【英语语言学习】父爱的影响

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

 

When Senator Rob Portman of Ohio yesterday became the latest conservative politician to announce his support for same-sex marriage, he disclosed that his son, Will, a junior at Yale University, had told him two years ago that he is gay; and that love and admiration¹ for his son had moved the senator to reflect and change.

 

When Mr. Portman was in the House of Representatives, he co-sponsored a 1996 law to prevent same-sex marriage. At the time, my position was rooted in my faith tradition, he wrote in yesterday's Columbus Dispatch. Knowing that my son is gay prompted me to consider the issue from another perspective; that of a dad who wants all three of his kids to lead happy, meaningful lives with the people they love, and my belief that we are all children of God.

 

A lot of Americans, according to the polls, are growing to accept same-sex marriage, whatever their politics or faith. The politicians of both major parties may simply be trying to keep pace. Many of them have said that personal experience, especially with their children, has caused them to see the issue in a new light. When President Obama told ABC News last fall that his position on same-sex marriage was evolving, he cited his daughters. Malia and Sasha, he said, they've got friends whose parents are same-sex couples. And frankly², that's the kind of thing that prompts a change of perspective.

 

Former Vice³ President Dick Cheney was probably the first major political figure to explicitly⁴ support same-sex marriage, in 2009, saying, I think people ought to be free to enter into any kind of union they wish. His daughter, Mary Cheney, lived in a committed relationship for many years and is now married.

 

Perhaps a politician - or any of us - shouldn't have to feel that our child is directly affected⁵ by an issue to take a fresh look. But there's nothing like children to chip away at any hard ideological⁶ assumptions we hold, especially if we begin to think that our certitudes may prevent our children from being happy.

 

In a round of interviews with Ohio newspapers yesterday, Senator Portman spoke⁷ about how much he admired his son. He's an amazing young man, said Mr. Portman. If anything, I'm even more proud of the way he's handled the whole situation. He sounded like a father who was glad and proud to have learned something from his son. And his son might learn something from his father, too, that can be useful for all of us as we grow older - about keeping an open mind and heart, and being open to change.

 

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "DAT DERE")

 

OSCAR BROWN, JR.: (Singing) Hey, daddy, what that there and why that under there. And, oh, daddy, oh, hey, daddy, look at over there. Hey, what they doing there and where they going there? And, daddy, can I have that big elephant over there? Hey, who that in my chair and what she doing there? And, oh, daddy, oh, hey, daddy, can I go over there? Hey, daddy, what's a square and where do we get air...

 

SIMON: Oscar Brown, Jr. You're listening to NPR News.

1 admiration   

n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕

参考例句：

• He was lost in admiration of the beauty of the scene.他对风景之美赞不绝口。
• We have a great admiration for the gold medalists.我们对金牌获得者极为敬佩。

2 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

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 explicitly   

ad.明确地，显然地

参考例句：

• The plan does not explicitly endorse the private ownership of land. 该计划没有明确地支持土地私有制。
• SARA amended section 113 to provide explicitly for a right to contribution. 《最高基金修正与再授权法案》修正了第123条，清楚地规定了分配权。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

5 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

6 ideological   

a.意识形态的

参考例句：

• He always tries to link his study with his ideological problems. 他总是把学习和自己的思想问题联系起来。
• He helped me enormously with advice on how to do ideological work. 他告诉我怎样做思想工作，对我有很大帮助。

7 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。