不，得克萨斯州不能脱离美国：英语精读讲义

Can Texas secede from the Union? 用詞

德克萨斯州能脱离联邦吗？

America's second most populated and second largest state is always the first to remind you that it was once an independent nation,

这个美国人口第二多、面积第二大的州总是第一个提醒你，它曾经是一个独立的国家——

the Republic of Texas.

德克萨斯共和国。

Unlike California's three-week,

加利福尼亚州曾有过三周的、

almost accidental flirt with independence 習語

几乎是意外的独立尝试，

and a hideous flag,

还有一面丑陋的旗帜，与它不同的是，

the Republic of Texas was a real country

德克萨斯共和国是一个真正的国家，

with its own presidents and laws and currency

拥有自己的总统、法律和货币，

for a decade from 1836 until 1846

存在了十年，从1836年到1846年，

when it joined the Union to become the 28th state.

直到它加入联邦成为第28个州。

Thankfully, evening out the number of stars. 短語動詞

庆幸的是，这让国旗上的星星数量变成了偶数。

This happy marriage led pretty much immediately 習語

这场幸福的联姻几乎立刻

to the Mexican-American War

引发了美墨战争，

over the question of how big Texas was.

争论的焦点是德克萨斯州到底有多大。

America, as the victor,

美国作为胜利者，

got to decide the answer. 語法

有权决定这个答案。

Very big.

非常大。

While Texas gave up its complete independence to join the Union, 短語動詞

虽然德克萨斯州放弃了完全的独立加入了联邦，

it didn't give up its independent streak

但它并没有放弃其独立的本性，

and filed for divorce along with several other states 習語

并与几个其他州一起提交了离婚申请，

a scant 15 years later. 用詞

那仅仅是在15年之后。

This domestic dispute was settled not with flowers, 表達脈絡

这场国内争端并不是用鲜花来解决的，

but with force,

而是用武力，

something that many are still grumbly about today.

许多人至今对此仍耿耿于怀。

But history aside, 表達脈絡

但是抛开历史不谈，

in modern times could Texas still be a real country?

在现代社会，德克萨斯州还能成为一个真正的国家吗？

In other words, could Texas succeed if it secedes? 講解

换句话说，如果德克萨斯州脱离联邦，它能成功吗？

In terms of population, an independent Texas 短語搭配

就人口而言，一个独立的德克萨斯州

would be the world's 46th largest country with 26 million citizens.

将成为世界第46大国家，拥有2600万公民。

And those citizens would make Texas the 13th largest economy. 語法

这些公民将使德州成为第13大经济体。

So the new Texas Republic would be comparable to Australia, 短語搭配

所以新的德克萨斯共和国将与澳大利亚相当，

except in the size department.

除了在面积方面。

But what about the federal money that goes to Texas?

但是那些流向德克萨斯州的联邦资金呢？

Those interstate highways don't build themselves, you know. 語氣意圖

你知道，那些州际公路可不会自己建好。

For a majority of states, independence would be a financial problem.

对于大多数州来说，独立将是一个财务问题。

Mississippi, for example,

比如密西西比州，

gets $2 from Washington for every one it sends in taxes. 語法

每缴纳1美元的税，就能从华盛顿获得2美元。

So an independent Magnolia Republic would be bankrupt almost instantly.

因此，一个独立的“木兰共和国”几乎会瞬间破产。

But not Texas,

但德克萨斯州不会，

which gives more money to the federal government in taxes than it gets back. 語法

它向联邦政府缴纳的税款比它获得的回报还要多。

There's no reason why an independent Texas couldn't keep those highways paved 語法

独立的德克萨斯州没有理由不能维持那些公路的铺设，

and give its citizens a small happy Texependence Day tax cut.

并给它的公民一个快乐的“德州独立日”小规模减税。

So from a financial perspective, the new Texas Republic gets a check. 習語

所以从财务角度来看，新的德克萨斯共和国是没有问题的。

Now the question is, can Texas legally secede?

现在的问题是，德克萨斯州可以在法律上脱离吗？

And the answer is, no, not at all.

答案是：不，完全不行。

Despite popular belief, even by politicians who should know better, 表達脈絡

尽管人们普遍认为（甚至一些本应更懂的政治家也这么认为），

the Texas Constitution does not include a get out of the Union free clause, 文化背景

德克萨斯州宪法并不包含免费退出的条款，

no matter how much Texans or citizens of other states wish that it did. 語法

无论德州人或其他州的公民多么希望它有。

However, the Texas Constitution does have a weird

然而，德克萨斯州宪法的确有一条奇怪的

clause that allows it to divide itself into five states

条款，允许它将自己分成五个州，

without the approval of Congress.

而无需国会批准。

So Texas could at any moment explode into states,

所以德克萨斯州随时可能分裂成几个州，

perhaps named North Texas, South Texas, East Texas, West Texas, and Austin,

也许叫做北德克萨斯、南德克萨斯、东德克萨斯、西德克萨斯和奥斯汀，

which would quintuple its power in the Senate,

这将使其在参议院的权力增加五倍，

but not necessarily help it gain independence

但不一定有助于它获得独立，

because there's no legal process for a state to exit the Union.

因为没有合法的程序可以让一个州退出联邦。

Though the Constitution is mute on the issue, 用詞

虽然宪法在这个问题上保持沉默，

secession has come before the Supreme Court 用詞

但脱离联邦的案件曾经上诉到最高法院，

and shockingly, the Supreme Court of the United States

令人震惊的是，美国最高法院

decided that states can't leave the United States.

裁定各州不能离开美国。

But the legal question is weirdly sort of moot. 用詞

但这个法律问题奇怪地显得有些没有实际意义。

After all, the first Texas Republic didn't pop into existence out of nowhere. 講解

毕竟，第一个德克萨斯共和国不是凭空出现的。

Texas was originally a state of Mexico,

德克萨斯州最初是墨西哥的一个州，

which didn't allow Texas to leave,

墨西哥不允许德克萨斯州离开，

but leave Texas did anyway, 語法

但德克萨斯州还是离开了，

though under less than harmonious circumstances. 語氣意圖

尽管是在不太和谐的环境下。

While it's hard to imagine a war 表達脈絡

虽然很难想象

between the new Texas Republic and the United States,

新德克萨斯共和国与美国之间会发生战争，

it isn't hard to imagine who would win that fight.

但不难想象谁会赢。

Texas does have its own military, but seriously, 語法

德克萨斯确实有自己的军队，但说真的，

nobody beats America in the war business. 習語

在战争方面没人能打败美国。

So the only way Texas is leaving 語法

所以德克萨斯州离开的唯一途径

is if it can convince the United

就是如果它能说服美国

States to change its laws to let it leave,

改变法律让它离开，

which only has a chance of being discussed seriously 語法

只有在以下情况下这才有可能被认真讨论：

if a majority of Texans want independence,

大多数德州人想要独立，

which isn't remotely the case. 短語搭配

而这根本不符合实际情况。

So while a new Texas Republic is interesting to think about,

因此，尽管想象一个新的德克萨斯共和国很有趣，

particularly for some non-Texans,

尤其是对于一些非德州人来说，

as of now, it's a long way from becoming a reality. 講解

但就目前而言，它要成为现实还有很长的路要走。