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The problem: "I appointed a Presidential Commission on Drunk Driving.
问题：“我选拔了一个专门调查酒驾的总统委员会。
They told us that alcohol related automobile accidents are the leading cause of teenage deaths in this country."
他们告诉我，与酒精有关的交通事故是这个国家青少年死亡的主要原因。”
The theory: "In states in which the drinking age has been raised, teenage drinking fatalities have gone down significantly.
理论：“提高了法定饮酒年龄门槛的州，青少年饮酒死亡人数已经显著下降。
Here in New Jersey, you raised the drinking age to 21 in 1983, and you know what happened:
就在你们新泽西，你们早在1983年就将饮酒年龄提高到了21岁，成果也是大家有目共睹的：
you had a 26% reduction in nighttime single vehicle fatalities among 19 and 20 year olds in the first year alone."
推行这一政策后的第一年，19~20岁的青少年夜间发生单车事故（涉事车辆只有一辆）引起的死亡人数就减少了26%。”
The dilemma: "I was delighted again because I hoped that the states would, as they should,
困境：“我再次感到十分高兴，因为我希望各州能够承担起他们本就应当承担的责任，
take this action themselves without federal orders or interference...
自行行动起来，不要等到联邦命令他们行动或是联邦干预之后再行动……
It’s led to a kind of crazy quilt of different state drinking laws, and that’s led to what’s been called blood borders,
导致各州制定了一堆疯狂的限制饮酒的法律，
with teenagers leaving their home to go the nearest state with a lower drinking age.
进而导致青少年纷纷离开家去附近饮酒年龄也更低的州饮酒。”
And here? This is where the roads come in.
而这……就是路发挥作用的地方。
The Interstate Highway Act of 1956 created a network of roads largely funded by Federal dollars.
1956年州际公路法通过后，一个主要由联邦资金资助的道路网络诞生了。
Those roads quickly became crucial to state economies.
这些道路很快成为了国家经济的命脉。
That money also became a way to bend the states to Federal priorities,
这笔钱也成了让各州服从联邦的一个砝码，
even if it meant Reagan had to change his typical political positions.
即使这意味着里根必须改变他一贯的政治立场。
"I’ve decided to support legislation to withhold 5% of a state’s highway funds if it does not enact the 21-year-old drinking age.
“我决定支持立法，如果不将法定饮酒年龄提高到21岁，我就扣留该州5%的道路建设资金。
Some may feel that my decision is at odds with my philosophical viewpoint that state problems should involve state solutions,
一些人可能觉得我的这一决定与我的哲学立场不一致，州的问题应该包括由州来解决，
and it isn’t up to a big and overwhelming government in Washington to tell the states what to do.
不应该让华盛顿这个规模庞大，让人喘不过气的政府来告诉各州该怎么做。
And you’re partly right.
你是对的。
Beyond that, there are some special cases in which overwhelming need can be dealt with by prudent and limited federal action."
但有一些情况比较特殊，那些压倒性的需求，我们是可以通过谨慎和有限的联邦行动来满足的。”
The law passed.
立法通过了。
That’s Candy Lightner, celebrating.
这是糖糖·莱特纳在庆祝。
It wasn’t technically a nationwide drinking age law, but in effect — it was.
严格来说，这并不是一个全国性的饮酒年龄法律，但从本质上来讲也可以说是。
"We have no misgiving about this judicious use of Federal power."
“我们对这种明智地使用联邦权力的行为并不感到担忧。”
States quickly adopted the 21-year-old drinking age.
各州很快采纳了21岁的饮酒年龄规定。
Most couldn't afford to lose federal funding for their highways.
因为大多数州都无法承受失去联邦政府为他们的高速公路提供的资金的代价。
Louisiana was the only state that held out at age 18 (due to a loophole, which it closed in the mid 90s).
路易斯安纳州是唯一一个继续将法定饮酒年龄维持在18岁的州（得益于该州法律的一个漏洞，但该州在90年代中期弥补了这一漏洞。）
South Dakota challenged the law to preserve sale of low alcohol beer for 19 year olds and up, and it reached the Supreme Court.
南达科他州为维持低度啤酒销量在19岁及以上人群中间的销量对这一法律提出了质疑，最后还惊动了最高法院。
"You may proceed whenever you’re ready."
“你们可以准备好了再推行这一法律。”
"Mr. Chief Justice and may it please the court,
“首席大法官先生，希望法院能满意，
the issue in this case is whether or not Congress may condition the receipt of highway funds upon a state having in effect 21-year-old drinking age."
这个案件的问题在于国会是否可以将一个州是否将法定饮酒年龄提高到了21岁作为接受公路资金的条件。”
The court ruled 7-2, stating it was within Congress’s powers to control spending that promoted "general welfare,"
最高法院最终投票结果为7张赞成票、2张反对票，他们称，国会有权控制用于提升“全民福利”的支出，
argued as the reduction of youth drinking and driving via the 21-year-old drinking age.
主张通过21岁的饮酒年龄来降低青少年酒驾的几率。
Did it work?
问题是，这一法律奏效了吗？
Most studies of studies declare "case closed" —
大多数研究都宣称这事儿已经“结案”了——
that the higher drinking age saves lives, and "reduces alcohol consumption."
提高饮酒年龄可以挽救生命，还能“减少酒精消费”。
Skeptics, like people from the libertarian Cato Institute, claim a broader cultural change, not a law, should be credited with saving lives.
持怀疑态度的人，比如自由意志主义的卡托研究所的成员就声称，拯救生命的功劳属于普遍的文化变革，而不是法律。
Reagan himself kind of argued both sides, saying that, "the new minimum drinking age is working,"
里根本人似乎两边都同意，他一边说，“新的最低饮酒年龄规定正在发挥作用，”
but that "my friends, there’s so much more to do, and it’s not government that can do it."
一边又说，“我的朋友们，还有很多工作要做，但政府帮不上忙。”
Politically, Ronald Reagan using Federal purse strings to strong arm states is…a strange pairing.
从政治角度而言，罗纳德·里根利用联邦的钱包来武装各州这招……还挺奇怪的。
But beyond the politics, there’s a bigger message.
然而，撇去政治，还有一个更重要的信息。
The Federal government has used other levers to push states,
联邦政府也用了其他杠杆推动各州服从联邦意志，
but to change the drinking age, there was one big tool.
但在改变饮酒年龄这一问题上，他们用到了一个很重要的工具。
The thing that changed the country wasn’t just the lines on states’ edges.
改变这个国家的不仅仅是州与州之间的州际线，
It was the ones that run through them.
还有贯穿其中的那些线条。
