Inventing the American presidency - Kenneth C. Davis

設計美國總統職位 - 肯尼斯戴維斯 (Kenneth C. Davis)

Transcriber: Andrea McDonough Reviewer: Bedirhan Cinar

譯者: Michael Han 審譯者: Allen Li

The Oval Office,

白宮橢圓形辦公室…

Inauguration Day,

美國總統就職日…

Rose Garden signings,

在白宮玫瑰園簽署法案…

and secret service agents

特勤人員戴著

with dark sunglasses and cool wrist radios.

墨鏡和很酷的手錶無線電…

For a moment, forget all of it.

現在全忘了吧！

Toss out everything you know about the President.

拋開你對總統所知的每件事

Now, start over.

現在，重新開始

What would you do if you had to invent the President?

要怎樣設計總統這個職位？

That was the question facing the 55 men

這問題正考驗著 55 個人

who got together in secret

他們秘密聚在一起

to draw up the plans for a new American government

要畫出新美國政府的藍圖

in the summer of 1787 in Philadelphia,

這是 1787 年夏天的費城

in the same place where the Declaration of Independence

正是獨立宣言

had been written eleven years earlier.

11 年前撰寫的地方

Declaring independence had been risky business,

宣布獨立非常危險

demanding ferocious courage

需要極大的勇氣

that put lives and fortunes in jeopardy.

必須置生死於度外

But, inventing a new government was no field day either,

設計新政府制度也不輕鬆

especially when it's summer

特別是在夏天

and you're in scratchy suits,

穿著令人發癢的西裝

and the windows are closed

所有門窗緊閉

because you don't want anybody

因為不想讓任何人

to hear what you are saying,

聽到你們所說的話

and the air conditioning doesn't work

而且沒有冷氣

because it won't be invented for nearly 200 years.

因為要 200 年後才發明

And, when you don't agree on things,

當大家意見不同時

it gets even hotter.

還會覺得更熱

For the framers, the question they argued over most

對建國者而言

while writing the Constitution

撰寫憲法時

and creating three branches of government

要創建三權分立的政府

had to do with the executive department.

最大的爭論在行政部門

One man or three to do the job?

該由一個或三個人管理？

How long should he serve?

該任職多久？

What would he really do?

職權是什麼？

Who would pick him?

怎麼選出來？

How to get rid of him

要如何處理掉他

if he's doing a bad job or he's a crook?

如果他做不好，或是個騙子的話？

And, of course, they all meant him,

當然，他得是男性

and he would be a white man.

而且是白種男性

The idea of a woman

假如是女性

or an African American, for instance,

或非裔美國人

holding this high office

掌握這權力

was not a glimmer in their eyes.

他們絕不會接受

But the framers knew they needed

但建國者知道，必須找到

someone who could take charge,

能掌管這個政府的人

especially in a crisis, like an invasion or a rebellion,

尤其在受到侵略、叛變等危機

or negotiating treaties.

以及協商條約時

Congress was not very good

國會不擅長

at making such important decisions

在沒有爭論和延遲下

without debates and delays.

做出重要決定

But the framers thought America needed a man

建國者認為美國需要一位領袖

who was decisive and could act quickly.

有決策力、且行動快速

They called it energy and dispatch.

他們稱之活力與執行力

One thing they were dead-set against:

他們堅決反對一件事

there would be no king.

不會有國王

They had fought a war against a country with a monarch

他們剛和一個君主國家作戰

and were afraid that one man

因此擔心，若領袖的

with unchecked powers, in charge of an army,

權力不受約束，他可能會指揮軍隊

could take over the country.

接管國家

Instead, they settled on a president

因此他們決定總統

and laid out his powers in Article 2 of the Constitution.

職權僅限於憲法第二條所列

But who would choose him?

那要怎麼選出這個人呢？

Not the people, they were too liable to be misled

不能是民眾，他們太容易被誤導

as one framer worried.

一位建國者擔心這點

Not the legislature, that would lead to cabal and factions.

不能是國會，容易產生陰謀和派系

Got it: electors, wise, informed men

想到了，選舉人！有智慧又有知識

who have time to make a good decision.

有時間可以做出好決定

And if they didn't produce a winner,

如果沒有人勝出

then the decision would go to one

決定權則交給

of the other branches of government, the Congress.

三權政府的另一權－國會

The House of Representatives would step in

由眾議院接手

and make the choice,

做出決定

which they did in 1801 and 1825.

1801 和 1825 年就是這樣

In the long, hot summer of 1787,

在 1787 年漫長炙熱的夏天

compromises were made to invent the presidency,

設計總統職位時有許多妥協

like counting slaves as 3/5 of a person,

例如把奴隸視為 3/5 個人

giving the President command of the army

讓總統可以指揮軍隊

but Congress the power to declare war,

但國會才有宣戰的權力

and unlimited four-year terms.

而且四年一任，沒有連任限制

Since then, some of those compromises have been amended

此後許多妥協陸續被修正 (限連任一次)

and the men in office have sometimes been too strong or too weak.

這位領袖有時太強勢、有時太弱勢

But, if you could start from scratch,

但若可從頭開始

how would you redesign the Oval Office?

你會怎麼重新設計總統職位呢？