VOA标准英语2009年-Carter Library and Museum Reopens After $1

By Kane Farabaugh
Atlanta
02 October 2009

Tour the Carter Library and Museum
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Former President and Mrs. Carter at the re-dedication of his Libary and Museum
He is one of the most active former Presidents of the United States. In addition to authoring more than 25 books, former President Jimmy Carter continues to travel the world in an effort to help spread democracy and improve the health of the world's poor. His efforts since leaving office almost 30 years ago are now at the center of a multi-million-dollar renovation¹ of the Jimmy Carter Library and Museum in Atlanta, Georgia. President Carter described how his life after the White House forms an important part of his legacy².

Former President Jimmy Carter and his Vice³ President Walter Mondale are the longest living post-presidential team in U.S. history.

"Not only that, we passed up our competitors [Thomas] Jefferson and [John] Adams two years ago! And, I'm not being critical of them, they were good too," he said. "But we're still going!"

Mondale made those remarks at the opening of a newly redesigned Jimmy Carter Library and Museum in Atlanta on the day Mr. Carter celebrated⁴ his 85th birthday. 

The facility, after its $10 million renovation, now includes work the former President took on later in life, something unprecedented⁵ for a presidential library.

"I wanted to show as much as possible since the White House years, so about a third of the total presentation is devoted⁶ to the years since I left the White House," he said.

Some of the new exhibits focus on efforts of the Carter Center around the world. Interactive⁷ displays show the many places where Mr. and Mrs. Carter have traveled to monitor elections, promote peace and democracy, and eradicate⁸ Guinea Worm Disease and other illnesses. That work earned former President Carter and his staff at the Carter Center a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.

Dr. Paul Emerson leads one of the center's health efforts around the world. He says the new exhibits draw attention to diseases in developing countries that have been overlooked. "Busloads of grade school kids will come through, and they will be exposed to what these conditions are, and the more people are exposed to these things, the more they can empathize and sympathize with people who suffer," he said.

Some exhibits focus on the highs and lows of Mr. Carter's four years in the White House.

Visitors can watch a massive multi-media display of one day in the Carter White House, from the moment the President wakes up until his day ends late at night.

The Iran hostage crisis dominated the final year of Mr. Carter's presidency⁹. An exhibit focuses on that crisis, a time when, according to Mr. Carter, there were two White Houses, one running the country and the other exploring ways to free the hostages.

The museum's re-design gives the former president the chance to open up more of his life to the public, something he hopes to continue with his next book, an abridged¹⁰ version of the 5,000 pages of diary notes he kept while in office.

"It will tell not only about the glory of being President, sometimes the anguish¹¹ of being President, the pride of being President, my inner most thoughts, how I dealt with my family under those circumstances, the people I liked and didn't like, how my opinion changed as time went on. I think it's going to be an interesting book," he said.

Former President Carter plans to deliver the book to his publisher late next year.

1 renovation   

n.革新，整修

参考例句：

• The cinema will reopen next week after the renovation.电影院修缮后，将于下星期开业。
• The building has undergone major renovation.这座大楼已进行大整修。

2 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

3 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。

4 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

5 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

6 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

7 interactive   

adj.相互作用的，互相影响的，（电脑）交互的

参考例句：

• The psychotherapy is carried out in small interactive groups.这种心理治疗是在互动的小组之间进行的。
• This will make videogames more interactive than ever.这将使电子游戏的互动性更胜以往。

8 eradicate   

v.根除，消灭，杜绝

参考例句：

• These insects are very difficult to eradicate.这些昆虫很难根除。
• They are already battling to eradicate illnesses such as malaria and tetanus.他们已经在努力消灭疟疾、破伤风等疾病。

9 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。

10 abridged   

削减的，删节的

参考例句：

• The rights of citizens must not be abridged without proper cause. 没有正当理由，不能擅自剥夺公民的权利。
• The play was abridged for TV. 剧本经过节略，以拍摄电视片。

11 anguish   

n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼

参考例句：

• She cried out for anguish at parting.分手时，她由于痛苦而失声大哭。
• The unspeakable anguish wrung his heart.难言的痛苦折磨着他的心。