VOA Learning English presents America’s Presidents.
美国之音慢速英语介绍美国总统栏目。
Today we are continuing our story about Abraham Lincoln.
今天，我们来继续谈论亚伯拉罕·林肯的故事。
He led the United States during the Civil War, which lasted from 1861-1865. In that conflict, the Southern Confederacy battled the Union – the states that supported the federal government.
他在内战期间领导美国，内战从1861年持续到1865年。这场战争中，南部联盟与支持联邦政府的各州作战。
Southern states wanted to make their own laws, including those that protected slavery. They were afraid that President Lincoln would use the power of the federal government to ban slavery in their states, as well as in other areas.
南部诸州想要制定自己的法律，包括保护奴隶制的法律。他们害怕林肯总统会使用联邦政府的权利来取缔他们各自州的奴隶制，也包括其他一些地区。
So 11 Southern states withdrew from the rest of the country. They stopped recognizing the power of the central government.
所以，11个南方州宣布脱离联邦，他们不再承认中央政府的权利。
President Lincoln did not think states had the right to withdraw. He said he was fighting to reunite the country.
林肯总统认为各州是没有权利脱离联邦的，他会为重新统一联邦而斗争。
But in time, he accepted that the Civil War would also be a fight to end slavery.
但随着时间的推移，他承认内战也是废除奴隶制的斗争。
Commander-in-chief 总司令
Lincoln is known for several qualities as a wartime president. One was how he led the military campaign.
林肯作为战时总统展现了诸多品质，其中之一就是如何领导军事活动。
Lincoln hoped the Union’s generals could execute the plan quickly and end the war as soon as possible.
林肯希望联邦将领能够迅速执行这份计划，尽快结束这场战争。
Finally, Lincoln replaced McClellan. Then he replaced McClellan’s replacements.
最终，林肯撤换了麦克莱伦。然后他接替了麦克莱伦的工作。
Executive power 行政权
Lincoln changed the presidency by being actively involved as a commander-in-chief of the military. He also greatly expanded the powers of the chief executive.
林肯通过积极参与军队总司令的工作而改变了总统职位，他还大幅扩大了总统的权利。
Lincoln believed that, during war, the president had powers that were greater than those of Congress and the Supreme Court. As a result, he took many actions that critics – and even some supporters – considered illegal under the U.S. Constitution.
林肯认为，战争时期，总统权利应该大于国会和最高法院。结果，他的行为招致了批评家甚至是一些支持者的反对，认为他违反了美国宪法。
But, at some periods, Lincoln ignored that right.
但是，在一段时期，林肯暂停了这项权利。
He said the Confederacy’s “rebellion” justified his actions. And, he said, extreme measures were necessary to re-unite the country.
他说，联盟的“叛乱”使他的举措合法化，并且，极端措施对于重新统一联邦是必须的。
Emancipation Proclamation
Lincoln also did not really believe in racial equality. And he worried that if slavery ended in the United States, blacks and whites would not be able to live peacefully together.
林肯也没有真正相信种族平等，他担心如果美国废除奴隶制，黑人和白人不能够和平相处。
But as the war continued, Lincoln changed his mind about how to deal with the issue.
但随着战争的推移，林肯改变了如何处理这个问题的想法。
Lincoln also considered tactical reasons -- those related to the war.
林肯还需要考虑与战争相关的战术原因。
He saw that enslaved people in the South were escaping to join Union armies in the North. Their actions helped the Union effort.
他看到南方奴隶都逃离来参加北方联邦军队，他们的行为帮助了联邦的努力。
Lincoln also wanted to prevent England or France from helping the South. The Southern states were important trading partners for Europe. But the English and French people had rejected slavery. Lincoln hoped that if the Union also rejected slavery, European countries would support the North – or at least not support the South.
林肯也要想办法阻止英国和法国对南方的援助。南方各州是欧洲很重要的贸易伙伴，但是英国人和法国人也反对奴隶制。林肯希望如果联邦也反对奴隶制，欧洲国家就能够支持北方，至少不要支持南方。
He produced a document called the Emancipation Proclamation. It said that enslaved people in the rebelling states were “forever free.”
他起草了一份解放奴隶宣言的文件，宣言称叛乱州的奴隶将永远获得自由。
Next week we will finish the story of Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War.
下周，我们将结束亚伯拉罕·林肯以及内战的故事。