评论
打印
The election of self avowed Unionist,
自称为联合主义者的选举中
Abraham Lincoln, to the presidency in 1860
亚伯拉罕林肯于1860年当选总统
prompted 11 southern states to secede from the Union.
这促使11个南方州退出联邦
These southern states later formed
这些南方州之后组成
the Confederate States of America.
美利坚联盟国
President Lincoln considered these secessions
林肯总统视此脱离
a mere rebellion and he moved to preserve
为叛变，他要通过武力保证联邦完整
the Union by force. On April 12th,
在1861年的4月12日
1861 Confederate troops fired upon Fort Sumter
南方军队朝
off of Charleston, South Carolina and
南卡罗来纳州，查尔斯顿萨姆特堡开火
the American Civil War was on. The nation,
美国内战由此打响
the great experiment, nearly failed.
美国，这伟大的实验，几近破产
Segment 5b: Our Manifest Destiny.
5b部分：我们的天定命运
Expansionism and Manifest Destiny.
扩张主义与天定命运
The American population was booming.
美国人口在急速增长
The Louisiana Territory was beginning to fill up.
路易斯安那领地开始充斥人口
As a result of victory in the War of 1812
1812年的战争胜利
and the success of the Monroe Doctrine,
和门罗主义的胜利
America enjoyed international prestige.
使得美国赢得国际声望
Americans naturally attributed their nation's rise
美国自然而然将其国家崛起的原因
to their freedoms, their ideals and their relation with
归为其崇尚自由，其理想和
providence as illustrated on the great seal.
其国玺上说明的他们与上帝的关系
Annuit Coeptis, baby.
佑吾基业
Americans began to think the United States
美国人开始开始认为美国
was literally destined to rule America from east to
注定要统治东西海域之间
west or from sea to shining sea.
从海洋此岸到碧波荡漾之彼岸
The Jacksonian democrats, so-called after
杰克逊民主党人
Old Hickory, Andrew Jackson, the Indian fighter,
得名于老山胡桃安德鲁·杰克逊
urged expansionism. Expansionism involved
这位印第安战士敦促扩张主义
the addition of the most possible territory to
扩张主义是指尽可能增多美国的领域
the United States. Even if Canada was off limits
即使加拿大商品被禁止
for good and even though it seemed that
即使似乎
the British would fight for the Oregon Territory
英国将为俄勒冈领地战斗
there was always Mexico.
但总有墨西哥
In 1844 New York journalist John O'Sullivan
1844年，纽约记者约翰·奥沙利文
coined the term Manifest Destiny in an essay arguing
在一篇短文里造出了天定命运这个词
for the annexation of the Republic of Texas.
那篇文章是为兼并德克萨斯共和国辩护
In a more influential 1845 essay supporting
在1845年一篇更有影响力的
annexation of the Oregon Territory O'Sullivan
支持兼并俄勒冈领地的短文中
explained, quote, "and that claim is by the right
奥沙利文解释到 "根据
of our manifest destiny to overspread and
我们天定命运的权力
to posses the whole of the continent which
我们可以扩展，拥有整片大陆
providence has given us for the development,
上帝给我们这片领地发展
the great experiment of liberty and federated
自由的伟大尝试
self-government entrusted to us." End quote.
且委托给我们联邦自治政府"
Those who supported American expansion
那些支持美国扩张的人
were slow to seize on this term.
渐渐占用了这个词
At first manifest destiny was used as a curse word,
最初，天定命运是个冒犯语
a derogatory term by the dying political party
被称为辉格党的垂死政团
known as the Wigs which feared that expansion
当贬义词用，他们害怕
would somehow dilute America's stable government.
扩张会在某种程度上动摇美国政府的稳定
But Jacksonian democrats such as
但杰克逊的民主党人
Tennessee's James K. Polk quickly recognized
如田纳西州的詹姆斯·K。波尔克很快认识到
this term's appeal. Manifest destiny implied
这个词的吸引力，天定命运暗示
that the Americans were a uniquely superior people,
美国人是独特优越的族群
specifically ordained by god to spread civilization
被上帝委派将文明
throughout North America.
传遍全北美
This idea was nothing new.
这个思想毫无新意
Many other great powers had already experienced it.
许多其它大国都曾有此经历
But it was new to the United States.
但这对美国来说十分新奇
Northerners saw manifest destiny as
北方人视天定命运为
a wonderful opportunity for the nation's economy
一个出色的机会，对于该国的总体经济如此
in general and for the north in particular.
对北美经济更是如此
