Today when people complain about the state of American politics,
如今當人們抱怨美國的政治制度時
they often mention the dominance of the Democratic and Republican Parties,
他們總是能提及民主黨和共和黨輪流執政的格局
or the sharp split between red and blue states.
或者紅州與藍州旗幟鮮明的對立局面
But while it may seem like both of thesethings
have been around forever,
這兩件種現象好像從一開始就存在一樣，
the situation looked quite different in 1850
但在1850年，實際情況與現在大不相同
with the Republican Party not yet existing,
當時還沒有共和黨
and support for the dominant Democrats and Whigs
占主導地位的是民主黨和輝格黨
cutting across geographic divides.
支持者依據其所在的地理位置分為明顯的兩派
The collapse of this Second Party System
而第二黨系的瓦解
was at the center of increasing regionaltensions
使當時局勢日益緊張
that would lead to the birth of the Republican Party,也促成了共和黨的誕生
the rise of Abraham Lincoln as its leader,也使阿伯拉罕林肯脫穎而出，成為領袖
and a civil war that would claim over half amillion lives.
同時使南北戰爭爆發，造成了超過50萬人的死亡
And if this collapse could be blamed on a single event,
而如果這個體系的崩塌要歸咎於一場事件的話
it would be the Kansas-Nebraska Act of1854.
那便是1854年通過的堪薩斯一內布拉斯加法案
The story starts with the MissouriCompromise of 1820.
事件的起因是1820年的密蘇里妥協案
To balance the number of slave states and free states in the Union,
為了使合眾國裡的畜奴州和自由州的數量達到平衡
it allowed slavery in the newly admitted state of Missouri,
該妥協案於新成立的密蘇里州允許奴隸制
while making it off limits in the remaining federally administeredLouisiana Territory.
但是在聯邦政府管轄的路易斯安那地區禁止奴隸制
But compromises tend to last
但是該妥協法案
only as long as they are convenient,
只是權宜之計，不是長久之策
and by the early 1850s,
到了19世紀50年代早期
a tenacious Democratic Senator from Illionis
有一位來自伊利諾伊州的十分強勢的民主黨參議員
named Stephen A. Douglas
名叫史蒂芬道格拉斯
found its terms very inconvenient.
他認為該法案極不合理
As an advocate of western expansion,
他主張向西部擴張
he promoted constructing a transcontinental
並建立跨洲鐵路
railroad across the Northern Plains
橫跨北部平原
with an eastern terminus in Chicago,
並把東部終點站設在芝加哥
where he happened to own real estate.
他在那裡恰好有自己的不動產
For his proposal to succeed,
為了使自己的提案獲得通過
Douglas felt that the territories
道格拉斯認為
through which the railroad passed, would have to be formally organized,所有鐵路穿過的地區都要實行統一的制度
which required the support of Southernpoliticians.
這就意味著他需要得到南部的支持
He was also a believer in popularsovereignty,
他同時信奉人民主權論
arguing that the status of slavery in aterritory
提出一個州是否實行奴隸制
should be decided by its residents ratherthan Congress.
應由其居民決定而非國會決定
So Douglas introduced a bill
所以道格拉斯提出了一個法案
designed to kill two birds with one stone.
旨在實現一石二鳥
It would divide the large chunk of incorporated land
這會使大部分本已實現統一的區域
into two new organized territories: Nebraskaand Kansas,
分裂成兩個新成立的地區:內布拉斯加和肯薩斯
each of which would be open to slavery
兩者都可以實現奴隸制
if the population voted to allow it.
只要人民投票通過即可
While Douglas and his Southern supporters
道格拉斯和他在南部的支持者
tried to frame the bill as protecting
試圖把該法案描述為保護
the political rights of settlers,
當地居民的政治權利
horrified Northerners recognized it as
但這也在北部引起恐慌，北方人認為這等於是
repealing the 34-year-old MissouriCompromise
要廢除實行了34年的密蘇里妥協案
and feared that its supporters' ultimate goal
並擔心支持者的最終目的
was to extend slavery to the entire nation.
是使奴隸制在全國擴張
Congress was able to pass the Kansas-Nebraska Act, 後來國會通過了堪薩斯-內布拉斯加法案
but at the huge cost of bitterly dividing the nation.但代價是慘痛的，它造成了國家的分裂
with 91% of the opposition coming from Northerners. 91 %的反對派來自北方
In the House of Representatives,在眾議院
politicians traded insults and brandished
weapons 政客們相互謾罵，劍拔弩張
until a Sargent at Arms restored order.
直到警衛恢復秩序才停止下來
President Pierce signed the bill into law amidst a storm of protest,
皮爾斯總統簽署該法案通過 儘管周圍盡是反對的聲音
while Georgia's Alexander Stephens,
來自喬治亞州的亞歷山大·斯蒂芬斯
future Confederate Vice President,
也就是後來美利堅聯盟國副總統
hailed the Act's passage as,"Glory enough for one day."
把法案的通過盛讚為“充滿榮耀光輝的一天”
The New York Tribune reported,
但紐約論壇報道稱，
"The unanimous sentiment of the North isindignant resistance."
「北方民眾一致堅決反對」
Douglas even admitted that he could travel
道格拉斯也承認
from Washington D.C. to Chicago by the light of his own burning effigies.
他能順著燃燒的自己的人像一路從華盛頓走到芝加哥
The political consequences of the Kansas-Nebraska Act were stunning.
堪薩斯-內布拉斯加法案的政治後果極為嚴重
Previously, both Whigs and Democrats hadincluded
在此之前，輝格黨和民主黨還可以讓
Northern and Southern lawmakers unitedaround
南北方的立法委員
various issues, but now slavery became
在不同議題.上統一意見，但如今奴隸制問題
a dividing factor that could not be ignored.
使兩派分裂到已不容小覷的程度
Congressmen from both parties
來自兩黨的國會議員
spoke out against the act,
都站出來反對該法案
including an Illinois Whig named Abraham .Lincoln,
其中包括一-位來自伊利諾斯州的輝格黨人一阿伯拉罕:林肯
denouncing "the monstrous injustice ofslavery"
in an 1854 speech.
他在1854年皮奧里亞演說中譴責道「奴隸制本身便是巨大的不公」
By this time the Whigs had all but ceased toexist,
在當時，輝格黨已近乎式微
irreparably split between
並已無法挽回地使黨內分裂成
their Northern and Southern factions.
南北兩派
In the same year, the new Republican Party
同年，一個新的政黨一一共和黨成立了
was founded by the anti-slavery elements from both existing parties.
由來自原有的兩個黨派反對奴隸制的人士組建
Although Lincoln still ran for Senate as aWhig in 1854，
雖然林肯在1854年仍舊擔任輝格黨參議員
he was an early supporter of the new party,
他在新政黨成立之初就是其支持者
and helped to recruit others to its cause.
也為其招募了一批成員
Meanwhile the Democratic Party was shaken
而同時民主黨也受到了衝擊
when events in the newly formed KansasTerritory
因為在新成立的肯薩斯州境內
revealed the violent consequences of popularsovereignty.
由於「人民主權」的實行引發了暴力衝突
Advertisements appeared across the North
在北部到處都有廣告宣傳
imploring people to emigrate to Kansas
呼籲人民到堪薩斯去
to stem the advance of slavery.
阻止奴隸制的推行
The South answered with Border Ruffians,
而南部以邊界的暴動回應此舉
pro-slavery Missourians who crossed statelines
支持奴隸制的密蘇里人穿過州界
to vote in fraudulent elections
來操控投票結果
and raid anti-slavery settlements.
並聲討反奴隸制的居民
One northern abolitionist, John Brown,
一位來自北部的廢奴主義者，名叫約翰:布朗
became notorious following the
Pottawatomie Massacre of 1856
由於1856年的波特瓦托米大屠殺而名聲掃地
when he and his sons hacked to death
five pro-slavery farmers with broad swords.
當時他和他的兒子們用寬劍刺死了五名支持奴隸制的農民
In the end, more than 50 people
died in Bleeding Kansas.
最後，超過50人死於當時的堪薩斯內戰
While nominally still a national party,
雖然名義_上仍舊是一個全國性政黨
Douglas's Democrats were increasinglydivided along sectional lines,
道格拉斯領導的民主黨內部已經逐漸分成南北兩派
and many Northern members left許多在北部的成員退出
to join the Republicans.
並加入了共和黨
Abraham Lincoln finally took up the Republican Party banner in 1856
阿伯拉罕林肯最終在1856成為了共和黨的領袖
and never looked back.
並在餘生一直身居此位
That year, John C. Fremont,
同年，約翰.查理弗裡蒙特
the first Republican presidential candidate,
也是第一位來自共和黨的總統候選人
lost to Democrat, James Buchanan,
敗給來自民主黨的詹姆斯:布坎南
but garnered 33% of the popular vote
但贏得了33%的選票
all from Northern states.
全部支持都來自北部各州
Two years later, Lincoln challenged Douglas
兩年後，林肯與道格拉斯
for his Illinois Senate seat,
在伊利諾斯州的參議員選舉中展開激辯
and although he lost that contest,
雖然林肯輸掉了競選
it elevated his status among Republicans.
但他在共和黨的地位大大提升
Lincoln would finally be vindicated in 1860,
然而在1860年林肯轉敗為勝
when he was elected President of the UnitedStates,
這一次，他被選舉為美國總統
defeating in his own home state,
在他的家鄉擊敗了
a certain Northern Democrat,
那位來自北部的民主黨人，道格拉斯
who was finally undone by the disastrous
他最終也由於自己親自策劃的
aftermath of the law he had masterminded.
法案所帶來的災難性後果而飽嘗苦果
Americans today continue to debate
美國人如今依舊在爭論
whether the Civil War was inevitable,
南北戰爭是否無法避免
but there is no doubt that the
但毫無疑問的是
Kansas Nebraska Act made the ghastlyconflict much morelikely.
堪薩斯-內布拉斯加法案加劇了雙方可怕的衝突
And for that reason,
而正是因為這點
it should be remembered as one of the most
consequential pieces of legislation
這應該作為這條法律的後果之一被記住
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