PBS高端访谈:感恩节美国总统赦免火鸡的历史

 　　JUDY WOODRUFF: Before the president and his family gather for Thanksgiving, today, he made time for an executive duty: his final pardoning of the turkey as commander in chief.

　　PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: Hey!

　　JUDY WOODRUFF: The annual tradition sees two lucky birds spared from the dinner table, but only one is selected to take part in the ceremony.

　　PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: Malia and Sasha, by the way, are thankful that this is my last presidential turkey pardon. What I haven't told them yet is that we are going to do this every year from now on.

　　PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: No cameras, just us, every year. No way I am cutting this habit cold turkey.

　　JUDY WOODRUFF: The tradition has happened every November for the past quarter-century. But there's debate about how it all got started.

　　BILL CLINTON, Former President of the United States: President Truman was the first president to pardon a turkey.

　　感恩节美国总统赦免火鸡的历史

　　JUDY WOODRUFF: But that's not true.

　　In fact, the Truman Presidential Library says, Truman sometimes indicated to reporters that the turkeys he received were destined¹ for the family dinner table. Truman was actually the first president to receive a turkey from the National Turkey Federation².

　　So, who was the first president to pardon a turkey? Lincoln, it appears, was the first on record. But it was a Christmas turkey that his son had taken a liking³ to.

　　President John F. Kennedy was the first to pardon a Thanksgiving turkey. In 1963, despite a sign hanging around the turkey's neck that read, "Good eating, Mr. President," Kennedy sent the bird back to the farm.

　　Richard Nixon also gave the birds a reprieve⁴, sending his turkeys to a nearby petting zoo.

　　Ronald Reagan was the first to use the word pardon when he was talking turkey in 1987.

　　The turkey pardoning became formalized in 1989, with President George H.W. Bush.

　　GEORGE H.W. BUSH, Former President of the United States: Let me assure you, and this fine tom turkey, that he will not end up on anyone's dinner table, not this guy.

　　JUDY WOODRUFF: This year, the spared birds will be sent to Virginia Tech University, where they already have a prominent gobbler mascot⁵ on campus.

　　The event has become a White House holiday tradition.

　　BILL CLINTON: This is the eighth I have had the privilege to meet and set free in the Rose Garden.

　　JUDY WOODRUFF: In 2000, Jerry the turkey from Wisconsin sported a White House pass around his neck.

　　Four years later, the Bush administration also had some with fun with the event. The names of that year's turkeys were chosen in a vote on the White House Web site.

　　GEORGE W. BUSH, Former President of the United States: This is an election year, and Biscuits had to earn his spot at the White House. Biscuits and his running mate, Gravy⁶, prevailed over the ticket of Patience and Fortitude⁷.

　　PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: I hereby pardon you from the Thanksgiving table.

　　JUDY WOODRUFF: For his final turkey pardon naming, President Obama took suggestions from the Iowa turkey producers' children and their classmates.

　　The winners? Tater and Tot.

1 destined   

adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的

参考例句：

• It was destined that they would marry.他们结婚是缘分。
• The shipment is destined for America.这批货物将运往美国。

2 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

3 liking   

n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢

参考例句：

• The word palate also means taste or liking.Palate这个词也有“口味”或“嗜好”的意思。
• I must admit I have no liking for exaggeration.我必须承认我不喜欢夸大其词。

4 reprieve   

n.暂缓执行（死刑）；v.缓期执行；给…带来缓解

参考例句：

• He was saved from the gallows by a lastminute reprieve.最后一刻的缓刑令把他从绞架上解救了下来。
• The railway line, due for closure, has been granted a six-month reprieve.本应停运的铁路线获准多运行6 个月。

5 mascot   

n.福神，吉祥的东西

参考例句：

• The football team's mascot is a goat.足球队的吉祥物是山羊。
• We had a panda as our mascot.我们把熊猫作为吉详物。

6 gravy   

n.肉汁；轻易得来的钱，外快

参考例句：

• You have spilled gravy on the tablecloth.你把肉汁泼到台布上了。
• The meat was swimming in gravy.肉泡在浓汁之中。

7 fortitude   

n.坚忍不拔；刚毅

参考例句：

• His dauntless fortitude makes him absolutely fearless.他不屈不挠的坚韧让他绝无恐惧。
• He bore the pain with great fortitude.他以极大的毅力忍受了痛苦。