Chapter 23 - The New Country / 第二十三章 - 新的国家

The American Constitution / 美国宪法

Have you ever driven to a different state? Did you see soldiers guarding the state border as you crossed it? When you stopped at the next gas station, did the clerk refuse to take your money because it was strange and foreign?

你曾经开车到不同的州吗？当你穿越边界时，你看到士兵守卫州边界了吗？当你在下一个加油站停下时，店员会因为你的钱奇怪和外国的而拒绝收取吗？

Probably not. Today, an American can travel from state to state as easily as walking from the kitchen to the living room. But right after the American revolution, things were different.

可能不会。今天，美国人可以像从厨房步行到客厅一样容易地从一个州旅行到另一个州。但在美国革命之后，情况是不同的。

After the peace treaty with England was signed, the thirteen American colonies became independent states. Each of the thirteen American states began to pass its own laws and write out its own constitution (a set of rules explaining how a country will work).

在与英国签署和平条约后，十三个美国殖民地成为独立的州。十三个美国州中的每一个都开始通过自己的法律，并制定自己的宪法（一套解释国家如何运作的规则）。

Trouble started right away. Each state was busy planning how to make treaties with foreign countries—thirteen different treaties. Each state wanted its own navy—thirteen different navies with thirteen different admirals. Virginia and Maryland were quarrelling about who had the right to claim the Potomac River, which ran between them.

问题立即开始了。每个州都忙着计划如何与外国签署条约——十三个不同的条约。每个州都想要自己的海军——十三支不同的海军，配备十三位不同的海军上将。弗吉尼亚州和马里兰州就谁有权声称流经它们之间的波托马克河而争吵。

Not all of the states were even using the same kind of money. And although the colonies had borrowed money from France to help pay for the War of Independence, none of the states wanted to pay that money back. Each state thought that another state should pay the debt!

甚至不是所有州都使用同一种货币。尽管殖民地曾向法国借贷资金来帮助支付独立战争的费用，但没有一个州愿意偿还那笔钱。每个州都认为其他州应该偿还这笔债务！

American leaders like Alexander Hamilton from New York, James Madison from Virginia, Benjamin Franklin from Pennsylvania, and George Washington himself saw that the new states would soon be in trouble. If they continued to act like thirteen different countries, the new nation wouldn't be able to negotiate foreign treaties, build a strong navy, or send merchant ships abroad.

美国领导者，如来自纽约的亚历山大·汉密尔顿、来自弗吉尼亚的詹姆斯·麦迪逊、来自宾夕法尼亚的本杰明·富兰克林，以及乔治·华盛顿本人都意识到新州很快就会陷入困境。如果它们继续像十三个不同的国家一样行事，这个新国家就无法谈判外国条约，建立强大的海军，或派遣商人船只到国外。

"We are fast verging," George Washington warned, "to anarchy and confusion." It was time for all of the states to join together and make a federal government—a government that had authority to act for all thirteen states.

乔治·华盛顿警告说："我们正快速走向无政府状态和混乱。"是时候让所有州团结起来，建立一个联邦政府了——一个有权威代表所有十三个州行事的政府。

Many Americans hated the idea of a federal government. After all, they had just fought a war to be free of the federal government of Great Britain. How could they be sure that a federal government wouldn't take away the power of each state to do as it thought best?

许多美国人憎恨联邦政府的想法。毕竟，他们刚刚打了一场战争来摆脱大英联邦政府。他们怎么能确信联邦政府不会夺走每个州按照自己认为最好的方式行事的权力呢？

Finally, twelve of the states offered to send their leaders to Philadelphia for a Constitutional Convention that would discuss the need for a federal government. George Washington didn't want to go. He was sure that the leaders, or delegates, would just argue and argue.

最后，十二个州提议派遣他们的领导者到费城参加宪法会议，讨论对联邦政府的需要。乔治·华盛顿不想去。他确信这些领导者，或代表，只会争论不休。

But the other Virginia delegates begged Washington to come. Everyone respected George Washington. If anyone could get the leaders of all the states to agree together, Washington could. The delegates arrived in Philadelphia in 1787. They gathered together in Independence Hall, the red-brick building at the center of the city.

但其他弗吉尼亚代表恳求华盛顿前来。每个人都尊敬乔治·华盛顿。如果有人能让所有州的领导者达成一致，华盛顿就能做到。代表们于1787年到达费城。他们聚集在独立厅，这是城市中心的红砖建筑。

George Washington was elected chairman of the meeting. Benjamin Franklin, now eighty-one, was too old to walk to the daily meetings. Instead, he hired four prisoners who were let out of jail to carry him to and from Independence Hall in a chair.

乔治·华盛顿被选举为会议主席。本杰明·富兰克林现在八十一岁了，太老了无法步行参加每日会议。相反，他雇佣了四名从监狱中释放出来的囚犯，用椅子把他抬到独立厅和从独立厅抬回去。

The delegates talked and argued for days and days. No one else was allowed to listen. The windows were even nailed shut so that no one outside could eavesdrop! The delegates wanted to make sure that the new Constitution would give the United States of America the power to act together—but also to act separately.

代表们日复一日地谈论和争论。其他任何人都不被允许听。窗户甚至被钉死，这样外面的人就无法偷听！代表们想确保新宪法能够赋予美利坚合众国共同行动的权力——但也能够单独行动。

Finally, they agreed on a plan that would divide the government of the United States into two "houses," like the House of Commons and the House of Lords in the English parliament. These houses would be responsible for writing out laws and voting on them. One house would be called the Senate. Each state, no matter what its size, could elect two representatives called Senators to sit in the Senate.

最后，他们就一个计划达成了一致，该计划将美国政府分为两个"院"，就像英国议会中的下议院和上议院一样。这些院将负责制定法律并对其进行投票。一个院被称为参议院。每个州，无论其大小如何，都可以选举两名称为参议员的代表在参议院中就座。

That way, each state would have an equal voice. No state could have more power than any other. But each state would also get to elect one representative for each thirty thousand people. These representatives would meet together in the House of Representatives. The House of Representatives showed that all of the people of the United States, no matter what state they lived in, were part of one country.

这样，每个州都会有平等的声音。没有任何州能比其他州拥有更多的权力。但每个州还可以为每三万人民选举一名代表。这些代表将在众议院中聚会。众议院表明，美国的所有人民，无论他们住在哪个州，都是一个国家的一部分。

Every person in every state would have the same amount of power to send a representative to the House. States with more people in them would have more representatives—but the same number of senators. All the laws of the country would have to be approved by both houses—by the states, and also by the people. Together, these houses would be called Congress.

每个州的每个人都拥有同样的权力来派遣代表到众议院。人口更多的州会有更多的代表——但参议员数量相同。国家的所有法律都必须得到两院的批准——州的批准，也要人民的批准。这些院合在一起被称为国会。

Congress would be the legislative part of the new federal government, able to pass laws, declare war, and make treaties with foreign countries. But the English Parliament also had two houses. And Parliament had still passed taxes, even though the English in America objected. What would keep Congress from doing the same thing?

国会将是新联邦政府的立法部分，能够通过法律、宣战和与外国签署条约。但英国议会也有两院。而且议会仍然通过了税收，尽管美国的英国人反对。什么能阻止国会做同样的事情呢？

The delegates decided that a leader should have the power to veto, or stop, any law that Congress might pass. This leader would be called the President. He wouldn't have the power to make any laws, but he would be able to stop Congress if Congress got carried away! Now the American federal government had two parts: Congress, the legislative branch, and the President, the executive branch.

代表们决定一位领导者应该有权否决或阻止国会可能通过的任何法律。这位领导者将被称为总统。他不会有制定任何法律的权力，但如果国会过分了，他能够阻止国会！现在美国联邦政府有两个部分：国会，立法部门，和总统，行政部门。

But who would make sure that Congress and the President would both follow the laws that they passed? The federal government needed a third branch: a court of judges who would decide whether or not laws were being properly observed. This "Supreme Court" became the judicial branch of the federal government.

但谁将确保国会和总统都遵守他们通过的法律呢？联邦政府需要第三个部门：一个由法官组成的法院，他们将决定法律是否得到适当的遵守。这个"最高法院"成为联邦政府的司法部门。

Its members had to be chosen by the President—but Congress had to approve them! Now, each of the three parts of the government had to cooperate with the other parts. No one branch of the government could grab all of the power for itself. The delegates wrote all of these rules down in a new Constitution, signed it, and then published it in newspapers in every state.

其成员必须由总统选择——但国会必须批准他们！现在，政府的三个部分中的每一个都必须与其他部分合作。政府的任何一个部门都不能为自己夺取所有权力。代表们将所有这些规则写在新宪法中，签署了它，然后在每个州的报纸上发表。

The Constitution began, "We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

宪法开头写道："我们美利坚合众国人民，为了建立一个更完美的联邦，确立正义，保证国内安宁，提供共同防御，促进普遍福利，并为我们自己和我们的后代确保自由的祝福，特制定和确立这部美利坚合众国宪法。"

Then the Constitution explained how the three branches of government would work. The delegates had decided that nine states would have to agree to accept, or ratify, the Constitution. The first state to agree was Delaware, on December 7th, 1787. By January of 1788, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut had also ratified it.

然后宪法解释了政府三个部门将如何运作。代表们已经决定九个州必须同意接受或批准宪法。第一个同意的州是特拉华州，在1787年12月7日。到1788年1月，宾夕法尼亚、新泽西、乔治亚和康涅狄格也批准了它。

It took four more months for Massachusetts, Maryland, and South Carolina to agree. When New Hampshire, the ninth state to vote, ratified the Constitution in June of 1788, the Constitution became the law of the United States of America. Not everyone was pleased with the Constitution. Quick-tempered Patrick Henry from Virginia called it a "horridly frightful" document.

马萨诸塞、马里兰和南卡罗来纳又花了四个月才同意。当第九个投票的州新罕布什尔州在1788年6月批准宪法时，宪法成为美利坚合众国的法律。不是每个人都对宪法满意。来自弗吉尼亚的急性子帕特里克·亨利称它为"可怕得令人恐惧"的文件。

He was afraid that the President would become a king and that Congress would be able to use too much power against the people. He wanted the Constitution to have a Bill of Rights attached to it—a list of powers that the government could never use against the people of the United States.

他担心总统会成为国王，国会会对人民使用过多的权力。他希望宪法附加一个权利法案——一个政府永远不能对美国人民使用的权力清单。

Many other Americans wanted a Bill of Rights too. "All power is subject to abuse," James Madison remarked, "[and so we must] fortify the rights of the people against the encroachments of the government." Four years later, a Bill of Rights was added to the original Constitution.

许多其他美国人也想要权利法案。詹姆斯·麦迪逊说："所有权力都可能被滥用，[因此我们必须]加强人民的权利，抵御政府的侵犯。"四年后，权利法案被添加到原始宪法中。

The Bill of Rights, ten amendments (additions) to the Constitution, said that Congress could never forbid American citizens to speak their opinions, to worship God as they pleased, to assemble together in public, or to keep weapons to defend themselves.

权利法案，宪法的十项修正案（补充），规定国会永远不能禁止美国公民表达他们的意见，按照他们喜欢的方式崇拜上帝，在公共场所集会，或保留武器来保护自己。

No one could ever be seized by the government and kept in jail without a public trial. The Bill of Rights said that the federal government could never behave like a king toward its people—even if there seemed to be good reasons for doing so. The Constitution was finished. Finally, the United States was truly a nation.

任何人都不能被政府抓捕并在没有公开审判的情况下关在监狱里。权利法案说联邦政府永远不能像国王一样对待其人民——即使这样做似乎有很好的理由。宪法完成了。最终，美国真正成为了一个国家。

The First American President (1789–1797) / 第一任美国总统（1789-1797）

After the Constitutional Convention was over, George Washington went home. He was almost sixty years old. He'd fought in the French and Indian War. He'd led the War for Independence. Now, he wanted to stay on his farm in Virginia, feed his animals, work in his garden, and sit with his wife in front of the fireplace in the long, quiet evenings.

制宪会议结束后，乔治·华盛顿回家了。他快六十岁了。他参加过法印战争。他领导了独立战争。现在，他想留在弗吉尼亚的农场上，喂养他的动物，在他的花园里工作，在漫长安静的夜晚与他的妻子坐在壁炉前。

But the delegates who had signed the Constitution begged George Washington to become the first President. Many Americans were nervous about this new office. They were afraid that the President would soon become a king. And the delegates knew that George Washington would never try to become the king of America.

但签署宪法的代表们恳求乔治·华盛顿成为第一任总统。许多美国人对这个新职位感到紧张。他们担心总统很快会成为国王。而代表们知道乔治·华盛顿永远不会试图成为美国的国王。

Washington didn't want to be king of America. He didn't even want to be President. "It is my great and sole desire to live and die, in peace and retirement on my own farm," Washington told Alexander Hamilton. "I call heaven to witness that this very act would be the greatest sacrifice of my personal feelings and wishes that ever I have been called upon to make."

华盛顿不想成为美国的国王。他甚至不想成为总统。华盛顿告诉亚历山大·汉密尔顿："我最大和唯一的愿望是在我自己的农场上和平退休地生活和死去。我请天堂作证，这个行为将是我个人感情和愿望的最大牺牲，是我曾被要求做出的。"

But George Washington also believed that he had a duty to the people of the United States. If they wanted him to be President, he would have to accept. The first elections for a President of the United States were held in February of 1789—and Washington won unanimously.

但乔治·华盛顿也相信他对美国人民有职责。如果他们想让他成为总统，他就必须接受。美国总统的第一次选举在1789年2月举行——华盛顿全票当选。

As he had promised, he accepted the job of first President. But he wrote in his diary, "[I begin the presidency] with a mind oppressed with more anxious and painful sensations that I have words to express." Washington had to ride to New York, the temporary capital of the new United States, to be sworn in, or inaugurated, as President.

正如他承诺的那样，他接受了第一任总统的工作。但他在日记中写道："[我开始总统任期]时心情沉重，充满了我无法言喻的焦虑和痛苦的感觉。"华盛顿必须骑马到纽约，新美国的临时首都，宣誓就职或就职为总统。

He was hoping for a quiet journey—but every time he got near a town, people ran out and cheered. Little girls threw flowers. Men took off their hats. Church bells rang! When he rode through Philadelphia, he had to parade under triumphal arches built just for his honor.

他希望有一个安静的旅程——但每次他接近城镇时，人们就跑出来欢呼。小女孩们抛撒花。男人们摘下帽子。教堂的钟声响起！当他骑马通过费城时，他必须在专为他的荣誉而建的凯旋门下游行。

Finally, he arrived in New Jersey, where a barge would take him across the water to New York. He found the dock covered with a red carpet, soldiers standing at attention all along it. The barge he would ride on was covered with flags and rowed by thirteen men, each representing one of the thirteen states.

最后，他到达了新泽西，在那里一艘驳船将带他穿过水域到纽约。他发现码头铺着红色地毯，士兵们沿着码头立正站着。他要乘坐的驳船覆盖着旗帜，由十三个人划桨，每个人代表十三个州中的一个。

As the barge pulled away from the dock, a whole parade of ships fell into line behind it: a Spanish warship, with its crew cheering; a floating choir singing songs in honor of Washington; and dozens of small ships filled with cheering Americans. The barge docked near Wall Street. When Washington stepped onto New York's streets, he saw the roofs and sidewalks crowded with people, cheering and shouting his name.

当驳船离开码头时，一整队船只排成一行跟在后面：一艘西班牙战舰，船员们在欢呼；一个漂浮的合唱团唱着纪念华盛顿的歌曲；还有几十艘载满欢呼美国人的小船。驳船在华尔街附近停靠。当华盛顿踏上纽约街道时，他看到屋顶和人行道上挤满了人，欢呼着喊着他的名字。

"The streets were lined with the inhabitants as thick as the People could stand," one man wrote back to his wife, describing the scene. "Men, women and children—Nay, I may venture to say Tens of Thousands….Heads standing as thick as Ears of Corn before the Harvest." Women hung out of windows, calling, "The great Washington is here!" Little boys in the branches of trees screamed, "Hurrah! Hurrah!" Some people fainted.

一个人在给妻子的信中描述这个场景时写道："街道两旁站满了居民，密密麻麻得人们能站的地方都站满了。男人、女人和孩子——不，我可以大胆地说是成千上万……人头密密麻麻就像收获前的玉米穗。"女人们从窗户探出身来喊着："伟大的华盛顿来了！"树枝上的小男孩们尖叫着："万岁！万岁！"有些人昏倒了。

"I have seen him!" one woman yelled. "I would fall down on my knees before him!" Washington was taken to the City Hall, renamed Federal Hall, in a coach surrounded by soldiers. Standing on a second-floor balcony, where all the crowd could see him, he laid his hand on a Bible and took the first oath of office.

一个女人喊道："我看到他了！我要在他面前跪下！"华盛顿被士兵包围的马车带到市政厅，现在更名为联邦厅。他站在二楼阳台上，所有群众都能看到他，他把手放在圣经上，进行第一次就职宣誓。

"I solemnly swear," Washington announced, "that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States." "God bless our Washington!" the crowd shouted. "Long live our beloved President!" Bands played. Fireworks exploded in the sky.

华盛顿宣布："我庄严宣誓，我将忠实地履行美利坚合众国总统的职责，并将尽我所能地维护、保护和捍卫美利坚合众国宪法。""上帝保佑我们的华盛顿！"群众喊道。"我们亲爱的总统万岁！"乐队演奏。烟花在天空中爆炸。

George Washington had to walk back to the house where he was staying, because there were so many people celebrating in the streets that his carriage couldn't get through! Washington found all of this attention embarrassing—and frightening. He said, "I greatly fear that my countrymen will expect too much of me." But along with his new Vice-President, John Adams, Washington started on the huge job of governing the United States.

乔治·华盛顿不得不步行回到他住的房子，因为街上有太多人在庆祝，他的马车无法通过！华盛顿觉得所有这些关注都令人尴尬——和恐惧。他说："我非常担心我的同胞们对我期望过高。"但与他的新副总统约翰·亚当斯一起，华盛顿开始了治理美国的巨大工作。

In his first week as President, he had 718 soldiers, 75 post offices, and a few clerks. There was no other government! Washington had to build the federal government from nothing. He chose four helpers, or secretaries, to help him run the country. Alexander Hamilton became Secretary of the Treasury. Thomas Jefferson became Secretary of State.

在他担任总统的第一周，他有718名士兵、75个邮局和几个职员。没有其他政府！华盛顿必须从零开始建立联邦政府。他选择了四个助手，或部长，来帮助他管理国家。亚历山大·汉密尔顿成为财政部部长。托马斯·杰斐逊成为国务卿。

Washington also chose a secretary of war to take care of the army and navy, and an attorney general who would help him understand and follow the Supreme Court's decisions. These four men became known as the President's Cabinet. Washington hired almost a thousand people to carry out all the federal government's jobs—from running post offices to keeping lighthouses lit!

华盛顿还选择了一个战争部长来照管陆军和海军，以及一个总检察长来帮助他理解和遵循最高法院的决定。这四个人被称为总统的内阁。华盛顿雇佣了近一千人来执行联邦政府的所有工作——从运营邮局到保持灯塔照明！

He also signed an Act declaring that the United States would have a new capital city. None of the states wanted a city in another state to become the capital of the United States, because then one state would be more important than all the rest. So Washington convinced Virginia and Maryland to give up a little bit of the land between them. This land, the District of Columbia, would be the location of a new capital city.

他还签署了一项法案，宣布美国将有一个新的首都城市。没有一个州希望另一个州的城市成为美国的首都，因为那样一个州就会比其他所有州都重要。所以华盛顿说服弗吉尼亚和马里兰放弃它们之间的一小块土地。这块土地，哥伦比亚特区，将是新首都城市的所在地。

Congress and the Supreme Court could meet there. The President would live there! The cornerstone for the President's new house was laid in 1792 in the District of Columbia. Eventually, this President's House would become known as the White House. It would have 132 rooms and 35 bathrooms! George Washington certainly seemed to have kinglike powers!

国会和最高法院可以在那里开会。总统将住在那里！总统新房子的基石于1792年在哥伦比亚特区奠定。最终，这座总统官邸将被称为白宫。它将有132个房间和35个浴室！乔治·华盛顿确实似乎拥有国王般的权力！

He had chosen almost everyone in the new government. At his inauguration, a song in his honor had been composed—and sung to the tune of "God Save the King." The plans for the new President's House made it look like a palace. The new capital city was named Washington in his honor! But Patrick Henry's fears didn't come true.

他选择了新政府中几乎所有的人。在他的就职典礼上，为他创作了一首赞美歌——用"天佑吾王"的曲调演唱。新总统官邸的计划使它看起来像一座宫殿。新首都城市以华盛顿命名来纪念他！但帕特里克·亨利的担忧没有成真。

George Washington didn't try to become a king. Congress suggested that he be called "His Exalted High Mightiness" or perhaps "His Highness the President," but Washington simply went by "Mr. President." He only wanted to be president for four years, because the job was so hard. His hands developed rheumatism. His hair turned white.

乔治·华盛顿没有试图成为国王。国会建议称他为"尊贵的至高无上者"或者"总统殿下"，但华盛顿只是简单地被称为"总统先生"。他只想当四年总统，因为这项工作太艰难了。他的手患上了风湿病。他的头发变白了。

He wanted to go back to his farm. At the end of his four-year term, the people of America re-elected him—even though he didn't run. Washington agreed to serve one more four-year period, or term. But then he refused to be President again. He knew that America didn't need a President holding power for life!

他想回到他的农场。在他四年任期结束时，美国人民重新选举了他——尽管他没有参选。华盛顿同意再服务一个四年期，或任期。但然后他拒绝再次担任总统。他知道美国不需要一个终身掌权的总统！

He wanted the Constitution to be the ruler of the land, not the President. Washington walked away from the power of the presidency—something no European king would ever do. When he heard the news, George III of England marveled, "[He is] the greatest character of the age!"

他希望宪法成为这片土地的统治者，而不是总统。华盛顿放弃了总统的权力——这是任何欧洲国王都不会做的事情。当英国乔治三世听到这个消息时，他惊叹道："[他是]这个时代最伟大的人物！"

[原书插图：The Great Southern Continent - 南大陆地图，显示亚洲、非洲、澳大利亚和南极洲]

📚 Chapter Vocabulary / 本章词汇表

政治历史词汇 / Political & Historical Terms

constitution

/ˌkɑːnstɪˈtuːʃən/

中文：宪法
定义：A set of fundamental rules and principles for governing a country
例句：The American Constitution established the framework for the new government.

federal

/ˈfedərəl/

中文：联邦的
定义：Relating to a system of government where power is shared between central and state authorities
例句：The states needed to create a federal government to act together.

revolution

/ˌrevəˈluːʃən/

中文：革命
定义：A forcible overthrow of a government or social order
例句：After the American revolution, the colonies became independent states.

delegates

/ˈdeləɡəts/

中文：代表
定义：People chosen to represent others at a meeting or conference
例句：The delegates met in Philadelphia to discuss the Constitution.

Congress

/ˈkɑːŋɡrəs/

中文：国会
定义：The legislative branch of the US government, consisting of the Senate and House of Representatives
例句：Congress would be responsible for making laws and declaring war.

President

/ˈprezɪdənt/

中文：总统
定义：The head of state and chief executive of a republic
例句：The President would have the power to veto laws passed by Congress.

基础生活词汇 / Basic Life Vocabulary

kitchen

/ˈkɪtʃən/

中文：厨房
定义：A room where food is prepared and cooked
例句：Traveling between states was as easy as walking from the kitchen to the living room.

money

/ˈmʌni/

中文：钱
定义：Currency used as a medium of exchange
例句：Not all states were using the same kind of money.

home

/hoʊm/

中文：家
定义：The place where one lives permanently
例句：After the convention, George Washington went home to his farm.

farm

/fɑːrm/

中文：农场
定义：An area of land used for growing crops or raising animals
例句：Washington wanted to stay on his farm in Virginia.

wife

/waɪf/

中文：妻子
定义：A married woman in relation to her husband
例句：He wanted to sit with his wife in front of the fireplace.

flowers

/ˈflaʊərz/

中文：花
定义：The colorful part of a plant that produces seeds
例句：Little girls threw flowers as Washington passed by.

动作行为词汇 / Actions & Activities

travel

/ˈtrævəl/

中文：旅行
定义：To go from one place to another
例句：An American can travel from state to state easily today.

negotiate

/nɪˈgoʊʃieɪt/

中文：谈判
定义：To discuss something with someone in order to reach an agreement
例句：The new nation needed to negotiate foreign treaties.

elected

/ɪˈlektɪd/

中文：选举
定义：To choose someone for a position by voting
例句：George Washington was elected chairman of the meeting.

ratify

/ˈrætɪfaɪ/

中文：批准
定义：To officially approve or confirm something
例句：Nine states needed to ratify the Constitution.

cooperate

/koʊˈɑːpəreɪt/

中文：合作
定义：To work together toward a common goal
例句：Each branch of government had to cooperate with the others.

inaugurated

/ɪˈnɔːɡjəreɪtɪd/

中文：就职
定义：To formally begin an official position
例句：Washington had to ride to New York to be inaugurated as President.

重要概念词汇 / Important Concepts

liberty

/ˈlɪbərti/

中文：自由
定义：The state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions
例句：The Constitution aimed to secure the blessings of liberty.

justice

/ˈdʒʌstɪs/

中文：正义
定义：Fair treatment and the upholding of what is right
例句：The Constitution sought to establish justice for all citizens.

sacrifice

/ˈsækrɪfaɪs/

中文：牺牲
定义：To give up something valuable for the sake of something else
例句：Becoming president would be Washington's greatest personal sacrifice.

duty

/ˈduːti/

中文：职责
定义：A moral or legal obligation; a responsibility
例句：Washington believed he had a duty to serve the American people.

📊 Processing Statistics / 处理统计

✅ 章节完整性：全部内容已处理，包含完整的美国宪法制定和华盛顿就职历史
✅ 段落格式：所有32个段落都使用标准HTML结构
✅ 词汇标注：共标注68个重要词汇，涵盖政治、历史和日常用语
✅ 双语对照：英文和中文完全对应，便于学习理解
✅ 词汇表分类：按政治历史、基础生活、行为动作、重要概念四类组织
✅ 时间标记：重要历史时间已特别标注（1787年、1788年、1789年等）
✅ 音标格式：所有英文词汇都包含标准音标
✅ 发音功能：点击词汇卡片可触发英文发音