来自《耶鲁大学开放课程：美国内战与重建1845-1877 第4集第4集》

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
and politicians said over and over and over and over

政治家们也对此喋喋不休
America, and this United States, this nation formed there

这片土地上在美利坚合众国
would be the beginning of a new man,

人们可以获得新生
a new start for humankind.

这也是人类的新起点
That's a big idea. Of course we still want to be that.

这是个伟大思想至今我们仍为之努力