【美国精神】第74期

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  During the 1800s, the United States grew very quickly, but it did not grow in the same way in all places. Over time, there were more and more differences between the northern states and the southern states. These differences eventually (or in the end) led to the Civil War, which was a war where Americans fought against each other from 1861 to 1865. The most important differences that led to the Civil War were slavery, the economy, and states’ rights. 

 

  Slavery (or the practice of owning people and forcing them to work without paying them) was more common (or usual and normal) in the southern states than in the northern states. The north had many small, family-owned farms and enough people to work on them. But in the south, there were fewer people.  Most of the farms were very large and the owners needed slaves to do the work. Slaves were a critical (or very important) part of how the south made money, but people in the north were beginning to think that slavery was immoral¹ (or wrong) and wanted to make it illegal (or against the law). This made the southern states afraid and angry and they wanted to secede² from (or leave) the United States and create their own country. 

 

  There were also economic (or business and money) reasons for the Civil War. The southern states had many plantations³ (or large farms).  These plantations were dependent⁴ on (or needed) agriculture, which included farming and raising animals for food.  For the south to have a strong economy, it needed plantations to make money. The northern states had larger and more developed cities.  Many of the people in the northern states made money from manufacturing⁵ (or making things to sell) and trading (or selling things to other countries). Some historians⁶ (or people who study things that happened in the past) believe that these economic differences were a cause of the Civil War (or one of the reasons for the Civil War). 

 

  Finally, states’ rights (or the ability to do and have certain things) were another problem that led to the Civil War. The population (or the number of people) in the northern states was growing very quickly, with a lot of immigration (or people coming from other countries to live there). In the south, the population was growing more slowly. Southern states were afraid that they would lose their rights because the northern states would have more representation⁷ in the federal⁸ government. Southern states were also worried that the federal (or national) government would become too strong, taking power away from the states. This was the third major cause of the Civil War. 

 

问题：

Name one problem that led to the Civil War.  

Answer:   

•  Slavery  

•  Economic reasons  

•  States’ rights

1 immoral   

adj.不道德的，淫荡的，荒淫的，有伤风化的

参考例句：

• She was questioned about his immoral conduct toward her.她被询问过有关他对她的不道德行为的情况。
• It is my belief that nuclear weapons are immoral.我相信使核武器是不邪恶的。

2 secede   

v.退出，脱离

参考例句：

• They plotted to make the whole Mississippi Valley secede from the United States.他们阴谋策划使整个密西西比流域脱离美国。
• We won't allow Tibet to secede from China and become an independent nation.我们决不允许西藏脱离中国独立。

3 plantations   

n.种植园，大农场( plantation的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Soon great plantations, supported by slave labor, made some families very wealthy. 不久之后出现了依靠奴隶劳动的大庄园，使一些家庭成了富豪。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• Winterborne's contract was completed, and the plantations were deserted. 维恩特波恩的合同完成后，那片林地变得荒废了。 来自辞典例句

4 dependent   

adj.依靠的，依赖的，依赖他人生活者

参考例句：

• He has a mother completely dependent on him.他有一个完全靠他赡养的母亲。
• The country is dependent on foreign aid.这个国家靠外援生存。

5 manufacturing   

n.制造业，工业adj.制造业的，制造的v.（大规模）制造( manufacture的现在分词 )；捏造；加工；粗制滥造（文学作品）

参考例句：

• The entire manufacturing process has been automated. 整个生产过程已自动化。
• Manufacturing processes may be affected by the functionality of the product. 生产过程可能要受到产品设计目的的影响。

6 historians   

n.历史学家，史学工作者( historian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Historians seem to have confused the chronology of these events. 历史学家好像把这些事件发生的年代顺序搞混了。
• Historians have concurred with each other in this view. 历史学家在这个观点上已取得一致意见。

7 representation   

n.表现某人（或某事物）的东西，图画，雕塑

参考例句：

• The painting is a representation of a storm at sea.这幅画描绘的是海上的暴风雨。
• All parties won representation in the national assembly.所有政党在国民大会中都赢得了代表资格。

8 federal   

adj.联盟的；联邦的；(美国)联邦政府的

参考例句：

• Switzerland is a federal republic.瑞士是一个联邦共和国。
• The schools are screaming for federal aid.那些学校强烈要求联邦政府的援助。