VOA标准英语2009年-Obama Remembers Kennedy as Mentor, Friend,

U.S. President Barack Obama says he is "heartbroken" by the passing of Senator Edward Kennedy, who died early Wednesday after a battle with brain cancer. Mr. Obama is mourning a mentor¹ and a friend.
　
President Barack Obama reads a statement about the death of Sen. Edward Kennedy while on vacation on Martha's Vineyard in Chilmark, Massachusetts, 26 Aug 2009

President Barack Obama is leading the nation in remembering Ted² Kennedy, calling him one of the greatest senators of our time. He says Kennedy was the defender³ of a dream.

"His extraordinary life on this earth has come to an end," said Mr. Obama. "The extraordinary good that he did lives on."

The president says America may never see his like again: a veteran lawmaker who left a lasting⁴ imprint⁵ on all aspects of life in the United States, from health care to civil rights to education.

"His ideas and ideals and are stamped on scores of laws reflected in millions of lives," he said.

Mr. Obama was in the senator's home state when he died - not far from the Kennedy compound in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts.
　
In this 28 Jan. 2008 file photo, then-Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Obama smiles with Sen. Kennedy, during rally at American University in Washington

There had been indications that the two might meet during the Obama family vacation in Martha's Vineyard. Instead, the president found himself talking to the nation about the loss of a man known as "the liberal lion" of the Senate.

"The Kennedy name is synonymous with the Democratic Party," he said. "And at times, Ted was the target of partisan⁶ campaign attacks. But in the United States Senate, I can think of no one who engendered⁷ greater respect or affection from members on both sides of the aisle⁸."

In his brief remarks, the president made clear he sees the death of Ted Kennedy as a personal loss. Kennedy was a mentor during his early days in the United States Senate, and was an early and avid⁹ booster of his presidential campaign.

"Over the past several years, I have had the honor to call Teddy a colleague, a counselor¹⁰ and a friend," said the president. "And even though we have known this day was coming for some time now, we awaited it with no small amount of dread¹¹."

Senator Kennedy died early Wednesday at his Massachusetts home. The last surviving brother of former President John Kennedy was 77.

1 mentor   

n.指导者，良师益友；v.指导

参考例句：

• He fed on the great ideas of his mentor.他以他导师的伟大思想为支撑。
• He had mentored scores of younger doctors.他指导过许多更年轻的医生。

2 ted   

vt.翻晒，撒，撒开

参考例句：

• The invaders gut ted the village.侵略者把村中财物洗劫一空。
• She often teds the corn when it's sunny.天好的时候她就翻晒玉米。

3 defender   

n.保卫者，拥护者，辩护人

参考例句：

• He shouldered off a defender and shot at goal.他用肩膀挡开防守队员，然后射门。
• The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。

4 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

5 imprint   

n.印痕，痕迹；深刻的印象；vt.压印，牢记

参考例句：

• That dictionary is published under the Longman imprint.那本词典以朗曼公司的名义出版。
• Her speech left its imprint on me.她的演讲给我留下了深刻印象。

6 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。

7 engendered   

v.产生（某形势或状况），造成，引起( engender的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The issue engendered controversy. 这个问题引起了争论。
• The meeting engendered several quarrels. 这次会议发生了几次争吵。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 aisle   

n.（教堂、教室、戏院等里的）过道，通道

参考例句：

• The aisle was crammed with people.过道上挤满了人。
• The girl ushered me along the aisle to my seat.引座小姐带领我沿着通道到我的座位上去。

9 avid   

adj.热心的；贪婪的；渴望的；劲头十足的

参考例句：

• He is rich,but he is still avid of more money.他很富有,但他还想贪图更多的钱。
• She was avid for praise from her coach.那女孩渴望得到教练的称赞。

10 counselor   

n.顾问，法律顾问

参考例句：

• The counselor gave us some disinterested advice.顾问给了我们一些无私的忠告。
• Chinese commercial counselor's office in foreign countries.中国驻国外商务参赞处。

11 dread   

vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧

参考例句：

• We all dread to think what will happen if the company closes.我们都不敢去想一旦公司关门我们该怎么办。
• Her heart was relieved of its blankest dread.她极度恐惧的心理消除了。