VOA慢速英语2020 1960年总统大选（在线收听）

Welcome to THE MAKING OF A NATION – American history in VOA Special English. I'm Steve Ember. "Three days from now, after half a century in the service of our country, I shall lay down the responsibilities of office as, in traditional and solemn ceremony, the authority of the presidency is vested in my successor. This evening, I come to you with a message of leave-taking and farewell, and to share a few final thoughts with you, my countrymen." Dwight Eisenhower was elected president in nineteen fifty-two. The following year, the Korean War ended with an armistice, a ceasefire agreement. A draft of President Dwight Eisenhower's farewell address, at the Eisenhower Presidential Library in Abilene, Kansas. During his presidency, Eisenhower began a tradition of meetings between the leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union. He met with Soviet leaders Nikolai Bulganin and Nikita Khrushchev. These meetings may have helped reduce the threat of a nuclear war between the two countries during the Cold War.

欢迎收听VOA慢速英语之建国史话节目，我是史蒂夫·恩伯。“三天后，在为我们的国家服务半世纪之后，我将在传统而又庄严的仪式上，把总统的权力赋予我的继任者，从而履行我的职责。今天晚上，我带着告别的信息来到你们这里，和你们分享我的同胞们的最后一些想法。”德怀特·艾森豪威尔在1952年当选总统。第二年，朝鲜战争以停战协议结束。德怀特·艾森豪威尔总统在堪萨斯州阿比林的艾森豪威尔总统图书馆，发表告别演说的草件。艾森豪威尔在担任总统期间，开始了与美国和苏联领导人会晤的传统。他会见苏联领导人尼古拉·布尔加宁和尼基塔·赫鲁晓夫，这些会议有助于减少冷战期间两国核战争的威胁。

By nineteen sixty, Eisenhower had served two terms. The Constitution was changed to prevent presidents from being elected more than twice, after Franklin Roosevelt won four times. "We now stand ten years past the midpoint of a century that has witnessed four major wars among great nations. Three of these involved our own country. Despite these holocausts, America is today the strongest, the most influential, and most productive nation in the world. Understandably proud of this pre-eminence, we yet realize that America's leadership and prestige depend not merely upon our unmatched material progress, riches and military strength, but on how we use our power in the interests of world peace and human betterment. "Now this conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. The total influence -- economic, political, even spiritual -- is felt in every city, every statehouse, every office of the Federal government. We recognize the imperative need for this development. Yet, we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil, resources, and livelihood are all involved. So is the very structure of our society.

到1960年，艾森豪威尔已经执政两个任期。在富兰克林·罗斯福第四次获胜后，为了防止总统当选两次以上，宪法进行了修改。“我们现在已经度过了本世纪中点的十年，这个世纪见证了大国之间的四次大战。其中三场战争涉及我们的国家。尽管发生了这些大屠杀，美国今天仍然是世界上最强大、最有影响力、生产力最强的国家。可以理解，我们对这一卓越地位感到自豪，但我们仍然认识到，美国的领导地位和威望不仅取决于我们无与伦比的物质进步、财富和军事实力，而且取决于我们如何利用自己的力量来促进世界和平和人类福祉。“现在，在美国的经验中，庞大的军事设施和大型武器工业的结合是全新的。在每座城市、每个州、每个联邦政府办公室，都能感受到经济、政治，甚至精神上的全部影响。我们认识到这一发展的迫切需要。然而，我们决不能不理解它的严重影响。我们的辛劳、资源和生计都牵涉其中，我们的社会结构也是如此。

"In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together." At the end of Eisenhower's first term, he was still very popular. He had suffered a heart attack, but the Republican president felt strong enough to campaign again in nineteen fifty-six. His Democratic Party opponent was Adlai Stevenson. They had been the candidates in the presidential election four years earlier. This time, Eisenhower won almost ten million more votes than Stevenson -- an even bigger victory than in nineteen fifty-two. Eisenhower's second term, however, presented problems. The Soviet Union launched the space age by putting the first satellite into orbit around Earth. Fidel Castro established a communist government in Cuba. Many white Americans were fighting the Supreme Court's decision to end racial separation in schools. And the American economy suffered a recession.

“在政府委员会中，我们必须防止军工联合体获得不必要的影响，无论这种影响是我们所寻求的还是没有寻求的。错位权力灾难性增长的可能性存在，并将持续下去。我们决不能让这种结合的力量危及我们的自由或民主进程，我们不应该将其视为理所当然。只有机警、知识渊博的公民，才能迫使庞大的工业和军事防御机制与我们的和平方法和目标适当地结合起来，以便安全和自由能够共同发展。”在艾森豪威尔第一个任期结束时，他仍然很受欢迎。他心脏病发作，但这位共和党总统感到自己足够强大，能在1956年再次竞选。他的民主党对手是阿德莱·史蒂文森，他们在四年前，曾是总统选举的候选人。这一次，艾森豪威尔赢得的选票几乎比史蒂文森多出1000万张，甚至比1952年获胜票数还多。然而，艾森豪威尔在第二个任期中出现了问题。苏联将第一颗卫星送入环绕地球的轨道，开启了太空时代。菲德尔·卡斯特罗在古巴建立了共产主义政府，许多美国白人反对最高法院终止学校种族隔离的决定，美国经济陷入衰退。

Eisenhower's popularity dropped during his second term. This would make it more difficult for the Republican Party's next candidate for president. The delegates who attended the presidential nominating convention in the summer of nineteen-sixty feared that their party would lose the election in November. They had to find the strongest candidate possible. Many believed that Richard Nixon was the strongest. Nixon had been a senator and a member of the House of Representatives. He had been Eisenhower's vice president for eight years. When Eisenhower suffered several serious illnesses, Nixon had a chance to show his abilities to lead the nation. He showed great strength while facing an angry crowd during a trip to South America. He also gained support when he defended the United States to Khrushchev during a trip to the Soviet Union. Nixon's closest opponent for the Republican nomination was Nelson Rockefeller. Rockefeller was the governor of New York state. He came from one of the richest families in America.

艾森豪威尔的声望在第二任期内下滑，这将使共和党的下一任总统候选人面临更多的困难。1960年夏天参加总统提名大会的代表们，担心其政党会在11月的选举中失败。他们必须找到最有力的候选人，许多人认为理查德·尼克松的实力最强。尼克松曾是参议员和众议院议员，他出任艾森豪威尔的副总统已经有八年时间。当艾森豪威尔几次患上重病时，尼克松有机会展示他领导国家的能力。在南美之行中，他在面对愤怒的人群时表现出极大的力量。他在苏联之行中，在赫鲁晓夫面前保卫美国时也获得了支持。尼克松最接近共和党提名的对手是纳尔逊·洛克菲勒。洛克菲勒是纽约州州长，他来自美国最富有的家庭之一。

Richard Nixon easily won the support of the party. The delegates nominated him on the first vote. He accepted the nomination. And he called for new efforts for peace and freedom around the world. The race for the Democratic nomination was much more difficult. The Democratic Party thought it would have no problem winning the presidential election. Many candidates entered the race for the nomination. One was Senator Hubert Humphrey of Minnesota. Another was Senator John Kennedy of Massachusetts. Humphrey had been elected to the Senate three times. He was a strong activist for civil rights and peace. Kennedy was a Navy hero in World War Two. He was handsome and only forty-three years old. He was also Roman Catholic. No Catholic had ever been elected president of the United States. Kennedy and Humphrey began to compete in state primary elections, the first step in the nominating process. Kennedy won an important primary in Wisconsin. But voters in Protestant areas of that state did not support him. The question then became: could he win in another state, West Virginia. Most of the voters in that state were Protestant.

理查德·尼克松轻而易举地赢得了该党的支持。代表们在第一次投票时提名了他，他接受了提名，还呼吁为世界和平与自由做出新的努力。争取民主党提名的竞争要困难得多。民主党认为，赢得总统选举没有问题，许多候选人参加了提名竞争。其中一个人是明尼苏达州的休伯特·汉弗莱参议员，另一个是马萨诸塞州的约翰·肯尼迪参议员。汉弗莱曾三次当选参议员，他是民权与和平的坚定支持者。肯尼迪是二战中的海军英雄。他长相英俊，只有43岁，还是位罗马天主教徒。从来没有天主教徒当选过美国总统。肯尼迪和汉弗莱开始参加州初选，这是提名过程的第一步。肯尼迪在威斯康星州赢得了一次重要的初选，但该州新教地区的选民并不支持他。问题是：他能否在另一个州，即西弗吉尼亚州获胜，这个州的大多数选民是新教徒。

On the last night of the primary campaign in West Virginia, Kennedy spoke about his religion. He said the president of the United States promises to defend the Constitution. And that, he said, includes the separation of the government from any religion or church. Kennedy won a big victory in West Virginia. He then went on to win many votes in other primaries. He received the nomination on the first vote at the Democratic convention. In his acceptance speech, he said he would ask Americans to help their country and sacrifice for their country. After the party conventions, the two candidates -- Kennedy and Nixon -- began to campaign around the country. Nixon charged that Kennedy was too young to be president. He said Kennedy did not know enough about governing. Kennedy attacked the Republican record of the past eight years. He said President Eisenhower and Vice President Nixon had not done enough to bring progress to the nation. Protestant groups expressed concerns about Kennedy's religion. They wondered if he would be influenced by the pope.

在西弗吉尼亚州初选的最后一晚，肯尼迪谈到了他的宗教信仰。他说，美国总统承诺捍卫宪法，包括政府与任何宗教或教会的分离。肯尼迪在西弗吉尼亚州赢得了一场重要的胜利。随后，他在其他初选中赢得了许多选票。他在民主党大会的第一次投票中获得提名。他在获奖感言中表示，他将要求美国人民帮助美国，为国家作出牺牲。党代会结束后，肯尼迪和尼克松这两位候选人开始在全国各地竞选。尼克松指责肯尼迪太年轻，不能当总统。他说，肯尼迪对执政知之甚少。肯尼迪抨击了共和党过去八年的行事。他说，艾森豪威尔总统和尼克松副总统在带领国家进步方面做得还不够。新教团体表达了对肯尼迪宗教的担忧，他们想知道他是否会受到教皇的影响。

They wondered if the leader of the Roman Catholic Church would try to make policy for the United States. Kennedy answered by repeating his strong support for the constitutional separation of church and state. Public opinion surveys showed the election campaign to be very close. Then the candidates agreed to hold four debates on television. In the first debate, the candidates showed they did not differ too widely on major issues. Kennedy appeared calm and sure. But Nixon did not feel well. He appeared thin and tired. Many people who had not considered voting for Kennedy now began to change their minds. To them, he looked more presidential. Most people seemed to feel that Kennedy won the first debate. Nixon probably won the second one. And both men did about the same in the last two. In the fourth debate, they expressed widely different opinions about whether the United States was making progress. Kennedy believed there had been little progress under Eisenhower and Nixon. "Franklin Roosevelt said in nineteen-thirty-six that that generation of Americans had a rendezvous with destiny. I believe in nineteen-sixty and sixty-one and two and three, we have a rendezvous with destiny. And I believe it incumbent upon us to be defenders of the United States and the defenders of freedom. And to do that, we must give this country leadership. And we must get America moving again."

他们想知道，罗马天主教会的领袖是否会为美国制定政策。肯尼迪回答说，他再次强烈支持政教分离的宪法。民意调查显示，竞选活动非常接近。随后，候选人同意在电视上举行四场辩论。在第一次辩论中，候选人表明他们在重大问题上没有太大的分歧。肯尼迪表现得镇定而坚定。但尼克松感觉并不好，他显得瘦弱又疲惫。许多没有考虑投票赞成肯尼迪的人，开始改变主意。对他们来说，他看起来更像总统。大多数人似乎觉得肯尼迪赢得了第一场辩论，尼克松可能会赢得第二场。两个人在最后两场辩论中，表现相似。在第四次辩论中，他们对美国是否取得进展表达了很多不同意见。肯尼迪认为，在艾森豪威尔和尼克松的领导下，进展甚微。富兰克林·罗斯福在1936年说过，那一代美国人与命运有一个会合。我相信在1960年、1961年、1962年和1963年，我们与命运交集。我认为，我们有责任成为美国的捍卫者、自由的捍卫者。要做到这一点，我们必须让国家发挥领导作用。我们必须让美国重新运作起来。” 

Nixon disagreed. He believed the United States had not been standing still, but there was more to be done. "It is essential with the conflict that we have around the world that we not just hold our own, that we not keep just freedom for ourselves. It is essential that we extend freedom, extend it to all the world. And this means more than what we've been doing. It means keeping America even stronger militarily than she is. It means seeing that our economy moves forward even faster than it has. It means making more progress in civil rights than we have, so that we can be a splendid example for all the world to see." After the debates, the presidential candidates campaigned around the country again. Nixon proposed that if he were elected, he would travel to Eastern Europe and meet with Khrushchev. Kennedy proposed the Peace Corps, a program to send Americans to developing countries to provide technical aid and other help. On Election Day in November, the voters chose John Kennedy as their thirty-fifth president. His victory, however, was a close one. Almost sixty-nine million people voted. Kennedy won by fewer than one hundred twenty thousand votes. The beginning of his presidency will be our story next week.

尼克松表示不同意。他认为美国并没有停滞不前，但还有更多的工作要做。“在世界各地的冲突中，至关重要的是，我们不仅要保持自己的自由，我们必须把自由扩大到全世界。这不仅意味着我们在做的事，还意味着要让美国在军事上变得更强大；意味着看到我们的经济比以前更快地向前发展；意味着在公民权利方面取得比我们所拥有的更多进展，以便我们成为让全世界都能看到的好榜样。辩论结束后，总统候选人再次在全国各地竞选。尼克松提议，如果他当选总统，他将前往东欧与赫鲁晓夫会晤。肯尼迪提议成立和平部队，向发展中国家派遣美国人，去提供技术援助和其他方面的帮助。在11月的选举日，选民们选出约翰·肯尼迪作为他们的第35任总统。然而，他也是险胜。将近6900百万人投票，肯尼迪以不到12万张选票获胜，他的总统任期将是我们下期节目要讲述的故事。