What few people know about the program that "saved" America - Meg Jacobs

翻译人员: Gia Hwang 校对人员: Carol Wang

In 1932, the Great Depression entered its third winter.

1932 年，大萧条进入了第三冬。

One in four Americans was unemployed,

四分之一的美国人失业，

marking the highest unemployment rate in the country’s history.

创下了美国历史上最高的失业率。

Tens of thousands had lost their homes and life savings,

成千上万的人失去家园和毕生积蓄，

and there was very little confidence that Republican President Herbert Hoover

大家对共和党总统 赫伯特·胡佛扭转局面

could turn things around.

几乎没有信心，

So when the election came, voters flocked to his Democratic competitor.

开始大选时，选民们纷纷 涌向了他的民主党竞争对手，

Franklin D. Roosevelt promised a New Deal for Americans—

富兰克林·德拉诺·罗斯福 承诺为美国人制定新政——

a comprehensive set of legislation to support struggling citizens

一套全面的立法 来支持陷入困境的公民，

and put the country back to work.

并使国家重回正轨。

The massive federal intervention Roosevelt proposed was a radical challenge

对主导许多美国人生活的 个人主义理想而言，

to the individualist ideals that governed many Americans’ lives.

罗斯福提议的大规模联邦干预 是一项根本性的挑战，

But due to the extreme circumstances,

但由于所处的极端情况，

he began his presidency with public and political support.

他在公众和政治支持下 开始了总统任期。

With the help of his advisers, Roosevelt’s first hundred days in office

在其顾问们的帮助下， 罗斯福上任的前一百天

were perhaps the most eventful of any US president.

可能是所有美国总统中最关键的。

In just over three months, he pushed over 15 bills through Congress

在短短三个多月内， 他推动了超过 15 项法案通过国会，

and created an “alphabet soup” of government agencies

并创造了推动新政的众多政府机构

to help farmers, workers, and businesses.

来帮助农民、工人和企业。

The New Deal’s first priority was stabilizing the banks.

新政的首要任务是稳定银行。

Over the previous three years, many Americans had withdrawn their savings

在过去的三年里，由于担心 银行在不良投资中亏本，

out of fear the bank would lose their money in bad investments.

许多美国人已经取出银行存款。

So to regain the public's confidence,

因此，为了重拾公众信心，

FDR increased federal oversight of commercial banks,

罗斯福加强了 对商业银行的联邦监督，

and created bank insurance to guarantee that any deposited funds

并创建了银行保险，

以保证任何存入资金将永远可取。

would always be available.

Next, he established the Federal Emergency Relief Administration.

接着，他成立了联邦紧急救济署，

FERA cataloged each state’s need for relief

对每个州的救济需求建立目录，

and provided funds to help citizens afford groceries, rent, clothing, coal,

并提供资金帮助市民支付食品杂货、

房租、衣服、煤炭及其它必需品。

and other necessities.

Meanwhile, the Agricultural Adjustment Administration subsidized farmers

同时，农调局补贴农民，

and educated them in improving planting techniques.

并教他们改进种植技术。

These policies fed and housed thousands,

这些政策养活了数千人，

but they didn’t significantly address the New Deal’s biggest promise:

但并未解决新政最大的承诺：

reducing unemployment.

减少失业。

So the Civilian Conservation Corps was established to employ

因此，成立了平民保育团，

over 250,000 young men for projects

招募了逾 25 万名年轻人

从事如植树、灌溉和防火项目。

like tree planting, irrigation, and fire prevention.

The CCC offered onsite work camps

保育团提供现场工作营，

that provided food, shelter, and education to those employed;

为就业者提供食物、住所和教育，

mostly young, single men with families in need of relief.

多数是年轻、有家庭、 需要救济的单身男性。

Subsequent programs like the Works Progress Administration

随后的计划，如公共事业振兴署

and the Tennessee Valley Authority

和田纳西河谷管理局，

added projects building roads, bridges, and hydroelectric dams.

增加了修建道路、桥梁 和水电大坝的项目；

The WPA also funded art, writing, and theater programs.

公共事业振兴署还资助 艺术、写作和戏剧项目，

These initiatives cut civilian unemployment in half.

这些举措将平民失业率减少了一半。

And they did so alongside labor acts that abolished child labor,

同时，还通过了 废除童工的劳工法案、

granted unions the right to collective bargaining,

授予工会集体谈判的权利，

and set the first national minimum wage.

并制定全国首个最低工资标准，

Benefits were also created to help those unable to work.

还为那些无法工作的人提供福利。

The Social Security Act established an old-age pension system

社会保障法除建立失业保险、

in addition to unemployment insurance, disability benefits,

伤残津贴和和福利援助外，

and welfare assistance.

还建立了养老金制度。

But despite these sweeping policies,

但尽管有这些大规模的政策，

the New Deal helped some groups more than others.

新政对某些群体的帮助 大于其他群体。

Black Americans were hit hardest by the economic downturn,

美国黑人受经济衰退打击最严重，

and the New Deal’s impact on Black communities varied widely.

新政对黑人社区的影响千差万别。

In northern cities like Chicago,

在芝加哥等北部城市，

Black citizens received a large share of jobs, vocational training, and education,

黑人公民获得了大量工作、 职业培训和教育机会，

with New Deal programs teaching more than one million Black Americans to read.

新政计划教会逾 100 万 美国黑人阅读。

Northern Black communities also received an influx of public housing,

北部黑人社区的 公共住房也大量增加，

though it was heavily segregated.

尽管被严格隔离开来。

In the South, results were less positive.

在南方，结果不太乐观。

Roosevelt relied heavily on the support of Southern Democrats,

罗斯福严重依赖 南方民主党人的支持，

who welcomed economic development but fought to preserve white supremacy.

他们欢迎经济发展， 但为维护白人至上而奋斗。

They ensured that new labor laws

他们确保新的劳动法

excluded domestic servants and agricultural workers,

不包括家庭佣工和农业工人，

occupations held by many Black Americans.

这是许多美国黑人从事的职业；

These politicians and many others also undermined Eleanor Roosevelt’s attempts

这些政客和许多其他人

to push her husband toward supporting a federal anti-lynching law.

也破坏了埃莉诺·罗斯福试图推动 她丈夫支持的联邦反私刑法。

As a result, the New Deal has often been called a “raw deal” for Black communities.

因此，对黑人社区来说， 新政通常被称为“原始交易”。

And many modern inequities in housing, employment, and financial stability

而住房、就业和金融稳定方面的 许多现代不平等的部分原因，

are partially due to New Deal programs prioritizing white Americans.

是新政计划优先考虑美国白人。

In these ways and more, the New Deal didn’t fully live up to its promises.

从这些方面以及其它方面看， 新政并没有完全兑现其承诺。

Despite employing over 8 million Americans,

尽管雇佣了超过 800 万美国人，

unemployment never went lower than 14%.

失业率也从未低于 14%。

And the US economy wouldn’t fully recover until the country’s mobilization

直到美国为二战进行国家总动员，

for World War II.

美国经济才完全复苏。

But this bold campaign of progressive policies

但这个大胆的进步政策运动

did empower unions to start their own revolution.

确实授权工会开始他们自己的革命。

In the coming decades, northern liberals, Black Americans,

在接下来的几十年里， 北方自由主义者、美国黑人

and other working minorities,

和其他少数工作族裔，

united to fight discriminatory hiring.

团结起来抗争歧视性招聘。

In the process, they reshaped the Democratic Party;

在这个过程中，他们重塑了民主党，

challenging its racist leadership,

挑战其种族主义领导，

and laying the groundwork for an emerging civil rights coalition.

并为新兴的民权联盟奠定基础。