美国国家公共电台 NPR--Ulysses S. Grant was the first president to be arrested

Ulysses S. Grant was the first president to be arrested

Transcript¹

Donald Trump² is the first former U.S. president to face criminal charges. But Ulysses S. Grant was the first president to be arrested.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Donald Trump may be the first American president ever indicted³ on criminal charges. He faces a judge this week. But one other president has been arrested.

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

That president was Ulysses S. Grant, and it happened while he was in office. In 1872, President Grant was speeding down a Washington, D.C., street in his horse and buggy.

JOHN MARSZALEK: And he stopped by a policeman, an African American, by the name of William West.

MART?NEZ: Historian John Marszalek says Officer West realized who he'd stopped.

MARSZALEK: And he says, Mr. President, you're going too fast. Oh, I know I was going too fast. I promise I'll never do it again.

INSKEEP: This gets better because the next day, Officer West again saw the president racing⁴ down the street.

MARSZALEK: West stops him again and says, I'm going to have to arrest you. So he takes him to the station. West is a little embarrassed because, after all, this is the president of the United States. But he did his duty.

INSKEEP: And President Grant apologized to the officer.

MARSZALEK: Grant said, I know I was speeding. You should arrest me. Don't feel badly about it. And this is the period when Grant is president, which is 1869 to 1877. That's the heart of the Reconstruction⁵ period. And this is the time when Grant says he becomes president only to make sure that what the Civil War was fought over really worked. And so the irony⁶ of William West, an African American, stopping him I think is wonderful.

INSKEEP: The rule of law. President Grant did not show up for his trial, though. He forfeited⁷ his $20 bond. Officer West kept the arrest quiet for decades but finally told the story to a Washington newspaper in 1908.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

3 indicted   

控告，起诉( indict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The senator was indicted for murder. 那位参议员被控犯谋杀罪。
• He was indicted by a grand jury on two counts of murder. 他被大陪审团以两项谋杀罪名起诉。

4 racing   

n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的

参考例句：

• I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
• The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。

5 reconstruction   

n.重建，再现，复原

参考例句：

• The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
• In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。

6 irony   

n.反语，冷嘲；具有讽刺意味的事，嘲弄

参考例句：

• She said to him with slight irony.她略带嘲讽地对他说。
• In her voice we could sense a certain tinge of irony.从她的声音里我们可以感到某种讥讽的意味。

7 forfeited   

（因违反协议、犯规、受罚等）丧失，失去( forfeit的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Because he broke the rules, he forfeited his winnings. 他犯规，所以丧失了奖金。
• He has forfeited the right to be the leader of this nation. 他丧失了作为这个国家领导的权利。