历届美国总统简介：约翰·亚当斯

约翰·亚当斯（John Adams，1735年10月30日－1826年7月4日）是美国第一任副总统（1789年－1797年），其后接替乔治·华盛顿成为美国第二任总统（1797年－1801年）。同时，亚当斯也是第一位由总检察长带领宣誓的美国总统。[1] 

他是由托马斯·杰斐逊组成的《独立宣言》起草委员会的成员，被誉为“美国独立的巨人”。由于他任职期间在内政、外交方面均无明显成就，1800年竞选总统时被托马斯·杰斐逊击败。1826年7月4日去世。 [1-2] 

约翰·亚当斯是《独立宣言》签署者之一，被美国人视为最重要的开国元勋之一，同华盛顿、杰斐逊和富兰克林齐名。[3]  他的长子约翰·昆西·亚当斯后当选为美国第6任总统。[4]  被美国的权威期刊《大西洋月刊》评为影响美国的100位人物第25名[5]  。

 

John Adams was the second President of the United States. He was born in Massachusetts in 1735. He studied law at Harvard and became identified with the movement for independence. During the Revolutionary War he served in France and Holland in diplomatic roles, and helped negotiate the peace treaty with France. He returned from Europe and was elected Vice¹ President under George Washington.

 

Adams served two terms as Vice President. The White House describes them as being “frustrating experiences for a man of his vigor², intellect, and vanity”. He complained to his wife Abigail about his frustrations³ with his sense of a lack of power in his position. He said: "My country has in its wisdom contrived⁴ for me the most insignificant⁵ office that ever the invention of man contrived or his imagination conceived."

 

When Adams first became President, the war between the French and British was causing great difficulties for the United States. It disrupted trade and shipping⁶ to the USA and caused fierce rivalries⁷ between Americans loyal to each of the European powers. His decision to send a peace mission to France badly divided American politics and he lost the 1801 election to Thomas Jefferson.

 

Adams retired⁸ from political life and returned to his farm. He will be remembered as being one of the key Founding Fathers of the United States and for the first U.S. politician to start a political dynasty – his son John Quincy became America’s sixth President. Adams died on July 4, 1826. His most memorable⁹ words are: "People and nations are forged in the fires of adversity."

 

 

1 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。

2 vigor   

n.活力，精力，元气

参考例句：

• The choir sang the words out with great vigor.合唱团以极大的热情唱出了歌词。
• She didn't want to be reminded of her beauty or her former vigor.现在，她不愿人们提起她昔日的美丽和以前的精力充沛。

3 frustrations   

挫折( frustration的名词复数 )； 失败； 挫败； 失意

参考例句：

• The temptation would grow to take out our frustrations on Saigon. 由于我们遭到挫折而要同西贡算帐的引诱力会增加。
• Aspirations will be raised, but so will frustrations. 人们会产生种种憧憬，但是种种挫折也会随之而来。

4 contrived   

adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的

参考例句：

• There was nothing contrived or calculated about what he said.他说的话里没有任何蓄意捏造的成分。
• The plot seems contrived.情节看起来不真实。

5 insignificant   

adj.无关紧要的，可忽略的，无意义的

参考例句：

• In winter the effect was found to be insignificant.在冬季，这种作用是不明显的。
• This problem was insignificant compared to others she faced.这一问题与她面临的其他问题比较起来算不得什么。

6 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。

7 rivalries   

n.敌对，竞争，对抗( rivalry的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The new government was torn by rivalries. 新政府由于各派对立而四分五裂。 来自辞典例句
• Rivalries could bring about pain and hatred or give rise to fighting. 竞争会带来痛苦、仇恨，或者引起争斗。 来自互联网

8 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

9 memorable   

adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的

参考例句：

• This was indeed the most memorable day of my life.这的确是我一生中最值得怀念的日子。
• The veteran soldier has fought many memorable battles.这个老兵参加过许多难忘的战斗。