VOA标准英语2013--前国防部长领导童子军

（单词翻译）

Former Defense¹ Secretary to Lead Boy Scouts³ 前国防部长领导童子军

WASHINGTON — He has served under eight U.S. presidents, including as chief of the Central Intelligence Agency and at the Pentagon. Now, former Defense Secretary Robert Gates has agreed to take on a new challenge. Instead of marshalling troops, though, he will be making sure more than two-and-a-half million U.S. boys are prepared to face life.

There was plenty of fanfare⁴ when Gates stepped down as Secretary of Defense in June 2011, marking what seemed to be the end of a long public career.

Now, Gates will be stepping back onto the public stage, after agreeing to a two-year term as voluntary president of the Boy Scouts of America. Pending⁵ final approval, he is to start next May.

In a statement, Gates, a former scout² himself, is quoted as saying, “There is no finer program for preparing American boys for citizenship⁶ and leadership.”

But just as when he took the helm at the Defense Department, in the midst of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Gates is coming to an organization facing major challenges.

The Boy Scouts have been hit with multiple lawsuits⁷ - including one alleging⁸ the organization, despite complaints, allowed suspected pedophiles to work with and abuse boys in the 1970s and 80s.

"We know that in Idaho alone, there were 15 different pedophiles, based on these documents," said Andrew Chasan, who represents the plaintiffs.

But perhaps no issue looms⁹ larger than the decision by the Boy Scouts this past May to allow openly gay scouts for the first time.

Outgoing Boy Scouts President Wayne Perry, said, “It's a very difficult decision for a lot of people. But we're moving forward together.”

Not everyone feels that way. Thousands of people rallied in opposition¹⁰, some severing¹¹ ties, even mailing back scout badges they had earned decades earlier.

"What they've done is they've slapped all of us in the face that have ever been involved in scouting," said Bill Bright, a former Boy Scout.

The issue though, is not at all unfamiliar¹² to Gates, who oversaw¹³ the end of the U.S. military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy on gays.

“You're supposed to go on treating everybody like you're supposed to be treating everybody now - with dignity, respect and discipline.”

But now, instead of facing troops, he’ll be facing more than 2.5 million Boy Scouts, ages seven to 21. And he will be charged with helping¹⁴ them live up to the organization’s famous motto - “be prepared.”