美国国家公共电台 NPR As Protests Emerge, Brothers Agree To Give Trump Administration A Chance

 

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST: 

And, finally today, as we've been hearing, President Donald Trump¹'s first week brought controversy² and ferocious³ headlines, huge marches and legal battles. So we thought we'd end the program today in a quieter place in a small town that voted heavily for the new president. We sent North Country Public Radio's Brian Mann out this morning to gather some first impressions.

BRIAN MANN, BYLINE⁴: Outside a little diner in Elizabethtown, N.Y., I meet the Jackson brothers. They grew up on Long Island, but for decades they've lived here in Essex County, a deeply rural corner of the Adirondack Mountains where the small towns voted for Donald Trump. When I ask about the new president's first week in office, they jump at the chance to talk about it.

TIM JACKSON: The guy's just got in there. He needs a chance. You know? I mean, it's only been - everybody - he signed this, he signed that, he's done this, he's done - it's only been a week.

MANN: That's Tim Jackson, the younger brother. He wears a black leather jacket and Harley Davidson cap. His brother, Bill, wears a winter hat with ear flaps and kind of a "Duck Dynasty" beard. He says Donald Trump has captured some of his own spirit.

BILL JACKSON: But I'm also a rebel from way back, and I'm sick of people who just stand by. And now someone's gone in there and stirred the waters up. Boy, them Democrats⁵ are pissed, and they're trying to come up with every way they can to push him down.

MANN: I ask about one issue in particular - the new president's executive order temporarily banning refugees from seven Muslim countries. Bill Jackson says it's common sense. He thinks there's good reason to keep Muslims out of America.

B. JACKSON: I feel the same way. I feel that if a Muslim woman wants to move into this country, she needs to leave her towel home because the reason this country is here and safe today is because of Jesus Christ. We were one nation under God. The Muslims are into Allah. They can't live there anymore because all the turmoil⁶ and unrest. Here, we still have somewhat peace, so if you're going to come here to enjoy this peace, follow our rules and be one nation under God.

MANN: What about the idea of religious liberty that this is a nation where you can worship whatever god you want?

B. JACKSON: That is something that I believe has come along with political correctness and all this other garbage.

MANN: This is the moment when the conversation takes a surprising turn. Tim Jackson, the younger brother, chimes in again. He says he actually has big reservations about Donald Trump and his ideas.

T. JACKSON: I wanted Hillary in the worst way. I wanted Hillary. I just thought she was a strong woman. I believe she helped him, Bill, run a lot of this stuff.

MANN: But it turns out Tim didn't vote. He stayed home Election Day, and Donald Trump won the White House. So he thinks the millions of people like him who didn't cast ballots⁷ in November missed their moment and now should give the new president and his supporters their shot at running the government.

T. JACKSON: You had the chance to vote, and that's where - with me, it's like I just - I feel I don't have a say - you know? - in it.

MANN: So after week one, these brothers say they are paying attention, discussing, debating, even fighting over where the new president is taking the country. But for now, they're both with President Trump - the one watching guardedly, the other with real excitement. For NPR News, I'm Brian Mann in Essex County in Northern New York.

1 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。

2 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

3 ferocious   

adj.凶猛的，残暴的，极度的，十分强烈的

参考例句：

• The ferocious winds seemed about to tear the ship to pieces.狂风仿佛要把船撕成碎片似的。
• The ferocious panther is chasing a rabbit.那只凶猛的豹子正追赶一只兔子。

4 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

5 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 turmoil   

n.骚乱，混乱，动乱

参考例句：

• His mind was in such a turmoil that he couldn't get to sleep.内心的纷扰使他无法入睡。
• The robbery put the village in a turmoil.抢劫使全村陷入混乱。

7 ballots   

n.投票表决( ballot的名词复数 )；选举；选票；投票总数v.（使）投票表决( ballot的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• They're counting the ballots. 他们正在计算选票。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The news of rigged ballots has rubbed off much of the shine of their election victory. 他们操纵选票的消息使他们在选举中获得的胜利大为减色。 来自《简明英汉词典》