History vs. Richard Nixon - Alex Gendler

翻译人员: Claire Zhang 校对人员: Tianji (Homer) Li

The presidency of the United States of America

美国的总统职位

is often said to be one of the most powerful positions in the world.

被认为是全世界 最有权力的职位之一。

But of all the U.S. presidents accused of misusing that power,

但是在所有被指责 滥用职权的美国总统中，

only one has left office as a result.

只有一个因此离职。

Does Richard Nixon deserve to be remembered

理查德·尼克松，除了使他 下台的丑闻，是不是有更多

for more than the scandal that ended his presidency?

更值得被我们记住呢？

Find out as we put this disgraced president's legacy on trial

要查明真相，我们需要重审这位 名誉扫地的总统的政治遗产。

in History vs. Richard Nixon.

即“历史对尼克松案”。

"Order, order.

“肃静，肃静。

Now, who's the defendant today, some kind of crook?"

现在，谁是今天的被告人， 某个流氓罪犯吗？”

"Cough. No, your Honor.

“咳，不，法官阁下。

This is Richard Milhous Nixon, the 37th president of the United States,

这是理查德·米尔豪斯·尼克松， 美国第三十七任总统，

who served from 1969 to 1974."

任期从1969年到1974年。”

"Hold on.

“等一下。

That's a weird number of years for a president to serve."

这对于一个总统的任期来说 是一个很奇怪的数字。”

"Well, you see, President Nixon resigned for the good of the nation

“是的，正如你所看到的 尼克松总统为了国家的利益辞职了，

and was pardoned by President Ford, who took over after him."

并且被接任他的福特总统赦免了。”

"He resigned because he was about to be impeached,

“他辞职是因为他就要被弹劾了，

and he didn't want the full extent of his crimes exposed."

而且他不想他的 罪行全部被抖出。”

"And what were these crimes?"

“那么都有哪些罪行呢?”

"Your Honor, the Watergate scandal was one of the grossest abuses

“法官阁下，水门事件是 历史上对总统职权

of presidential power in history.

滥用最为严重的一次。

Nixon's men broke into the Democratic National Committee headquarters

为了连任竞选，尼克松的手下擅自 闯入了民主党全国委员会的总部，

to wiretap the offices and dig up dirt on opponents

并在对手办公室内进行窃听，

for the reelection campaign."

试图挖掘对手的丑闻。”

"Cough

“咳……

It was established that the President did not order this burglary."

已经确认总统 没有下达窃听命令。”

"But as soon as he learned of it, he did everything to cover it up,

“但是当他听说这件事的时候 他做尽一切去掩藏真相，

while lying about it for months."

并且在这件事上说谎达几个月。”

"Uh, yes, but it was for the good of the country.

“呃，是的，但是这是为了国家利益。

He did so much during his time in office and could have done so much more

他的任期成就显著， 如果没有丑闻引发的不良影响

without a scandal jeopardizing his accomplishments."

他可以取得更多的成就。”

"Uh, accomplishments?"

“嗯，成就？”

"Yes, your Honor.

“是的，法官阁下。“

Did you know it was President Nixon

您知道是尼克松总统

who proposed the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency,

提出并建立了“美国环保署”的方案，

and signed the National Environmental Policy Act into law?

并签署了《美国国家环境政策法案》吗？

Not to mention the Endangered Species Act,

更不必说《濒危物种法》，

Marine Mammal Protection Act,

《海洋哺乳动物保护条例》，

expansion of the Clean Air Act."

《清洁空气法案》的推广。”

"Sounds pretty progressive of him."

“听起来他有些左倾激进。”

"Progressive? Hardly.

“左倾？算不上。

Nixon's presidential campaign courted Southern voters

尼克松在总统竞选中冒着 对民权运动的恐惧和愤怒

through fear and resentment of the civil rights movement."

向南部的选民献殷勤。”

"Speaking of civil rights,

“说到民权运动，

the prosecution may be surprised to learn that he signed the Title IX amendment,

检方可能会很惊讶 他签署了第九条修正案，

banning gender-based discrimination in education,

禁止在教育中的性别歧视，

and ensured that desegregation of schools occurred peacefully,

并且在学校中和平地 废止种族隔离，

and he lowered the voting age to 18, so that students could vote."

他将选民年龄限制降至18岁 这使得学生们有资格进行投票。”

"He didn't have much concern for students

“他没有对肯特州立大学那些 在四年级后被国民警卫队

after four were shot by the National Guard at Kent State.

射杀的学生表示关心。

Instead, he called them bums for protesting the Vietnam War,

相反的，他把他们称作是 为了抗议越南战争的暴民，

a war he had campaigned on ending."

而越南战争则是他致力于结束的。”

"But he did end it."

“但是他确实结束了越南战争。”

"He ended it two years after taking office.

“他在接任之后两年 结束了越南战争。

Meanwhile, his campaign had sabotaged the previous president's peace talks,

同时， 他的运动破坏了 前总统的和平演说，

urging the South Vietnamese government to hold out for supposedly better terms,

并且督促南越政府坚持 所谓可能更好的条件，

which, I might add, didn't materialize.

但是，我必须指出那些 条件并没有实现。

So, he protracted the war for four years,

所以他把战争又延续了四年，

in which 20,000 more U.S. troops, and over a million more Vietnamese,

导致了两万多美军和 一百多万越南人

died for nothing."

的无谓死亡。”

"Hmm, a presidential candidate interfering in foreign negotiations --

“嗯，一位美国总统 候选人干涉外交谈判……

isn't that treason?"

这不是犯了叛国罪吗？”

"It is, your Honor, a clear violation of the Logan Act of 1799."

“是的，尊敬的法官。这完全 违反了1799年的《罗根法案》。”

"Uh, I think we're forgetting President Nixon's many

“啊，我觉得我们忘记了 尼克松总统的许多

foreign policy achievements.

外交政策上的成就。

It was he who normalized ties with China, forging economic ties that continue today."

是他促成和中国的关系正常化 建立了迄今为止仍在继续的经济关系。”

"Are we so sure that's a good thing?

“我们确定那些事是好事吗？

And don't forget his support of the coup in Chile

别忘了是他支持智利的政变，

that replaced the democratically-elected President Allende

用一个残忍的军事独裁者

with a brutal military dictator."

取代了民主选举的总统阿兰德。”

"It was part of the fight against communism."

“那是和共产主义斗争的一部分。”

"Weren't tyranny and violence the reasons we opposed communism to begin with?

“难道专制和暴乱不正是我们 反对共产主义的原因吗？

Or was it just fear of the lower class rising up against the rich?"

或者我们反对共产主义只是因为 害怕底层的人民起来反对富人们？”

"President Nixon couldn't have predicted the violence of Pinochet's regime,

“尼克松总统不可能预见 皮诺切特政府的残暴，

and being anti-communist didn't mean neglecting the poor.

反共也不意味着忽视穷人。

He proposed a guaranteed basic income for all American families,

他提出要保证所有 美国家庭基本收入，

still a radical concept today.

在今天也算是一种激进的观点。

And he even pushed for comprehensive healthcare reform,

他甚至提出完整的医保改革，

just the kind that passed 40 years later."

和40年后通过的方案完全相似。”

"I'm still confused about this burglary business.

“我仍然对这个入室行窃 的行为感到困惑。

Was he a crook or not?"

他到底是不是个罪犯？”

"Your Honor, President Nixon may have violated a law or two,

“法官阁下，尼克松总统或许 做了一两件违法的事，

but what was the real harm compared to all he accomplished while in office?"

但是和他任期的成就相比 这些又算什么呢？”

"The harm was to democracy itself.

“民主体制受到了伤害。

The whole point of the ideals Nixon claimed to promote abroad

尼克松自称向海外推进的 这些理念的整个重点

is that leaders are accountable to the people,

就是领导人要向人民负责，

and when they hold themselves above the law for whatever reason,

当他们不管出于什么原因把 自己置于法律之上的时候，

those ideals are undermined."

那些理念就被逐渐削弱了。”

"And if you don't hold people accountable to the law, I'll be out of a job."

“如果人民不坚持依法办事, 我的工作就没有意义了。”

Many politicians have compromised some principles to achieve results,

很多政客为了达到目的而 放弃了一些原则。

but law-breaking and cover-ups threaten the very fabric the nation is built on.

但是，违法以及知情不举 威胁着柱国之基。

Those who do so may find their entire legacy tainted

当历史的审判来临时，

when history is put on trial.

犯法者和知情不举者的 政治遗产会污点斑斑。