History vs. Richard Nixon - Alex Gendler

譯者: Cissy Yun 審譯者: 瑞文Eleven 林Lim

The presidency of the United States of America

美國總統

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

被公認是世界上最有權力的職位

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

但是所有被指責濫用權力的美國總統中

only one has left office as a result.

只有一個因此下台

Does Richard Nixon deserve to be remembered

理查·尼克森更值得我們記住的

for more than the scandal that ended his presidency?

是否不只有讓他下台時的醜聞而已？

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

讓我們從他的審判紀錄中尋求解答

in History vs. Richard Nixon.

蓋棺論定尼克森

"Order, order.

肅靜，肅靜

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

誰是今天的被告？ 他是因詐欺被起訴嗎？

"Cough. No, your Honor.

不，法官大人

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

這是理查·尼克森 第37屆美國總統

who served from 1969 to 1974."

任職期間為西元1969到1974年

"Hold on.

等等

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

這個總統任期的數字 似乎不太對勁

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

是這樣的，尼克森總統 因為國家利益而辭職

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

也被接任他的福特總統赦免

"He resigned because he was about to be impeached,

他由於快被彈劾而辭職

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

也拒絕公開犯罪的嚴重程度

"And what were these crimes?"

那麼他有那些罪刑呢？

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

法官大人，水門事件

是史上最嚴重的總統濫權事件之一

of presidential power in history.

Nixon's men broke into the Democratic National Committee headquarters

尼克森的手下闖入了 民主黨全國委員會總部

to wiretap the offices and dig up dirt on opponents

竊聽辦公室裡的電話 和找尋對手的把柄

for the reelection campaign."

就為了競選連任

咳...

"Cough

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

已經確定總統並沒有下達竊聽的指令

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

但是當他得知這件事 卻想盡辦法掩蓋它

while lying about it for months."

並為這件事說了好幾個月的謊

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

嗯，是的，但這都是為了國家利益

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

他任期中有非常多的建樹 如果沒有醜聞來打擊他的政績

without a scandal jeopardizing his accomplishments."

他將做出更多有意義的事

"Uh, accomplishments?"

呃，政績？

"Yes, your Honor.

是的，法官大人

Did you know it was President Nixon

你知道就是尼克森總統

who proposed the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency,

提議建立美國環保署

and signed the National Environmental Policy Act into law?

並簽署國家環境政策法案的嗎？

Not to mention the Endangered Species Act,

更不要說瀕危物種法案

Marine Mammal Protection Act,

海洋哺乳動物保護法

expansion of the Clean Air Act."

擴大清潔空氣法案

"Sounds pretty progressive of him."

聽起來他是個改革者

"Progressive? Hardly.

改革者？少來了

Nixon's presidential campaign courted Southern voters

尼克森的總統競選透過 對民權運動的恐懼及怨恨

through fear and resentment of the civil rights movement."

拉攏南方選民

"Speaking of civil rights,

說到公民權利

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

檢察機關可能會很驚訝地得知 是他簽署了第九條修正

banning gender-based discrimination in education,

禁止在教育上性別的歧視

and ensured that desegregation of schools occurred peacefully,

並且在學校中和平地廢止種族隔離

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

他也將選民年齡降至18歲 使得學生也有資格投票

"He didn't have much concern for students

他可沒有對那四位在肯特大學

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

被國民兵射殺的學生表示關心

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

反而還把他們視為抗議越戰的遊民

a war he had campaigned on ending."

而越戰就是由他說要結束的

"But he did end it."

但他確實結束了越戰

"He ended it two years after taking office.

那是在他接任後兩年才結束

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

而在1968年，他的競選活動 就已經破壞了前任總統和平談話

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

督促南越政府提出所謂更好的條件

which, I might add, didn't materialize.

我想補充這些後來並未實現

So, he protracted the war for four years,

所以，他讓這場戰爭 繼續拖了四年之久

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

這段期間讓美軍死亡人數更增兩萬多 更有超過一百萬名越南人

died for nothing."

無意義地死亡

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

嗯，一個總統候選人干預對外談判

isn't that treason?"

是不是叛國呢？

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

是的，法官大人 這明顯違反1799年的洛根法案

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

呃，我想我們忘了 尼克森總統許多外交政策的成果

foreign policy achievements.

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

就是他將我們與中國的關係正常化 造就今天與中國持續的經濟關係

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

我們肯定這是一件好事嗎？

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

而且不要忘了他支持智利政變

that replaced the democratically-elected President Allende

讓民選總統阿葉德

with a brutal military dictator."

被殘暴的軍事獨裁者取代

"It was part of the fight against communism."

這是對抗共產主義鬥爭的一部分

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

難道專制及暴力不是我們 一開始會反抗共產主義的原因？

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

還是說這只是怕 下層階級開始反對有錢人？

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

尼克森總統無法預測 皮諾契政權會如此殘暴

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

反共產主義並不意味著忽視窮人

He proposed a guaranteed basic income for all American families,

他提議保障所有美國家庭的基本收入

still a radical concept today.

至今仍然是一個先進的概念

And he even pushed for comprehensive healthcare reform,

他甚至推動了全面的醫療改革

just the kind that passed 40 years later."

就是40年後才推行的那種

"I'm still confused about this burglary business.

我仍然對這個案件感到困惑

Was he a crook or not?"

他到底是不是騙子？

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

法官大人，尼克森總統或許 違反了一、兩條法律

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

但與成就相比 他造成的真正傷害算什麼？

"The harm was to democracy itself.

那是對民主本身的危害

The whole point of the ideals Nixon claimed to promote abroad

尼克森廣傳的理想重點在於

is that leaders are accountable to the people,

領導人要對人民負責

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

而當他們自己凌駕於法律之上 無論出於何種原因

those ideals are undermined."

這些理想都受到損害

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

如果不能讓人民伏法 那我就會失業了

Many politicians have compromised some principles to achieve results,

許多政治家為達目的 會做出一些原則性的妥協

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

然而，違法和掩蓋的行為 危及到了美國的建國基礎

Those who do so may find their entire legacy tainted

這樣的人被後人檢視時

when history is put on trial.

不論功績多少，都已留下污點