Spanish territory now bounded the United States on the south and the west. 此时，美国的南部和西部都是西班牙的领土。

　　The Spaniards were not good neighbors, because it was very hard to make them come to an agreement, and next to impossible to make them keep an agreement when it was made. 西班牙人不是好邻居，因为很难与他们达成一致，而且，即使有了一致也难于维持多久。

　　But this did not matter very much, because Spain was a weak power and was growing weaker every year. 但这没有多大关系，因为西班牙国力不大而且越来越弱，

　　Sooner or later the United States would gain its point. 迟早美国会从西班牙那里有所得。

　　Suddenly, however, it was announced that France had got back Louisiana. 然而，美国人突然被告知法国人回到了路易斯安那，

　　And almost at the same moment the Spanish governor of Louisiana said that Americans could no longer deposit their goods at New Orleans. 几乎与此同时，西班牙在路易斯安那的总督说美国再也不可以在新奥尔良存储他们的货物，

　　At once there was a great outcry in the West. 美国西部地区迅速发出强烈抗议。

　　Jefferson determined to buy from France New Orleans and the land eastward from the mouth of the Mississippi. 杰斐逊决定从法国人手中买下新奥尔良和密西西比河入海口以西的土地。

　　242. The Louisiana Purchase, 1803. 242．买下路易斯安那（1803年）

　　When Napoleon got Louisiana from Spain, he had an idea of again founding a great French colony in America. 当拿破仑从西班牙手中得到路易斯安那时，他再次想到在美洲建立一个强大的法国殖民地。

　　At the moment France and Great Britain were at peace. 此时，法国与大不列颠处于和平状态，

　　But it soon looked as if war would begin again. 但是，很快似乎战争又要爆发，

　　Napoleon knew that the British would at once seize Louisiana and he could not keep it anyway. 拿破仑知道英国会马上夺取路易斯安那，而他不可能保有这个地方。

　　So one day, when the Americans and the French were talking about the purchase of New Orleans, the French minister suddenly asked if the United States would not like to buy the whole of Louisiana. 因此，当有一天美国人和法国人谈到购买新奥尔良时，法国官员突然问美国是否愿意买下整个路易斯安那。

　　Monroe and Livingston, the American ministers, had no authority to buy Louisiana. 美国官员门罗和利文斯通没有权力买下整个路易斯安那，

　　But the purchase of the whole colony would be a great benefit to the United States. 但是，买下整个殖民地将对美国十分有利，

　　So they quickly agreed to pay fifteen million dollars for the whole of Louisiana. 因此他们迅速答应出1500万美元买下整个路易斯安那。