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America's Presidents - Thomas Jefferson 美國總統(tǒng) — 托馬斯·杰斐遜

VOA Learning English presents America's Presidents.
美國之音慢速英語介紹美國總統(tǒng)欄目。

Today we are talking about Thomas Jefferson. Although he took office in 1801, he is still one of the country’s best-known and most popular presidents. You can see a memorial honoring him in Washington, DC.
今天，我們來談?wù)勍旭R斯·杰斐遜。盡管他是在1801年執(zhí)政，（如今）他仍然是美國最著名以及最受歡迎的總統(tǒng)。在華盛頓特區(qū)，你可以看到紀(jì)念他的紀(jì)念碑。

The Thomas Jefferson statue in the Jefferson Memorial on the Tidal Basin in Washington, April 6, 1999 – 1999年4月6日，在華盛頓潮汐湖畔的杰斐遜紀(jì)念堂里的托馬斯·杰斐遜雕像

Jefferson is often linked to the country’s history of self-government, separation of church and state, and public education.
杰斐遜經(jīng)常與美國自治歷史，政教（政府和教會(huì)）分離以及公共教育聯(lián)系在一起。

Over time, Jefferson’s name also became linked to the continuation of slavery until the Civil War, and to the loss of land for Native Americans.
一直以來，杰斐遜的名字也和延續(xù)到內(nèi)戰(zhàn)的奴隸制，以及本土美國人的土地流失聯(lián)系在一起。

Founding father 國父

Jefferson was born in 1743 and grew up in the hills and low mountains of Virginia. His family’s wealth enabled him to get an excellent education.
杰斐遜出生于1743年，在弗吉尼亞州的小山長大，家庭的富有讓他得到了優(yōu)質(zhì)的教育。

Jefferson also learned to ride horses, dance and explore the natural world.
杰斐遜同時(shí)也學(xué)習(xí)了馬術(shù)，舞蹈以及探索自然世界。

In the 1770s, Jefferson supported the American Revolution against Britain. He is probably most famous for being the lead writer of the Declaration of Independence.
1770年代，杰斐遜支持反抗英國的獨(dú)立戰(zhàn)爭，他因作為獨(dú)立宣言的主要起草人而名聲大振。

Jefferson went on to hold many positions in the country’s new state and national governments. He served as governor of Virginia, a minister to France, secretary of state^[1] for President George Washington, and the vice president under President John Adams.
在美國新成立之際以及國家政府機(jī)關(guān)，杰斐遜擔(dān)任過多份職位。他擔(dān)任過弗吉尼亞州州長（第二任），法國大使，喬治·華盛頓總統(tǒng)時(shí)期的國務(wù)卿（第一任）以及約翰·亞當(dāng)斯總統(tǒng)時(shí)期的副總統(tǒng)（第二任）。

Virginia planter and slave owner 弗吉尼亞州的種植園主和奴隸主

Jefferson played an important part in the creation of the U.S. But he often wrote to friends about how he most wanted to retire from public service and return to his home in Virginia.
杰斐遜對于美國的建立起到了至關(guān)重要的作用。然而，他經(jīng)常寫信跟朋友說他最想做的事就是從公職退休，回到弗吉尼亞的家鄉(xiāng)。

In the 1760s, he designed a house there that he called Monticello – the word means “l(fā)ittle mountain” in Italian.
1760年代，他在弗吉尼亞設(shè)計(jì)了一個(gè)叫做蒙蒂塞洛的房子 — 意大利語是“小山”的意思。

Thomas Jefferson chose Italian Renaissance as the design for his Monticello Mansion. He called his home “an essay in architecture.” (Carol M. Highsmith) – 托馬斯·杰斐遜選擇了意大利文藝復(fù)興時(shí)期的風(fēng)格來設(shè)計(jì)他的蒙蒂塞洛宅邸。他稱他的宅邸為“an essay in architecture.”

About 130 slaves lived on Monticello’s grounds at any time. They worked in Jefferson’s home, farms, and on special projects, such as making cabinets and nails.
大約有130個(gè)奴隸一直生活在蒙蒂塞洛。這些奴隸在杰斐遜的家里，農(nóng)場工作。另外還有一些特殊的工作，比如制作櫥柜。

Jefferson owned about 600 slaves during his life. Yet he said he disliked slavery. He believed God would judge slave owners severely.
杰斐遜一生擁有大概600個(gè)奴隸。然而，他并不喜歡奴隸制，他認(rèn)為上帝會(huì)狠狠地審判奴隸主。

And, of course, Jefferson himself wrote in the Declaration of Independence “all men are created equal” and have the right to “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
當(dāng)然，杰斐遜在獨(dú)立宣言當(dāng)中也寫道“人人生而平等”，并且擁有“生命，自由和追求幸?！钡臋?quán)利。

Yet Jefferson did not use his political power to end slavery. He expected future generations would permit slavery to end slowly across the country.
然而，杰斐遜在他執(zhí)政時(shí)期并沒有終止奴隸制。他期望將來能夠在整個(gè)國家慢慢地結(jié)束奴隸制度。

Jefferson’s words and actions on slavery are contradictory^[2]. This conflict is especially evident because Jefferson likely had a long relationship with a slave at Monticello.
杰斐遜在奴隸制上的言行并不一致，這種不一致尤其體現(xiàn)在他很可能在蒙蒂塞洛長期與一個(gè)奴隸保持關(guān)系。

This reconstructed cabin is interpreted as the home of Sally Hemings' brother, John, and his wife, Priscilla. John was an enslaved carpenter at Monticello. – 這間重建的小屋被認(rèn)為是莎麗·海明斯的兄弟，約翰·海明斯和他的妻子普里西拉的房子。約翰在蒙蒂塞洛做木匠。

Her name was Sally Hemings. Evidence suggests that Jefferson was the father of her six children of record^[3].
她的名字叫莎麗·海明斯。證據(jù)顯示，杰斐遜是她6個(gè)孩子的父親。

Third U.S. president 第三任美國總統(tǒng)

In 1801, Thomas Jefferson left Monticello to become the third U.S. president. His inauguration^[4] was the first held in Washington, DC.
1801年，托馬斯·杰斐遜離開蒙蒂塞洛去就職總統(tǒng)。他是第一個(gè)在華盛頓特區(qū)舉辦就職典禮的總統(tǒng)。

Jefferson’s government was a break from the earlier administrations. The first two presidents, George Washington and John Adams, supported a strong federal government. Jefferson, on the other hand, wanted to limit federal government.
杰斐遜政府對于早期的兩屆政府來說是一個(gè)突破。喬治·華盛頓和約翰·亞當(dāng)斯兩任總統(tǒng)主張強(qiáng)而有力的聯(lián)邦政府。然而另一方面，杰斐遜想要限制聯(lián)邦政府。

As president, Jefferson cut the national debt. He reduced the military. He disliked the power of the Supreme Court over the laws Congress made. And he rejected appearances that made the U.S. president look like a European king.
作為總統(tǒng)，杰斐遜削減國債（赤字），削減軍隊(duì)。他討厭最高法院的權(quán)利凌駕于國會(huì)制定的法律之上，拒絕美國總統(tǒng)的形象看起來像歐洲國王。

One of the lasting images of Jefferson is of him receiving guests^[5] in old clothes and slippers^[6].
杰斐遜長期以來的形象就是穿著舊衣服和便鞋接待客人。

But as president, Jefferson also appeared strong and powerful when dealing with foreign nations. Jefferson increased American naval forces in the Mediterranean^[7] to guard against threats to American ships.
但是，杰斐遜作為總統(tǒng)在外交上一貫表現(xiàn)強(qiáng)硬。杰斐遜在地中海增加了美軍海軍力量來保護(hù)美國船只免受威脅。

And he permitted U.S. officials to buy a huge piece of land from France, even though the Louisiana Purchase added to the national debt and exceeded the power the Constitution gave the president.
另外，盡管路易斯安那購地案增加了國家債務(wù)，也超出了國會(huì)賦予總統(tǒng)的權(quán)利，但他還是通過美國官員從法國購買了大片土地。

In general, historians consider Jefferson’s first term as president a success. Voters did, too, because he easily won a second term.
一般來說，歷史學(xué)家認(rèn)為杰斐遜的第一任總統(tǒng)是成功的，選民也確實(shí)是這樣認(rèn)為的，因?yàn)樗茌p松地連任了第二任總統(tǒng)。

But those last four years were difficult. Jefferson’s popularity suffered, especially when he stopped all American trade with Europe. Jefferson aimed to limit U.S. involvement in a war between Britain and France.
但是，后面四年的時(shí)光變得艱難起來。杰斐遜的民意在下降，尤其是當(dāng)他阻止美國和歐洲貿(mào)易的時(shí)候。杰斐遜想通過阻止貿(mào)易來避免受到英法戰(zhàn)爭的牽連。

Instead, critics say he ruined the American economy.
然而，評論家認(rèn)為他損害了美國經(jīng)濟(jì)。

Portrait of Jefferson by Thomas Sully, 1821 – 杰斐遜畫像，出去托馬斯·薩利，1821年

Legacy 遺產(chǎn)

Critics also attacked both Jefferson’s political ideas and his personal qualities. George Washington worried that Jefferson would weaken the strong federal government he had worked hard to create.
評論家們攻擊杰斐遜的政治思想和個(gè)人品質(zhì)。喬治·華盛頓擔(dān)心杰斐遜會(huì)削弱他苦心創(chuàng)造經(jīng)營的強(qiáng)力的聯(lián)邦政府。

And even friends suggested in their letters that Jefferson was too idealistic.
朋友們甚至在信件中暗示過他太過于理想主義。

Jefferson’s opponents also accused him of not being a Christian, although he said he was. However, he did not believe the government should make rules about religion.
杰斐遜的對手指控他不是一個(gè)基督教徒，盡管他認(rèn)為自己是的。不過，他認(rèn)為政府不應(yīng)該約束宗教自由。

He wrote that the government should worry only about acts that hurt other people. He said it does not harm him if his neighbor says “there are 20 gods or no gods. It neither picks my pocket^[8] nor breaks my leg.”
他寫道，政府只需擔(dān)心損害他人的行為。如果他的鄰居說“有20位上帝或沒有上帝，這既沒偷也沒斷腿”，所以這并不會(huì)損害到他。

Jefferson’s thinking on the separation of church and state remains important – and, in general, popular – in the U.S. today.
杰斐遜的政教分離思想直到今天在美國都很重要 — 總之，很流行。

However, Jefferson is linked to problems faced by Native Americans. He tried to get Indian nations to enter into treaties^[9] that ultimately took away their land. He wanted Native Americans to become more like European-Americans. His policies made them depend on the federal government.
然而，杰斐遜卻面臨著美洲原住民的問題。他試圖讓印第安人簽訂最終會(huì)奪去他們家園的條約，想要讓美洲原住民變得更像歐裔美國人。這一政策使得他們更依賴聯(lián)邦政府。

And Jefferson took no major action to end slavery, either in his personal life or as a public official.
杰斐遜在個(gè)人生活當(dāng)中或作為公務(wù)人員都沒有采取主要措施來終止奴隸制。

At the end of his life, Jefferson wrote proudly about his accomplishments. He said he wanted to be remembered for three things: writing the Declaration of Independence, supporting religious freedom, and creating the University of Virginia.
杰斐遜晚年寫道，他為他的成就感到自豪。他希望人們記住他的三件事：起草了獨(dú)立宣言，支持宗教自由，以及創(chuàng)建了弗吉尼亞大學(xué)。

For the most part, he is.
極大程度上，他是的。

Jefferson also supported free public education, especially for those who could not pay for school.
杰斐遜同樣支持免費(fèi)的公共教育，尤其是針對那些負(fù)擔(dān)不起學(xué)費(fèi)的人。

But his time at Monticello had many sorrows. His wife, Martha, had died in 1782 after difficulty in childbirth. Most of his children also died before him.
他住在蒙蒂塞洛的時(shí)候發(fā)生了許多不幸。他的妻子瑪莎因難產(chǎn)死于1782年，幾個(gè)孩子也都早于他去世。

In addition, the cost of improving and caring for Monticello, as well as the money he spent on fine wine and good food, had ruined him financially.
另外，改善和照顧蒙蒂塞洛宅邸的成本，以及在美酒佳肴上的開銷，讓他徹底破產(chǎn)。

Eventually, one of his daughters had to sell her father’s beloved Monticello and the slaves who lived there to pay his debts.
最終，他的一個(gè)女兒不得不賣掉她父親鐘愛的蒙蒂塞洛宅邸以及奴隸來償還債務(wù)。

Jefferson died in his bed at the age of 83. The last detail of his life – which Americans love to tell – is that he passed away on America’s birthday, exactly 50 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
杰斐遜83歲時(shí)在他的床上逝世。關(guān)于他一生當(dāng)中最后被美國人津津樂道的是，他在簽署獨(dú)立宣言的50年后，也就是建國50周年當(dāng)天去世了。

Editor's note: A photo caption was corrected to say that the reconstructed cabin at Monticello shows the home of Sally Hemings' brother and sister-in-law, not of Sally Hemings. Monticello is currently restoring a room historians believe Sally and and her children lived in for a time.
編者注：文章當(dāng)中的一個(gè)照片標(biāo)題說明，在蒙蒂塞洛重建的小屋顯示了莎麗·海明斯的兄弟和嫂子的家，而不是莎麗·海明斯的家。蒙蒂塞洛目前正在恢復(fù)一個(gè)房間，歷史學(xué)家認(rèn)為莎麗和她的孩子在這個(gè)房間住過一段時(shí)間。

原文鏈接

https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/americas-presidents-jefferson/3744095.html

1. secretary of state – 部長，國務(wù)秘書，<美>國務(wù)卿，主管外交事務(wù)的政府內(nèi)閣成員,美利堅(jiān)合眾國的國務(wù)卿為國務(wù)院的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人 ?

2. contradictory – adj. involving or having information that disagrees with other information – 矛盾的 ?

3. of record – 有案可查的 ?

4. inauguration – 就職典禮，開幕式 ?

5. receiving guests – 接待客人 ?

6. slippers – n. light, soft shoes easily put on and taken off and worn indoors – 便鞋，拖鞋 ?

7. Mediterranean – 美/?m?d?t??re?ni?n/ n.地中海；adj.地中海的 ?

8. picks my pocket – v. steals – 偷竊 ?

9. treaties – n. 條約；協(xié)定問題（treaty的復(fù)數(shù)） ?