现在是1805年 而你是个纽约人 It’s 1850 a d you’ e a New Yo ke hea i g 你听说在西海岸有那可爱的金矿 about that sweet sweet gold o the west coast. 你现在有三条路线可以走 You’ve th ee optio s 骑着骡子横跨美国 Ac oss the cou t y by mule, 航行环过合恩角 sail a ou d Cape Ho , 或者乘船到巴拿马并穿过丛林 o a boat to Pa ama t ek th ough the ju gle 再乘船就到了大陆的另一端 a d hop o a othe the othe side. 一切顺利的话 两个月内你就可以到加州的迪斯尼乐园了 All goi g well, you’ll be at Dis eyla d withi two mo ths. 但由于巴拿马极度危险 But the Pa ama t ack was i c edibly deadly, 因此在修建铁路时使用了大量爱尔兰以及中国劳工 so usi g I ish a d Chi ese labo e s the Pa ama ail oad was built. 在建成后的头十年里就有五十万人穿过 Half a millio people t aveled it i the fi st te yea s. 它立刻变成了美国邮电业的主干道 It became a majo a te y fo the US Postal Se vice 并且很快就就成为了纽约证券交易所的头股 a d was soo the highest-p iced stock o the New Yo k excha ge. 跨陆航行是个大生意 T a sco ti e tal t avel was big busi ess. 而五十英里的陆地成为了大西洋和太平洋的唯一阻隔 50 miles of la d was the o ly thi g stoppi g the Atla tic fo meeti g the Pacific. 在货物贸易之后 随之而来的是政治和权力 A d all the t ade, politics a d powe that came with it. 法国人的尝试 F e ch Attempt 在苏伊士运河建成后 雷赛布作为欧洲的英雄凯旋 Afte completi g the Suez Fe di a d de Lesseps etu ed to Eu ope a he o. 他将欧洲与印度的距离缩短了6000英里并让非洲变成了一个岛 He’d b ought I dia 6,000 miles close a d made Af ica a isla d. 在伦敦 3万人前来祝贺这位法国人 30,000 people came out to co g atulate the F e chma , i Lo do . 在巴黎 皇室成员接待了他 His eceptio i Pa is was o e of oyalty. 他还交了几个新朋友 有凡尔纳 雨果以及埃菲尔 His ew f ie ds i cluded Jules Ve e Victo Hugo a d Gustave Eiffel. 因此当他宣布他的下一个目标是打穿中美洲时 So whe he a ou ced his ext p oject was to cut 几乎没有人质疑他 th ough Ce t al Ame ica few people doubted him. 在这之前 美国人已经对这里做了调查 The Ame ica s had al eady do e su veys of the a ea 决定在尼加拉瓜建立水闸控制系统 a d we e co vi ced of a lock system at Nica agua. 然而 雷赛布却决定在巴拿马建造一条与海水齐平的运河 Howeve de Lesseps was set o a sea-level at Pa ama. 因为这是最短的路径 It was the sho test oute, a d that’s all that matte ed. 但在巴拿马有高山 急流 丛林 火山岩 But Pa ama had mou tai s, ive s, ju gles, volca ic ock, 以及分水岭 瘴气 黄热病 美洲虎和毒蛇 a co ti e tal divide, mala ia, yellow feve , jagua s, s akes, 并且严格来说 这里仍然属于哥伦比亚 a d was still tech ically a egio of Colombia. 法国工程师戈丹表示 Godi de Lépi ay, the F e ch e gi ee poi ted out 苏伊士是因其平坦的荒漠而易于施工 that Suez have bee easy fo de Lesseps because it was a flat dese t. 而在巴拿马使查格雷斯河改道几乎是不可能的 Re- outi g the Chag es Rive i Pa ama would be a impossible task. 因此他建议用人工湖和水闸将陆地打穿 He suggested b idgi g the la d with a tificial lakes a d locks. 大家都不屑一顾 Eve yo e laughed. 这时 万人敬仰的雷赛布发话了 The all espected de Lesseps had spoke . 运河将与海水齐平 It would be at sea level. 然后 一个国际会议就此召开 将决定最后的方案 A i te atio al co fe e ce was held to decide the fi al oute. 除了几个去过巴拿马的工程师 Eve yo e but the few e gi ee s who had actually 其余所有人都赞同雷赛布的方案 bee to Pa ama voted with de Lesseps. 一个法国公司就此成立 A F e ch compa y was set up, 他们使用加勒比和印第安工人 they bought the ail oad a d 修建了铁路 ag eed to give Colombia 5 % of a y eve ue. 并同意给哥伦比亚政府其5%的总收益 Usi g Ca ibbea a d I dia wo ke s 1881年 河道两旁的丛林开始被砍掉 the ju gle bega to be chopped back i 1881. 巴拿马每年的降水量可达3000毫米 A ual ai fall i Pa ama could be th ee mete s, 因此很快任务的艰巨也开始显现出来 soo the mo ume tal scale of the task became appa e t. 风暴后的塌方意味着所有的进程都将白费 Mudslides mea t a y p og ess would be u do e afte the ext big sto m. 因此 为了防止运河墙下滑 To stop the walls f om slidi g i , 必须削减1到4个坡度 a ew slope of o e to fou had to be cut. 这将会使挖掘工程量翻倍 Doubli g the amou t of excavatio . 而在运河两岸的两个最高点 At the highest poi t alo g the 它们间的距离将扩展到四分之三英里 the ew width would have to be th ee-qua te s of a mile. 劳工的装备则只有砍刀和镐 Labo e s we e a med with othi g but a machete a d a pickaxe. 有时每天就能有40个人死亡 The death toll was at times 40 a day. 在沼泽地区这样的非人道条件下 黄热病和疟疾像野火一样蔓延 Yellow feve a d mala ia sp ead like wildfi e i the swampy i huma e co ditio s. 那些黑人劳工的尸体 Bodies of black wo ke s will ofte just olled 被当作垃圾从他们死的地方被扔到垃圾场 f om whe e they died i to the dumpi g g ou ds. 人们有时也会谈到那艘从加勒比海来的鬼船 People spoke of ghost ships a ivi g f om the Ca ibbea , 船员在到达巴拿马之前就都死了 the c ew dead eve befo e eachi g Pa ama. 1889年 法国公司破产 工程也不得不暂停 I 1889 the F e ch compa y we t ba k upt a d wo k came to a halt. 有80万的投资者赔光了他们的钱 2万3千人在此丧命 800,000 i vesto s lost thei mo ey a d 23,000 people thei lives. 美国人的努力 US Effo t 运河一直无人敢动 The sat u touched u til 直到十年后罗斯福成功当选 Theodo e Roosevelt was elected a decade late . 他确信如果美国海军要快速进入太平洋的话 He was co vi ced the US Navy eeded quick access to the Pacific Ocea 运河是必经之路 a d a would be the o ly way. 因此关于是在巴拿马还是尼加拉瓜的论辩又再次被提及 So the Pa ama ve sus Nica agua debate esu faced, 巴拿马又一次赢了 Pa ama wi i g agai . 如果不是因为法国人先前的尝试 Though eve had ’t bee fo the F e ch attempt. 很可能今天运河就会在尼加拉瓜了 It’s likely the today would be at Nica agua. 但是许多工作都已经开始了 but a lot of the wo k was al eady sta ted 并且年轻有雄心的美国无法抗拒 a d the you g ambitious Ame ica could ’t esist i succeedi g 在强大的法兰西失败的地方取得成功 whe e the mighty F e ch Empi e had failed. 一个小问题是 The slight p oblem was that 巴拿马是为哥伦比亚所有的一个地区 Pa ama was a egio of a d ow ed by Colombia. 但是美国政府拒绝签订任何 But the US efused to sig a y t eaty whe e they 他们对运河没有完全主权的条约 did ’t have complete sove eig ty ove the zo e, a d 而哥伦比亚也不愿放弃该地区 Colombia we e ’t willi g to give that up. 1903年 哥伦比亚陷入政治动荡 I 1903 Colombia was i political u est 因此 美国政府就直接和巴拿马谈了 so the US tu ed to Pa ama di ectly… 嘿 巴拿马 你想独立吗 Psssttt… Pa ama! Do you wa a be a ew cou t y? 如果你们要闹革命 If you we e to have a evolutio 我们不会 不用我们的军舰保护你们 /调皮微笑 We would ’t ot p otect you with ou massive wa ships ; ) 嗯 好吧 Yeah, su e. 巴拿马与美国签订了条约并承诺 A d Pa ama sig ed a t eaty givi g Ame ica total co t ol 在独立后会将运河的控制权交给美国 ove the o ce they became i depe de t. 许多人对美国干预巴拿马的做法并不满意 A lot of people we e ’t happy with the US 因此罗斯福让检察长诺克斯 i te ve tio at Pa ama, so Roosevelt asked Atto ey Ge e al 做出了如下辩护 K ox to fo m a legal defe se. “亲爱的总统阁下 不要因为这么一点的不合法 “Ah M . P eside t, do ot let so g eat a achieveme t 让如此之大伟大的功绩无法服务于大众” suffe f om a y tai t of legality” 1904年 工程开始 I 1904 wo k bega . 以约瑟夫和诺贝尔为主导的美国计划 The US pla by Joseph Ripley a d Alf ed Noble would be a adaptatio 改进于25年前的戈丹方案 of de Lépi ay’s f om 25 yea s ea lie . 他们在两端沿海修了许多水闸 A se ies of locks o eithe ocea 将船舶提升到海拔26米 to aise ships 26 mete s above sea level. 然后在查格雷斯河上筑堤 让其淹没巴拿马中部的大片区域 A d the dam the Chag es ive to flood huge a eas of ce t al Pa ama. 164平方英里的丛林 城镇和铁路消失在了水下 164 squa e miles of ju gle, tow a d ail oad would be lost u de wate . 加顿湖就此诞生 而查格雷斯河 C eati g Gattu lake. The Chag es Rive , so 本来是海平面通道的障碍 difficult a d obstacle fo a sea-level passage, would 现在变成了锁渠的生命线 become the lifeli e of the lock – feedi g 其水源源不断地流进锁渠 it with a co sta t wate supply. 但其所需的工程量仍然是巨大的 Yet the e gi ee i g equi ed would still be imme se. 工程仍需穿过库莱布拉山脉 The Culeb a mou tai s must still be cut th ough. 而就像其巨大的水闸一样 加通大坝 Gatu dam would have to be o e of the la gest i the wo ld. 也成为了世界上最大的大坝之一 As would the locks themselves. 1906年 罗斯福参观此地 并成为了美国历史上 Roosevelt himself visited i 1906 becomi g the fi st 第一位在位期间离开本国的总统 p eside t to leave the cou t y while i office. 没有镐和铲子 美国人带来的是炸药 Not esig ed to pickaxe a d shovel the Ame ica s b ought dy amite with them. 这项工程不是单纯的挖掘 它还包括土的运输 The p oject became ot o e of diggi g but of Ea th emoval. 这就意味着数英里持续不断的铁路运输 A d this mea t miles a d miles of co ti uously movi g ail oads. 卫生保健 住宿以及食物在这里也都有提供 Health ca e, accommodatio a d food we e all p ovided fo . 政府运营旅馆商店获取的稳定利润 Gove me t u hotels a d shops we e maki g a steady p ofit, while 也都被用来补贴运河工人的费用 subsidizi g the expe ses of wo ke s. 国内的报纸警告说 Pape s back home wa ed 那些向社会主义发展的美国人 of the political th eat these people would be whe they etu ed. 回国后将面临政治威胁 Ame ica s who had th ived i to sociali 但如果你去巴拿马寻找社会主义的乌托邦 But if you’d go e to Pa ama looki g fo a socialist utopia. 那你可能会失望 You’d have bee disappoi ted. 因为那里并没有所谓的共享所有权和民主 The e was o sha ed ow e ship o democ acy i actio . 而且你最好是个白人 A d you’d bette have bee white. 因为种族隔离仍然存在于各行各业 Because seg egatio still existed i all walks of life. 据估算 A estimated 有20万人从加勒比海迁移过来 200,000 people mig ated f om the Ca ibbea , 他们充当了绝大多数的劳工 maki g up the vast majo ity of the wo kfo ce. 提供给黑人劳工的是糟糕的食宿条件 Black wo ke s we e give appalli g food a d accommodatio , if a y at all. 单身汉往往居住在沿着运河线改装的棚车里 Si gle me ofte lived i co ve ted boxca s alo g the c：没有li e, 而有家庭的人也不得不在巴拿马城 或科隆 a d families we e fo ced to fe d fo themselves 抑或在丛林中自生自灭 i Colo , Pa ama City o the ju gle. 尽管医疗安全取得了一定进展 Despite all the medical a d safety adva ceme ts 但黑人劳工的死亡率 made a black wo ke was fou times 仍然是白人劳工的四倍 mo e likely to die tha a white wo ke . 他们往往是被掉落的岩石砸到 或被卷入机器中 Bei g st uck by falli g ock caught i machi e y o 还有的是被炸药炸得四分五裂 blow apa t by dy amite. 花费了33年 移走了1.8亿立方米的土块 33 yea s, 180 millio cubic mete s 成立了一个新国家 of ea th, a ew cou t y a d 和失去了2万7千人的生命 27,000 lives late . 运河最终完工了 The was fi ished. 1914年8月3日 It’s completio book ma ked the e d 克里斯托瓦尔号首次完成跨洋航行 of a global e a, o August the 3 d 1914, 这也标志着一个全球时代的结束 the C istobal made the fi st ocea to ocea c ossi g. 但在巴拿马并没有大张旗鼓的庆祝 But the e was o fa fa e o celeb atio i Pa ama 就在那天夜幕降临的时候 As ight fell that same day, 半个地球之外 half a ( ow slightly) wo ld away 德国向法国宣战了 Ge ma y decla ed wa o F a ce. 而贸易 政治和权力也再也不会是之前那样了 T ade, politics, a d powe would eve be the same agai . 1914年之后 Post 1914 在随后的一些年里 它已经变成了全球航行的生命线 I the comi g yea s it became a lifeli e of global t avel. 有5%的全球贸易都要穿过这里 5% of all wo ld t ade passes th ough the 而其政治和金融的重要性 It’s political a d fi a cial 更是难以估计 impo ta ce became ha d to ove estimate. 美国与巴拿马之间的关系也越来越紧张 Te sio s betwee the US a d Pa ama co ti ued to ise. 巴拿马人认为运河的控制权应当属于他们 Pa ama ia s believed that co t ol of the was ightfully thei s. 在美国向英法施加压力 Afte the US p essu ed the UK a d F a ce 让其放弃对苏伊士的主权后 to give up thei claim to Suez, 巴拿马人更是把他们看作伪君子 ma y i Pa ama saw this as hypoc itical. 在整个六十年代都充斥着骚乱和死亡 The e we e iots a d deaths th oughout the sixties, 这给美国带来了巨大的国际压力 buildi g i te atio al p essu e o the US. 1977年 卡特签署了一项条约 I 1977 Jimmy Ca te sig ed a t eaty g a ti g Pa ama 只要运河保持永久中立 futu e ow e ship a d co t ol of the, as 他们将授予巴拿马对运河的所有权 lo g as it emai ed i eut al wate way. 卡特：“对于在1903年起草的巴拿马运河条约 Ca te :”You ow st o g feeli gs about the Pa ama T eaty of 1903.” 你们的不满情绪 “D afted i a wo ld so diffe e t f om ou s today.” 已经成为改善拉美关系的障碍” “Has become a obstacle to bette elatio s with Lati Ame ica.” 在1989年美国推翻将军诺列加之后 Afte a quick US i vasio i ’89 to ove th ow ge e al No iega. 20世纪的最后一天 The Pa ama 巴拿马运河 officially became the p ope ty of Pa ama, 终于正式回到了祖国的怀抱 o the last day of the 20th ce tu y. 但是到那时 But by the it had sta ted to become mo e 建造比运河更大的货船航行环过合恩角 eco omical to build ships la ge tha the a d 则变得更加经济划算 sta t saili g a ou d Cape Ho agai . 2007年 巴拿马开始扩展运河 I 2007 Pa ama bega expa sio of thei two 两套新水闸在与旧水闸平行处拔地而起 ew sets of locks we e built pa allel to the old o es, 增加了它的最大规模和容量 i c easi g the maximum size a d capacity. 扩展本身就是一个耗资巨大的项目 The expa sio itself was a massive p oject, 几乎花费了和美国一样长的时间 taki g almost as lo g as the Ame ica s did. 因此是谁建造的运河这个问题变得复杂起来 So the issue of who built the is complicated. 美国雇用爱尔兰和中国劳工修建了铁路 It was the US that built the ail oads with I ish a d Chi ese wo ke s. 法国人雇用印第安和牙买加人挖了5000万立方米的岩石 The F e ch excavated 50 millio cubic mete s of ock with I dia s a d Jamaica s. 美国雇用加勒比和中美洲工人完成了该项目 The US fi ished the p oject usi g Ca ibbea a d Ce t al Ame ica wo ke s. 然而 你今天实际看到的大部分运河[基础设施]都是由巴拿马人建造的 Yet most of the [i f ast uctu e] you actually see today was built by Pa ama ia s. 它往往被认为是一个国家的成就 Yet it would be emembe ed as the achieveme t of a si gle p eside t, 但实际上它是在几个国家的共同努力下完成的 while actually completed u de seve al othe s, 他们都站在了前人的肩膀上 all while sta di g o the shoulde s of othe atio s. 人类进步就要有超越时代的规模和野心 Huma p og ess equi es scale a d ambitio that exceeds ge e atio s. 而不仅仅是在他们的时代 Not just te ms of office. 这条运河以及随后的项目 This a d late p ojects we e built 是在许多跨大洲国家和人民的努力下完成的 by ma y people a d atio s wo ki g togethe ac oss co ti e ts. 有时要花费几个世纪