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It also established an equally careful balance
同時還決定將政府的構成分成
between the legislative, judicial and executive
立法，司法和行政三個部門并且確立了
branches of government. With very little modification
三者的分工，新憲法在經過了溫和的討論
and only moderate haggling the new constitution
沒有進行過多修改的情況下
was approved by all 13 states.
很快就在13個州都得到了承認
George Washington was the first president.
同時喬治華盛頓也被選為美國第一任總統(tǒng)
Resisting pressure to declare himself King or
他頂住了壓力，既沒有稱帝也沒有成為
declare himself dictator Washington proved to be
大獨裁者，從這一點上來看作為總統(tǒng)
an excellent choice. While he was not the most
他是非常成功的，盡管他不是開國元勛中
intellectually gifted of the founders he enjoyed
最有智慧學問的人，但是他還是享有
tremendous prestige and his good common sense
很高的權威，同時他優(yōu)異的判斷力
helped keep the new nation on an even keel.
也使得這個新興國家得到了平穩(wěn)的發(fā)展
Segment 3B; the 13 colonies the British and
第3B章還講到了英國與北美的關系
North America. The inhabitants of Great Britain's
在英屬的美洲殖民地居民從一開始
American colonies were a unique lot
就是一群非常特殊的人群
from the start. They reached a New World from
他們出于不同的目的從不同的地方
various locations for various reasons,
來到這個新世界
most of which involved freedom of worship.
其中大部分人是出于信仰自由的目的
While the Spanish and French colonies
而當時西班牙和法國在美國的
in North America never attracted many Spanish
殖民地對移民者則沒有這種吸引力
or French settlers Britons and other Europeans
因此當時英國人和其他歐洲人都
came to the British colonies in droves.
源源不斷地踏上了這些英屬殖民地
Upon becoming residents of the New World
在這些人看來，定居這片新世界后
these colonists thought of themselves first
他們的首要身份是這些殖民地的居民
as members of their colony and only then
其次才是英格蘭皇室的被殖民者
as subjects of the King of England.
其次才是英格蘭皇室的被殖民者
The 2 earliest and therefore the 2 most
因此最早建立的也是最重要的
prominent British colonies were founded
兩塊英屬殖民地分別是
in Virginia and in Massachusetts.
弗吉尼亞和馬薩諸塞
Virginia goes back to the abortive Rowan Oak Colony,
弗吉尼亞的前身是在1586到1587年間
1586 to 1587, of Sir Walter Raleigh which has been
屬于沃爾特拉雷的羅萬奧克殖民地
chartered and established for the purpose of
這片地方當時建立是出于開發(fā)
exploiting its natural wealth such as its
自然資源和財富的考慮，但事實證明
natural wealth turned out to be.
當地的自然資源的確"非常豐富"
There was no gold in the Rowan Oak Colony,
羅萬奧克殖民地可沒有黃金礦產
only malaria and angry Indians.
那里只有瘧疾和憤怒的原住民
The James Town Colony of 1607 was more
而1607年建立的詹姆斯鎮(zhèn)殖民地
reality based and it proved more successful
則更加貼近現實，因此它也更加成功
but not immediately. Seeking to avoid conflict
盡管效果并非立竿見影，為了避免與
with the Spanish who had been established
已經在當地駐扎了很久的西班牙人
in that part of the world for some time
發(fā)生不必要的沖突
the James Town colonists settled roughly
詹姆斯鎮(zhèn)的殖民者選擇駐扎在
35 miles up the James River from the bay.
詹姆斯河灣上游約35英里的地方
Like the Rowan Oak colonists the James Town
跟羅萬奧克殖民者一樣，詹姆斯鎮(zhèn)的
colonists were more interested in finding gold
殖民者也致力于依靠開發(fā)黃金礦產致富
and getting rich than they were in farming.
而不是單單進行大農場作業(yè)
This made it hard for the colony to become
這就意味著這個殖民地無法獲得
self sufficient and fight off Indian attacks.
自給自足的資源以抵抗印第安人的襲擊
Fortunately for Virginia's economy a new strain
但幸運的是 1612年一種新的煙草
of tobacco was discovered in 1612 which became
得以發(fā)現，而弗吉尼亞的經濟也得到了刺激
eventually the colonies prime source of revenue.
而后煙草也成為了該殖民地主要的經濟來源
Although Virginian soil was now profitable
然而盡管弗吉尼亞的土地盛產這種煙草
thanks to tobacco the colony itself struggled.
建立于此的殖民者的日子卻并不好過
In 1642 it came under the control of the royal Crown.
1642年它被劃歸到了英國皇室的統(tǒng)治之下
The class structure in Virginia as in most of
跟很多其他的南部殖民地一樣
the southern colonies tended to reflect the sharply
弗吉尼亞的階級斗爭也非常激烈
defined upper and lower classes found in Great Britain.
這也反應了大不列顛本國的階級矛盾
Small farmers were few and far between compared
小農戶極少而且分布地非常稀疏
with the plantations owned by the wealthy and
于此相對，富人坐擁著大量農場
worked by the lower classes, or sometimes by
并雇傭了大量的下層階級，甚至是
African slaves. One famous product of this
非洲奴隸，正是在這些弗吉尼亞的
Virginia plantation gentry was America's
大農場主中，誕生了美國的
first president, George Washington.
第一任總統(tǒng)喬治華盛頓
Massachusetts got off to a somewhat different start;
而馬薩諸塞的情況則有些不同
after 13 years in Dutch exile a group of puritans
在遭到丹麥皇室流放13年之后
set out for Virginia onboard the Mayflower.
一群清教徒登上了五月花號船
In autumn 1620 they instead reached Cape Cod.
但1620年該船卻駛達了馬薩諸塞鱈魚角
