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Segment 3A; Introduction
第3A章，简介
in this fine lecture 13 British colonies appear up
在最后一节课上，我们要讲到在加拿大
and down the Atlantic coast south of Canada.
加拿大以南的太平洋沿岸建立的13个英属殖民地
Although each of the colonies was founded
尽管这些殖民地建立的原因各自不同
for a unique reason the colonists were united
但是由于这些殖民地都受到英国统治
by their status as British subjects, or as they would
使得这些被殖民者非常统一，当然用他们的
tell you, second class British subjects.
话来说，他们只能算是英国的二等臣民
Not every American colonist was upset by
并不是所有当时的每周被殖民者都对
living under British rule but the majority of them
英国的统治深恶痛绝，但是他们中的
did support the American Revolution
绝大多数人在独立战争期间
when the time came. Upon winning its independence
的确都站在了美国这边，在赢得了独立后
the new nation formed buy these 13 colonies
新兴的美国也正是由这13个殖民地组成
achieved its own revolutionary form of
并且建立了一个具有革命性意义的
democratic government, the great experiment
民主政府，也就是我们现在所知的
known as the United States of America.
美利坚联邦合众国
Segment 3B; the 13 colonies, discusses
第3B章讲述的是这13个英属
the founding of the British colonies and examines
殖民地的建立过程，以及人们为什么
some of the reasons why people emigrated there.
会选择移居到这些殖民地区域中
The Virginia colony was the first of
弗吉尼亚殖民地是美国南部
the southern colonies and possessed
第一个建立的殖民地，在这里
the plantation culture typical for the south
南部的殖民文化体现得非常明显
with its definite upper and lower classes.
上层阶级和下层阶级的划分明确
The Massachusetts colony was founded by
而马萨诸塞州的构成则主要是
pilgrims who had left for religious reasons and
出于信仰原因迁移至此的清教徒
its organization typified New England.
这种构成也正是新英格兰的典型
Merchants and independent farmers of roughly
这里的商人和独立农户享有大致相同的
equal status devoted to their own religious beliefs
社会地位，他们对自己的信仰十分虔诚
but not particularly tolerant of
但是他们对其他的信仰容忍度
others religious beliefs. In between colonies
却并不高，在各个殖民地当中
such as New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island
数纽约，宾夕法尼亚，罗得岛以及
and Delaware were more open to settlers of
特拉华对于移民者的不同信仰和
diverse beliefs and diverse backgrounds.
不同背景更宽容，接受度更高
The first step in knitting these colonies together
把这些殖民地团结在一起的第一个
was the French and Indian war of 1756 to 1763.
大事件是1756年到1763年间的法印战争
Although the colonials as I will call them
尽管这些殖民地居民在这场战争中
did more than their share of fighting against
殖民地居民以超出必要的程度
the French and the Indians on Britain's behalf
代表着英国与法国和印第安人抗争
they got very few of the benefits.
但是他们最后几乎没有获得任何好处
In segment 3C, revolution in the air,
第3C章则讲到了一触即发的革命
we encounter the concept of taxation
这里我们接触到了一个概念--
without representation. The colonials weren't
无代表纳税，当时的殖民地居民其实
totally against paying taxes to the British Empire;
并不反对向大英帝国交税
they thought though that paying taxes should entitled them
但是他们认为他们既然上税就应该
to direct representation in parliament.
在国会中拥有相应的直接代表
Britain was not about to let the tail wag the dog.
但英国当时并没有这种打算
The British as a result tried various
为此英国也出台了一系列
economic measures to put those colonials
经济政策想要压制这些殖民地居民
in their place but the colonials would not stay down.
但殖民地居民也不没有甘于受压迫
Pressure groups such as the Sons of Liberty
例如自由之子这样的压力组织站出来
helped to unify the colonials against the British.
把殖民地居民团结到一起共同反抗英国
The shooting war finally started in April 1755.
而战争在1755年4月也终于爆发
The continental congress did an admirable job
当时的大陆国会表现地非常出色
of running the rebellion through the supreme
他们在最高军事指挥官乔治华盛顿的
military commander General George Washington,
带领之下将这次反叛战争打得有板有眼
yet the odds were stacked against the rag tag
但是仅靠这些乌合之众是无法取得胜利的
continental army. Were it not from the help
大陆军身上，如果当时他们没有得到来自
of nations such as France, which was always
法国等国的军事援助--要知道这些国家
looking for a way to stick it to the British,
一直在致力于找英国的麻烦
our revolution might well have been lost.
这场革命很可能最终是要以失败告终的
Ultimate victory over the British, recognized by
在赢下这场与英国的战之后，于1783年
the 1783 treaty of Paris, granted the colonials
签订的《巴黎条约》真正赋予了这些
their independence but now that the war was
殖民地居民独立的权力，然而尽管战争结束了
over the toughest task lay ahead.
更大的挑战还在等着这个国家
Segment 3D; building on our beginnings
第3D章题为从零开始
the former colonists invent a government
战胜之后，原殖民地居民为他们的国家
for their new nation. Drawing on the philosophy
建立了一个政府，他们以启蒙运动的
of the enlightenment and the writings of the
哲学理论为蓝本，参照古希腊古罗马的
classical Greeks and Romans the constitutional
经典著作，他们决定召开一次严肃的
convention got busy. The process took time
制宪会议，这个过程是漫长的
but the convention worked out a document
但最终会议制订了一套宪法文件
which carefully balanced state and federal interests.
确立了州级和联邦级的利益平衡
