評論
打印
France, England and Italy;
法國，英國，意大利
the year 1453 marked not only
1453年不僅標志著
the end of the Byzantine Empire
拜占庭帝國的結束
but the end of the 100 years war,
還標志著英法之間
from 1337 to 1453 between France and Great Britain.
百年戰爭(1337-1453)的結束
Although the war did not go on continuously
雖然這場戰爭沒有再持續下去
both nations were exhausted
兩國都已經筋疲力盡
and they both needed time to recover.
需要時間恢復
Because of the number of
因為很多
powerful French nobles killed
有勢力的法國貴族死于戰爭
the King of France was able to
法國國王得以
take over the entire French government.
掌握整個法國政府
Under the French Monarchy
在法國王室的統治下
the people's rights were
人們的權利是由
what the King decided the people's rights were.
國王所決定的
Even after the French economy bounced back
即使在法國經濟恢復之后
exploration was still decades off in 1500.
法國的海外擴張在也是在1500年的幾十年后才開始
Great Britain's recovery
英國的恢復發展
got off to an even slower start
還要慢一些
thanks to a 30 year civil war
因為約克王朝和
between the York and Lancaster factions.
蘭卡斯特王朝長達30年的戰爭
Neither faction will be on the exam.
這些都不會出現在考試中
In 1485 Henry Tudor unified the British throne
1485年，亨利都鐸統一了兩個王族
and began undercutting
開始消弱
the position of the British nobles.
英國其他貴族的勢力
As opposed to the autocratic French Kings
與法國國王不同
who were the law
法國國王自己制定法律
King Henry of England
英國的亨利7世
worked with parliament
和議會一起
to establish his dynasty's position.
確定王朝的地位
Britain was a parliamentary democracy.
英國是議會民主制
This was important
這對美國的歷史來說
for the history of the United States
很重要
and when this parliamentary democracy
在議會民主制
was established then
建立之后
Britain could think about its own empire.
英國才開始關注自己的國度
Italy meanwhile was dominated
意大利與此同時
by 5 wealthy city states;
由5個富裕的城邦控制
Venice, Milan, Florence, Naples
威尼斯，米蘭，佛羅倫薩，那不勒斯
and the Papal States which included Rome.
以及包括羅馬在內的教皇國
They shared the Italian language
他們共用意大利語
and an Italian heritage,
和意大利文化
they liked to think of themselves
他們更愿意把自己看成是
as modern Romans
現代羅馬人
but they were basically busy fighting each other
不過他們一直在忙于互相征戰
for land, money and new markets.
爭奪土地，金錢，和新的市場
Fearing that one or another of them
因為擔心其中的某一城邦
might become too powerful
過于強大
they got involved in
他們之間展開了
a dizzying pattern of alliances and wars.
一系列令人眼花繚亂的聯盟和戰爭
This is the cultural background of
這就是馬基雅維利
Machiavelli's 1505 masterpiece 'the Prince'.
1505年著作《君主論》的背景
Do unto your enemy
消滅你的敵人
before your enemy does unto you.
否則他就會消滅你
For economic or political reasons
由于政治和經濟上的原因
many Italian captains made their mark exploring
很多意大利的船長都是在為其他國家服務時
in the service of other nations.
進行了自己的探索
Italy herself would never make much of a mark
而意大利本身則在探索新大陸上
in the New World.
沒有做出什么貢獻
Portugal and Spain;
葡萄牙和西班牙
The French, the British and the Italians
法國，英國和意大利
weren't ready to look across the Atlantic just yet
當時還沒有打算要橫渡大西洋
but the Spanish and Portuguese
但是西班牙人和葡萄牙人
were ready to take advantage of
已經準備好利用
advances in navigation.
進步的航海技術
In 1487 Portuguese explorer Berta Lemay Dias
1487年葡萄牙探險家巴爾托洛梅烏·迪亞士
conquered traditional naval fears
克服了人們傳統上對航海的恐懼
like boiling sea water,
如翻滾的海水
falling off the edge of the earth
無望無際的海平面
and angry sea monsters
憤怒的海獸
and sailed as far as the southern tip of Africa.
到達了非洲的最南端
In 1492 Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain
1492年在西班牙伊利莎白和費迪南王室支持下
backed Christopher Columbus's dream of
哥倫布通過向西航行
reaching India by sailing westward;
到達了他以為的印度
of course Columbus found
當然哥倫布其實發現的是
the land of Hispaniola instead and
伊斯帕尼奧拉島
technically, only technically,
從技術上說
the America's.
美洲
Word got out that
人們開始相信
new lands were waiting to be
新的土地還等著
discovered and claimed.
人們的發現和占有
In 1498 the Portuguese,
1498年，葡萄牙人
Vasco De Gama successfully reached India
瓦斯科·達伽馬通過沿非洲航行
by sailing around Africa.
到達了印度
He came back to Portugal the next year
他第二年回到葡萄牙的時候
with a load of spices
帶回了很多香料
which not only brought a huge profit
這不僅帶來了很多利潤
but touched off a frenzy of exploration.
還引發了探索狂熱
The fleet sent by Portugal in 1500
1500年原本
to follow up on De Gama's discovery
要沿著達伽馬路線前行的葡萄牙艦隊
was blown off course
被風吹離了航線
and wound up in what is now Brazil.
最后到達了現在的巴西
