PBS高端访谈:追溯赦免火鸡的传统（在线收听）

JUDY WOODRUFF: Before departing the White House for his resort home in Florida, Mar-a-Lago, this afternoon, President Trump handed out another presidential pardon, this time to a recipient who gobbled up the spotlight. Yamiche Alcindor reports on how the annual Thanksgiving tradition began.

DONALD TRUMP, President of the United States: I hereby grant you a full pardon.

YAMICHE ALCINDOR: Call it a feather in his cap, president Trump taking part in an old Thanksgiving custom, sparing one fortunate turkey from the Thanksgiving dinner table and naming an alternate.

DONALD TRUMP: Thanksgiving is a time of great American traditions, and today we continue a very special one, when a lucky turkey gets a presidential pardon. That turkey is so lucky. I have never seen such a beautiful turkey.

YAMICHE ALCINDOR: That tradition has happened every November for the past quarter-century. But there are some, let's say, ruffled feathers about how it all got started.

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

YAMICHE ALCINDOR: But that's not true. In fact, the Truman Presidential Library says: Truman sometimes indicated to reporters that the turkeys he received were destined for the family dinner table. Truman was actually the first president to receive a turkey from the National Turkey Federation 71 years ago. 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 liking to. In 1963, President John F. Kennedy was the first to pardon a Thanksgiving turkey. 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 reprieve, sending his turkeys to a nearby petting zoo. Ronald Reagan was the first to use the term 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.

YAMICHE ALCINDOR: Exactly. These turkeys are not sitting ducks. They rode 1,400 miles for their freedom this year, from South Dakota to Washington, D.C. They even spent some time at a luxury hotel. From the White House, they will be sent to Virginia Tech University, where they already have a prominent gobbler mascot 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.

YAMICHE ALCINDOR: 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. 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, Gravy, prevailed over the ticket of Patience and Fortitude.

YAMICHE ALCINDOR: When President Obama pardoned his final turkeys, he said he wouldn't stop, even after leaving office.

BARACK OBAMA, Former President of the United States: We are going to do this every year from now on. No cameras, just us, every year. No way I am cutting this habit cold turkey.

YAMICHE ALCINDOR: This year's finalists, Peas and Carrots. The top turkey was selected in an online poll, and President Trump endorsed the results.

DONALD TRUMP: This was a fair election. Unfortunately, Carrots refused to concede and demanded a recount, and we're still fighting with Carrots. And I will tell you, we have come to a conclusion. Carrots, I'm sorry to tell you, the result didn't change.

YAMICHE ALCINDOR: For the PBS NewsHour, I'm Yamiche Alcindor.

朱迪·伍德拉夫：今天下午，在离开白宫回到其加州海湖庄园之前，特朗普总统做了又一次总统特赦，这一次的被特赦方是一位备受瞩目的人。我台记者阿尔辛多报道了该感恩节传统的开始经过。

唐纳德·特朗普，美国总统：我特此赦免你。

阿尔辛多：特赦权是总统的特权，特朗普遵从了这样一个渊源已久的感恩节习俗，在特设了一只幸运火鸡的同时，也特赦了一个人。

唐纳德·特朗普：感恩节是美国伟大的传统。今天，我们将继续另一项特殊的传统，特赦一只幸运的火鸡。这只火鸡很幸运，也很漂亮。

阿尔辛多：过去25年来，这个传统每年11月都会进行。不过，关于这个传统是从谁开始的问题还是颇有争议的。

比尔·克林顿，美国前总统：杜鲁门总统是第一位赦免火鸡的总统。

阿尔辛多：但但这并非事实。实际上，杜鲁门总统图书馆表示，杜鲁门有时候在接受记者采访时还会说，他收到的火鸡注定是要家庭晚宴餐桌的。实际上，杜鲁门是第一位收到火鸡协会送火鸡的总统，那是71年前的事。那么，哪位才是第一位赦免火鸡的总统呢？从历史记载上看，貌似是林肯，不过真实的场景是——圣诞节当天，林肯的儿子赦免了一只火鸡。1963年，约翰·肯尼迪是才是第一位在感恩节当天赦免火鸡的总统。虽然那只火鸡的脖子上挂着一个牌子，写着“用餐愉快”，但肯尼迪总统还是放它回农场了。理查德·尼克松也曾赦免过多只火鸡，将它们送到了附近的一家宠物动物园里。罗纳德·里根是第一位用“特赦”这个词的总统，当时是1987年，他讨论火鸡时用到了这个词。特赦火鸡从1989年时任总统布什开始变成了正规流程。

乔治·布什，美国前总统：我向大家保证，这只英俊潇洒的公火鸡是不会成为盘中餐的，肯定不会。

阿尔辛多：确实如此，火鸡可不是好欺负的。今年，火鸡们为了追寻自由，不惜跋涉1400英里，从南达科塔来到了华盛顿特区。他们在一家豪华饭店待了会儿。有人将把它们从白宫送到弗吉尼亚理工大学，而那时候，校园里已经盛传火鸡是吉祥物了。特赦火鸡已经成了白宫的节日传统。

比尔·克林顿：这是我有幸在蔷薇园见过并赦免的第八只火鸡。

阿尔辛多：2000年，一只叫威斯康星州的火鸡名叫杰瑞，有人看到它脖子上戴着白宫的通行证。4年后的布什政府也以火鸡的梗为乐。那一年可获特赦的火鸡名字是在白宫官网上票选出来的.

乔治·布什，美国前总统：这相当于是选举年，这个只小饼干的火鸡一定会给白宫聚焦热度的。小饼干和竞选伙伴肉烧汁战胜了名叫耐心和刚毅的火鸡。

阿尔辛多：奥巴马总统特赦最后一批火鸡后，他说自己即便离任后也不会停止脚步的。

巴拉克·奥巴马：美国前总统：从现在开始，我们每年都要这样做。没有摄像头，只有我们，每年都会如此。我绝不会放弃特赦火鸡这个习惯的。

阿尔辛多：今年参加决赛的选手是豌豆和胡萝卜。可获特赦的火鸡是在一次在线投票中选出的，并由特朗普总统签字背书。

唐纳德·特朗普：今年的选举很公正。不幸的是，胡萝卜拒绝让步，并要求重新计票。我们现在还在劝服胡萝卜。我要告诉你，我们已经做了最后的决定。胡萝卜，很抱歉，结果无法改变。

阿尔辛多：以上是阿尔辛多发回的《新闻一小时》报道。