Why They Came课文翻译

1、Why They CameNotmanydecisionscouldhavebeenmoredifficultforafamilytomakethantosayfarewelltoacommunitywhereithadlivedforcenturies,toabandonoldtiesandfamiliarlandmarks,andtosailacrossdarkseastoastrangeland.Today,whenmasscommunicationstellonepartoftheworldallaboutanother,itisquiteeasytounderstandhowpove

2、rtyortyrannymightforcepeopletoexchangeanoldnationforanewone.Butcenturiesagomigrationwasaleapintotheunknown.Itwasanenormousintellectualandemotionalcommitment.Theforcesthatmovedearlyimmigrantstotheirgreatdecision-thedecisiontoleavetheirhomesandbeginanadventurefilledwithuncertainty,riskandhardship-must

3、havebeenofoverpoweringproportions(overwhelming,overcoming).AsOscarHandlinstates,theearlyimmigrantsofAmericawouldcollidewithunaccustomedproblems,learntounderstandalienwaysandalienlanguages,managetosurviveinaveryforeignenvironment. Despitetheobstaclesanduncertaintiesthatlayaheadofthem,millionsdidmigra

4、teto“thepromisedland”-America.Butwhatwasitthatmovedsomanytomigrateagainstsuchoverwhelmingodds?TherewereprobablyasmanyreasonsforcomingtoAmericaastherewerepeoplewhocame.Itwasahighlyindividualdecision.Yetitcanbesaidthatthreelargeforces-religiouspersecution,politicaloppressionandeconomichardship-provide

5、dthechiefmotivesforthemassmigrationstoAmerica.TheywererespondingintheirownwaytothepledgeoftheDeclarationofIndependence:thepromiseoflife,libertyandthepursuitofhappiness.ThesearchforfreedomofworshiphasbroughtpeopletoAmericafromthedaysofthepilgrimstomoderntimes.In1620,forexample,theMayflowercarriedacar

6、goof102passengerswho” welcomedtheopportunitytoadvancethegospelofChristintheseremoteparts.AnumberofothergroupssuchastheJewsandQuakerscametoAmericaafterthePilgrims,allseekingreligiousfreedom.Inmorerecenttimes,anti-SemiticpersecutioninHitlersGermanyhasdrivenpeoplefromtheirhomestoseekrefugeinAmerica.How

7、ever,notallreligioussectshavereceivedthetoleranceandunderstandingforwhichtheycame.ThePuritansoftheMassachusettsBayColonyshowedaslittletolerancefordissentionbeliefsastheAnglicansofEnglandhadshownthem.Theyquicklyexpelledotherreligiousgroupsfromtheirsociety.Minorityreligioussects,fromtheQuakersandShake

8、rsthroughtheCatholicsandJewstotheMormons,haveatvarioustimessufferedbothdiscriminationandhostilityintheUnitedStates. Butthediversityofreligiousbeliefhasmadeforreligioustoleration.Indemandingfreedomforitself,eachsecthadtopermitfreedomforothers.Theinsistenceofeachsuccessivewaveofimmigrantsuponitsrightt

9、opracticeitsreligionhelpedmakefreedomofworshipacentralpartoftheAmericanCreed.PeoplewhogambledtheirlivesontherighttobelieveintheirownGodwouldnoteasilysurrenderthatrightinanewsociety. Thesecondgreatforcebehindimmigrationhasbeenpoliticaloppression.Americahasalwaysbeenarefugefromtyranny.Asanationconceiv

10、edinliberty,ithashelpouttotheworldthepromiseofrespectfortherightsofman.EverytimearevolutionhasfailedinEurope,everytimeanationhassuccumbedtotyranny,menandsailacrosstheseas.Thisprocesshasnotcometoanendinourownday.TheterrorsofHitlersGermanyand MussolinisItaly,theterriblewarsofSoutheastAsia-allhavebroug

11、htnewthousandsseekingsafetyintheUnitedStates. Theeconomicfactorhasbeenmorecomplexthanthereligiousandpoliticalfactors.Fromtheverybeginning,somehavecometoAmericainsearchofriches,someinflightfrompoverty,andbecausetheywereboughtandsoldandhadnochoice. Andthevariousreasonsareintertwined.Thussomeearlyarriv

12、alswereluredtotheseshoresbydreamsofamassinggreatwealth,liketheSpanishinMexicoandPeru.Theseadventurers,expectingquickprofitsingold,soonfoundthatrealwealthlayinsuchcropsatobaccoandcotton.AstheybuiltuptheplantationeconomyinstateslikeVirginiaandtheCarolinas,theyneededcheaplabor.Sotheybegantoimportindent

13、uredservantsfromEngland(menandwomenwhoagreedtolaboratermofyearsinexchangeforeventualfreedom),andslavesfromAfrica. TheprocessofindustrializationinAmericaincreasedthedemandforcheaplabor,andchaoticeconomicconditionsinEuropeincreasedthesupply.IfsomeimmigrantscontinuedtobelievethatthestreetsofNewYorkwere

14、pavedwithgold,moreweredrivenbythehungerandhardshipoftheirnativelands.TheIrishpotatofamineof1845broughtalmostamillionpeopletoAmericainfiveyears.AmericanmanufacturersadvertisedinEuropeannewspapers,offeringtopaythepassageofanymanwillingtocometoAmericatoworkforthem.Theimmigrantswhocameforeconomicreasons

15、contributedtothestrengthofthenewsocietyinseveralways.Thosewhocamefromcountrieswithadvancedpoliticalandeconomicinstitutionsbroughtwiththemfaithinthoseinstitutionsandexperienceinmakingthemwork.Theyalsobroughttechnicalandmanagerialskillswhichcontributedgreatlytoeconomicgrowthinthenewland.Aboveall,theyh

16、elpedgiveAmericatheextraordinarysocialmobilitywhichistheessenceofanopensociety. Inthecommunityhehadleft,theimmigrantusuallyhadafixedplace.Hewouldcarryonhisfatherscraftoftrade;hewouldfarmhisfatherslandorthatsmallportionofitthatwaslefthimafteritwasdividedwithhisbrothers.Onlywiththemostexceptionaltalen

17、tandenterprisecouldhebreakoutofthecircumstancesinlifeintowhichhehadbeenborn.TherewerenosuchcircumstancesforhimintheNewWorld.Oncehavingbrokenwiththepast,exceptforsentimentaltiesandculturalinheritance,hehadtorelyonhisownabilities.Itwasthefutureandnotthepastwhichhehadtoface.ExceptfortheNegroslave,theim

18、migrantcouldgoanywhereanddoanythinghistalentspermitted.Alarge,virgincontinentlaybeforehim,andhehadonlytojoinittogetherbycanals,railroadsandroads.Ifhefailedtoachievethedreamofabetterlifeforhimself,hecouldstillretainitforhischildren. TherewerethemajorforcesthatstartedthismassivemigrationtoAmerica.Ever

19、yimmigrantservedtoreinforceandstrengthenthoseelementsinAmericansocietythathadattractedhiminthefirstplace.Themotivesofsomeimmigrantswerecommonplace.Themotivesofotherswerenoble.TakentogethertheyadduptothestrengthsandweaknessesofAmerica.译文：对于一个家庭来说，比和他们已经生活了几个世纪的环境说再见的事情更难的事情没有几件，去抛弃过去的羁绊，熟悉的土地，穿过无尽的大海

20、去到一片陌生的土地。如今，沟通使得世界上的一部分地区能够得知另一部分地区的全部信息，我们很容易理解贫穷和暴政是如何的迫使人们从旧的国家迁到新的地方。但是几世纪之前移民就是前往未知世界的一个飞跃。这是一个巨大的智力和情感的承诺。它是一种巨大的智力和精神的献身。这种力量深深地感动了移民们而感染他们做出伟大的的决定-离开家园踏上充满了不确定，冒险，艰难困苦的征程- 这一定是一个压倒一切的因素。正如奥斯卡 汉德林所指出，美国早期移民会碰撞与不习惯的问题学会了解外籍人方式和外国语，设法生存。尽管摆在他们面前的障碍和不确定性，数以百万计迁移到“应许之地”- 美国。但到底是什么感动了这么多的迁移对这样的巨大

21、可能性（可能性）？有可能的原因很多，到美国来的人谁前来。这是一个非常个人的决定。还可以说的是那三个大的力量-宗教迫害、 政治压迫和经济困难-提供为大规模迁移到美国的主要动机。他们在以自己的方式独立宣言的承诺：承诺的生活，自由和追求幸福寻求宗教(崇拜)自由将美国人民从移民时代带入到现代。例如，在1620年五月花号载着102个人，这些人被冠上“去遥远的地方传播基督福音”的美名。不少其它的宗教团体象犹太教、贵格会通过移民后来到美国，它们都是来寻求宗教自由的。在近代，希特勒德国的反犹太人迫害使很多人逃离家园来到美国寻求避难。但无论如何，不是所有的宗教派别的理念都被理解和容忍。马萨诸塞湾殖民地的清教徒，

22、对异教如英国圣公会能够有一定的容忍，但他们很快就把其它宗教教派都驱逐出他们的社区。占少数的宗教教派，从贵格会教徒到震颤派教徒，从天主教教徒和犹太教教徒到摩门教徒，在美国的不同时期都受到过歧视和敌对。宗教信仰的多样性也成就了宗教的宽容度，未获得自身的（信仰）自由，每一宗派不得不允许其他（宗派）的自由，每一波移民对行使他们自己的宗教权利的坚持促成了信仰自由作为美国教义/信条的核心部分。把自己的生命赌在信仰他们自己的上帝的权利上的人们不会在新的社会中轻易地放弃这一权利。在移民背后的第二股强大的力量是政治压迫。美国一直是一个暴政的避难所，作为一个构想为自由的国度，它已经帮助了这个世界实现了对人权尊重的承诺。每一次欧洲革命的失败，每次（出现）国家屈服于暴政，人们就会远渡重洋。这一过程即使在今天也没有结束。希特勒德国和墨索里尼的意大利的恐怖，东南亚的可怕的战争，所有这些都把成千上万的人们带到了美国以寻求安全。经济因素要比宗教和政治因素都要更复杂。从最开始，一些人来美国寻求财富，一些人为逃离贫困，以及他们除了被买卖而别无选择。并且这些各种各样的原因错综复杂。因此早期到来的人由于梦想积累大量的财富而被这些海岸大陆所吸引，像西班牙人在墨西哥和秘鲁。这些冒险家们，本期望从黄金上快速获得利润，很快发现真正的财富