VOA常速英语:U.S. Constitution Article One

Next, an editorial reflecting American ideals and institutions.
接下来，是一篇反映美国理念和制度的社论。

Article One of the United States Constitution describes the powers assigned to Congress, the country’s legislative branch.Congress is made up of two deliberative bodies. The House and the Senate. The House represents the American people and the Senate represents the fifty states.
美国宪法第一章叙述了美国立法机构国会享有的权力。国会由两个审议机构组成：众议院和参议院。众议院代表美国民众，参议院代表50个州。

Article One establishes the manner of election and the qualifications of members of each body. Representatives, also known as “Congressmen or Congresswomen”, must be at least 25 years old,be citizens of the United States for seven years, and live in the states they represent. Senators must be at least 30 years old, be citizens for nine years, and live in the states they represent.
第一章确立了每个审议机构的选举方式和成员资格。众议员，也就是“国会男议员或国会女议员”，必须至少达到25岁，成为美国公民已满7年，并居住在所代表的州。参议员必须至少30岁，成为美国公民已满9年，并居住在所代表的州。

Section 8 of Article one defines the powers delegated to the legislature. Congress may tax, borrow, pay debts and provide for the common defense and the general welfare of the American people.It has the power to regulate commerce, bankruptcies, and coin money.It may regulate and govern U.S. military forces and the military forces of the states, suppress insurrections and repel invasions.It is to provide for immigration and naturalization of citizens, standards of weights and measures, post offices and roads, and patents.
第一章第八节定义了分配给立法机构的权力。国会可以征税、借贷、还债，为美国公民提供共同防御和公共福利。它还有权力管理商业、破产和铸造货币。还可以控制和管理美国军队和各州军事力量、镇压叛乱、击退侵略。同时还管理公民的移民和入籍事项、度量衡标准、邮局、道路和专利。

Internationally, Congress has the power to declare war and make rules of war.Article I, Section 9 lists eight specific limits on congressional power.
在国际事务上，国会有权力宣战、制定战争规则。第一章第九节列举了对国会权力的8条具体限制。

The final clause of Article One, called the “Necessary and Proper Clause,”enables Congress to enact the laws required for the exercise of its other powers established by the Constitution.
第一章最后一条是“必要及适当条款”，它使国会颁布法律以确保宪法确立的其他权力得以实施。 

Alexander Hamilton, who played a decisive role in the adoption of the U.S. Constitution, wrote “It ought never to be forgotten, that a firm union of this country, under an efficient government,will probably be an increasing object of jealousy to more than one nation of Europe; and that enterprises to subvert it will sometimes originate in the intrigues of foreign powers,and will seldom fail to be patronized and abetted by some of them,” said Hamilton.“Its preservation, therefore ought in no case that can be avoided, to be committed to the guardianship of any but those whose situation will uniformly beget an immediate interest in the faithful and vigilant performance of the trust.”
亚历山大·汉密尔顿在通过美国宪法方面发挥了决定性的作用。“永远不应忘记在高效政府的管理下，这一坚固的国家联盟将可能成为多个欧洲国家戒备的对象；要颠覆它的企业有时是来自外国势力的阴谋，并通常会受到一些外国势力的资助和挑唆，”他说。“宪法的保护是不可避免的，应致力于保护任何人，除了一些人之外，即他们的情况会立即引起人们对信任的忠诚和警惕性的关注。”