History vs. Andrew Jackson - James Fester

翻译人员: Xiaoou Chen 校对人员: Yolanda Zhang

A national hero? Or public enemy number one?

是国家英雄？还是社会第一公敌？

Historical figures are often controversial,

历史人物通常是充满着争议的，

but few were as deified or vilified

但是几乎没有谁在他们的生命中

in their lifetime

会像第七届美国总统

as the seventh President of the United States.

那样被藐视与诽谤。

This is History vs. Andrew Jackson.

这是历史与安德鲁·杰克逊的对抗。

"Order, order, hm, uh, what were we...ah yes, Mr. Jackson!

“肃静，肃静，呃，我们之前说到哪了。。。 啊，对了，杰克逊先生！

You stand accused of degrading the office of the presidency,

你面对着让总统办公室受辱，

causing financial collapse

并导致造成金融崩溃和

and wanton cruelty against American Indians.

肆无忌惮地，残忍地 反对美国印第安人的控告。

How do you plead?"

你是否认罪?”

"Now, Your Honor, I am not a big city lawyer,

“法官大人，我不是个大城市来的律师，

but I do know a few things.

但我还是有些见识的。

And I know that President Jackson was

我知道杰克逊总统是

a self-made frontiersman,

一位白手起家的拓荒者，

a great general,

一位伟大的将军，

a real man of the people."

一个真正的人民的领袖。”

"Your Honor, this 'man of the people' was a gambler,

“法官大人，这个 '人民的领袖' 是个赌徒，

a drunk, and a brawler.

一个醉鬼，还是个打架闹事者。

Why, I've heard it said that

因为我已经听说

he would fight at the drop of the hat

他会立即参加斗争，

and then drop the hat himself.

然后又迅速拍拍屁股走人。

I ask you,

我问您，

was such a man fit for the most distinguished office in the nation?

这样的一个人是否适合 被称为全国最杰出的总统呢？

Can we forget the debacle of his inauguration?

我们是否应该忘记 他就职典礼时的大混乱呢？

Who ever heard of inviting a drunken mob

有谁曾经听说过邀请醉酒的暴徒

into the White House?

进入白宫的?

It took ages to get the upholstery clean."

花了很长时间受损的白宫 才得以恢复原貌。”

"That drunken mob, sir, was the American people,

“先生，那醉酒的暴民是美国人民，

and they deserve to celebrate their victory."

他们有权（在这里）庆祝他们的胜利。”

"Order, order! Now, did this celebration have pie?"

“肃静，肃静！好的，这次庆祝 获得了什么实际利益吗?”

"Very well. Mr. Jackson, is it not the case

“很好。杰克逊先生，你难道不是

that immediately upon assuming office

在上任后，立刻就采用了

you introduced the spoils system,

政党分肥制系统，

replacing hundreds of perfectly good federal employees

用不称职的党派忠实者

with incompetent party loyalists?"

更换了数百个完美的联邦雇员？”

"Your Honor, the President did no such thing.

“法官大人，（杰克逊）总统 没有做过这种事。

He tried to institute rotation in office

他试图制定轮换制度

to avoid any profiteering or funny business.

去避免任何暴利或不合理的机制。

It was the rest of the party

是党内的其他成员

who insisted on giving posts to their lackeys."

坚持将职位给党派的马屁精们。”

"But Mr. Jackson complied, did he not?"

“但杰克逊先生同意了这件事， 难道不是么?”

"Now, uh, see here."

“呃，这倒是。”

"Moving on.

“我们继续。

杰克逊先生，是你图谋利用

Mr. Jackson, did you not help to cause

the financial Panic of 1837,

1837 年的金融恐慌，

and the ensuing economic depression

和随后的经济萧条

with your obsessive war

掀起你那残酷的战争，

against the Bank of the United States?

来打击美国的银行吗？

Was not vetoing its reauthorization,

难道你在1832 年

as you did in 1832,

否决其再次授权，

an act of irresponsible populace pandering

不是一种不负责任的单纯为了迎合民众，

that made no economic sense?"

但却没有任何经济道理的行为吗?”

"Your Honor, the gentleman has quite the imagination.

“法官大人，这位先生非常有想象力。

That bank was just a way for rich Yanks

那些银行也只是一种 让富裕的北方佬更有钱的

to get richer.

一种手段罢了。

And all that money panic was caused

那些所谓的货币恐慌都发生在

when British banks raised interest rates

当英国银行上调利率

and cut lending.

并消减贷款时。

To blame it on the President is preposterous, I say."

我想说将这些罪行归咎于 （杰克逊）总统是荒谬的。”

"But if Mr. Jackson had not destroyed the National Bank,

“但如果杰克逊先生没有摧毁国家银行，

it would have been able to lend to farmers

在其他信贷枯竭的时候，

and businesses when other credit dried up,

国家银行本来是可以向 农民和企业发放贷款的，

would it not?"

难道不会么？”

"Hm, this is all highly speculative.

“嗯，这确实很可疑。

Can we move on?"

我们能继续吗?”

"Certainly, Your Honor.

“当然，法官大人。

We now come to Mr. Jackson's

下面就是杰克逊先生

最骇人听闻的罪行：

most terrible offense:

forcing entire tribes out of their native lands

他通过印第安驱逐法案

via the Indian Removal Act."

强迫整个印第安部落 离开他们土生土长的家园。”

"I resent that accusation, sir.

“我反对那个指控，法官先生。

The U.S. of A. bought that land from the Indians

美国（政府）公平公正地从

fair and square."

印地安人那里买了那片土地。”

"Do you call coercion and threats

“难道你要把一个相比印第安人

by a nation with a far more powerful army

有着更强大的军队的国家的胁迫和威胁

fair and square?

称为公平公正吗？

Or signing a treaty for removing the Cherokee

或是你要把杰克逊总统与 一小批非印第安人领导的小组签订的

驱逐柴拉基族 （北美印第安部落之一）的条约

with a small group that didn't include

their actual leaders?

称为公平么？

They didn't have time to properly

军队前来并强迫他们

supply themselves before the army came

踏上血泪之路之前， 他们甚至没有时间去

and forced them to march the Trail of Tears."

准备充足的吃穿用度。”

"Now, hold on a minute.

“现在，有一点要强调。

This was all Van Buren's doing

这一切都是范布伦

after President Jackson left office."

在杰克逊总统结束任期后所做的。”

"But Mr. Jackson laid the groundwork

“但杰克逊先生奠定了基础，

and made sure the treaty was ratified.

并确保了条约的批准。

All President Van Buren had to do afterwards

所有范布伦总统所做的

was enforce it."

就是去执行罢了。”

"Look here, Your Honor.

“法官大人，请听我说。

Our government's been purchasing

从最开始,

我们的政府已经 在购买印第安人的土地了，

Indian land since the beginning,

and my client was negotiating these deals

而且在我的客户成为总统之前，

even before he was President.

他就在谈判这些交易了。

President Jackson truly believed

杰克逊总统真正相信

it was best for the Indians

这对印第安人最有利，

to get compensated for their land

补偿他们的土地，

and move out West,

让他们搬到有足够

where there was plenty of space

空间的西部，

for them to keep living

这样他们就可以按照

the way they were accustomed,

习惯的方式继续生活，

rather than stick around

而不是留在这里

and keep butting heads with the white settlers.

与白人定居者对抗。

Some of whom, I remind our court,

我要提醒法院， 其中（鼓励签订条约的）一些人是

wanted to exterminate them outright.

想要彻底消灭他们。

It was a different time."

那是一个不同的时代。”

"And yet, even in this different time,

“然而，即使在这不同的时代，

there were many in Congress

很多人在国会中，

and even the Supreme Court

甚至最高法院中，

who saw how wrong the Removal Act was

依然看见了驱逐法案中的巨大错误，

and loudly opposed it,

并大声地反对它，

were there not?"

难道没有这样的人吗?”

"My client was under a great deal of pressure.

“我的客户（当时）顶着巨大的压力。

I say, do you think it's easy

我要说，你觉得 管理这么大的一个国家，

governing such a huge country

并让其保持民调一致

and keeping the Union together,

是一件容易的事情么？

when states are fixing to nullify

特别是在当各个州决心

federal laws?

废除联邦法的时候。

President Jackson barely got South Carolina

杰克逊总统几乎不能让南卡罗莱纳州

to back down over those import tariffs,

上交进口关税，

and then Georgia had to go discover gold

然后佐治亚州就不得不去找寻黄金

and start grabbing up Cherokee land.

并开始侵占柴落基印第安人的土地。

It was either get the Indians to move

（这样一来）要么让印地安人移居，

or get in another fight with a state government."

要么就得与州政府陷入另一场战争。”

"So, you admit that Mr. Jackson

“那么你承认，杰克逊先生

sacrified moral principles to achieve

放弃了道德原则去实现

some political goals?"

一些政治目标吗?”

"I do declare, show me one leader who hasn't."

“我要申明，（请）指出 有哪一位领导么没这么做过。”

As societies change and morals evolve,

随着社会和道德（标准）的演变，

yesterday's hero may become

昨日的英雄可能成为

tomorrow's villain, or vice versa.

明天的恶棍，反之亦然。

History may be past,

历史可能已成为过去，

但我们始终都在不断审视并理解它。

but our understanding of it is always on trial.