考研政治中對這段北美殖民史“情有獨鐘”，在歷年真題中多有涉及，今天老師就帶同學們一起來看看這些真題的特點。

一、真題大搜索

在88、07、09年的考研英語真題中，對這段殖民史都有涉及。美利堅合眾國是一首豐富的歌，它不僅是一個民族，而是由許多民族組合成的民族。好好學習這段歷史，對考生解題會有意想不到的作用。老師建議考生首先通讀以上兩篇考研真題，對這段殖民史有所了解，再把句中的這類文體常用的重點詞匯找出進行詳細記憶，將主要觀點的英語表述方法熟記于心。

（2007年完形填空）西班牙和葡萄牙前殖民地獨立后面臨的問題：

（注：劃線部分為原題設問處）

By 1830 the former Spanish and Portuguese colonies had become independent nations.

The roughly 20 million inhabitant of these nations looked hopefully to the future. Born in the crisis of the old regime and Iberian Colonialism, many of the leaders of independence shared the ideas of representative government, careers opento talent, freedom of commerce and trade,the rightto private property, and a belief in the individual as the basis of society. Generally there was a belief that the new nations should be sovereign and independent states, large enough to be economically viable and integrated by a common set of 1aws.

On the issue of freedom of religion and the position of the Church,however there was less

agreement among the leadership. Roman Catholicism had been the state religion and the only one granted by the Spanish crown. while most leaders sought to maintain Catholicism as the official religion of the new states, some sought to end the exclusion of other faiths. The defense of the Church became a rallying cry for the conservative forces.

The ideals of the early leaders of independence were often egalitarian, valuing equality of everything. Bolivar had received aid from Haiti and had promised in return to abolish slavery in the areas he liberated. By 1854 slavery had been abolished everywhere except Spain's remaining colonies. Early promises to end Indian tribute and taxes on people of mixed origin came much slower because the new nations still needed the revenue such policies produced .Egalitarian sentiments were often tempered by fears that the mass of the population was unprepared to self-rule and democracy.

全文翻譯：到了1830年，原來的西班牙和葡萄牙殖民地變成了獨立的國家。這些國家的大約2千萬居民對未來充滿期待。許多獨立國家的領導人在舊政權和伊比利亞殖民注意岌岌可危時出生，他們都認同議會制政府，向人才開放職業，商業貿易自由，私有財產所有權，認為個人是社會的基礎。他們普遍認為新國家應該是獨立的主權國家，足夠大，能夠在經濟上切實可行，由一套共同法律讓各個新的獨立國家聯合起來。

但是，在宗教自由和教會地位這個問題上，各國領導人之間存在著分歧。羅馬天主教過去是西班牙國教，是唯一得到西班牙王室承認的宗教。多數領導人致力于保留天主教為新國家的官方宗教，而一些領導人致力于終結不能有其他宗教信仰的狀況。保衛教會成為保守勢力的戰斗口號。

獨立國家早期領導者們的理想通常是平等主義，重視一切平等。玻利瓦爾得到海地的援助，作為回報，他承諾在自己解放的地區廢除奴隸制。到了1854年，除了西班牙前殖民地外，奴隸制在其他地區都已被廢除。對結素印地安人的上貢問題和對混血人種的稅收問題的早期承諾較晚才實現，這是因為新獨立的國家仍然需要這些政策所帶來的稅收收入。平等的情緒通常由于擔心大眾沒有準備好自治和民主而有所緩解。

（2009年Text 4 ） 美國早期移民歷史：

The most thoroughly studied intellectuals in the history of the new world are the ministers and political leaders of seventeenth-century New England. According to the standard history of American philosophy, nowhere else in colonial America was“So much important attachedto intellectual pursuits.” According to many books and articles, NewEngland's leaders established the basic themes and preoccupations of an unfolding, dominant Puritan tradition in American intellectual life.

To take this approach to the New Englanders normally mean to start with the Puritans' theological innovations and their distinctive ideas about the church —— important subjects that we may not neglect. But in keeping with our examination of southern intellectual life,we may consider the original Puritans as carriers of European culture, adjusting to New world circumstances. The New England colonies were the scenes of important episodes in the pursuit of widely understood ideals of civility and virtuosity.

The early settlers of Massachusetts Bay included men of impressive education and influence in England. Besides the ninety or so learned ministers who came to Massachusetts church in the decade after 1629, there were political leaders like John Winthrop, an educated gentleman, lawyer, and official of the Crown before he journeyed to Boston. These men wrote and published extensively, reaching both New World and Old World audiences, and giving New England an atmosphere of intellectual earnestness.

The most thoroughly studied intellectuals in the history of the new world are the ministers and political leaders of seventeenth-century New England. According to the standard history of American philosophy, nowhere else in colonial America was “So much important attached to intellectual pursuits.” According to many books and articles, New England's leaders established the basic themes and preoccupations of an unfolding, dominant Puritan tradition in American intellectual life.

To take this approach to the New Englanders normally mean to start with the Puritans' theological innovations and their distinctive ideas about the church —— important subjects that we may not neglect. But in keeping with our examination of southern intellectual life, we may consider the original Puritans as carriers of European culture, adjusting to New world circumstances. The New England colonies were the scenes of important episodes in the pursuit of widely understood ideals of civility and virtuosity.

The early settlers of Massachusetts Bay included men of impressive education and influence in England.Besides the ninety or so learned ministers who came to Massachusetts church in the decade after 1629, there were political leaders like John Winthrop, an educated gentleman, lawyer, and official of the Crown before he journeyed to Boston. These men wrote and published extensively, reaching both New World and Old World audiences, and giving New England an atmosphere of intellectual earnestness.

We should not forget, however, that most New Englanders were less well educated. While few crafts men or farmers, let alone dependents and servants, left literary compositions to be analyzed, it is obvious that their views were less fully intellectualized. Their thinking often had a traditional superstitions quality. A tailor named John Dane, who emigrated in the late 1630s, left an account of his reasons for leaving England that is filled with signs. Sexual confusion, economic frustrations , and religious hope —— all came together in a decisive moment when he opened the Bible, told his father the first line he saw would settle his fate, and read the magical words: “come out from among them, touch no unclean thing , and I will be your God and you shall be my people.” One wonders what Dane thought of the careful sermons explaining the Bible that he heard in puritan churches.

Meanwhile, many settlers had slighter religious commitments than Dane's, as one clergyman learned in confronting folk along the coastwho mocked that they had not come to the New world for religion.“Our main end was to catch fish.”

在新大陸的歷史上，被研究的最徹底的學者是17世紀新英格蘭的牧師和政治領袖們。根據美國標準哲學史的記載，在美洲殖民地中，沒有任何地方比新英格蘭地區“更重視對學術的追求。”據許多書籍及文章認為，新英格蘭的領袖們在美國學術界中確立了正在發展、后來成為主流的清教傳統的基本主題和關注點。

通過這條途徑來了解新英格蘭人，通常意味著要首先研究清教徒的神學創新和對于教會的獨特看法——這是我們不可忽略的重要課題。但是為了與我們對南部思想生活的研究保持一致，我們可以將最初的清教徒們視作歐洲文化的傳遞者，他們根據新大陸的情況進行了調整。在追求一些廣泛認同的文化藝術理想過程中，新英格蘭殖民地發生了許多重要的事情。

馬薩諸塞州的最早定居者包括那些在英格蘭接受過良好的教育并深具影響力的英國人。在1629年之后的十年間，除了90多位來到馬薩諸塞教堂的有學識的牧師，還有像約翰·溫斯羅普（John Winthrop）這樣的政治領袖，他是一位受過良好教育的紳士、律師，到波士頓之前曾是皇室官員。這些人大量撰寫、出版書籍，在新舊大陸都有讀者，這給新英格蘭帶來了熱衷思想研究的氛圍。

在新大陸的歷史上，被研究的最徹底的學者是17世紀新英格蘭的牧師和政治領袖們。根據美國標準哲學史的記載，在美洲殖民地中，沒有任何地方比新英格蘭地區“更重視對學術的追求?！睋S多書籍及文章認為，新英格蘭的領袖們在美國學術界中確立了正在發展、后來成為主流的清教傳統的基本主題和關注點。

通過這條途徑來了解新英格蘭人，通常意味著要首先研究清教徒的神學創新和對于教會的獨特看法——這是我們不可忽略的重要課題。但是為了與我們對南部思想生活的研究保持一致，我們可以將最初的清教徒們視作歐洲文化的傳遞者，他們根據新大陸的情況進行了調整。在追求一些廣泛認同的文化藝術理想過程中，新英格蘭殖民地發生了許多重要的事情。

馬薩諸塞州的最早定居者包括那些在英格蘭接受過良好的教育并深具影響力的英國人。在1629年之后的十年間，除了90多位來到馬薩諸塞教堂的有學識的牧師，還有像約翰·溫斯羅普（John Winthrop）這樣的政治領袖，他是一位受過良好教育的紳士、律師，到波士頓之前曾是皇室官員。這些人大量撰寫、出版書籍，在新舊大陸都有讀者，這給新英格蘭帶來了熱衷思想研究的氛圍。

但是，我們不應該忘記，大多數新英格蘭人沒有接受過良好教育。雖然，幾乎沒有工匠或農民（更不用說其家人及仆人）給我們留下一些文學作品以供分析，但是，很明顯他們的觀點并不具有太大的思想性。他們的思想中往往有一種傳統的迷信色彩。一個名為約翰·戴恩（John Dane）的裁縫于17世紀30年代末期移民到新大陸，他留下一個記錄，陳述了離開英格蘭的理由，其內容充滿了各種符號征兆。性的困惑，經濟挫折和宗教期望都會在一個決定性的時刻匯集涌現出來。這個時刻就是當他打開圣經對父親說，他看到的第一行字將會決定他的命運，于是他把那些神奇的話語念了出來：“從他們當中走出來，不要沾不潔之物，我將成為你們的上帝，你就是我的子民”。人們會納悶，戴恩（Dane）在清教徒教堂里聽到那些仔細解釋圣經的布道后會做何感想。

與此同時，許多定居者并沒有戴恩（Dane）那樣虔誠，就像一位牧師在海邊遇到一些人時聽到的那樣，那些人揶揄道，他們來新大陸可不是為了宗教，“我們的主要目的是捕魚?！?/p>

二、單詞拓展

natives本地人，當地人，出生于某國的人

colonial殖民的

colonialism殖民主義

people民族，種族

individual單個人，有某種特點的人

inhabitant居民（廣泛意義的）

由于88年真題較老，老師在這里就不再贅述，有興趣的考生可以翻閱查看，此外，考研英語真題的同源期刊上也存在不少與“殖民”有關的文章，考生若想把這段歷史徹底搞清楚，不妨下一番功夫將其研究透徹，這樣在考場上一旦有“殖民”相關內容的考題，考生也能游刃有余的應對考試了。老師預祝各位考生金榜題名！