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Wow. Portugal became a major player
葡萄牙完全是出于巧合
in the New World completely by accident.
成了新大陸發(fā)現(xiàn)的主力軍
Soon all the seafaring nations of Western Europe
很快所有西歐的航海國(guó)家
had the technology to sail
都掌握了橫渡大西洋
across the Atlantic and around the world.
和環(huán)繞世界的技術(shù)
They had pilot books,
他們有航行書
the magnetic compass
磁羅盤
and the astrolabe
星盤
which measured the angle of celestial bodies
用來測(cè)量視野內(nèi)
from the horizon.
天體的角度
Their ships were mounted with cannon
他們的航船配備了大炮
which fired iron balls or even stones
能夠從很遠(yuǎn)的距離
and could wreck an opposing ship or a fortress
發(fā)射鐵炮甚至是石頭
from a pretty good distance.
從而擊垮對(duì)面的船只或堡壘
The European explorers claimed to be
這些歐洲探險(xiǎn)家聲稱自己
on a quest to Christianize
是在向那些所謂的野蠻異教徒
the so called savage heathens
宣揚(yáng)基督教
but this was more of a pretext than anything else.
但這其實(shí)只是個(gè)借口
They were more interested in Gold,
他們更感興趣的是黃金
spices and whatever other riches they could extract
香料，以及任何他們
from their new discoveries
在無人居住的新世界
in the new world of Terra Nullius,
發(fā)現(xiàn)的財(cái)富
nobodies land, it's ours now.
這些無人居住的土地，現(xiàn)在是我們的了
The voyages of Columbus
哥倫布和達(dá)伽馬的
and of Vasco De Gama
航行
had in effect shrunk the world
實(shí)際上使世界縮小
and begun the process of globalization.
開始了全球化進(jìn)程
A wave of exploration was about to begin
一場(chǎng)探索熱潮即將展開
but before we discuss it in greater detail
但是在我們仔細(xì)討論這一點(diǎn)之前
we need to examine life in the America's
我們需要看一下歐洲人到來之前
before the western Europeans arrived.
美洲的情況
Segment 2C;
第三節(jié)
the New World 1500AD.
1500年的新大陸
When the first western Europeans
當(dāng)?shù)谝慌鷼W洲人
reached the Americas
到達(dá)美洲時(shí)
they saw it as Terra Nullius;
他們以為這里無人居住
land belonging to nobody
這片土地不屬于任何人
and therefore open to exploitation.
因此大家可以任意開采
But belonging to nobody
但是這種看法
was far from the truth.
一點(diǎn)都不準(zhǔn)確
The latest estimate of the America's population
1500年美洲人口的
in 1500AD is 40 million people
最少估計(jì)是4000萬
which is roughly the estimated population of
差不多和當(dāng)時(shí)的西歐人口數(shù)
Western Europe at the same time.
一樣
Most of this population
大多數(shù)人口
lived in Central and South America
居住在美洲的中部和南部
where mighty empires
也就是阿茲特克和印加古國(guó)
such as those of the Aztecs and the Incans emerged.
建立的地方
The Aztec and Inca Empires, as we will see,
阿茲特克和印加古國(guó)，我們之后會(huì)看到
left behind a large, magnificent legacy.
留下了很多偉大的遺產(chǎn)
Sadly we have much less to work with
可惜的是關(guān)于北美的印第安人
concerning the North American Indians
我們沒有很多的資料
yet the original natives of what is now
不過現(xiàn)在的美國(guó)和加拿大的
the United States and Canada have left behind
印第安人已經(jīng)遺留下了
an important legacy of their own
自己很重要的遺產(chǎn)
which we will also explore.
可供我們研究
Empires of Central and South America
中美洲和南美洲的古國(guó)
the Aztec Empire would be more accurately called
阿茲特克古國(guó)，更準(zhǔn)確地說
the Toltec Empire
托爾特克古國(guó)
because this is the name
因?yàn)檫@是這些阿茲特克人
the so called Aztecs used for themselves.
稱呼自己的名字
Around 1258AD the Aztecs,
1258年左右，阿茲特克人
to avoid confusion,
為了避免混亂
arrived in the vicinity of modern Mexico City
來到了現(xiàn)在的墨西哥城附近
and by 1375
在1375年
they had successfully founded there
他們?cè)谀莾阂呀?jīng)成功建立了
the capital city of Tenochtitlan.
都城特諾奇蒂特蘭
From 1440 to 1500AD
從1440到1500年
the Aztecs successfully acquired
阿茲特克人成功建立了
an empire which they basically exploited
主要為特諾奇蒂特蘭精英服務(wù)的
for the elites of Tenochtitlan,
帝國(guó)
a city which reached a population of
這個(gè)都城的人口在
around 300000 people.
30萬人左右
One of the Aztecs conquests
阿茲特克的一個(gè)戰(zhàn)利品
was the fabled Mayan Empire
就是已經(jīng)沒落的瑪雅古國(guó)
which some date as far back as 400BC.
它最早可追溯到400BC
The Aztec King ruled his empire
阿茲特克國(guó)王通過
with a strong and blood thirsty hand
強(qiáng)大的軍事和
backed by a strong military
強(qiáng)有力的手段進(jìn)行統(tǒng)治
yet the Aztec Empire was already falling apart
但當(dāng)西班牙征服者
when the Spanish Conquistador
赫爾南·科爾斯特于1519年到來時(shí)
Hernando Cortez arrived in 1519.
阿茲特克帝國(guó)已經(jīng)開始衰落了
Although Hernando Cortez
盡管赫爾南·科爾斯特
had been ordered not to attack Tenochtitlan,
接到命令不進(jìn)攻特諾奇蒂特蘭
he did just that in 1519.
他還是在1519年這樣做了
After kidnapping King Montezuma the 2nd
在綁架了蒙特蘇馬二世之后
Cortez conquered the Aztec Empire in 1522.
科爾斯特與1522年占領(lǐng)了阿茲特克國(guó)
Spain was able to begin shaping
使得西班牙可以將
its newly acquired Terra Nullius
新獲得的無人之地
into a full fledged overseas empire.
發(fā)展成為成熟的海外帝國(guó)
