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历史与安德鲁·杰克逊的对抗

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A national hero? Or public enemy number one?

是国家英雄?还是社会第一公敌?
Historical figures are often controversial,
历史人物通常是充满着争议的,
but few were as deified or vilified in their lifetime as the seventh President of the United States.
但是几乎没有谁在他们的生命中会像第七届美国总统那样被藐视与诽谤。
This is History vs. Andrew Jackson.
这是历史与安德鲁·杰克逊的对抗。
'Order, order, hm, uh, what were we...ah yes, Mr. Jackson!
“肃静,肃静,呃,我们之前说到哪了?啊,对了,杰克逊先生!
You stand accused of degrading the office of the presidency,
你面对着让总统办公室受辱,
causing financial collapse and wanton cruelty against American Indians. How do you plead?'
并导致造成金融崩溃和肆无忌惮地、残忍地反对美国印第安人的控告。你是否认罪?”
'Now, Your Honor, I am not a big city lawyer, but I do know a few things.
“法官大人,我不是个大城市来的律师,但我还是有些见识的。
And I know that President Jackson was a self-made frontiersman, a great general, a real man of the people.'
我知道杰克逊总统是一位白手起家的拓荒者,一位伟大的将军,一个真正的人民的领袖。”
'Your Honor, this 'man of the people' was a gambler, a drunk, and a brawler.
“法官大人,这个'人民的领袖'是个赌徒,一个醉鬼,还是个打架闹事者。
Why, I've heard it said that he would fight at the drop of the hat and then drop the hat himself.
因为我已经听说他会立即参加斗争,然后又迅速拍拍屁股走人。
I ask you, was such a man fit for the most distinguished office in the nation?
我问您,这样的一个人是否适合被称为全国最杰出的总统呢?
Can we forget the debacle of his inauguration?
我们是否应该忘记他就职典礼时的大混乱呢?
Who ever heard of inviting a drunken mob into the White House?
有谁曾经听说过邀请醉酒的暴徒进入白宫的?
It took ages to get the upholstery clean.'
花了很长时间受损的白宫才得以恢复原貌。”
'That drunken mob, sir, was the American people, and they deserve to celebrate their victory.'
“先生,那醉酒的暴民是美国人民,他们有权(在这里)庆祝他们的胜利。”
'Order, order! Now, did this celebration have pie?'
“肃静,肃静!好的,这次庆祝获得了什么实际利益吗?”
'Very well. Mr. Jackson, is it not the case that immediately upon assuming office you introduced the spoils system,
“很好。杰克逊先生,你难道不是在上任后,立刻就采用了政党分肥制系统,
replacing hundreds of perfectly good federal employees with incompetent party loyalists?'
用不称职的党派忠实者更换了数百个完美的联邦雇员?”
'Your Honor, the President did no such thing.
“法官大人,(杰克逊)总统没有做过这种事。
He tried to institute rotation in office to avoid any profiteering or funny business.
他试图制定轮换制度去避免任何暴利或不合理的机制。
It was the rest of the party who insisted on giving posts to their lackeys.'
是党内的其他成员坚持将职位给党派的马屁精们。”
'But Mr. Jackson complied, did he not?' 'Now, uh, see here.'
“但杰克逊先生同意了这件事,难道不是么?”“呃,这倒是。”
'Moving on. Mr. Jackson, did you not help to cause the financial Panic of 1837,
“我们继续。杰克逊先生,是你图谋利用1837年的金融恐慌
and the ensuing economic depression with your obsessive war against the Bank of the United States?
和随后的经济萧条,掀起你那残酷的战争,来打击美国的银行吗?

历史与安德鲁·杰克逊的对抗

Was not vetoing its reauthorization, as you did in 1832, an act of irresponsible populace pandering that made no economic sense?'

难道你在1832年否决其再次授权,不是一种不负责任的单纯为了迎合民众,但却没有任何经济道理的行为吗?”
'Your Honor, the gentleman has quite the imagination.
“法官大人,这位先生非常有想象力。
That bank was just a way for rich Yanks to get richer.
那些银行也只是一种让富裕的北方佬更有钱的一种手段罢了。
And all that money panic was caused when British banks raised interest rates and cut lending.
那些所谓的货币恐慌都发生在当英国银行上调利率并消减贷款时。
To blame it on the President is preposterous, I say.'
我想说将这些罪行归咎于(杰克逊)总统是荒谬的。”
'But if Mr. Jackson had not destroyed the National Bank,
“但如果杰克逊先生没有摧毁国家银行,
it would have been able to lend to farmers and businesses when other credit dried up, would it not?'
在其他信贷枯竭的时候,国家银行本来是可以向农民和企业发放贷款的,难道不会么?”
'Hm, this is all highly speculative. Can we move on?'
“嗯,这确实很可疑。我们能继续吗?”
'Certainly, Your Honor. We now come to Mr. Jackson's most terrible offense:
“当然,法官大人。下面就是杰克逊先生最骇人听闻的罪行:
forcing entire tribes out of their native lands via the Indian Removal Act.'
他通过印第安驱逐法案,强迫整个印第安部落离开他们土生土长的家园。”
'I resent that accusation, sir.
“我反对那个指控,法官先生。
The U.S. of A. bought that land from the Indians fair and square.'
美国(政府)公平公正地从印地安人那里买了那片土地。”
'Do you call coercion and threats by a nation with a far more powerful army fair and square?
“难道你要把一个相比印第安人,有着更强大的军队的国家的胁迫和威胁称为公平公正吗?
Or signing a treaty for removing the Cherokee with a small group that didn't include their actual leaders?
或是你要把杰克逊总统与一小批非印第安人领导的小组签订的驱逐柴拉基族的条约称为公平么?
They didn't have time to properly supply themselves before the army came and forced them to march the Trail of Tears.'
军队前来并强迫他们踏上血泪之路之前,他们甚至没有时间去准备充足的吃穿用度。”
'Now, hold on a minute. This was all Van Buren's doing after President Jackson left office.'
“现在,有一点要强调。这一切都是范布伦在杰克逊总统结束任期后所做的。”
'But Mr. Jackson laid the groundwork and made sure the treaty was ratified.
“但杰克逊先生奠定了基础,并确保了条约的批准。
All President Van Buren had to do afterwards was enforce it.'
所有范布伦总统所做的就是去执行罢了。”
'Look here, Your Honor. Our government's been purchasing Indian land since the beginning,
“法官大人,请听我说。从最开始,我们的政府已经在购买印第安人的土地了,
and my client was negotiating these deals even before he was President.
而且在我的客户成为总统之前,他就在谈判这些交易了。
President Jackson truly believed it was best for the Indians to get compensated for their land and move out West,
杰克逊总统真正相信这对印第安人最有利,补偿他们的土地,让他们搬到有足够空间的西部,
where there was plenty of space for them to keep living the way they were accustomed,
这样他们就可以按照习惯的方式继续生活,
rather than stick around and keep butting heads with the white settlers.
而不是留在这里与白人定居者对抗。
Some of whom, I remind our court, wanted to exterminate them outright. It was a different time.'
我要提醒法院,其中(鼓励签订条约的)一些人是想要彻底消灭他们。那是一个不同的时代。”
'And yet, even in this different time, there were many in Congress and even the Supreme Court
“然而,即使在这不同的时代,很多人在国会中,甚至最高法院中,
who saw how wrong the Removal Act was and loudly opposed it, were there not?'
依然看见了驱逐法案中的巨大错误,并大声地反对它,难道没有这样的人吗?”
'My client was under a great deal of pressure.
“我的客户(当时)顶着巨大的压力。
I say, do you think it's easy governing such a huge country and keeping the Union together,
我要说,你觉得管理这么大的一个国家,并让其保持民调一致是一件容易的事情么?
when states are fixing to nullify federal laws?
特别是在当各个州决心废除联邦法的时候。
President Jackson barely got South Carolina to back down over those import tariffs,
杰克逊总统几乎不能让南卡罗莱纳州上交进口关税,
and then Georgia had to go discover gold and start grabbing up Cherokee land.
然后佐治亚州就不得不去找寻黄金,并开始侵占柴落基印第安人的土地。
It was either get the Indians to move or get in another fight with a state government.'
(这样一来)要么让印地安人移居,要么就得与州政府陷入另一场战争。”
'So, you admit that Mr. Jackson sacrified moral principles to achieve some political goals?'
“那么你承认,杰克逊先生放弃了道德原则去实现一些政治目标吗?”
'I do declare, show me one leader who hasn't.'
“我要申明,(请)指出有哪一位领导么没这么做过。”
As societies change and morals evolve, yesterday's hero may become tomorrow's villain, or vice versa.
随着社会和道德(标准)的演变,昨日的英雄可能成为明天的恶棍,反之亦然。
History may be past, but our understanding of it is always on trial.
历史可能已成为过去,但我们始终都在不断审视并理解它。

重点单词   查看全部解释    
coercion [kəu'ə:ʃən]

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n. 强迫,威压,高压政治

 
morals

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n. 道德

 
offense [ə'fens]

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n. 过错,冒犯,触怒,犯规,犯罪,进攻

 
opposed [ə'pəuzd]

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adj. 反对的,敌对的 v. 和 ... 起冲突,反抗

 
exterminate [eks'tə:mineit]

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vt. 扑灭,消灭,根绝

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upholstery [ʌp'həulstəri]

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n. 室内装潢品(地毯,窗帘等)

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evolve [i'vɔlv]

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v. 进展,进化,展开

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preposterous [pri'pɔstərəs]

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adj. 荒谬的,可笑的

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blame [bleim]

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n. 过失,责备
vt. 把 ... 归咎于,

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achieve [ə'tʃi:v]

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v. 完成,达到,实现

 

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