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The Mexicans who were naturally unhappy
墨西哥人自然不高興
protested angrily. Intent on grabbing even more
對此憤然抗議，意圖控制更多墨西哥土地
Mexican land Polk staged a supposed Mexican
波爾克籌劃了一個假定墨西哥攻擊
attack which goaded Congress into
這驅使國會
declaring war on Mexico. Yet not everyone
向墨西哥宣戰，然而不是所有人
was fooled by Polk's tactics.
都被波爾克的伎倆給愚弄
As a young Wig Congressman from Illinois
伊利諾伊的一名年輕議員
pointed out both on the House floor and
在眾議院和
in the following letter to a friend,
之后寫給一位朋友的信中指出
Polk was pretty transparent.
波爾克很易懂
"The provision of the Constitution "
憲法條款
giving the war making power to Congress
授予國會宣戰的權力
was dictated as I understand it
我認為有
by the following reasons. Kings had always been
如下幾個理由，國王總是
involving and impoverishing their people in wars.
將其人民卷入戰爭，令其貧困
Pretending generally if not always that
如果不是總是，也是通常假裝
the good of the people was the object.
他們是為人民的福祉
This, our convention understood to be
我們的慣例被理解是
the most oppressive of all kingly oppressions.
眾君主壓迫中最具壓迫的
And they resolved to so frame the Constitution
他們決心構建這樣的憲法
that no one man should hold the power of
讓任何人都不能
bringing this oppression upon us.
給我們帶來這種壓迫
But your view destroys the whole matter and places
但你的觀點摧毀了所有
our president where kings have always stood." End quote.
而我們總統所在之處常是國王的位置，引用完畢
Representative Abraham Lincoln's bold stand
亞伯拉罕林肯代表膽大的立場
almost cost him his political career.
幾乎會毀掉他的政治生涯
He lost his Congressional seat when his party
當他的黨派在1849年拒絕支持他
refused to endorse him again in 1849.
他失掉了自己的國會位置
12 years later President Lincoln would be
12年后，林肯總統
declaring effective war upon the Confederacy.
將宣布對南部邦聯的大戰
Yet the Mexican War began in 1846 was wildly
然而1846年打響的墨西哥戰爭
successful in defeating the Mexicans.
大獲全勝
Up to a point it was highly popular.
一定程度上，這場戰爭頗受歡迎
Thanks to Polk's economic reforms the US
由于波爾克的經濟改革
could pay for, upfront for 60% of the war's costs.
美國能夠支付，預付戰爭60%的開銷
After Mexico City fell in 1848 the war was
1848年后，墨西哥陷落后
ended by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
戰爭因瓜達盧佩伊杜爾戈條約終結
Thanks to this treaty America gained Texas,
由于這項條約，美國贏得了德克薩斯州
California and the major parts of Arizona
加利福尼亞州和亞利桑那州的主要部分
and New Mexico, nearly 1.2 million square
和新墨西哥，約為120萬方平米的新土地
miles of new land.Regardless of how one feels
不管人們對波爾克
about the means Polk used to start it
波爾克宣戰的方法如何看
the Mexican War brought great benefit to
墨西哥戰爭給美國帶來了巨大利益
the United States. The importance of the former
前墨西哥領地
Mexican Territory to our nation's development
對我們國家經濟發展的重要性
cannot be understated. For instance the California
不容小覷，例如
gold rush of 1848 drew American people west
1848年的加州淘金熱將美國人民吸引至西方
and poured millions of dollars into
將成百上千萬美金投入到
the young nation's economy as did
這年輕國家的經濟體中
the new state of Texas.
新德克薩斯州也如此
Because California became so heavily settled
因為加利福尼亞州有如此多人定居
the United States could simultaneously expand
美國可以同時
westward from the Mississippi River Valley
從密西西比河谷向西擴張
and eastward from California.
從加利福尼亞向東擴張
When the United States wanted to buy more
當美國想要買更多的墨西哥土地
Mexican land to straighten the borders out
來使邊境線變直
some the Gaston Purchase of 1853 the Mexicans
1853年的加斯頓一些購買中
wisely kept quiet and sold it. The Mexicans
墨西哥人明智的保持沉默，賣掉了它
were the first to learn not to get in between
墨西哥人最先認識到
the United States and its manifest destiny.
不要卷入美國和其天定命運
Segment 5c: Life in the Good Old Days.
5c部分：美好往昔的生活
For decades the United States had performed
幾十年來
a balancing act between the industrialized
美國都平衡著北方自由土壤區
free-soil north and the agricultural slave
和南方農業奴隸州的關系
owning south. When the nation was established
當國家確立時
it looked as if slavery would wither away in
看似奴隸制將在美國枯萎
the United States. This hope was shared by
北方人和南方人
northerners and southerners alike.
對此有相似期望
But with the invention of the cotton gin and
但軋棉機的發明和
technological advances such as spinning machinery
技術進步，如紡織機器
and the steam boat, cotton became king in the south.
和蒸汽船，棉花成為了南方的國王
