参考译文：
罗斯福的“百日新政”
本周，我们向你讲述罗斯福政府执政的第一个百日。1933年3月罗斯福宣誓时的就职演说给无数美国人带来了希望。这位新总统许诺要与摧毁美国经济的大萧条作斗争。他的政府甚至在他宣誓就职典礼结束前就已经开始工作了，当时，这位新总统宣誓就职的时间是在3月而不是1月，当罗斯福
罗斯福政府上任以来头三个月是令人激动的，在这期间，罗斯福让国会通过的重要法案比以往任何一个总统在同一时期所要求的都多。今天，人们把这三个月称之为“百日新政”。
第二天，也就是星期五，罗斯福要求国会削减联邦政府开支，国会再一次批准了罗斯福的紧急要求。两个晚上后，罗斯福通过广播向全国人民发表讲话，他那温暖而又有力的声音传到了无数的美国家庭，他再一次给那些聆听者带来了希望，他们相信他们的银行和他们的政治领导人。在星期一，罗斯福要求国会立法允许销售啤酒和白酒，并向销售者征税。在当时，美国是有禁酒令的。但国会再一次同意罗斯福的要求。罗斯福成功地通过了这些法案让全国人兴奋不已。当这位新总统与大萧条作持续不断地斗争时，全国人民看到了奇迹。
整个华盛顿沸腾了，充满活力，就像农村的天空上闪着雷电一样。全国各地的人涌向华盛顿，要求政府支持他们的建议。大批的银行家们寻求通过有促进作用的法案。各种各样的专家提出了如何促进经济发展的建议。来自英国、法国、巴西、智利、中国和许多其他国家的大使，与罗斯福会谈经济和外交问题。罗斯福的民主党人也大批地来到华盛顿，他们想在新政府中寻找工作岗位。美国人密切注视着华盛顿所发生的一切，而他们喜欢他们所看到的一切，他们投票选择行动，现在，罗斯福正以行动回报他们。
在新政府所采取的各个行动中，最重要的领域是农业。美国农民在大萧条中，受到的损害最为严重：美国农民人均收入在过去的三年中从每年162美元下降到只有48美元，农产品价格下降了55%,农民的购买力下降了一半，许多农民一年所挣的还不足以购买农用工具和种子。对于农民而言，造成这些问题的主要原因是农产品太多了，他们生产了太多的谷物、太多的小麦和太多的棉花，结果价格大幅度下降。这种状况对于生活在城市里的人来说，是不错，他们可以以很低的价格购买农产品，但对于生产这些农产品的农民来说，那就是一个灾难。
富兰克林.罗斯福通过采取限制产量的办法来解决农业问题。他的政府对谷物采取了一项新的税收，这项税收能够提高谷物的价格，减少谷物的需求量。联邦政府还向棉农支付款项，用于销毁他们的农产品。同时，联邦政府还购买并杀死五百万头猪，以减少市场肉类供给。这是前所未有的措施。有些美国人不理解其中的经济原因，为什么要把足以让人们消费的食物进行销毁，但许多官员认识到这是唯一限制农产品产量、提高农产品价格和挽救农民的办法。这项计划成功了，农业产量迅速下降，1933年和1934年，由于气候炎热和糟糕的收成，使得谷物产量进一步下降，结果，农产品价格上涨了，农民的收入在未来的四年中提高了50%。
联邦政府采取措施解决工业产量下降的问题。就在罗斯福宣誓就职的时候，美国工业产量在过去的四年中下降了一半还多，企业主只能通过降低他们的成本来应对，他们降低工资和裁减员工。但这些办法唯一的结果是进一步减少了本来可以购买工业产品的人数，于是工业产量进一步下降。罗斯福成立了全国恢复管理局(National Recovery Administration)，以此来寻求与企业界的合作。许多企业主同意遵守诸如减少工人工作时间的规定，而且他们还同意改善工作环境，并与工会合作。与此同时，罗斯福还成立公共工程局(Public Works Administration)，专门为失业工人创造就业岗位，联邦政府出资，让这些失业工人去修建大坝、桥梁、河道和其他重要的公共设施。
在货币政策上，罗斯福和国会决定：美元不再与黄金价格挂钩。华盛顿所采取的行动包括住房法，该法律帮助许多美国人能够借钱还贷，从而保住他们的房子。还有就是银行保险法，该法旨在保护美国人不再会失去他们的银行储蓄。这项保险使公众极大地提高了对银行的信任。罗斯福和国会还成立了平民保护队(Civilian Conservation Corps)，该保护队召募年轻人到农村地区去保护国家的自然资源，这些年轻人在农村种植树木，维护国家公园。他们还和农民合作，发展农业技术，保护土壤抵御风沙和雨水的侵袭。
罗斯福最重要的计划之一是改善美国南部田纳西州的环境。田纳西河流域是一个非常贫穷的地区，这里的农民几乎没有电，森林稀薄，洪水经常泛滥。罗斯福和国会决定通过采取一项计划来解决这些问题。新的田纳西河流域管理局在此修建大坝、清理河道，拓展森林和提供电力。这项计划成功地帮助这一地区的农民创造出新生活，带来了新希望。
罗斯福政府头三个月的“百日新政”取得了巨大的成功，有一位《纽约时报》的记者发现，从休伯特.胡佛到富兰克林.罗斯福的转变就像是从一匹行动缓慢的马到一架直上云宵的飞机一样。突然之间，整个国家都行动起来了，各个地方都在采取各种措施。记者弗雷德里克.艾伦(Frederick Allen)这样描述当时的情景：罗斯福的计划与胡佛的计划是截然不同的，罗斯福的计划不是防御性的，而是进攻的，一种新的政府积极行动的理念扩展到了顶点。在绝大多数的法律中，都是为了“普通人”的利益，这种为创造财富的新努力是自下而上的，而不是自上而下的。
简评：
在持续三年大萧条后，实践证明，罗斯福所采取的一系列措施，无疑是正确的。对于罗斯福新政，有三点值得我们注意：第一，罗斯福的新政，密集、迅速、果断，给人以力量、信心和希望，这一点对于已经经历三年大萧条的人来说，是最重要的。第二，联邦政府的作用是很强大的，但这种作用仅限于提供政策支持，而不是直接参与具体的经济活动。联邦政府直接出资的是服务于公共设施建设，如修大坝、公路、桥梁、河道等以及用于自然资源保护等。第三，罗斯福所采取的所有的措施，其目的都是为了普通的幸福，其创造财富是自下而上，而并非是自上而下，真正的财富都在民众手中，而不在政府手中。
现在已经有许多专家在开始反思2009年我国所采取的四万亿的措施，如果我们与以上罗斯福新政的三个特点来比较，可以看出很多的不同，其结果也将会不同。
第二次世界大战爆发原因之四：
苏联的崛起。
第一次世界大战期间，俄国发生十月革命，列宁建立起了苏维埃，苏联诞生了。世界上第一个社会主义国家也因此诞生，这是一个完全不同于资本主义国家的国家，对于资本主义国家而言，苏联就是一个怪物。无论是美国还是英国，无论是德国还是法国，对苏联都抱着强烈的憎恨甚至仇视。都有一种将其消灭而后快的意志。特别是当苏联退出一战后，其经济和军事力量得到快速的恢复和发展，再加上其以庞大的面积，让资本主义国家不得不对其感到害怕。因此，任何可能制约苏联的力量发展，都被资本主义国家所重视，并予以充分的利用。如日本进攻中国的东北，与苏联抢夺利益。如德国向东欧拓展势力，与苏联抢地盘等。Roosevelt's 'Hundred Days'
President Franklin Roosevelt signs a law creating the Tennessee Valley Authority on May 18, 1933. He envisioned "a corporation clothed with the power of government but possessed of the flexibility and initiative of private enterprise."
This week in our series, we talk about the first one hundred days of the administration of President Franklin Roosevelt. Roosevelt's inauguration speech in March of nineteen thirty-three gave hope to millions of Americans. The new president promised to fight the Great Depression that was crushing the economy. His administration launched into action even before the inauguration ceremonies were finished. Back then, newly elected presidents were sworn into office in March instead of January. Roosevelt's aides began work even as he and his wife, Eleanor, watched the traditional Inaugural Parade. The lights of Washington's federal office buildings burned late that night. And not just on that night, but the next night and the next night, too. The nation was in crisis. There was much work to do.
The first three months of Franklin Roosevelt's administration were an exciting time. Roosevelt got Congress to pass more pieces of important legislation during this short period than most presidents pass during their entire term. These three months are remembered today as the "Hundred Days." Sunday, March fifth, was the day after the inauguration. Roosevelt asked Congress to begin a special meeting later that week. And he ordered all the nation's banks to close until the economy improved. Roosevelt also banned the export of gold. Congress met on Thursday, as Roosevelt had asked. It passed everything that the new president wanted. Both the House and Senate approved Roosevelt's strong new banking laws in less than eight hours. Roosevelt signed the bills into law the same day.
The next day, Friday, Roosevelt called on Congress to cut federal spending. Once again, Congress met and approved Roosevelt's request immediately. Two nights later, Roosevelt spoke to the nation in a radio speech. His warm, powerful voice traveled to millions of homes. He gave many listeners the hope that they could once again trust their banks and political leaders. On Monday, Roosevelt called on Congress to make it legal to sell beer and wine and to tax those sales. At that time there was a national ban on alcohol. But once again Congress agreed. Roosevelt's success in passing these laws excited the nation. People across the country watched in wonder as the new president fought and won battle after battle.
Washington was filled with activity. The air was full of energy, like a country sky during an electrical storm. People from around the country rushed to the capital to urge the administration to support their ideas. Bankers came by the thousands to win favorable legislation. Experts of all kinds offered new ideas on how to rescue the economy. Ambassadors came from Britain, France, Brazil, Chile, China and many other countries. They came to speak with Roosevelt on economic and diplomatic issues. And members of Roosevelt's Democratic Party arrived by the thousands. They came to seek jobs in the new administration. Americans watched closely what was happening in Washington. And they liked what they saw. They had voted for action. Now, Roosevelt was giving them action.
One of the most important areas of action for the new administration was agriculture. American farmers had been hurt more than any other group by the economic depression. The average income of American farmers had dropped in three years from one hundred sixty-two dollars a year to just forty-eight dollars. Farm prices had fallen fifty-five percent. The buying power of the average farmer had dropped by more than half. Many farmers could not even earn enough money to pay for their tools and seed. The main cause of the problems for farmers was that they were producing too much. There was too much grain, too much meat, too much cotton. As a result, prices stayed low. The situation was good for people in cities who bought farm products. But it was a disaster for the farmers who produced those products.
Franklin Roosevelt attacked the problem by limiting production. His administration put a new tax on grain products. The tax increased their price and reducing demand. The administration paid cotton farmers to destroy some of their crops. And it bought and killed five million pigs to reduce the amount of meat on the market. It was a strange situation. Some Americans had trouble understanding the economic reason why food had to be destroyed so people could have enough to eat. But more officials agreed that this was the only way to limit supply, raise prices and save farmers. The plan worked. Production quickly fell. Hot weather and bad harvests in nineteen thirty-three and nineteen thirty-four reduced the amount of grain even more. As a result, prices rose. Farm income increased fifty percent in four years.
The administration also attacked the problem of falling industrial production. At the time of Roosevelt's inauguration, the production of American goods had fallen by more than half in just four years. Business owners reacted by cutting their costs. They lowered wages and reduced their number of workers. But these actions only reduced the number of people with enough money to buy goods. And so production went down further and further. Roosevelt created a National Recovery Administration that sought to gain the cooperation of businesses. Many business owners agreed to follow codes or rules such as limiting the number of hours people could work. They also agreed to raise wages and to stop hiring child labor. And they agreed to improve working conditions and to cooperate with labor unions. At the same time, Roosevelt created a Public Works Administration to provide jobs to unemployed workers. The federal government put people to work on building dams, bridges, water systems and other major projects.
A Public Works Administration building project in Washington 华盛顿市的一项公共建设项目
On monetary policy, Roosevelt and the Congress decided that the dollar should no longer be tied to the price of gold. Other action in Washington included a bill for homeowners that helped many Americans borrow money to save their homes. And a bank insurance bill guaranteed that Americans would not lose their savings. This insurance greatly increased public faith in the banks. Roosevelt and Congress created a Civilian Conservation Corps to put young men to work in rural areas to protect the nation's natural resources. These young men did things like plant trees and improve parks. They also worked with farmers to develop farming methods that help protect the soil against wind and rain.
One of Roosevelt's most creative projects was a plan to improve the area around the southern state of Tennessee. The Tennessee River Valley was a very poor area. Few farms had electricity. Forests were thin. Floods were common. Roosevelt and Congress decided to attack all of these problems with a single project. The new Tennessee Valley Authority built dams, cleared rivers, expanded forests and provided electricity. It succeeded in helping farmers throughout the area, creating new life and hope.
The "Hundred Days" -- the first three months of the Roosevelt administration -- were a great success. One reporter for the New York Times observed that the change from President Herbert Hoover to Franklin Roosevelt was like a man moving from a slow horse to an airplane. Suddenly, the nation was moving again. There was action everywhere. Journalist Frederick Allen described the situation this way. The difference between Roosevelt's program and the Hoover program was sharp. Roosevelt's program was not a program of defense, but of attack. There was a new willingness to expand the limits of government. In most of the laws, there was a new push for the good of the "common man." There was a new effort to build wealth from the bottom up, rather than from the top down.
http://www.21voa.com/path.asp?url=/201103/se-nation-181-FDR-100-days-24mar11.mp3
苍海一笑
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