SAT閱讀文章（歷史類）第4篇

02-05

阿爾弗雷德·賽耶·馬漢（Alfred Thayer Mahan，1840年9月27日－1914年12月1日）是一名美國海軍的上校及預備役少將。馬漢的思想深受古希臘雅典海軍統帥地米斯托克利及政治家伯里克利的影響，主要著述有《海權對歷史的影響1660-1783》，《海權對法國革命及帝國的影響，1793－1812》，《海權的影響與1812年戰爭的關係》，《海軍戰略》等。

馬漢認為制海權對一國力量最為重要。海洋的主要航線能帶來大量商業利益，因此必須有強大的艦隊確保制海權，以及足夠的商船與港口來利用此一利益。馬漢也強調海洋軍事安全的價值，認為海洋可保護國家免於在本土交戰，而制海權對戰爭的影響比陸軍更大。他主張美國應建立強大的遠洋艦隊，控制加勒比海、中美洲地峽附近的水域，再進一步控制其他海洋，再進一步與列強共同利用東南亞與中國的海洋利益。馬漢的海權論對日後各國政府的政策影響甚大。美國總統西奧多·羅斯福控制中美洲的「巨棒政策」是以馬漢理論為基礎。直到冷戰結束後美國在亞太地區的部署都以馬漢理論為原形。馬漢並且提出了相關的戰略，主要以英國為例，討論一國的地理、人口、政府政策等六項基本因素對海權的影響.

Passage 1 is an excerpt from The Influence of Sea Power Upon History by A.T. Mahan, originally published in 1890. Passage 2 is an excerpt from Maritime Security, Sea Power, and Trade, a speech given in 2014 by Tom Kelly, the Acting Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs.

Passage 1

The first and most obvious light in which the sea presents itself from the political and social point of view is that of a great highway; or better, perhaps, of a wide common, over which men may pass in all directions, but on which some well-worn paths show that controlling reasons have led them to choose certain lines of travel rather than others.

Under modern conditions, home trade is but a part of the business of a country bordering on the sea. Foreign necessaries or luxuries must be brought to its ports, either in its own or in foreign ships, which will return, bearing in exchange the products of the country, whether they be the fruits of the earth or the works of mens hands; and it is the wish of every nation that this shipping business should be done by its own vessels. The ships that thus sail to and fro must have secure ports to which to return, and must, as far as possible, be followed by the protection of their country throughout the voyage.

. . . .

In these three things—production, with the necessity of exchanging products, shipping, whereby the exchange is carried on, and colonies, which facilitate and enlarge the operations of shipping and tend to protect it by multiplying points of safety—is to be found the key to much of the history, as well as of the policy, of nations bordering upon the sea. The policy has varied both with the spirit of the age and with the character and clear-sightedness of the rulers; but the history of the seaboard nations has been less determined by the shrewdness and foresight of governments than by conditions of position, extent, configuration, number and character of their people,—by what are called, in a word, natural conditions. It must however be admitted, and will be seen, that the wise or unwise action of individual men has at certain periods had a great modifying influence upon the growth of sea power in the broad sense, which includes not only the military strength afloat, that rules the sea or any part of it by force of arms, but also the peaceful commerce and shipping from which alone a military fleet naturally and healthfully springs, and on which it securely rests.

End of reading passage.

Passage 2

One of the great strategic advantages of the United States is that, as "America, the Beautiful" reminds us, our nation stretches from "sea to shining sea." The oceans have been part of our identity – and our protection – since the founding of the country. They have been the path through which we became both a great commercial and a great military force. I may be a diplomat, but I believe in naval power. It makes my job easier. I grew up on the shores of the Pacific Ocean. My professional background is in trade. So it』s very natural for me to see the oceans and our maritime security as essential to our continued prosperity.

Ninety percent of world trade is conducted on the oceans. Our food, our fuel, our imports and exports all travel on these global economic highways. Maritime trade is our nation』s life blood. Keeping the oceans free for commerce – in two words, maritime security – is key to our national security.

Today, this phrase encompasses a complex set of issues, including both public and private activities, sometimes with diametrically opposed interests. . . . Mother Nature reminded us that she still controls some aspects of maritime security. . . . Climate change is affecting the Arctic. As the ice cap shrinks, old shipping lanes are expanding and, in some cases, new ones are opening. Opening these Arctic lanes to commerce and keeping them free will be important. As the lanes open, we』ll see more demand for access to the Arctic』s natural resources, which in turn may raise the stakes on territorial disputes.

We should remember that outside the domestic waters of the United States, securing our own maritime security depends on our foreign policy. Our security assistance programs. . . can be a critical tool to support states trying to build their security capacity, which feeds into larger foreign policy objectives beyond achieving peace and security – such as promoting economic growth, democracy, and human rights.