苏联是如何以及为何解体的？：英语精读讲义

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Christmas Day 1991,

1991年圣诞节，

Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev announced "We are living in a new world."

苏联总统米哈伊尔·戈尔巴乔夫宣布：“我们生活在一个新世界里。”

And with these seven words,

随着这短短几个字，

the Soviet Union was dissolved and Gorbachev stepped down from his post. 短語動詞

苏联解体，戈尔巴乔夫辞去了职务。

After 40 years of the Cold War and the threat of a nuclear holocaust,

历经40年的冷战和核浩劫的威胁，

the world's largest communist state broke up into 15 independent republics, 短語動詞

这个世界上最大的共产主义国家分裂成了15个独立的共和国，

meaning the USA was now handed the accolade of new world superpower.

这意味着美国如今获得了新世界超级大国的殊荣。

At its strongest,

在全盛时期，

the Soviet Union had over 5 million soldiers stationed around the world

苏联在世界各地驻扎了超过500万名士兵，

and they all stepped down without a shot being fired under the new regime. 語法

而他们在没有开一枪的情况下，都在新政权下退役了。

Today,

今天，

we will explore exactly what came to pass in this episode of The Infographics Show. 習語

我们将在这一期 The Infographics Show 中探索到底发生了什么。

How and why did the Soviet Union collapse?

苏联是如何以及为何解体的？

In the late 1980s,

在1980年代末，

the Soviet Union appeared to be somewhat of a powerhouse, 短語搭配

苏联看起来还有些强国风范，

exhibiting a rigid recovery from the invasion of Afghanistan

展现出了从入侵阿富汗后僵化的恢复，

and with an economy that appeared to be performing well.

而且经济似乎表现良好。

The Union appeared from the surface as powerful as it was back in the 1950s. 語法

从表面上看，这个联盟似乎和1950年代一样强大。

But looks can be deceiving. 習語

但外表可能是骗人的。

Beneath the facade, 習語

在表象之下，

the Soviet Union was splitting apart

苏联正在四分五裂，

and it had been happening for decades.

而且这种情况已经持续了几十年。

Although there were many factors at play, 短語搭配

尽管有很多因素在起作用，

some reasons were as follows.

但一些原因如下。

Mikhail Gorbachev rose to power in 1985 短語搭配

米哈伊尔·戈尔巴乔夫在1985年上台，

with plans to reform the nation with a hybrid communist capitalist system

他计划用类似于现代中国的那种

similar to modern-day China.

共产主义和资本主义混合体制来改革国家。

He also planned to ease restrictions on freedom of speech and religion. 短語搭配

他还计划放宽对言论和宗教自由的限制。

Before this,

在此之前，

millions of Soviets were arrested for speaking out against the state. 短語動詞

数以百万计的苏联人因发表反对国家的言论而被捕。

However,

然而，

his plan backfired 用詞

他的计划适得其反，

as he discovered that the loosening of control over the people

因为他发现放松对人民的控制

and reforming political restrictions

以及改革政治限制

meant the people used their newfound powers

意味着人民利用他们新获得的权力

to critique the government until they eventually succeeded

来批评政府，直到他们最终成功

in pushing for reform.

推动了改革。

This brand of communism had operated historically

这种共产主义模式在历史上

on tight central control.

一直是在严格的中央控制下运行的。

The loosening of control led to the abandonment of the entire construct. 短語搭配

放松控制导致了整个体制的放弃。

Back in the days of Vladimir Lenin,

在弗拉基米尔·列宁、

Leon Trotsky and Joseph Stalin,

列夫·托洛茨基和约瑟夫·斯大林时代，

the Soviets were led with strong ideological beliefs tied to Marxism.

苏联受到与马克思主义紧密相连的强大意识形态信仰的引导。

By the 1960s,

到了1960年代，

the radical policies of the past leaders

过去领导人的激进政策

were abandoned in favor of a more conservative approach. 短語搭配

被放弃，取而代之的是更保守的方法。

By the 1970s,

到了1970年代，

the Soviet people noticed the rise of the political elite

苏联人民注意到了政治精英的崛起，

who lived in posh homes,

他们住在豪华别墅里，

ate in fancy restaurants,

在高档餐厅吃饭，

and spent their vacations at luxury ski resorts

在豪华滑雪胜地度假，

while millions of average Joes died from starvation. 用詞

而数百万普通百姓却死于饥饿。

Younger generations were less keen to toe the line 講解

年轻一代不像他们的父母那样

as their parents had and were willing to step forward

热衷于墨守成规，并愿意站出来

and protest for change.

抗议要求改变。

These newer generations were more in tune with world events 習語

这些年轻一代更了解世界大事，

and slowly but surely began to pull at the strands of the political regime. 習語

并开始缓慢但坚定地拉扯政治体制的底线。

Cold War tensions with the United States rose in the '70s and '80s

70年代和80年代，与美国的冷战紧张局势升级，

and with Ronald Reagan's leadership

在罗纳德·里根的领导

and the resulting increase in military spending,

以及随之而来的军费开支增加下，

it seemed that the US had won the nuclear standoff. 用詞

美国似乎赢得了这场核对峙。

The Strategic Defense Initiative, or SDI,

战略防御倡议，即 SDI，

claimed to be able to blast Russian missiles as they fell,

声称能够击落落下的俄罗斯导弹，

meaning in theory,

这意味着在理论上，

the US could win the long-running battle of wits. 習語

美国可以赢得这场持久的智力战。

Reagan also managed to isolate the Soviets 短語搭配

里根还成功地将苏联

from the rest of the world economy

与世界其他经济体孤立开来，

and without export sales in oil,

由于没有石油出口销售，

the Soviet economy was severely weakened and limited.

苏联经济被严重削弱和限制。

The Soviets were unable to turn a corner 習語

苏联无法扭转局面，

and in the 1980s,

在1980年代，

breadlines were commonplace as poverty soared. 語法

随着贫困加剧，排队买面包成了家常便饭。

Many people didn't have basic clothing or shoes

许多人连基本的衣服或鞋子都没有，

and under these conditions,

在这些条件下，

it is only a matter of time 語法

人民呼吁政权更迭

before the people call out for regime change.

只是时间问题。

And then there is the nation structure itself.

其次是国家结构本身。

When you have 15 radically different republics under one flag

在同一面国旗下有15个截然不同的共和国，

with different ethnicities,

有着不同的民族、

cultures,

文化

and languages,

和语言，

there are bound to be inherent tensions. 語法

必然会存在固有的紧张关系。

1989 nationalist movements brought about regime change 短語動詞

1989年的民族主义运动带来了

in Poland and Czechoslovakia

波兰和捷克斯洛伐克的政权更迭，

as the Soviet satellite nations began to split away. 文化背景

随着苏联的卫星国开始分裂出去。

As these nations began to pull away,

当这些国家开始脱离时，

the central apparatus was weakened until it finally collapsed. 用詞

中央机构被削弱，直到最终崩溃。

Due to all these factors, 表達脈絡

由于所有这些因素，

by 1991,

到1991年，

the Soviet Union was unable to maintain

苏联已无法在维持

a normal functioning economy

经济正常运转的

and run a huge military simultaneously.

同时维持庞大的军队。

Gorbachev,

戈尔巴乔夫，

unwilling to go to war like his predecessors

不愿意像他的前任

Lenin and Stalin might have done,

列宁和斯大林那样去发动战争，

instead pulled the plug on the military 習語

而是切断了对军队的支持，

and the 15 republics went their separate ways. 習語

于是这15个共和国各奔东西。

Although a devoted Marxist, 語法

尽管戈尔巴乔夫是一位忠诚的马克思主义者，

Gorbachev was an independent thinker

但他也是一位独立思考者，

who respected the need for reform

他尊重改革的必要性，

and planned a restructuring of the economy.

并计划对经济进行重组。

This,

这一点，

along with his vision to lessen the control

再加上他减少

held by central government

中央政府控制的愿景，

and a move towards uncensored media,

以及向未受审查的媒体迈进的举措，

laid the path for total reform.

为彻底改革铺平了道路。

The seeds were planted 習語

种子已经种下，

and the Soviet Union was no more. 習語

苏联不复存在。

So today we looked at the downfall of the Soviet Union.

今天我们探讨了苏联的垮台。

But if you want to know more about specific stories

但是如果你想了解更多关于冷战期间

during the Cold War,

发生的特定故事，

we suggest listening to an audiobook on Audible

我们建议在 Audible 上听一本有声书，

called Stalking the Red Bear,

名叫《Stalking the Red Bear》，

the true story of a US Cold War submarine's

讲述了一艘美国冷战潜艇

covert operations against the Soviet Union.

针对苏联进行秘密行动的真实故事。

Audible is offering our listeners

Audible 为我们的听众提供

a free audiobook with a 30-day trial membership,

一本免费有声书和30天的试用会员资格，

so you can check out this book risk-free. 短語動詞

这样你就可以无风险地试听这本书。

The great thing about Audible is

Audible 的绝佳之处在于

that you can switch seamlessly between your devices, 短語搭配

你可以无缝地在设备之间切换，

picking up exactly where you left off, 短語動詞

从你停下的地方继续听，

whether it's on your phone,

无论是在你的手机上、

through your car,

在你的车里、

from a tablet,

通过平板电脑，

or at home on an Amazon Echo.

还是在家里用 Amazon Echo。

You can get through tons of books 短語動詞

你可以听完大量的书，

while doing almost anything.

同时几乎可以做任何事情。

Go to audible.com/infographics

前往 audible.com/infographics

and browse the unmatched selection of audio programs.

浏览无可匹敌的音频节目精选。

Download a title free

免费下载一本书

and start listening.

然后开始收听。

It's that easy.

就这么简单。

Go to audible.com/infographics

前往 audible.com/infographics

or text infographics to 500-500

或发送短信 infographics 到 500-500

to get started today.

今天就开始吧。

So,

那么，

what do you think?

你怎么看？

Can communism work as a political model?

共产主义作为一种政治模式能行得通吗？

For the countries that still operate under this system,

对于那些仍在这一体制下运行的国家来说，

what does the future hold for them? 習語

他们的未来会怎样？

Let us know in the comments.

请在评论区告诉我们。

Also,

另外，

be sure to watch our other video

一定要看看我们的另一个视频，

called Most Common Ways People Died in the Middle Ages.

名叫《中世纪最常见的死法》。

Thanks for watching

感谢观看，

and as always,

一如既往，

don't forget to like,

别忘了点赞、

share,

分享，

and subscribe.

并订阅。

See you next time.

我们下次见。