you might call a kind of Jeffersonian idealism--

或者甚至是梅迪逊理想主义
or even a Madisonian idealism--

的东西所影响
that somehow this America, yes, it had problems--

认为这样的美国总还存在什么问题
or as Jefferson said,

或者就像杰佛逊说的
we got the wolf by the ears, with slavery;

有奴隶制在我们就骑虎难下
you can't get off because the wolf will devour you;

没法脱身因为老虎会吃人
but if you stay on you got to ride that damn wolf forever.

但如果一直骑着就永远下不来了
But he said that in private--

不过这是他私下里说的
but this kind of Jeffersonian idealism

但是这种杰弗逊理想主义
that somehow this grand american continent with its resources physically,

资源富饶的美丽壮丽的美国大陆
and this grand American Constitution, this great experiment,

以及伟大的美国宪法伟大的政治革命
would dissolve this problem,

能够解决这个问题