2017年翻译资格考试catti高级口译模拟试题（10）
【英译中】
Yet the U.S. benefited greatly from the colonial strife next door. Broke after its Haitian defeat. France sold a large region to the U.S. for $15 million. The Louisiana Purchase would prove to be one of the most profitable real estate transactions ever made. Napoleon would not have sold his claims" except for the courage and obstinate resistance of Haitian inhabitants.
It would take six decades for the U.S. to acknowledge Haiti's independence. Meanwhile, Haiti, burdened by its post, independence isolation and the too million francs in payment it was forced to give France for official recognition, began its perilous slide toward turmoil and dependency, resulting in a 19-year U.S. occupation and two subsequent interventions in the past 100 years. Jefferson once presented dire warnings about what might happen to the U.S. political system in a worst-case scenario, but his words turned out to be a more accurate prophecy for America's plundered neighbor: "The spirit of the times ... will alter. Our rulers will become corrupt ... The shackles ... which shall not be knocked off at the conclusion of war will remain on tong, will be made heavier." Given a fair chance. Haiti could have flourished and prospered, If that had been the case, this year Haiti would be celebrating the bicentennial of its independence with fewer and lighter shackles.
【参考译文】
美国周边的殖民地争端使其从中获益不少。法国在海地遭遇失败后，财力上捉襟见肘，将一大块地盘以一千五百万美元的代价卖给美国。路易斯安那交易可以算作有史以来购买者获益最丰厚的地产交易了。要不是海地人民高昂的士气和顽强的抵抗使拿破仑头痛不已，他是不会卖掉自己手中的领地的。
美国经过六十年才最终承认海地的独立。而这段时间里，海地承受巨大压力：独立后的孤立无援加之必须向法国支付一亿法郎以换取法方的正式承认，它开始滑向动荡和丧失主权的危险境地，最终导致美国对它长达十九年的占领和其后一百年中两次入侵。杰弗逊曾经对美国政治体系可能出现的最坏情况进行过警告，但他那些令人心惊胆战的话语恰恰精确地预告了美国身边这个屡遭劫难的邻国所发生的一切：“时代的精神将改变。我们的统治者们将腐朽堕落。我们并没有因为战争的结束而挣脱枷锁，它将继续禁锢我们，而且日益沉重。”海地如果能够得到公平的机会，也许会繁荣兴旺。如果真是这样，今年海地庆祝独立二百周年时，它所戴着的枷锁一定会轻些，少些。
