VOA慢速英语2012--THE MAKING OF A NATION - American History: Life in the 1970s and '80s

THE MAKING OF A NATION - American History: Life in the 1970s and '80s

STEVE EMBER: Welcome to THE MAKING OF A NATION -- American history in VOA Special English. I'm Steve Ember.
This week in our series, we look back at some of the social issues and cultural changes in America in the nineteen seventies and eighties.
(MUSIC)
In some ways, the nineteen eighties seemed like the opposite of the nineteen sixties. The sixties were years of protest for social justice and change. Many Americans demonstrated against the Vietnam War. Blacks demonstrated for civil rights. Women demonstrated for equality. Many people welcomed new social programs created by the government.
By the nineteen eighties, however, many people seemed more concerned with themselves than with helping¹ society. To them, success was measured mainly by how much money a person made. People wanted to live the good life, and that took money.
The changes started to become evident during the nineteen seventies. For a while, these years brought a continuation of the social experiments and struggles of the sixties.
But then people began to see signs of what society would be like in the eighties. There were a number of reasons for this change.
One reason was the end to America's military involvement in Vietnam after years of war. Another was the progress of civil rights activists² and the women's movement toward many of their goals.
A third reason was the economy. During the nineteen seventies, the United States suffered a recession. Interest rates and inflation were high. A shortage of imported oil as a result of tensions in the Middle East only added to the problems.
As the nineteen seventies went on, many Americans became tired of economic struggle. They also became tired of social struggle. They had been working together for common interests. Now, many wanted to spend more time on their own interests.
This change appeared in many parts of society. It affected³ popular culture, education and politics.
ARCHIE BUNKER (CARROLL O'CONNOR): "Let me hear your idea again."
MICHAEL (ROB REINER): "OK, I want us to watch Jack⁴ Lemmon and a group of famous scientists discuss pollution and ecology on channel thirteen."
ARCHIE: "Good. And I wanna watch football highlights on channel two. Now guess what's gonna happen."
(MUSIC)
One of the most popular television programs of that time was a comedy series that often dealt with politics and serious social issues. The show was called "All in the Family." The family was led by a factory worker named Archie Bunker. Carroll O'Connor played Archie, and Jean Stapleton played his wife, Edith. The Bunkers lived in a working-class neighborhood in the Queens borough⁵ of New York City.
Archie represented the struggles of the blue-collar working man against the social changes in America. He loved his country and was socially conservative -- in the extreme.
ARCHIE: "What about John Wayne? And before you say anything, lemme warn you –- when you're talking about the Duke, you ain't just talking about an actor; you're talking about the spirit that made America great."
MICHAEL: "Are you kidding?"
His opinions on subjects like race and women's equality were always good for an argument with his liberal daughter and even more liberal son-in-law.
MICHAEL: "Good. I can mail my letter today and it'll get to Washington by Monday."
EDITH (JEAN STAPLETON): "Washington -- are you writing to Washington?
GLORIA (SALLY STRUTHERS): "That's right. Michael wrote the president."
ARCHIE: "Write to the president, about what?"
GLORIA: "All the things we've been talking about – the pollution of our air, the pollution of our water, the way us housewives have no protection from foods without nutrition, how they make products with harmful things in them. Like you saw what happened to Michael from that shirt."
ARCHIE: "You, Michael Stivic, Meathead, you have the nerve to write to the president of the United States about your rash?"
Edith would always try to make peace.
EDITH: "Maybe he knows a good skin man [dermatologist]."
(MUSIC: "Happy Days" theme)
Another popular program, "Happy Days," about family life in the nineteen fifties, offered an escape from the social issues of the day.
(MUSIC)
Music also changed. In the nineteen sixties, folk music was popular. Many of those folk songs were about social problems. But in the nineteen seventies, there was hard rock and punk.
TV HOST: "Here is Wonder Mike, Hank and Master G -- the Sugarhill Gang."
And in nineteen seventy-nine a group called the Sugarhill Gang brought rap music to national attention with a hit called "Rapper's Delight."
(MUSIC: "Rappers Delight")
In bookstores, the growing number of self-help books offered another sign of social change. These books advised people about ways to make themselves happier. One of the most popular self-help books was "I'm OK -- You're OK" by Wayne Dyer. It was published in nineteen sixty-nine and led the way for many other popular psychology⁶ books throughout the seventies.
(MUSIC)
Politically, the United States went through several changes during the nineteen seventies. For most of the sixties the nation was governed by liberal Democratic administrations. Then in nineteen sixty-eight a conservative Republican, Richard Nixon, was elected president.
Nixon won a second term four years later, but had to resign in nineteen seventy-four because of the Watergate scandal. Nixon's vice⁸ president, Gerald Ford⁹, took his place. Two years later, Ford was defeated by Jimmy Carter, a Democrat⁷ who until then was little known nationally.
The election showed that Americans were angry with the Republican Party because of Watergate. But they soon became unhappy with President Carter. They blamed him for failing to improve the economy and for failing to end a crisis involving American hostages in Iran. He lost his re-election campaign to Ronald Reagan.
RONALD REAGAN: "Are you better off than you were four years ago?"
(MUSIC)
Reagan, a Republican, won two terms and led the nation during most of the nineteen eighties. For many people, the Reagan years offered a renewed sense of economic opportunity. Reagan reduced taxes, which increased his popularity. But the national debt grew as he raised military spending to put pressure on the Soviet¹⁰ Union.
(MUSIC)
The self-centeredness of many people in the seventies and eighties gave rise to terms like the "me" generation." And there was the rise of "yuppies" -- young urban professionals remaking older neighborhoods in cities, often displacing poorer people.
Popular entertainment at that time was often about financial success.
ANNOUNCER: "Premiering Sunday, April second, 'Dallas,' where money buys power and passion breeds conflict … "
(MUSIC: "Dallas" theme)
"Dallas" was a TV drama about a Texas oil family with more money, and more problems, than they knew what to do with. It became a hit not just in the United States but around the world. Actor Larry Hagman played JR.
JR EWING (LARRY HAGMAN): "Your daddy lacked the killer¹¹ instinct. He forgave those who transgressed¹² against him. People just weren't afraid of him. And he overlooked ol' JR's golden rules.
CASEY (ANDREW STEVENS): "And what might they be?"
JR EWING: "Don't forgive and don't forget. And do unto others, before they do unto you. And, most especially, keep your eye on your friends, 'cause your enemies will take care of themselves. Oh, and one other thing – the oil business is a little bit like a poker¹³ game. It's good to get caught bluffing¹⁴ early on, 'cause, after that, somebody's gonna call you when you've got a winning hand."
(MUSIC)
"Dynasty" was another popular series about rich people behaving badly. One of its stars was veteran actor John Forsythe.
BLAKE CARRINGTON (JOHN FORSYTHE): "Those banks are going to find out that they've got more than they can handle. Denver- Carrington [company] is Blake Carrington, and they'll come begging to me to run the company again. I know they will. And I'll make them get down on their knees when they come begging."
There was also "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous," a series about real-life wealthy people, hosted by Robin¹⁵ Leach¹⁶.
ROBIN LEACH: "Our bustling¹⁷ capital city combines the chic¹⁸ with the freak, the 'Oh, God' with the avant garde. So let's go 'upper deck' with a couple of my good friends, and run away with the rich and famous …"
And at the movie theater, there was the nineteen eighty-seven film "Wall Street."
GORDON GECKO (MICHAEL DOUGLAS): "The point is, ladies and gentlemen, that greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right. Greed works."
Michael Douglas played a character named Gordon Gecko, who earns his wealth by raiding companies and illegally trading on inside information.
GORDON GECKO (MICHAEL DOUGLAS): "Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary¹⁹ spirit. Greed, in all of its forms, greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge, has marked the upward surge of mankind. And greed – you mark my words, will not only save Teldar Paper, but that other malfunctioning²⁰ corporation called the U.S.A. Thank you very much. [Applause]"
(MUSIC: "Rambo" theme)
Good triumphed over evil in the "Rambo" action films starring Sylvester Stallone. He played a troubled hero who had fought in Vietnam. The films were violent. But they represented a more positive view than society had shown in the past toward veterans of that unpopular war.
In the nineteen eighties people came to fear a new disease that could be spread by sex or blood. It was the rise of the AIDS epidemic²¹.
At the same time a new drug -- crack cocaine²² -- started a wave of violence in American cities.
Technology was also on the rise.
ANNOUNCER: "You don't have to be a genius to use a computer. Let Computer Land show you how easy it is to manage your own small business or home finances with the Atari 800. Record keeping, information, communication, and a world of new ideas from Atari."
Personal computers appeared in more and more offices, schools and homes.
The nineteen eighties brought stardom to young entertainer Michael Jackson.
(MUSIC: "Beat It"/Michael Jackson)
And no history of the eighties would be complete without noting the rise of Music Television -- better known as MTV.
(MUSIC: "Money for Nothing"/Dire Straits)
You can find our series online with transcripts²³, MP3s, podcasts and pictures at voanews.cn. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter at VOA Learning English. I'm Steve Ember, inviting²⁴ you to join us again next week for THE MAKING OF A NATION -- American history in VOA Special English.
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Contributing: Jerilyn Watson
This was program #225. For earlier programs, type "Making of a Nation" in quotation²⁵ marks in the search box at the top of the page.

1 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

2 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 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。

4 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

5 borough   

n.享有自治权的市镇；(英)自治市镇

参考例句：

• He was slated for borough president.他被提名做自治区主席。
• That's what happened to Harry Barritt of London's Bromley borough.住在伦敦的布罗姆利自治市的哈里.巴里特就经历了此事。

6 psychology   

n.心理，心理学，心理状态

参考例句：

• She has a background in child psychology.她受过儿童心理学的教育。
• He studied philosophy and psychology at Cambridge.他在剑桥大学学习哲学和心理学。

7 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

8 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。

9 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

10 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

11 killer   

n.杀人者，杀人犯，杀手，屠杀者

参考例句：

• Heart attacks have become Britain's No.1 killer disease.心脏病已成为英国的头号致命疾病。
• The bulk of the evidence points to him as her killer.大量证据证明是他杀死她的。

12 transgressed   

v.超越( transgress的过去式和过去分词 )；越过；违反；违背

参考例句：

• You transgressed against the law. 你犯法了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• His behavior transgressed the unwritten rules of social conduct. 他的行为违反了不成文的社交规范。 来自辞典例句

13 poker   

n.扑克；vt.烙制

参考例句：

• He was cleared out in the poker game.他打扑克牌，把钱都输光了。
• I'm old enough to play poker and do something with it.我打扑克是老手了，可以玩些花样。

14 bluffing   

n. 威吓，唬人 动词bluff的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• I don't think he'll shoot—I think he's just bluffing. 我认为他不会开枪—我想他不过是在吓唬人。
• He says he'll win the race, but he's only bluffing. 他说他会赢得这场比赛，事实上只是在吹牛。

15 robin   

n.知更鸟，红襟鸟

参考例句：

• The robin is the messenger of spring.知更鸟是报春的使者。
• We knew spring was coming as we had seen a robin.我们看见了一只知更鸟，知道春天要到了。

16 leach   

v.分离，过滤掉；n.过滤；过滤器

参考例句：

• Liquid water can leach soluble materials from the interface.液态水能够从界面溶解出可溶性物质。
• They believe that the humic materials are leached from decaying plant materials.他们认为腐植物料是从腐烂的植物体浸沥而来。

17 bustling   

adj.喧闹的

参考例句：

• The market was bustling with life. 市场上生机勃勃。
• This district is getting more and more prosperous and bustling. 这一带越来越繁华了。

18 chic   

n./adj.别致(的)，时髦(的)，讲究的

参考例句：

• She bought a chic little hat.她买了一顶别致的小帽子。
• The chic restaurant is patronized by many celebrities.这家时髦的饭店常有名人光顾。

19 evolutionary   

adj.进化的；演化的，演变的；[生]进化论的

参考例句：

• Life has its own evolutionary process.生命有其自身的进化过程。
• These are fascinating questions to be resolved by the evolutionary studies of plants.这些十分吸引人的问题将在研究植物进化过程中得以解决。

20 malfunctioning   

出故障

参考例句：

• But something was malfunctioning in the equipment due to human error. 但由于人为的错误，设备发生故障了。 来自超越目标英语 第4册
• Choke coils are useful for prevention of malfunctioning electronic equipment. 扼流圈对于防止电器设备的故障很有帮助。 来自互联网

21 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

22 cocaine   

n.可卡因，古柯碱（用作局部麻醉剂）

参考例句：

• That young man is a cocaine addict.那个年轻人吸食可卡因成瘾。
• Don't have cocaine abusively.不可滥服古柯碱。

23 transcripts   

n.抄本（ transcript的名词复数 ）；转写本；文字本；副本

参考例句：

• Like mRNA, both tRNA and rRNA are transcripts of chromosomal DNA. tRNA及rRNA同mRNA一样，都是染色体DNA的转录产物。 来自辞典例句
• You can't take the transfer students'exam without your transcripts. 没有成绩证明书，你就不能参加转学考试。 来自辞典例句

24 inviting   

adj.诱人的，引人注目的

参考例句：

• An inviting smell of coffee wafted into the room.一股诱人的咖啡香味飘进了房间。
• The kitchen smelled warm and inviting and blessedly familiar.这间厨房的味道温暖诱人，使人感到亲切温馨。

25 quotation   

n.引文，引语，语录；报价，牌价，行情

参考例句：

• He finished his speech with a quotation from Shakespeare.他讲话结束时引用了莎士比亚的语录。
• The quotation is omitted here.此处引文从略。