voters through fear and resentment of the civil rights movement.'
“改革者？少来了。尼克松的总统竞选是通过对民权运动的恐惧及怨恨，拉拢南方选民。”

'Speaking of civil rights, the prosecution may be surprised to learn that he signed the Title IX amendment,
“说到公民权利，检察机关可能会很惊讶地得知是他签署了美国宪法第九条修正案，
banning gender-based discrimination in education, and ensured that desegregation of schools occurred peacefully,
禁止在教育上性别的歧视，并且在学校中和平地废止种族隔离，
and he lowered the voting age to 18, so that students could vote.'
他也将选民年龄降至18岁，使得学生也有资格投票。”
'He didn't have much concern for students after four were shot by the National Guard at Kent State.
“他可没有对那四位在肯特大学被国民兵射杀的学生表示关心。
Instead, he called them bums for protesting the Vietnam War, a war he had campaigned on ending.'
反而还把他们视为抗议越战的游民，而越战就是由他说要结束的。”
'But he did end it.'
“但他确实结束了越战。”
'He ended it two years after taking office.
“那是在他接任后两年才结束。
Meanwhile, his campaign had sabotaged the previous president's peace talks,
而在1968年，他的竞选活动就已经破坏了前任总统和平谈话，
urging the South Vietnamese government to hold out for supposedly better terms, which, I might add, didn't materialize.
督促南越政府提出所谓更好的条件，我想说这些后来并未实现。
So, he protracted the war for four years, in which 20,000 more U.S. troops,
所以，他让这场战争继续拖了四年之久，这段期间让美军死亡人数增加两万多人，
and over a million more Vietnamese, died for nothing.'
更有超过一百万名越南人无意义地死亡。”
'Hmm, a presidential candidate interfering in foreign negotiations -- isn't that treason?'
“嗯，一个总统候选人干预对外谈判是不是叛国呢？”
'It is, your Honor, a clear violation of the Logan Act of 1799.'
“是的，法官大人。这明显违反1799年的洛根法案。”
'Uh, I think we're forgetting President Nixon's many foreign policy achievements.
“呃，我想我们忘了尼克松总统许多外交政策的成果。
It was he who normalized ties with China, forging economic ties that continue today.'
就是他将我们与中国的关系正常化，造就今天与中国持续的经济关系。”
'Are we so sure that's a good thing?
“我们肯定这是一件好事吗？
And don't forget his support of the coup in Chile
而且不要忘了他支持智利政变，
that replaced the democratically-elected President Allende with a brutal military dictator.'
让民选总统阿叶德被残暴的军事独裁者取代。”
'It was part of the fight against communism.'
“这是对抗共产主义斗争的一部分。”
'Weren't tyranny and violence the reasons we opposed communism to begin with?
“难道专制及暴力不是我们一开始会反抗共产主义的原因？
Or was it just fear of the lower class rising up against the rich?'
还是说这只是怕下层阶级开始反对有钱人？”
'President Nixon couldn't have predicted the violence of Pinochet's regime,
“尼克松总统无法预测皮诺契政权会如此残暴，
and being anti-communist didn't mean neglecting the poor.
反共产主义并不意味着忽视穷人。
He proposed a guaranteed basic income for all American families, still a radical concept today.
他提议保障所有美国家庭的基本收入，至今仍然是一个先进的概念。
And he even pushed for comprehensive healthcare reform, just the kind that passed 40 years later.'
他甚至推动了全面的医疗改革，就是40年后才推行的那种。”
'I'm still confused about this burglary business. Was he a crook or not?'
“我仍然对这个案件感到困惑。他到底是不是骗子？”
'Your Honor, President Nixon may have violated a law or two,
“法官大人，尼克松总统或许违反了一、两条法律，
but what was the real harm compared to all he accomplished while in office?'
但与成就相比，他造成的真正伤害算什么？”
'The harm was to democracy itself.
“那是对民主本身的危害。
The whole point of the ideals Nixon claimed to promote abroad is that leaders are accountable to the people,
尼克松广传的理想重点在于领导人要对人民负责，
and when they hold themselves above the law for whatever reason, those ideals are undermined.'
而当他们自己凌驾于法律之上，无论出于何种原因，这些理想都受到损害。”
'And if you don't hold people accountable to the law, I'll be out of a job.'
“如果不能让人民伏法，那我就会失业了。”
Many politicians have compromised some principles to achieve results,
许多政治家为达目的会做出一些原则性的妥协，
but law-breaking and cover-ups threaten the very fabric the nation is built on.
然而，违法和掩盖的行为危及到了美国的建国基础。
Those who do so may find their entire legacy tainted when history is put on trial.
这样的人在被后人检视时，不论功绩多少，都已留下污点。