the Spanish-American War
/ðə ˌspænɪʃ əˌmerɪkən ˈwɔː(r)/
/ðə ˌspænɪʃ əˌmerɪkən ˈwɔːr/
- a war fought between the US and Spain in 1898. The US had promised to recognize the right of Cubans to be independent from Spain. When in 1898 the US warship Maine exploded in Havana harbour and sank with 260 deaths, the US blamed Spain and both nations soon declared war. The US won easily, and the Treaty of Paris ended Spanish rule in Cuba, giving the US Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines. After this victory, the US came to be recognized by other countries as a world power.
美西战争：1898年美国和西班牙之间的战争。美国曾承诺承认古巴人脱离西班牙独立的权利。1898年，美国军舰缅因州在哈瓦那港口爆炸并造成260人死亡时，美国指责西班牙，两国很快宣战。美国轻松获胜，《巴黎条约》终止了西班牙在古巴的统治，给予了美国波多黎各，关岛和菲律宾。这次胜利之后，美国开始被其他国家认可为世界大国。