美国学生历史 第74期:政府的组建(7)

 　　204. Assumption of State Debts. 204．州债务的承担

　　A further part of Hamilton's original scheme aroused even greater opposition 1. 汉米尔顿最初方案的纵深部分遭到了更为激烈的反对。
　　During the Revolutionary War the states, too, had become heavily in debt. 在革命战争时期各个州也背负上沉重的债务，
　　They had furnished soldiers and supplies to Congress. 这些钱用于供给士兵和交给国会，
　　Some of them had undertaken expeditions at their own expense. 有的州自己掏钱资助军队出征。
　　Virginia, for example, had borne all the cost of Clark's conquest of the Northwest. 例如，弗吉尼亚州就承担了克拉克夺取西北地区的战争费用，
　　She had later ceded 2 nearly all her rights in the conquered territory to the United States. 它后来还将在征服地区的所有权转让给国家。
　　These debts had been incurred 3 for the benefit of the people as a whole. 这些债务是因为整个美国人民的利益而生成的，
　　Would it not then be fair for the people of the United States as a whole to pay them? 那么，难道美国人民不应该作为一个整体来还这些债务吗？
　　Hamilton thought that it would. 汉米尔顿认为应该如此。
　　It chanced, however, that the Northern states had much larger debts than had the Southern states. 然而，碰巧北方各州的债务要比南部各个州多得多，
　　One result of Hamilton's scheme would be to relieve the Northern states of a part of their burdens and to increase the burdens of the Southern states. 汉米尔顿方案的一个结果将是减轻北方各州的负担而增加南部各州的负担。
　　The Southerners, therefore, were strongly opposed to the plan. 因此，南部各州竭力反对这个计划，
　　The North Carolina representatives reached New York just in time to vote against it, and that part of Hamilton's plan was defeated. 北卡罗莱纳州的代表及时赶到纽约投票反对这个计划，汉米尔顿计划的这个部分被否决了。
　　205. The National Capital. 205．国家首都
　　In these days of fast express trains it makes little difference whether one is going to Philadelphia or to Baltimore-only a few hours more or less in a comfortable railroad car. 现在乘坐高速列车去费城与去巴尔的摩没有多少区别，坐在舒适的火车车厢中用不了几个小时就到了，
　　But in 1791 it made a great deal of difference whether one were going to Philadelphia or to Baltimore. 但是，在1791年一个人是去费城还是去巴尔的摩就有非常大的差异，
　　Traveling was especially hard in the South. 到南部旅行非常艰难，
　　There were few roads or taverns 4 in that part of the country, and those few were bad. 这些地方很少有路和酒馆，即使有也很差。
　　The Southerners were anxious to have the national capital as far south as possible. 南方各州的人迫切希望首都确定在尽可能往南的地方，
　　They were also opposed to the assumption of the state debts by the national government. 他们还反对国民政府承担州债务，
　　Now it happened that the Northerners were in favor of the assumption of the debts and did not care very much where the national capital might be. 此时碰巧北方各州的人支持国民政府承担债务，他们并不在意国家首都定在哪里。
　　In the end Jefferson and Hamilton made "a deal," the first of its kind in our history. 最终杰斐逊和汉米尔顿达成"一个交易"，这是美国历史上第一个这类交易。
　　Enough Southerners voted for the assumption bill to pass it. 有足够多的南方人投票赞同通过那个债务承担条例，
　　The Northerners, on their part, agreed that the temporary seat of government should be at Philadelphia, and the permanent seat of government on the Potomac. 而北方人则同意临时政府设在费城，而把政府的永久驻地设在波托马克。
　　Virginia and Maryland at once ceded enough land to form a "federal district." 弗吉尼亚州和马里兰州立刻拿出足够的土地形成一个"联邦特区"，
　　This was called the District of Columbia. 这就是哥伦比亚地区，
　　Soon preparations were begun to build a capital city there-the city of Washington. 很快，人们开始在这个地方建设一个首都城市--华盛顿。