又中又英 | Monroe Doctrine | 褚簡寧

　　History geeks will likely be familiar with the Monroe Doctrine. It is named after US President James Monroe who declared it in 1823. The word “geek” used this way means a person who knows a lot about a particular subject. History geeks are very interested in history. The Monroe Doctrine was a US policy which warned European nations against further colonization or interference in the Americas. The US said the Western Hemisphere would be under its influence, including Canada, Central America, South America, which includes Venezuela, the Caribbean, and Greenland. In exchange, the US would not interfere in European affairs.

　　The US went beyond the Monroe Doctrine in the 1900s by copying other empires which colonized countries for their wealth. It annexed Hawaii, took control of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines from Spain, and built the Panama Canal to benefit the US. The Barack Obama administration declared the Monroe Doctrine dead in 2013, but it was already dead in fact after World War II. President Donald Trump has now breathed new life into the Monroe Doctrine. To breathe new life into something means to give new energy or excitement to something. He did that by ordering US forces to invade Venezuela and capture its president Nicolás Maduro.

　　Trump initially said the invasion’s purpose was to bring Maduro to the US on drug-related charges but has now made clear he wants to control Venezuela’s vast oil reserves. His administration has said the US considers the Western Hemisphere its backyard. Trump now wants to take over Greenland for its mineral wealth. The Monroe Doctrine has now been nicknamed the Donroe Doctrine. Don is, of course, short for Donald.

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　　歷史迷（history geeks）大概對門羅主義（Monroe Doctrine）很熟悉。它是由美國總統占士．門羅於1823年所宣布，因此以他的名字來命名。Geek在這裏的意思是一個人在特定的題目上知之甚詳；history geeks則是對歷史非常熱衷的人。門羅主義（Monroe Doctrine）是美國的政策，警告歐洲國家勿再進一步殖民或干預美洲。美國當時說，西半球（Western Hemisphere）包括加拿大、中美洲、南美洲將會在其影響力之下，而這些地方又包括委內瑞拉、加勒比地區以及格陵蘭，而美國亦以不干涉歐洲事務作為交換。 

　　美國於1900年代超出了門羅主義（Monroe Doctrine），複製其他帝國的模式，為其他國家的財富而殖民當地。它吞併了夏威夷，從西班牙手中奪取波多黎各、關島和菲律賓的控制權，又建巴拿馬運河以令美國得益。巴拉克．奧巴馬的政府於2013年宣布門羅主義（Monroe Doctrine）已不復存在，但它實際上於二次世界大戰後已然名存實亡。美國總統當勞．特朗普現在給門羅主義（Monroe Doctrine）賦予新生命（breathed new life into）。To breathe new life into something是指為某事物注入活力、帶來起色。他的做法是下令美軍進攻委內瑞拉，捉拿其總統尼古拉斯．馬杜羅。

　　特朗普起初說，進攻的目的是將馬杜羅帶返美國，以面對毒品相關的控罪，但現時更明確的是，他想控制委內瑞拉巨大的石油儲量。他的政府已表明，美國視西半球（Western Hemisphere）為其後院。特朗普現在謀着格陵蘭的礦產資源，意圖佔領它。門羅主義（Monroe Doctrine）現在給暱稱為當羅主義（Donroe Doctrine），當中的「當」當然就是當勞的簡稱。

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Michael Chugani褚簡寧
中譯：七刻