it was a tremendous engine for what became arguably

市场这个巨大的发动机
the most prevalent idea of the entire nineteenth century in America,

它带来了十九世纪最流行且有争议的看法
and that's the notion of progress.

即对进步的观念
America was now going to be the nation of progress.

美国将成为一个进步的国家
It was going to be the place of progress.

它将是一个进步之地
It seemed to have boundless borders and boundless resources.

它似乎有无限的土地和用之不尽的资源
It looked like it could expand almost forever.

而且似乎会永远增长下去
It had tremendous riches in ore.

它矿产资源丰富
It had tremendous natural wealth.

地大物博自然资源丰富
It would therefore be the place of progress in the world.

因此应该是世界最进步的国家
And as Walt Whitman wrote in poem after poem,

对此沃尔特·惠特曼和其他诗人
and other poets did as well,

写下了众多的诗篇