評論
打印
Even the Dutch and Swedish
即使荷蘭和瑞典
tried carving out modern American empires
也試著占領了現在美國的
in New York and Delaware respectively.
紐約和德拉華地區
Eventually Britain, France and Spain
最終英國，法國和西班牙
would battle it out for control of North America
為獲得北美的控制權進行了戰爭
and ironically all 3 would lose.
諷刺的是它們都沒有贏
Segment 2B;
第二節
the old world, 1500AD.
1500年的舊世界
The decline and fall, really,
羅馬帝國的
of the Roman Empire.
衰退和瓦解
By 600AD the Western Roman Empire
600年時，西羅馬帝國
was gone leaving behind the eastern Empire
解體，剩下了東羅馬帝國
also known as the Byzantine Empire.
也就是拜占庭帝國
The Byzantines had carried on Roman traditions
拜占庭帝國繼承了羅馬的傳統
for centuries but by 1000AD
直到1000年
they were losing territory rapidly to
它的領土被奧斯曼帝國
the rising Ottoman Turkish Empire,
迅速侵占
but that was not their only problem.
但這不是他們唯一的麻煩
The crusaders supposedly came
十字軍過來
to reclaim the Holy Land from the Turkish Muslim,
要從土耳其穆斯林手中奪回圣土
quote unquote, infidels,
從這些所謂的"不信教者"手中
but in fact the crusaders were more interested in
但實際上十字軍更想和
fighting the Byzantine Christian believers,
拜占庭的基督徒作戰
or to be more precise, heretics.
更確切的說，是和異教徒作戰
In the 12th century Byzantine trade
在12世紀，拜占庭的貿易
was also cut off by Italian shippers
被意大利商人所阻擋
while agribusiness interests drove
農業綜合經營使得
the poor independent individual farmer out of business
貧困的單獨農民沒有了生意
The peasants provided the Byzantine state
他們為拜占庭帝國
with less and less revenue
提供的稅收就越來越少
which made it hard for the Byzantines
這使得拜占庭很難
to maintain a viable army and navy.
維持有效的軍隊和海軍
When Constantinople finally fell in 1453
當君士坦丁堡的統治于1453年結束時
the Roman Empire had come to its definite end.
羅馬帝國真正完結
On a more positive note
好的一面是
the stream of refugees from Constantinople
從君士坦丁堡逃離的難民中
included scholars
包括很多學者
with their priceless ancient manuscripts.
他們帶了很多無價的手稿
Once settled in Italy
在意大利安定下來后
these scholars stimulated
這些學者就引發了
a new human centered interest
引發了以人為中心的
in the ancient past
對過去的新關注
as opposed to the old Roman Catholic fixation
不同于過去羅馬天主教
on sin and salvation.
對罪與救贖的定義
This revival of worldly or secular learning
這場大眾或者世俗學習的復興
kicked off the Renaissance
推動了之后的文藝復興
which in turn kicked off the Enlightenment.
而文藝復興又促進了啟蒙運動
The Enlightenment provoked
啟蒙運動使人們
a new interest in public affairs
對公共事務產生了新的興趣
which would directly influence
而這一思想直接影響了
the founders of the United States of America.
美國的建國者們
Moscow and the Mongols;
莫斯科和蒙古人
far to the north of Constantinople
在君士坦丁堡特別北的地方
the young Grand Duchy of Moscow
年輕的莫斯科大公
wanted to follow in the
想要追隨拜占庭帝國的
Byzantine Empire's footsteps.
腳步
The Russian, or Russ to be more precise,
俄羅斯人，準確的說是俄國
culture had emerged in the late 800's
文化在9世紀末期
around the city of Kiev.
在基輔形成
In the mid 1200's
在13世紀中葉
nomadic Mongols conquered Russia
游牧民族蒙古人擊敗了俄國
and ruled Russia like a subject state for 2 centuries.
開始了長達2個世紀的統治
As the Mongols weakened
隨著蒙古勢力的減弱
the city of Moscow grew in power and influence.
莫斯科的權力和影響力越來越大
Grand Duke Ivan the 3rd of Moscow
莫斯科大公伊凡三世
who came to the throne in 1462
于1462年繼位
drove the Mongols off for good.
將蒙古勢力驅逐出境
He then founded the Kingdom of Russia
他之后建立了俄羅斯
with himself as Tsar, or Caesar.
自己則成為沙皇
Ivan's wife, a Byzantine Princess
伊凡的妻子是拜占庭的公主
encouraged Ivan's ambitions
她一直鼓勵伊凡的野心
until Ivan began thinking of Muscovy
直到伊凡將俄國
as the 3rd Rome after Constantinople and Rome itself.
看成是既羅馬和君士坦丁堡之后的第三羅馬帝國
Ivan the 3rd also saw Russia
伊凡三世也把俄國看成是
as the protector of the eastern
"東正教堂"
or quote unquote, orthodox Christian Church.
東方的保護者
To Russia's west were 2 dangerous enemies;
俄國的右側有兩個可怕的敵人
Poland and Lithuania.
波蘭和立陶宛
Both of these nations practiced
這兩個國家都信奉
western or Roman Catholic Christianity.
西，或者羅馬天主教
To Russia's south
俄國的南部
the Ottoman Turks
是奧斯曼土耳其
had reached their greatest power under Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent (1520-1566)
在蘇里曼大帝的統治下 (1520-1566)
who ruled from 1520 to 1566.
達到了頂峰
Because Russia, Poland, Lithuania
因為東面的俄國
and the Ottoman Empire were all on the rise
波蘭，立陶宛，奧斯曼帝國都在興起
western European nations
想要獲得土地或者新市場的
which wanted land or new markets
西歐國家就
could not expand eastward.
無法向東擴張
To the south lay Africa
南面是非洲
and a fringe of strong Muslim regimes
和穆斯林地區
and after that there was desert.
再往南就是沙漠
If the western European nations wanted
如果西歐國家
an outlet for their excess population
想要為過度增長的人口找到出路
they would have to look elsewhere.
它們就得找別的地方
