VOA慢速英语2013 THE MAKING OF A NATION - The Inaugural Addresses of President Thomas Jefferson

 

THE MAKING OF A NATION - The Inaugural¹ Addresses of President Thomas Jefferson

From VOA Learning English,Welcome to THE MAKING OF A NATION – a program of American history for people learning english. I'm Steve Ember.

On March fourth, eighteen-oh-one, Thomas Jefferson walked to the Capitol building in Washington. He was about to be inaugurated² as the third president of the United States. He entered the Capitol to the thunder of cannon³. All the senators⁴ and representatives stood until Jefferson sat down. A few moments later, the newly elected president rose and began to read his inaugural speech. 

(MUSIC)

Friends and fellow citizens: I have been called to the position of chief executive⁵ of our country. I must tell you how honored and thankful I am. But I must tell you, too, of my fears.

Yes, I must tell you that the duties of your president are too much for any one man. However, I tell myself that I am not alone. When I see all your faces, I understand the wisdom of those who wrote our Constitution. For in you, the members of Congress, and in the judicial⁶ branch of our government, I know that I shall find the strength, the honesty, the courage that I shall need. 

We have passed through a hard year of bitter struggle between two political parties. We have shown the world that in America all can speak, write, and think freely. The debate is over. The people have decided⁷. Now is the time for all of us to unite for the good of all.

The majority of the people have won the contest. But we must always remember that there is a minority. True, the majority must rule. But the rule of the majority must be just. The rights of the minority are equal to the rights of the majority, and must be protected with equal laws.

(MUSIC)

Let us unite with hearts and minds. Let us have peace and love in our relations with each other. For without peace and love, liberty and life are sad things indeed. Let us remember that the religious freedom which we have in the United States is nothing if we do not have political freedom, if we permit men to be punished because they do not agree with the majority.

For hundreds of years in Europe, men have killed and have been killed in the name of liberty. It is not surprising, then, that even here -- in our peaceful land -- all cannot agree. But it is possible to have different ideas without forgetting our common wish.

We are all republicans⁹, we are all federalists. Most of us love our country. Most of us want it to grow. There may be among us those who want to end the union of the states, or to end our republican⁸ government. Well then, let those men speak freely, without fear. They are wrong. But America is strong enough to let them say what they wish.

When men can think and speak freely, there is no danger to the nation. For those who do not agree with them also have the right to think and speak freely.

(MUSIC)

There are some honest Americans who are afraid that a republican government cannot be strong. But I ask these good men one question. Do they want us to destroy a government, which has kept us strong and free for ten years? I hope not.

We have here in the United States the best and strongest government in the world. This is the only nation on the Earth whose citizens know that the government belongs to them.

Then there are some who say that men cannot govern themselves. What do they offer us instead? Government by kings? Are kings men, or are they angels? I will let history answer this question.

Let us keep our union and our government by the people through their elected representatives. We are very fortunate here in the New World.

Three thousand miles of ocean separate us from the wars and the dictatorships of Europe. Here we do not suffer as the people of Europe do. Here we have a great and rich land, with room for a hundred, perhaps a thousand generations of Americans yet to be born.

We -- and the American children who will come after us -- all have equal rights. We honor a man not because of his father, but for what the man is. We do not care what religion a man follows. In this country, men practice religion in many ways. Yet all our religions teach honesty, truth, and the love of man. All worship one God who rules the universe, who wants men to be happy in life.

Yes, we are a fortunate people. What more do we need to make us happy? 

We need one more thing, my fellow citizens: a wise government. A government that keeps men from injuring each other. A government that gives men freedom to live and work in peace as they wish, and does not take from them the fruit of their labor¹⁰. That is good government.

(MUSIC)

In my short speech, I cannot tell you all the things that I believe our government should do, and should not do. But I will tell you what I believe to be the most important principles of our government. This is what I believe in:

The same and equal justice to all men no matter what their religion, their political beliefs, or their class. Peace, trade, and friendship with all nations, but alliances¹¹ for war with no nations. Support of the rights of the state governments, which are the best defenders¹² of our republic. A strong central government under the Constitution to protect our peace at home and our safety in other parts of the world.

We must keep the right of the people to elect their representatives. This is the safe way to change governments that make mistakes. Without the right of election, we will have bloody¹³ revolution. In our election, the majority must rule. This is the lifeblood of a republic. If the majority is not allowed to rule, then we will have dictatorship.

America should have a good volunteer army to protect us in peace and in the first days of war, until we use professional soldiers. But at all times, the civil officers of the government must be first over the military officers.

The rights of man will be of the highest importance in this government. Information, knowledge, and opinions must move easily and swiftly. We will support freedom of religion, freedom of the press, freedom of the person protected by the habeas corpus, and the right to trial by juries¹⁴ that are chosen fairly.

These are the freedoms that brought us through a revolution and that made this nation. Our wise men wrote these freedoms. Our heroes gave their lives for these freedoms. They are the stones on which our political philosophy must be built. If we make the mistake of forgetting them, let us return to them quickly. For only these rights of man can bring us peace, liberty, and safety.

(MUSIC)

Well then, my fellow citizens, I go to the position which you have given me. I am no George Washington. I cannot ask you to believe in me as you did in the man who led us through our revolution -- the man who will always be first in the love of our country. I ask only that you give me your support and your strength. 

I know that I shall make mistakes. And, even when I am right, there will be men who will say that I am wrong. I ask you to forgive my mistakes which, I promise, will at least be honest mistakes. And I ask you to support me when I am right against the attacks of those who are wrong. Always, my purpose will be to strengthen the happiness and freedom of all Americans -- those who do not agree with me, as well as those who do.

I need you. I go to my work as president of the United States, ready to leave that position when you and the American people decide that there is a better man for it. May the power that leads the universe tell us what is best, and bring to you peace and happiness.

(MUSIC)

ANNOUNCER:

Next week, We talk about whether Thomas Jefferson praised the kind of presidency¹⁵ he says he will. 

I'm Steve Ember. invit you to join us each week for THE MAKING OF A NATION, a program of American history from VOA Learning English. 

1 inaugural   

adj.就职的；n.就职典礼

参考例句：

• We listened to the President's inaugural speech on the radio yesterday.昨天我们通过无线电听了总统的就职演说。
• Professor Pearson gave the inaugural lecture in the new lecture theatre.皮尔逊教授在新的阶梯讲堂发表了启用演说。

2 inaugurated   

为…举行就职典礼( inaugurate的过去式和过去分词 )； 为…举行仪式，为…举行落成[开幕]仪式； 开创，创始

参考例句：

• Mr. Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation. 普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。
• Concord inaugurated a new era in airplane travel. 协和飞机开创了空中旅行的新纪元。

3 cannon   

n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮

参考例句：

• The soldiers fired the cannon.士兵们开炮。
• The cannon thundered in the hills.大炮在山间轰鸣。

4 senators   

n.参议员( senator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• When the senators vote, the ayes will have it. 参议员投票时，投赞成票的人将占多数。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The committee concluded that the senators had engaged in improper conduct. 委员会断定议员们从事了不正当活动。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 executive   

adj.执行的，行政的；n.执行者，行政官，经理

参考例句：

• A good executive usually gets on well with people.一个好的高级管理人员通常与人们相处得很好。
• He is a man of great executive ability.他是个具有极高管理能力的人。

6 judicial   

adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的

参考例句：

• He is a man with a judicial mind.他是个公正的人。
• Tom takes judicial proceedings against his father.汤姆对他的父亲正式提出诉讼。

7 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

8 republican   

n.拥护共和政体的人； adj.共和政体的，（Republican）共和党人，（Republican）共和党的

参考例句：

• Some families have been republican for generations.有些家庭世代都支持共和党。
• A third candidate has entered the contest for the Republican nomination.第三个候选人已经加入角逐共和党提名的行列。

9 republicans   

拥护共和政体者，共和主义者( republican的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Republicans got shellacked in the elections. 共和党在选举中一败涂地。
• The latest poll gives the Republicans a 5％ lead. 最近的民意调查结果表明共和党领先了五个百分点。

10 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

11 alliances   

（国家、政党等的）结盟( alliance的名词复数 )； 同盟国； 结盟的社会； 联姻

参考例句：

• Our alliances will be sundered if they appear as obstacles to peace. 我们的同盟如果成为和平的障碍，就会瓦解。
• Inevitably this produced a challenge to our previous predominance in our alliances. 这不可避免地形成了对我们从前在联盟中的支配地位的挑战。

12 defenders   

n.防御者( defender的名词复数 )；守卫者；保护者；辩护者

参考例句：

• The defenders were outnumbered and had to give in. 抵抗者寡不敌众，只能投降。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• After hard fighting,the defenders were still masters of the city. 守军经过奋战仍然控制着城市。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 bloody   

adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染

参考例句：

• He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
• He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。

14 juries   

n.陪审团( jury的名词复数 )；评判委员会

参考例句：

• Grand juries have enormous powers to investigate wrong-doing by public officials as well as private citizens. 大陪审团拥有极大权力调查政府官员及平民的过失。
• Juries for a state court are drawn from the county in which the court is located. 州法院的陪审员一般从该法院所在的县选取，而联邦法院的陪审员则从整个地区选取，包括许多县。

15 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。