The first U.S. president, George Washington, was inaugurated in New York City. At the time, New York was the temporary capital of the country.
美国第一任总统乔治·华盛顿（George Washington）是在纽约市就职，当时纽约是美国的临时首都。

Because Americans had never had a president before, George Washington had to wait a week before lawmakers could agree on what an inauguration ceremony should look like.
因为美国人之前从来没有过总统，华盛顿不得不等了一个星期，让议员们得以就这次就职典礼怎么搞达成一致。

Finally, on April 30, the president- and vice president-to-be, along with other lawmakers, gathered at the senate building. They walked to the balcony and waved at the crowd.
最终在4月30日，即将就职的总统、副总统以及其他议员聚集在参议院大楼。他们走到了阳台，向人群挥手。

Then, a judge asked Washington to swear to "faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States." Those are the words the U.S. Constitution requires.
然后，一名法官请华盛顿宣誓“忠实履行美国总统职务”。这些是美国宪法所要求的誓词。

The judge wanted Washington to swear on a Bible. But at the last minute, the judge realized he did not have one. A messenger had to find and borrow one quickly.
法官希望华盛顿手按圣经发誓。但是在最后时刻，法官发现他没有圣经。一位通讯员不得不马上去借了一本。

After the oath, Washington read a speech to the senators. One of those senators described the scene in his diary. William Maclay wrote that Washington appeared nervous and uncomfortable. Washington trembled and had difficulty reading his speech.
华盛顿在宣誓后向参议员们发表了演讲。其中一名参议员在他的日记中描述了这一场景。威廉·麦克雷（William Maclay）写道，华盛顿似乎很紧张，他浑身颤抖着，磕磕巴巴地念着演讲稿。

The ceremony was short, sweet, and – according to Maclay – awkward.
就职仪式非常短暂、美好，根据麦克雷描述的，还很尴尬。

Jefferson, 1801
杰斐逊，1801年

Thomas Jefferson, the third president, had an inauguration that was reportedly even simpler. He walked to the ceremony instead being driven in a carriage, as the first two presidents had done.
据说第三任总统托马斯·杰斐逊（Thomas Jefferson）的就职典礼非常简单。他走进了典礼现场，而不是像前两任总统一样乘坐马车。

When Jefferson arrived at the Capitol, a large crowd met him. The president-elect had prepared a speech. But when Jefferson gave it, his voice was so soft that few people heard him.
当杰斐逊来到国会大厦，遇到了一大群人。这位候任总统已经做好了演讲准备。但是当他发表演讲时，他的声音太小了，几乎没人听到他的声音。

Today, Jefferson's first inaugural speech is well-known among Americans. It is famous for trying to ease the ugly dispute between political parties during the campaign.
杰斐逊的首次就职演讲如今在美国人之中众所周知。它以试图缓解竞选期间政党之间的激烈交锋而闻名。

But apparently the bitter taste of the election remained. Jefferson's rival in the election – former president John Adams – did not attend the inauguration. In the dark hours just before the ceremony, Adams packed his bags, quit the White House, and took a coach back to Boston.
但是显然选举的苦涩尚存，杰斐逊的竞选对手--前总统约翰·亚当斯（John Adams）没有参加这次就职典礼。在典礼开始前的暗淡时刻，亚当斯收拾好行李离开白宫，坐车回到了波士顿。

William Henry Harrison, 1841
威廉·亨利·哈里森，1841年

No history of presidential inaugurations would be complete without noting William Henry Harrison, the country's ninth president.
如果不提到美国第九任总统威廉·亨利·哈里森（William Henry Harrison），总统就职典礼的历史就不是完整的。

At 68, Harrison was the oldest person to take office at the time. On his Inauguration Day, he reportedly wanted to show that he was strong enough to serve as president by delivering a very, very long speech. It was a cold day, and Harrison did not wear a coat or hat.
68岁的哈里森是当时最年长的就任者。据传闻，他在总统就职日想通过长篇演讲表明自己身体足够强壮来担任总统。这天很冷，哈里森没穿外套，也没戴帽子。

One month later, Harrison died – the first president to die in office. His doctor recorded that Harrison died of pneumonia. The usual story is that his long speech killed him.
一个月之后，哈里森去世了，成为了首位死在任上的总统。他的医生记录说，哈里森死于肺炎。通常说法是他的长篇演讲害死了他。

But researchers reviewed Harrison's case and in 2014 proposed a different reason for his death. Jane McHugh and Philip Mackowiak say Harrison did not get sick until three weeks after his inauguration. And he complained of being tired and anxious, not of pain in his lungs.
但是研究人员重新审查了哈里森的病例，并在2014年提出了一种不同的死因。简·麦休（Jane McHugh）和菲利普·马科维亚克（Philip Mackowiak）表示，哈里森直到就职典礼三个星期之后才生病。他抱怨非常疲倦和焦虑，没说肺部疼痛。

The researchers point out that, at the time, Washington, DC did not have a good sewer system. Human waste "simply flowed onto public grounds a short distance from the White House," they wrote in the New York Times.
研究人员指出，当时华盛顿特区没有良好的下水道系统。他们在纽约时报上写道，人体排泄物流到了距离白宫不远的公共场所。

Some of the bacteria probably entered the president's pipes – so to speak. The researchers conclude that Harrison probably died from drinking dirty water.
一些细菌可能进入了总统的气管--可以这么说。研究人员得出结论，哈里森可能死于饮用了不干净的水。

Calvin Coolidge, 1923
卡尔文·柯立芝，1923年

Not all presidents have memorable inaugurations. But the inauguration of Calvin Coolidge, the 30th president, is notable for being the least memorable.
并不是所有总统都有令人难忘的就职典礼。但是第30任总统卡尔文·柯立芝（Calvin Coolidge）的就职典礼就以难忘而闻名。

In August of 1923, Coolidge was the vice president. He did not have many duties and went on vacation at his family's house in Vermont.
1923年8月，柯立芝还是副总统。他没有承担多少职责，正在佛蒙特州的家中度假。

In the middle of the night, his father woke him up with a telegram. It said that the president, Warren Harding, had died. Coolidge was now president.
他的父亲半夜拿着一份电报叫醒了他。电报称总统沃伦·哈丁（Warren Harding）去世了，柯立芝当即成为了总统。