美国开国先辈对“美洲退化论”的反驳及其意义

The Refutations of “American Degeneracy” by the Founding Fathers and Their Significance

在欧洲中心主义居于主导地位的启蒙时代,布丰等人阐发的"美洲退化论"可谓独树一帜,影响广泛。这对宣称承担着上帝赋予之特殊使命的美国人来说,简直就是一种蔑视或侮辱。领导这个新国家的开国先辈自然不会对这种"荒唐"理论的存在熟视无睹,任其四处传播,必然愤而反击,一洗布丰等人强加给美洲大陆的不实之词。他们对这种理论反驳的结果无疑加强了由移民组成的这个新国家的凝聚力,让美国人对它的发展前景充满足够的自信,也有效地改变了欧洲人脑海中美洲或美国的负面形象,在形成美国国家意识上起到很大的促进作用。

In the Age of Enlightenment when Eurocentrism prevailed,the 'American Degeneracy' which was coined by Buffon and others was unique and influential.This notion was undoubtedly a scorn or an insult to those Americans who claimed to assume a special mission granted by God.As leaders of this new nation,the founding fathers could not pretend to be unaware of this absurd theory and let it spread arbitrarily.They countered Buffon and others’illegitimate attack on America with indignant refutations.It is unquestionably that their refutations enhanced the cohesion of a new nation of immigrants,stimulated the confidence of Americans in the prospects of the United States,and facilitated the formation of national consciousness of the United States.It also altered the negative image of America existing in European minds.