This began in the early 1870s

从1870年代早期开始
It first started in St. Louis

起先在圣路易斯
It was really a cartel, what we in modern times

它其实是企业联合现在我们叫
would call the creation of a cartel

成立企业联合
These were whiskey distillers, all over the country,

都是些全国各地的威士忌酿造商
who banded together to cheat the U.S. Government out of excise taxes;

他们捆在一起欺骗联邦政府以图逃税
the luxury tax on whiskey

威士忌酒的奢侈税
The way that they did it is many distillers

方法是很多酿造商
were forced to join this ring of people around the country

被迫加入这一全国性集团
or have their businesses ruined;

否则就别想做生意
join or we'll run you out of business

入伙否则滚蛋
The Whiskey Ring had branch offices all over the country,

威士忌酒集团在全国各地设立分支