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Segment 2A; introduction.
第一節，介紹
We begin the formal lecture part of this class
我們這節課
by taking a look at the world
首先來看一下
as it was around 1500AD.
1500年世界的情況
The year 1500 sounds suspiciously round,
1500這個數字聽起來過于完整
in fact the year 1500 itself
實際上它和
wasn't much different from 1499 or 1501
1499年或者1501年沒有什么太大的區別
or any of those other years
和1498之類的也是一樣
but if you look 50 years before 1500,
但如果我們看的是1450年
50 years after 1500AD
或者1550年
you'll encounter a great deal of
你會看到期間
relevant historical development.
發生了很多相關歷史變革
The last half of the 15th century
15世紀的下半葉
saw the fall of the Byzantine Empire,
見證了拜占庭帝國的瓦解
or if you prefer;
或者，如果大家愿意的話
the eastern Roman Empire.
東羅馬帝國的瓦解
It saw the creation of the Russian empire,
它見證了俄羅斯帝國的建立
first known as Muscovy,
古俄羅斯帝國
and it saw Columbus' first voyage to the America's.
它還見證了哥倫布的第一次美洲航行
The first half of the 16th century
16世紀的上半葉
saw the Portuguese discovery of Brazil,
葡萄牙發現了巴西
the reformation of the western church
西方教會進行了改革
and the high point of the Ottoman Empire.
奧斯曼帝國達到頂峰
The United States of America
美國當時
was not even a gleam in anybodies eye
還不在大家的視線中
but the United States' creation and development
但是美國的建立和發展
depended greatly on the events
和我們今天要講的內容
we're going to be covering in this lecture,
密切相關
so stay tuned.
所以做好準備
In segment 2B the Old World, 1500AD,
第二節 1500年的歐洲世界
we examine the state of the European world
我們來看一下地理大發現
before the age of discovery.
之前的世界
The Byzantine Empire
拜占庭帝國
had wheezed to its sad end in 1453,
在1453年結束了自己的茍延殘喘
itself a continuation of the Roman Empire
它是羅馬帝國的延續
and they believed that they were the Roman Empire.
而且拜占庭人也自詡為羅馬人
The Byzantine State was replaced in spirit,
拜占庭帝國在精神上
if not in physical form,
如果不是形式上
by the rising Russian Empire.
被新興的俄羅斯帝國替代
Western Europe was likewise in chaos
西歐則處于一片混亂中
as France and Great Britain were
法國和英國
pummeling each other to death
在百年戰爭中
in the so called 100 years war.
打得不可開交
The 100 years was also ended in 1453.
百年戰爭也在1453年結束
France became an absolute monarchy
法國成為君主專制國家
in which the French King literally was the law.
法國國王就象征著法律
Great Britain had to undergo
英國則需要經歷
a round of civil wars
一系列的內戰
before resuming its status
才會成為
as a constitutional kingdom.
君主立憲制國家
Italy meanwhile was so fractured into city states
意大利還處于四分五裂之中
that it was incapable of concerted action.
無法采取一致行動
The only truly stable nations were
唯二穩定的國家就是
Spain and Portugal,
西班牙和葡萄牙
this fact enabled Spain and Portugal
這也是西班牙和葡萄牙
to search for new markets
得以在"印度"
and new sources of materials
這片神秘的土地上
in the mysterious land called the Indies.
開拓新的市場，獲得原料
Segment 2C;
第三節
the new world to 1500AD introduces us
1500年的新大陸將我們帶到
to life in the Americas before the Europeans arrived.
歐洲人來之前美洲人的生活狀況
To the south the mighty empires of the Mayans,
南部神奇的瑪雅國度
Incans and Aztecs demonstrated that
印加古國和阿茲特克證實了
Native Americans could and did build
美洲土著人能夠也確實建立了
magnificent civilizations
偉大的文明
and even magnificent empires.
和偉大的帝國
Had their weaponry been equal
要是他們使用的武器和入侵者一樣
the Spanish Conquistadors
那么這些西班牙人
may well have been sent packing
可能就會被
by the Incans or the Aztecs.
打回老家
The simpler lifestyles of
北部美洲印第安人的
the northern American Indians
生活方式較為簡單
is more difficult to reconstruct
目前因為缺乏史料
due to the lack of written records
和紀念碑
and the shortage of major monuments.
而難以復原
But the lives of the northern Americans
但是他們的生活
were no less fascinating
也同樣精彩
as any visitor to the Cahokia mounds
任何去過卡俄基亞遺址
which are just across the river from St Louis
在圣路易斯河對面的游客
can tell you.
都可以告訴你這一點
To claim as the Europeans actually did that
歐洲人聲稱
the indigenous people of the Americas,
美洲的土著人
the so called Indians,
也就是印第安人
were without any culture is just flat out absurd.
沒有文化，這完全是荒謬的
In segment 2D;
第四節
wave of exploration,
探索熱潮
Europeans made their way to the new world,
歐洲人發現新大陸
also known thanks to an obscure Italian explorer
也就是美洲，要歸功于一位不知名的意大利探險家
and his German map maker buddy as the Americas.
和他負責制圖的德國伙伴
The Vikings were the first Europeans
維京人是最早到達北美的
to reach North America,
歐洲人
as early as 1000AD.
大約是在1000年
Spain came next in 1492AD
西班牙人在1492年到來
followed closely by the Portuguese.
之后緊跟的就是葡萄牙人
At one point the Pope even signed off on a deal
當時教皇還簽署了協議
splitting the new world between Spain and Portugal,
要把新大陸分給西班牙和葡萄牙
the treaty of Tordesius.
托爾德西里亞斯條約
Once they got their domestic affairs
當法國和英國
straightened out,
終于把內部事務解決完
and this was in the middle 1500's,
也就是在16世紀中葉的時候
the French and British
它們也開始了
began exploring the Americas.
對美洲的探索
