一個航海者在西洋找到新大陸，西班牙帝國就此誕生。四個世紀後，它在美洲的最後一塊領土也消失了。
A navigator found a new world across the Atlantic, and Spain built an empire on it. Four centuries later, the last piece crumbled in the Caribbean.
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哥倫布代表西班牙航行抵達加勒比海，開啟歐洲對美洲的殖民時代，改變了世界歷史格局。
Columbus, sailing for Spain, reaches the Caribbean, opening the era of European colonization of the Americas and transforming world history.
Ferdinand 與 Isabella 攻陷 Granada 結束 Iberia 781 年穆斯林統治，西班牙統一，同年驅猶太人、贊助 Columbus，三大歷史事件。
Ferdinand and Isabella took Granada, ending 781 years of Muslim Iberia. Same year: expulsion of Jews + Columbus voyage.
教皇仲裁西班牙與葡萄牙，沿大西洋 46° 西經分界，西取美洲、葡取巴西+非亞，定殖民帝國基本格局 300 年。
Papal arbitration divided Atlantic at 46°W. Spain got Americas; Portugal got Brazil + Africa/Asia. Set colonial pattern for 300 years.
皇室授殖民者管理印第安人徵勞役換「保護與基督教化」，實為奴役，銀礦、莊園剝削，土著人口從 6000 萬降至 600 萬。
Crown granted colonists Indians for labor in exchange for "protection + Christianization". Effectively slavery; population crashed.
費爾南多・麥哲倫率領的船隊完成人類首次環球航行，實際證明地球是球形的，徹底改變世界觀。
Ferdinand Magellan's expedition completes the first circumnavigation of Earth, proving beyond doubt that the world is round.
埃爾南·科爾特斯率西班牙軍隊征服阿茲特克帝國，開啟中美洲的西班牙殖民統治。
Hernán Cortés leads Spanish forces to conquer the Aztec Empire, beginning Spanish colonial rule in Mesoamerica.
繼承 Spain (1516) + 神聖羅馬帝國 (1519)，疆域跨歐美亞菲，首位「日不落」帝國皇帝，與 Süleyman、Francis I 爭霸地中海。
Inherited Spain (1516) + HRE (1519). First "empire on which sun never sets". Rivalry with Süleyman and Francis I.
Francisco Pizarro conquers the Inca Empire in 1533, ending the largest pre-Columbian state.
Cervantes《Don Quixote》(1605)、Lope de Vega 戲劇、Velázquez《宮女》(1656) 巴洛克繪畫、神祕主義 St. Teresa，文化巔峰但帝國同步衰落。
Cervantes's Don Quixote (1605), Lope de Vega plays, Velázquez's Las Meninas (1656), mystic St. Teresa.
Charles V 退位後即位，治 42 年。1571 Lepanto 海戰勝、1580 兼併葡萄牙、1588 Armada 慘敗，Habsburg 黃金期。
Charles V abdicated; Philip II reigned 42 years. Lepanto victory 1571, annexed Portugal 1580, Armada defeat 1588.
Philip II 派 130 艦 3 萬人攻英，Drake 與惡劣天氣使 50 艦 5 千人歸國，西班牙海上霸權衰退起點，英國海權崛起。
Philip II sent 130 ships, 30,000 men. Drake + storms reduced to 50 ships, 5,000. Marked Spanish naval decline.
30 年戰爭壓力下 Catalonia 與 Portugal 同年起義。Portugal 1668 獨立，Catalonia 1652 被鎮壓。Spain 帝國斜下。
Under 30 Years' War pressure, Catalonia and Portugal revolted simultaneously. Portugal independent 1668; Catalonia crushed 1652.
「中邪者」Carlos II 無子嗣，將王位遺贈給 Bourbon 王子 Philip V，引發 14 年 War of Spanish Succession，Spain 失歐洲領土。
"The Bewitched" died childless; willed throne to Bourbon Philip V. Triggered 14-year War of Spanish Succession.
Charles III 推中央集權、減教會權、改殖民地行政、開拓港口、振興礦業，一度恢復西班牙國力，但反激起殖民地不滿。
Charles III centralized power, reduced church influence, reformed colonial administration. Briefly revived Spain.
海地成為世界上第一個由奴隸起義建立的黑人共和國，是拉丁美洲獨立運動的先驅。
Haiti becomes the world's first Black republic founded by a slave revolt — a pioneer of Latin American independence movements.
Napoleon 立其兄 Joseph 為 Spain 王，Spain 民眾起義 6 年戰爭，Wellington 援助。戰爭癱瘓殖民地控制，引發拉美獨立。
Napoleon installed brother Joseph as king. Spanish guerrilla 6-year war + Wellington's aid. Crippled colonial control.
玻利瓦爾、聖馬丁等領導拉丁美洲各國脫離西班牙葡萄牙統治，建立一系列獨立共和國。
Led by Bolívar and San Martín, Latin American nations break free from Spanish and Portuguese rule, establishing independent republics.
10 週短戰，西班牙慘敗，Treaty of Paris 失 Cuba、Puerto Rico、Guam、Philippines，406 年帝國正式終結。
10-week war; crushing Spanish defeat. Treaty of Paris: lost Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam, Philippines. End of 406-year empire.