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Segment 3A; Introduction
第3A章，簡介
in this fine lecture 13 British colonies appear up
在最后一節課上，我們要講到在加拿大
and down the Atlantic coast south of Canada.
加拿大以南的太平洋沿岸建立的13個英屬殖民地
Although each of the colonies was founded
盡管這些殖民地建立的原因各自不同
for a unique reason the colonists were united
但是由于這些殖民地都受到英國統治
by their status as British subjects, or as they would
使得這些被殖民者非常統一，當然用他們的
tell you, second class British subjects.
話來說，他們只能算是英國的二等臣民
Not every American colonist was upset by
并不是所有當時的每周被殖民者都對
living under British rule but the majority of them
英國的統治深惡痛絕，但是他們中的
did support the American Revolution
絕大多數人在獨立戰爭期間
when the time came. Upon winning its independence
的確都站在了美國這邊，在贏得了獨立后
the new nation formed buy these 13 colonies
新興的美國也正是由這13個殖民地組成
achieved its own revolutionary form of
并且建立了一個具有革命性意義的
democratic government, the great experiment
民主政府，也就是我們現在所知的
known as the United States of America.
美利堅聯邦合眾國
Segment 3B; the 13 colonies, discusses
第3B章講述的是這13個英屬
the founding of the British colonies and examines
殖民地的建立過程，以及人們為什么
some of the reasons why people emigrated there.
會選擇移居到這些殖民地區域中
The Virginia colony was the first of
弗吉尼亞殖民地是美國南部
the southern colonies and possessed
第一個建立的殖民地，在這里
the plantation culture typical for the south
南部的殖民文化體現得非常明顯
with its definite upper and lower classes.
上層階級和下層階級的劃分明確
The Massachusetts colony was founded by
而馬薩諸塞州的構成則主要是
pilgrims who had left for religious reasons and
出于信仰原因遷移至此的清教徒
its organization typified New England.
這種構成也正是新英格蘭的典型
Merchants and independent farmers of roughly
這里的商人和獨立農戶享有大致相同的
equal status devoted to their own religious beliefs
社會地位，他們對自己的信仰十分虔誠
but not particularly tolerant of
但是他們對其他的信仰容忍度
others religious beliefs. In between colonies
卻并不高，在各個殖民地當中
such as New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island
數紐約，賓夕法尼亞，羅得島以及
and Delaware were more open to settlers of
特拉華對于移民者的不同信仰和
diverse beliefs and diverse backgrounds.
不同背景更寬容，接受度更高
The first step in knitting these colonies together
把這些殖民地團結在一起的第一個
was the French and Indian war of 1756 to 1763.
大事件是1756年到1763年間的法印戰爭
Although the colonials as I will call them
盡管這些殖民地居民在這場戰爭中
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
代表著英國與法國和印第安人抗爭
they got very few of the benefits.
但是他們最后幾乎沒有獲得任何好處
In segment 3C, revolution in the air,
第3C章則講到了一觸即發的革命
we encounter the concept of taxation
這里我們接觸到了一個概念--
without representation. The colonials weren't
無代表納稅，當時的殖民地居民其實
totally against paying taxes to the British Empire;
并不反對向大英帝國交稅
they thought though that paying taxes should entitled them
但是他們認為他們既然上稅就應該
to direct representation in parliament.
在國會中擁有相應的直接代表
Britain was not about to let the tail wag the dog.
但英國當時并沒有這種打算
The British as a result tried various
為此英國也出臺了一系列
economic measures to put those colonials
經濟政策想要壓制這些殖民地居民
in their place but the colonials would not stay down.
但殖民地居民也不沒有甘于受壓迫
Pressure groups such as the Sons of Liberty
例如自由之子這樣的壓力組織站出來
helped to unify the colonials against the British.
把殖民地居民團結到一起共同反抗英國
The shooting war finally started in April 1755.
而戰爭在1755年4月也終于爆發
The continental congress did an admirable job
當時的大陸國會表現地非常出色
of running the rebellion through the supreme
他們在最高軍事指揮官喬治華盛頓的
military commander General George Washington,
帶領之下將這次反叛戰爭打得有板有眼
yet the odds were stacked against the rag tag
但是僅靠這些烏合之眾是無法取得勝利的
continental army. Were it not from the help
大陸軍身上，如果當時他們沒有得到來自
of nations such as France, which was always
法國等國的軍事援助--要知道這些國家
looking for a way to stick it to the British,
一直在致力于找英國的麻煩
our revolution might well have been lost.
這場革命很可能最終是要以失敗告終的
Ultimate victory over the British, recognized by
在贏下這場與英國的戰之后，于1783年
the 1783 treaty of Paris, granted the colonials
簽訂的《巴黎條約》真正賦予了這些
their independence but now that the war was
殖民地居民獨立的權力，然而盡管戰爭結束了
over the toughest task lay ahead.
更大的挑戰還在等著這個國家
Segment 3D; building on our beginnings
第3D章題為從零開始
the former colonists invent a government
戰勝之后，原殖民地居民為他們的國家
for their new nation. Drawing on the philosophy
建立了一個政府，他們以啟蒙運動的
of the enlightenment and the writings of the
哲學理論為藍本，參照古希臘古羅馬的
classical Greeks and Romans the constitutional
經典著作，他們決定召開一次嚴肅的
convention got busy. The process took time
制憲會議，這個過程是漫長的
but the convention worked out a document
但最終會議制訂了一套憲法文件
which carefully balanced state and federal interests.
確立了州級和聯邦級的利益平衡
