Hundreds of miles to the south, a small plant is creating another economic boom. Cotton. But this one will eventually tear the nation apart.
向南數百英里，一種小型作物正在創造另一種經濟騰飛--棉花，然而這種作物也導致了后來的國家分裂1;,XapZ3F~=。
Cotton is native to tropical regions, making the Southern states of the US a perfect breeding ground.
棉花原產于熱帶地區，因此美國南部各州成為了理想的種植區T3IrdmJjciC3#pogwEnw。
The valued part is the soft fiber which grows tightly around the shrub's sticky seeds.
棉花有價值的部分是緊密地長在這種灌木黏性種子周圍的柔軟纖維maML[O8QJ5qMNR~。
There are 30 species worldwide. Growing it is no problem, but processing the fiber before it can be spun into cloth is labor-intensive. Especially, separating the seeds.
全世界有30個棉花品種，引進種植不成問題但是加工這些纖維并使之能紡織成布料則需要大量勞動力，特別是在除去棉籽時h12zD4i@syf&WMo.X]K。
For years, it could only be done by hand. One pound took an entire day.
多年來，只能通過手工來完成僅分離一磅棉花就需要一整天的勞動FSk6WKSqiyfAyh)]。
A simple patent filed on March 4, 1794, changes all that. The cotton gin. It automates the process and deeply divides the country.
1794年3月4日，一項簡單的發明改變了這一切--軋棉機，它實現了加工過程自動化，也加深了國家的分裂9UNH[AkCYjfP。
The cotton gin transformed not only America, but the world.
軋棉機不僅改變了美國，也改變了世界#bC5hfP)F(oVoW_eOd。
The concept of mass production using a machine just exploded everywhere.
利用機器進行大規模生產的理念從此開始在各地流行p!%gh6T=p(L0S。
One man can now process 50 times more cotton. Output skyrockets all over the South.
一個工人現在能加工比從前多50倍的棉花，整個南方的棉產量因此突飛猛進MW-!r#nf8,D%[Sz5=。
In 1830, America is producing half the world's cotton. By 1850, it's nearly 3/4.
1830年，美國棉產量占世界總產量的一半，到1850這一比例接近四分之三^~=3^O,bDJlbm**gPf。
Called white gold, cotton supports a new lavish lifest yle in the South.
被喻為"白色黃金"的棉花給南方帶來了一種新式的奢華生活_v8])]!Hr^。
By 1850, there are more millionaires per capita in Natchez, Mississippi, than anywhere else on Earth.
到1850年，密西西比州的納奇茲市的人均百萬富翁數量，比全世界任何一個地方都要多6Rj2T6PRg9hBjDp。
The richest man in town owns 40,000 acres, nearly three times the size of Manhattan Island.
城里最富有的人擁有4萬英畝田地，幾乎是曼哈頓島的3倍大U-nU*S!YHTF。
The South is thriving on the backs of human s owning other humans. It's called slavery.
南方的迅速繁榮離不開一種人剝削人的制度，也就是奴隸制1rH7,!8S&X。
The North is implicated in the South's success. The industrial North is profiting from Southern cotton, but turns a blind eye to slavery.
北方也受到了南方繁榮的影響，工業發達的北方從南方的棉花中獲益，而對奴隸制卻視而不見4^GE61#dUYBvL。
Many of them slave owners themselves, the Founding Fathers assumed slavery would soon disappear.
開國元勛中的許多人自己就是奴隸主，他們以為奴隸制會很快消失dpR&^W*dk-c。
Slavery has already been abolished for 20 years in Britain and is outlawed across most of Europe. But with the cotton explosion, slavery becomes critical to the Southern economy.
奴隸制在英國已經被廢除了20年，而且在歐洲的大多數地區屬于違法，但由于棉產量的劇增奴隸制變得對南方經濟極其重要2%(Za]LRwQ。