美国学生历史 第58期:联邦(3)

 　　171. Tender Laws. 171．"清偿法"

　　The people then clamored for "tender laws." 随后，人民吵嚷着要成立"清偿法"，
　　These were laws which would make it lawful 1 for them to tender, or offer, paper money in exchange for flour or other things. 这些法律使得人们以面粉或其他东西为代价为合法，
　　In some cases it was made lawful to tender paper money in payments of debts which had been made when gold and silver were still in use. 在有的情况下提供纸币偿还在黄金和白银在流通时欠下的债被认为合法，
　　The merchants now shut up their shops, and business almost ceased. 这时候商人关闭商铺，商业活动几乎停了下来，
　　The lawyers only were busy. 只有法官在忙，
　　For those to whom money was owed tried to get it paid before the paper money became utterly 2 worthless. 因为那些债主试图在纸币变得彻底无用之前将债收回来，
　　The courts were crowded, and the prisons were filled with poor debtors 3. 法院挤满了人，监狱里也关满了贫穷的负债者。
　　172. Stay Laws. 172．"驻留法"
　　Now the cry was for "stay laws." 此时的口号是"驻留法"，
　　These were laws to prevent those to whom money was due from enforcing their rights. 这些法律阻止那些债主们实施他们的权力，
　　These laws promptly 4 put an end to whatever business was left. 这些法律迅速终止了所有的买卖，
　　The only way that any business could be carried on was by barter 5. 做生意的唯一途径就只能是物物交换。
　　For example, a man who had a bushel of wheat that he did not want for his family would exchange it for three or four bushels of potatoes, or for four or five days of labor 6. 例如，如果一个人有一蒲式耳小麦但他不认为家人需要这些小麦，他可以用它来换回三四蒲式耳土豆，或者换来别人四五天的劳动。
　　In some states the legislatures passed very severe laws to compel people to receive paper money. 在一些州的立法机关通过非常严厉的法律迫使人们接受纸币，
　　In one state, indeed, no one could vote who would not receive paper money. 实际上，在一个州中，没有人愿意将票投给一个不接受纸币的人。
　　173. Shays's Rebellion, 1786~1787. 173．谢斯的叛乱（1786~1787年）
　　In Massachusetts, especially, the discontent was very great. 马萨诸塞的不满尤为强烈，
　　The people were angry with the judges for sending men to prison who did not pay their debts. 人们对法官将不还债的人送进大牢感到愤怒，
　　Crowds of armed men visited the judges and compelled them to close the courts. 大批武装人员去"拜访"法官，迫使法官们关闭法院，
　　The leader in this movement was Daniel Shays. 这个运动的领导者是丹尼尔o谢斯。
　　He even threatened to seize the United States Arsenal 7 at Springfield. 他甚至威胁要占领位于斯普林菲尔德的美国军工厂。
　　By this time Governor Bowdoin and General Lincoln also had gathered a small force of soldiers. 波顿州长和林肯将军为此集结了一小部分士兵。
　　In the midst of winter, through snowstorms and over terrible roads, Lincoln marched with his men. 在严冬季节，林肯和他的士兵冒着暴风雪，步履艰难地出发了，
　　He drove Shays from place to place, captured his followers 8, and put down the rebellion. 他们将谢斯追得四处跑，抓获谢斯的随从，并镇压了叛乱。
　　There were risings in other states, especially in North Carolina. 其他州也出现了叛乱，特别是在北卡罗莱纳州，
　　But Shays's Rebellion in Massachusetts was the most important of them all, because it convinced the New Englanders that a stronger national government was necessary. 但是，谢斯的叛乱在其中最为重要，因为它使新英格兰人确信必须要有一个强大的国民政府。