Q&A: 那些关于美国最令人震惊的事?

Nancy Johnson, studied at University of Cambridge (2012)
United States Facts
Alaska''s coastline is longer than the coastlines of the remaining states put together. Alaska also is the largest state by area, the least densely populated, and is home to 17 of the 20 tallest mountains in the country.

关于美国的事：
阿拉斯加的海岸线比其他州海岸线的总和还要长。阿拉斯加也是美国面积最大的州，人口密度最低，全国20座最高的山中17座位于阿拉斯加。 

The country''s GDP is $17.95 trillion.
The nominal GDP per capita is $55,836.
Lake Superior is so big, that its water could cover North and South America in their entirety with one foot of water.

美国的GDP是17.95万亿美元。
名义人均国内生产总值为55 836美元。
苏必利尔湖面积非常大，湖里的谁可以覆盖整个北美洲和南美洲，水深能达到一英尺。

The most visited museum in the United States is the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, which receives 9 million visitors annually. It is the second most visited museum in the world, after the Louvre.

美国参观人数最多的博物馆是史密森尼国家航空航天博物馆，每年接待游客900万人次。是世界上参观人数第二多的博物馆，仅次于卢浮宫。 

The Pentagon is the largest office building in the world, boasting 17 miles of corridors and twice the space of the Empire State Building.

五角大楼是世界上最大的办公大楼，自称走廊长度达到了17英里，空间是帝国大厦的两倍。 

The first university in the country was Harvard, which was founded in 1636.
Thirty-four percent of Americans are obese.

美国第一所大学是哈佛大学，成立于1636年。
34%的美国人都存在肥胖问题。

Women earned the right to vote in 1920. The 19th amendment granted women the right to vote.
Alaska was purchased from Russia in 1867 at a price of just $7.2 million.
Three times as many cows as people live in the state of Montana.

1920年美国女性赢得了选举权。第19条修正案赋予女性投票权。
1867年美国花了720万美元从俄罗斯人手里买了阿拉斯加。
蒙大拿州牛的数量是人口的三倍。

Roughly 35 million Americans were related to at least one of the pilgrims who arrived to the country on the Mayflower back in 1620.

大约有3500万美国人与1620年乘坐“五月花”号来到美国的清教徒中至少一位有血缘关系。 

The largest amphitheater in the world can be found in Los Angeles. The Hollywood Bowl was opened in 1922 and can hold almost 18,000 people.

世界上最大的露天剧场在洛杉矶。好莱坞露天剧场于1922年开放，可容纳近18000人。 

The United States is also home to the largest indoor theater: New York''s Radio City Music Hall. Many famous performers have set foot on the stage, which has also been the site of award shows.

美国还有最大的室内剧院:纽约无线电城音乐厅。许多著名的表演者已经踏上了舞台，这里也是颁奖典礼的举办地。 

More US presidents were born in Virginia than any other state. A total of eight presidents called the state of Virginia home.

在弗吉尼亚州出生的美国总统比其他任何州都多。共有八位总统把维吉尼亚州称作自己的家乡。 

The world''s tallest roller coaster is located in New Jersey.
Hawaii is the only state that grows coffee commercially.

世界上最高的过山车位于新泽西州。
夏威夷是唯一商业性种植咖啡的州。

The United States has one of the highest rates of divorce in the world.
Interracial marriage was banned in the United States from 1776 to 1967.
About 30% of businesses in the United States are owned by women.
The United States Air Force is the largest air force in the world.
Almost 70% of U.S. firefighters are volunteers.

美国是世界上离婚率最高的国家之一。
从1776年到1967年，美国禁止跨种族通婚。
美国约有30%的企业所有者为女性。
美国空军是世界上最大的空军。
几乎70%的美国消防员是志愿者。

Congress voted the US free from Britain''s rule on July 2. However, July 4 is when John Hancock was the first to sign the Declaration of Independence to announce the news.

7月2日，美国国会投票通过脱离英国统治。然而，7月4日是约翰·汉考克首个签署《独立宣言》并宣布这一新闻的日子。 

Less than 1% of the total population lives in Washington D.C.
The US is just one of three countries that doesn''t offer paid maternity leave.

居住在华盛顿特区的人口还不到总人口的1%
世界上有三个国家没有带薪产假，美国就是其中之一。

Andrew Jackson received the most votes from the electoral college and won the popular vote, but lost the election of 1824.
The largest single-stem stree in the world is located in Califoria. It stands 275 feet tall.

1824年，安德鲁·杰克逊获得总统选举团大部分选票，赢得了普选，但输掉了大选。
世界上最大的单茎树位于加利福尼亚。高度达到了275英尺。

Dinali, formerly Mount McKinley, is the highest point in North America, standing at a height of over 20,000 feet.
The last time the Liberty Bell rang was in 1846 on George Washington''s birthday.
The longest cave system in the world is located in Kentucky. Over 3,400 miles have been mapped in the system.

迪纳利山，原名麦金利山，是北美的最高点，海拔2万多英尺。
自由钟最后一次敲响是在1846年乔治·华盛顿的生日那天。
世界上最长的洞穴系统位于肯塔基州。地图已经对洞穴绘制了3400多英里。 

The country''s current flag was designed by a 17-year-old student as part of a school project.
The seven points on the Statue of Liberty''s crown represents each of the seven continents.
The United States incarcerates more people than any other country in the world. There are currently 2.2 million people in jail, or about 22% of the world''s population of inmates.

美国现在的国旗是一名17岁学生设计的，当时学校组织孩子们设计国家国旗。
自由女神像王冠上的七个点代表七大洲。
美国是世界上监禁人数最多的国家。目前监狱里有220万人，约占世界囚犯总数的22%。

During the construction of Mount Rushmore, 800 million pounds of stone were removed.
Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming is the oldest national park.
Crater Lake in Oregon is the deepest lake in the country, at a depth of 1,932 feet.
The majority of the world''s tornadoes occur in the Midwest. This region is known as Tornado Alley.

建造拉什莫尔山的过程中，移走了8亿磅的石头。
怀俄明州的黄石国家公园是最古老的国家公园。
俄勒冈州的火山口湖是美国最深的湖，深度1,932英尺。
世界上大部分的龙卷风都发生在美国中西部。这里被称为龙卷风走廊。

The US consumes more petroleum than any other country in the world.
There is no official language in the United States. The most commonly spoken language is English, followed by Spanish.

美国是世界上石油消耗最多的国家。
美国没有官方语言。最常用的语言是英语，其次是西班牙语。

Inhabitants have lived in North America for over 15,000 years.
In various polls, the United States was ranked last in overall health care among other rich nations.
The final state to join the U.S. was Hawaii, which joined in 1959. It is the only state made entirely of islands.

北美的居民已经生活了一万五千年了。
在各种民意调查中，美国在其他富裕国家的整体医疗保健方面排名最后。
最后一个加入美国的州是夏威夷，1959年加入美国。这也是唯一一个完全由岛屿组成的州。

Neil Armstrong, an American, was the first person to walk on the moon in 1969.
The first black president, Barack Obama, was elected president in 2008. He was elected to serve a second term in 2012.
The largest coal reserves in the world are found in the United States.
Approximately 85% of Americans use the internet.

1969年，美国人尼尔·阿姆斯特朗成为第一个登上月球的人。
第一位黑人总统奥巴马2008年当选。2012年成功连任。
美国拥有世界最大的煤炭储量。
大约85%的美国人使用互联网。

The United States is on track to become a majority-minority country by the 2040s.
Washington Square in New York used to be a cemetary with over 20,000 people buried there.
An island that has no human residents but is completely inhabited by wild monkeys is located off the coast of South Carolina.
Ninety percent of the jury trials in the world occur in the United States.

本世纪40年代，美国将成为少数族裔占多数的国家。
纽约华盛顿广场曾经是埋葬着2万多人的墓地。
南卡罗莱纳海岸附近有一座岛屿，岛上没有人类居民，上面全部是野生猴子。
世界上90%的陪审团审判发生在美国。

Lorian Flint, A sociopath in San Francisco
America has been at war for around 90% of its existence
Since 1776, America''s population has grown from 2.5 Million to 314 Million
Some New York apartments are more expensive than castles
Americans eat 10 billion donuts every single year
It is illegal to carry ice cream in your back pocket in Kentucky
It is illegal to hunt camels in Arizona
It’s legal for children to smoke; they just can’t purchase cigarettes.
Texas is larger than any country in Europe except Russia
100 acres of pizza are served every day

美国建国以来90%的时间都处于战争状态
1776年以来，美国人口从250万增长到3.14亿
纽约的一些公寓比城堡还贵
美国人每年要吃掉100亿个甜甜圈
在肯塔基州裤子的后兜携带冰淇淋是违法的
在亚利桑那州猎杀骆驼是违法的
儿童吸烟合法，但是他们不能买烟。
德克萨斯州比除俄罗斯外的欧洲国家都要大
美国每天能吃掉100英亩披萨

Cows outnumber humans three to one in Montana
Russia sold Alaska to the United States for 2 cents per acre
The government spends 9.4 cents for every nickel they make
Over 60% of Americans are white (around 63% to be exact)
One in eight people in the United States has been employed by McDonald’s
There are 310 million privately owned guns: that is almost 1 for every person in USA
In 1783, the United States became the first country to gain independence from a European power

蒙大拿州奶牛的数量是人类的三倍
俄罗斯以每英亩2美分的价格把阿拉斯加卖给了美国
政府每赚5美分就要花9.4美分
超过60%的美国人是白人(确切地说是63%左右)
美国八分之一的人口曾经在麦当劳工作过。
美国私人拥有的枪支达到了3.1亿支，几乎平均每个美国人拥有一支
1783年，美国成为欧洲列强手下第一个独立的国家

There is no official language in the United States
More than one-third of adults in the United States are obese
The United States experiences the highest rate of tornadoes of any country in the world. On an average, the country deals with more than 1000 tornadoes every year.
The United States of America has the world’s largest air force. It was founded on September 18, 1947. The USAF with more than 5,369 military aircraft is the most technologically advanced air force in the world.

美国没有官方语言
美国超过三分之一的成年人肥胖
美国是世界上龙卷风发生频率最高的国家。平均每年遭遇1000多次龙卷风。
美国拥有世界上最大的空军。美国空军成立于1947年9月18日，拥有5369架军用飞机，是世界上技术最先进的空军。

Tom Robinson
Here is something that should blow the mind of any decent American:

有一件事应该会让正派美国人大吃一惊:

There are slave plantations still in operation today in parts of the South.

直到今天南方部分地区仍有奴隶种植园。

Don’t believe me? Let me introduce you to the place formally known as Louisiana State Penitentiary, but much more commonly referred to by the plantation’s original name: Angola.

不相信?我向你们介绍一个地方，正式名称是路易斯安那州立监狱，但大家对另一个常用的名字更熟悉:安哥拉。

Slave-Trader and plantation owner Isaac Franklin purchased the land for the Angola Plantation in the 1830s. The name was chosen for the location in Africa from which the enslaved workers had been taken, and the plantation became an extremely profitable source for the cotton trade.

奴隶贩子和种植园主艾萨克·富兰克林19世纪30年代为安哥拉种植园购买了这片土地。这个庄园的名字来自被奴役工人的非洲家乡，种植园成为棉花贸易利润非常高的来源。 

After the Civil War, the plantation was bought by Confederate Major Samuel Lawrence James.
Major James saw an opportunity for the plantation’s profits to continue, despite the setback caused by abolition. The 13th Amendment, which largely ended the practice of slavery, had one notable loophole. The Amendment reads:

南北战争后，南方联盟的少校塞缪尔·劳伦斯·詹姆斯买下了这个庄园。 
詹姆斯少校看到了种植园利润继续增长的机会，尽管废除奴隶制度带来了挫折。在很大程度上结束了奴隶制的第13修正案有个明显的漏洞。该修正案写道:

Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

在美国或受其管辖的任何地方，均不得存在奴隶制或非自愿奴役，除非作为当事人已被正式定罪的惩罚。

In other words, people could still be subjected to involuntary servitude so long as they had been convicted of a crime. James saw that he could continue to operate the plantation under the Convict lease system, which allowed plantation owners and private companies to “lease” unpaid involuntary workers from the state, effectively replacing chattel slavery with penal servitude. Not only did the plantation continue to operate, but he used his involuntary labor force to build levees and railroads across the state.

换句话说，只要被判有罪，人们仍然可能被迫服劳役。詹姆斯看到他可以继续在囚犯租赁制度下经营种植园，该制度允许种植园主和私人公司从州政府“租赁”无偿非自愿工人，有效地用刑罚奴役代替了劳役拘役。不仅种植园可以继续经营，他还利用非自愿劳动力修建了横跨全州的堤坝和铁路。

At the same time, the State of Louisiana passed a series of laws directly aimed at keeping a sizable involuntary workforce. Numerous minor infractions were given sizable fines, and if the accused parties were unable to pay (keep in mind that recently-freed slaves had very little money), the only other option was to work off their debt on a plantation like Angola.

与此同时，路易斯安那州通过了一系列法律，直接目的是保持相当数量的非自愿劳动力。许多轻微的违法行为都会被处以巨额罚款，如果被指控方无法支付(记住，新近获得自由的奴隶没有多少钱)，唯一的其他选择就是在安哥拉这样的种植园里工作来偿还债务。 

In 1901, the Angola Plantation was formally incorporated into the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections and opened as a state prison farm. It kept the name of the slave plantation in practice, and is still referred to as “Angola” to this day:

1901年，安哥拉种植园正式并入路易斯安那公共安全和惩教部门，并作为州监狱农场开放。农场保留了奴隶种植园的名字，直到今天仍被称为“安哥拉”:

The name of the penitentiary is well known to many fans of blues music, as the place where Allen Lomax traveled to document the guitar of several inmates, most notably one Huddie Ledbetter, better known as Lead Belly.

许多布鲁斯音乐的粉丝都知道这座监狱的名字，艾伦·洛马克斯就是在这里记录了几名囚犯的吉他演奏，其中最著名的是被称为铅肚皮的哈迪·莱德贝特: 

Despite its importance to the history of Blues Music, the fact remains the Angola continued to operate almost exactly as it had before emancipation throughout the 20th Century, and continues to this day. The passage of various prison reforms has made some difference in the treatment of inmates, but those reforms have largely been driven by the reports of the horrific conditions in what has been repeatedly declared “The Worst Prison in America.”

尽管在布鲁斯音乐史上占有重要地位，但事实是，安哥拉在整个20世纪，甚至直到今天，仍几乎和农奴被解放前一样。各种监狱改革的让囚犯的待遇有所不同，但这些改革主要是由不断被“美国最糟糕的监狱”，监狱条件比较恐怖的报道推动的。

One such report came after an act of protest by the prisoners in 1952, almost a full century after the abolition of slavery. In an act of defiance against the horrific work conditions, 31 prisoners cut their own Achilles’ tendons in order to cripple themselves, and the article published in Collier’s Magazine created a shocked outcry for reform.

1952年，在废除奴隶制近一个世纪之后，囚犯们举行了抗议活动。为了反抗恶劣的工作条件，31名囚犯割掉了自己的跟腱自残。《科利尔杂志》发表的这篇文章让人感到震惊，人们强烈呼吁改革。 

Despite the slow reforms, merely looking at pictures of Angola over the course of its history are enough to show that some elements of the Slavery that the Civil War was fought to end are still alive and well in America today:

尽管改革进展缓慢，但只要看一看安哥拉历史进程中的照片，就足以表明，内战致力于结束的奴隶制因素仍然存在，而且在今天的美国依然存在: 

To put this problem in context, here is a Louisiana sheriff speaking in October of 2017:

让我们来看看这个问题的背景，以下是2017年10月一位路易斯安那州警长的讲话:

Thank you for reading. Hopefully, if more Americans can be made aware of the horrific legacy of our greatest national shame in our current penal system, our country can push for the criminal justice reform it so desperately needs. This is not a partisan issue, it is a human issue and every decent American, liberal or conservative, should be opposed to this victimization of our fellow citizens.

感谢阅读。如果更多的美国人能够意识到我们当前刑罚体系中最大的国家耻辱留下的可怕遗产，我们的国家就有希望推动迫切需要的刑事司法改革。这不是党派的问题，这是关于人类的问题，每个正派的美国人，无论自由派还是保守派，都应该反对这种对我们同胞的迫害。