Jefferson found himself in a strange position. 杰斐逊发现自己处于一个尴尬的境地，

　　The Constitution nowhere delegated to the United States power to acquire territory. 宪法中找不到授权美国去获得领土的条款，

　　But after thinking it over Jefferson felt sure that the people would approve of the purchase. 但在深思熟虑之后杰斐逊认定人民会同意购买路易斯安那。

　　The treaty was ratified. The money was paid. 于是修改原有条约，付钱。

　　This purchase turned out to be a most fortunate thing. 这次购买路易斯安那变成一件最走运的事，

　　It gave to the United States the whole western valley of the Mississippi. 它将整个密西西比河流域西部送给美国，

　　It also gave to Americans the opportunity to explore and settle Oregon, which lay beyond the limits of Louisiana. 还让美国人有机会到不属于路易斯安那的新奥尔良探险和定居。

　　244. Lewis and Clark's Explorations. 244．刘易斯与克拉克的探险

　　Jefferson soon sent out several expeditions to explore the unknown portions of the continent. 杰斐逊马上派出几支探险队到这个大陆不知名的地方去探险，

　　The most important of these was the expedition led by two army officers, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, brother of General George Rogers Clark. 这些探险中最著名的要数军官莫里怀特o刘易斯和威廉姆o克拉克领导的一次探险。

　　Leaving St. Louis they slowly ascended the muddy Missouri. 这支探险队从圣路易斯出发沿着泥污的密苏里河慢慢逆流而上，

　　They passed the site of the present city of Omaha. 他们经过今天奥马哈所在的位置，

　　They passed the Council Bluffs. 经过康叟断崖。

　　The current of the river now became so rapid that the explorers left their boats and traveled along the river's bank. 此时河流变得迅急起来，探险者们离开船沿着河岸前进，

　　They gained the sources of the Missouri, and came to a westward-flowing river. 他们找到了密苏里河的源头，并看到一条向西流的河，

　　On and on they followed it until they came to the river's mouth. 他们沿着这条河继续前进直到它的入海口，

　　A fog hung low over the water. Suddenly it lifted. 当时水面上有雾，雾突然散去时，

　　There before the explorers' eyes the river "in waves like small mountains rolled out in the ocean." 探险者看到"河的波浪如同海底翻涌上来的小山一样"，

　　They had traced the Columbia River from its upper course to the Pacific. 他们已经从哥伦比亚河的上游来到了它的太平洋入海口，

　　Captain Gray in the Boston ship Columbia had already entered the mouth of the river. 波士顿船"哥伦比亚号"的船长格瑞也曾经到达过这条河的入海口，

　　But Lewis and Clark were the first white men to reach it overland. 但是，刘易斯和克拉克是最先从陆地到达这个入海口的白人。