VOA常速英语2007年-Former House Speaker Hastert Says Farewell to C

By Dan Robinson
Capitol Hill
15 November 2007

The longest-serving Republican speaker of the House of Representatives gave his formal farewell to Congress on Thursday. Dennis Hastert presided over the House for nearly a decade, a period that included the final years of the administration of Democratic president Bill Clinton, the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and most of the term of current Republican President George Bush. More from VOA's Dan Robinson on Capitol Hill.

A former high school teacher and wrestling coach from mid-western Aurora², Illinois, Dennis Hastert was elected to Congress in 1986.

After about a dozen years in which he rose to prominence³ in his party's leadership, fellow Republicans chose him in 1999 as speaker, second in the line of presidential succession after the U.S. vice⁴ president.

Amid intense public dissatisfaction over the war in Iraq and congressional ethics⁵ lapses⁶, among other issues, Democrats⁷ took control of Congress in the 2006 mid-term congressional elections.

Hastert turned over the speaker's gavel to California Democrat¹ Nancy Pelosi, the first woman to hold the powerful position, and both lawmakers put aside their partisan⁸ differences in remarks on the House floor:

 

HASTERT: "The gentle lady from California, Mrs. Pelosi, will assume the duties as our speaker. And I know she will do so with skill and grace and that she will bring honor to this institution."

PELOSI: "In Congress, we hold the title of honorable because we serve in Congress, we hold the title of honorable by virtue⁹ of our office. Dennis Hastert holds it by virtue of his character."

Hastert also formed a strong relationship with President Bush, who in a joint¹⁰ appearance in Chicago before the 2006 congressional elections praised the Illinois lawmaker for advancing the Republican agenda:

"You know, he is not one of these Washington politicians who spews a lot of hot air," said President Bush. "He just gets the job done."

On Thursday, in a formal farewell address, Hastert paid tribute to current speaker Pelosi, and returned to a theme he sounded in the past, what he calls the breakdown¹¹ in civility in a Congress divided by partisan disagreements.

"When I addressed this chamber¹² for the first time as your speaker, I noted¹³ that solutions to problems cannot be found in a pool of bitterness," said Hastert. "Those words are as true today as they were then. We each have a responsibility to be passionate¹⁴ about our beliefs. That is healthy government. But we also have a responsibility to be civil, to be open-minded and to be fair - to listen to one another and work in good faith to find solutions to the challenges facing this nation.

Pelosi, who since becoming speaker has solidified¹⁵ a reputation for political toughness, presided over Thursday's special event:

"Though we have from time to time on occasion differed on issues, we all agree on the importance of public service, the kind of public service that has been the hallmark of speaker Hastert's career, whether in the classroom or in the Congress of the United States," said Nancy Pelosi.

Dennis Hastert's time as speaker was not without its difficulties, particularly in his final years which were marked by controversy¹⁶ and fierce partisan exchanges.

In 2006, critics called for his resignation amid allegations he failed to aggressively investigate actions of a Republican lawmaker, Mark Foley, who resigned after being accused of sending sexually explicit¹⁷ emails and Internet messages to young male congressional interns¹⁸.

Hastert refused to step down, and addressed reporters in his home town.

"I am deeply sorry that this has happened, and the bottom line is that we are taking responsibility because ultimately as someone has said in Washington before, the buck¹⁹ stops here," he said.

After his resignation from Congress becomes effective, making him one of a dozen or so Republican lawmakers to retire this year, Hastert intends to return to work in the private sector²⁰.

But he is expected to play a role in helping²¹ Republican congressional candidates in their campaigns before the 2008 presidential election and voting to elect members of Congress.

1 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

2 aurora   

n.极光

参考例句：

• The aurora is one of nature's most awesome spectacles.极光是自然界最可畏的奇观之一。
• Over the polar regions we should see aurora.在极地高空,我们会看到极光。

3 prominence   

n.突出；显著；杰出；重要

参考例句：

• He came to prominence during the World Cup in Italy.他在意大利的世界杯赛中声名鹊起。
• This young fashion designer is rising to prominence.这位年轻的时装设计师的声望越来越高。

4 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

5 ethics   

n.伦理学；伦理观，道德标准

参考例句：

• The ethics of his profession don't permit him to do that.他的职业道德不允许他那样做。
• Personal ethics and professional ethics sometimes conflict.个人道德和职业道德有时会相互抵触。

6 lapses   

n.失误，过失( lapse的名词复数 )；小毛病；行为失检；偏离正道v.退步( lapse的第三人称单数 )；陷入；倒退；丧失

参考例句：

• He sometimes lapses from good behavior. 他有时行为失检。 来自辞典例句
• He could forgive attacks of nerves, panic, bad unexplainable actions, all sorts of lapses. 他可以宽恕突然发作的歇斯底里，惊慌失措，恶劣的莫名其妙的动作，各种各样的失误。 来自辞典例句

7 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》

8 partisan   

adj.党派性的；游击队的；n.游击队员；党徒

参考例句：

• In their anger they forget all the partisan quarrels.愤怒之中，他们忘掉一切党派之争。
• The numerous newly created partisan detachments began working slowly towards that region.许多新建的游击队都开始慢慢地向那里移动。

9 virtue   

n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力

参考例句：

• He was considered to be a paragon of virtue.他被认为是品德尽善尽美的典范。
• You need to decorate your mind with virtue.你应该用德行美化心灵。

10 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

11 breakdown   

n.垮，衰竭；损坏，故障，倒塌

参考例句：

• She suffered a nervous breakdown.她患神经衰弱。
• The plane had a breakdown in the air,but it was fortunately removed by the ace pilot.飞机在空中发生了故障，但幸运的是被王牌驾驶员排除了。

12 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

13 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

14 passionate   

adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的

参考例句：

• He is said to be the most passionate man.据说他是最有激情的人。
• He is very passionate about the project.他对那个项目非常热心。

15 solidified   

（使）成为固体，（使）变硬，（使）变得坚固( solidify的过去式和过去分词 )； 使团结一致； 充实，巩固； 具体化

参考例句：

• Her attitudes solidified through privilege and habit. 由于特权和习惯使然，她的看法变得越来越难以改变。
• When threatened, he fires spheres of solidified air from his launcher! 当危险来临，他就会发射它的弹药！

16 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。

17 explicit   

adj.详述的，明确的；坦率的；显然的

参考例句：

• She was quite explicit about why she left.她对自己离去的原因直言不讳。
• He avoids the explicit answer to us.他避免给我们明确的回答。

18 interns   

n.住院实习医生( intern的名词复数 )v.拘留，关押( intern的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Our interns also greet our guests when they arrive in our studios. 我们的实习生也会在嘉宾抵达演播室的时候向他们致以问候。 来自超越目标英语 第4册
• The interns work alongside experienced civil engineers and receive training in the different work sectors. 实习生陪同有经验的国内工程师工作，接受不同工作部门的相关培训。 来自超越目标英语 第4册

19 buck   

n.雄鹿，雄兔；v.马离地跳跃

参考例句：

• The boy bent curiously to the skeleton of the buck.这个男孩好奇地弯下身去看鹿的骸骨。
• The female deer attracts the buck with high-pitched sounds.雌鹿以尖声吸引雄鹿。

20 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

21 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。