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U.S. President Barack Obama has awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian1 honor, to 16 people who have made a difference in the nation and the world. They come from diverse backgrounds, but have one trait in common.
President Barack Obama (l) places a 2009 Presidential Medal of Freedom around the neck of Muhammad Yunus at the White House, 12 Aug 2009
The list of recipients3 includes activists5, scientists, actors, humanitarians6 and athletes.
President Obama says they are all agents of change. "They remind us that we each have it within our power to fulfill7 dreams, to advance the dreams of others, and to remake the world for our children," he said.
Several of the winners are well known champions of human rights. Among them: retired8 Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa.
"The glint in the eye and the lilt in the voice are familiar to us all. But the signature quality of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, says Nelson Mandela, is a readiness to take unpopular stands without fear," Mr. Obama said.
Joseph Lowrey, an icon9 of the American civil rights movement, was also honored. So was Senator Edward Kennedy, who is suffering from brain cancer.
And there was a posthumous10 award to Harvey Milk, the slain11 gay rights activist4 and politician. "He would become, after several attempts, one of the first openly gay Americans elected to public office. And his message of hope, hope unashamed, hope unafraid could not ever be silenced," Mr. Obama said.
In choosing his first group of Medal of Freedom recipients, the president selected several women who have made their mark on American life. He honored former Supreme12 Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, cancer researcher Dr. Janet Davison Rowley, actress Chita Rivera, and tennis great Billie Jean King, who devoted13 years to opening opportunities for woman and girls in sports.
He also awarded the Medal of Freedom to Mary Robinson, Ireland's first female president and a former U.N. high commissioner14 for human rights. "Today, as an advocate for the hungry and the hunted, the forgotten and the ignored, Mary Robinson has not only shone a light on human suffering, but illuminated15 a better future for our world," Mr. Obama said.
Sidney Poitier, the first black actor to win an Academy Award, was honored by the president, as was world renowned16 physicist17 and author Stephen Hawking18.
And a medal was placed around the neck of Muhammed Yunus, the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize recipient2, who pioneered a way to lift people out of poverty through a community banking19 program that gives small loans to entrepreneurs with no collateral20.
Yunus started the micro-loan program in his native Bangladesh. Before the award ceremony, he told reporters that he hopes the Medal of Freedom award will help spread the word about the micro-loan concept. "It is a very exciting moment for me because this is a big recognition for the ideas that I have been promoting, trying to let people pay attention to it. This recognition brings a lot of attention to those ideas so I am very happy about it," Yunus said.
The Medal of Freedom was established in 1945 to recognize civilians21 for their efforts during World War II. It was revived in 1963 as a way to honor individuals for distinguished22 service from all walks of life.
1 civilian | |
adj.平民的,民用的,民众的 | |
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2 recipient | |
a.接受的,感受性强的 n.接受者,感受者,容器 | |
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3 recipients | |
adj.接受的;受领的;容纳的;愿意接受的n.收件人;接受者;受领者;接受器 | |
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4 activist | |
n.活动分子,积极分子 | |
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5 activists | |
n.(政治活动的)积极分子,活动家( activist的名词复数 ) | |
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6 humanitarians | |
n.慈善家( humanitarian的名词复数 ) | |
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7 fulfill | |
vt.履行,实现,完成;满足,使满意 | |
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8 retired | |
adj.隐退的,退休的,退役的 | |
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9 icon | |
n.偶像,崇拜的对象,画像 | |
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10 posthumous | |
adj.遗腹的;父亡后出生的;死后的,身后的 | |
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11 slain | |
杀死,宰杀,杀戮( slay的过去分词 ); (slay的过去分词) | |
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12 supreme | |
adj.极度的,最重要的;至高的,最高的 | |
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13 devoted | |
adj.忠诚的,忠实的,热心的,献身于...的 | |
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14 commissioner | |
n.(政府厅、局、处等部门)专员,长官,委员 | |
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15 illuminated | |
adj.被照明的;受启迪的 | |
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16 renowned | |
adj.著名的,有名望的,声誉鹊起的 | |
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17 physicist | |
n.物理学家,研究物理学的人 | |
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18 hawking | |
利用鹰行猎 | |
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19 banking | |
n.银行业,银行学,金融业 | |
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20 collateral | |
adj.平行的;旁系的;n.担保品 | |
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21 civilians | |
平民,百姓( civilian的名词复数 ); 老百姓 | |
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22 distinguished | |
adj.卓越的,杰出的,著名的 | |
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