VOA慢速英语2012 THE MAKING OF A NATION - American History: A Fresh Start

 

THE MAKING OF A NATION - American History: A Fresh Start

STEVE EMBER: Welcome to THE MAKING OF A NATION – American history in VOA Special English. I’m Steve Ember.

Today we start our series again from the beginning. The last time we started over was in October of two thousand seven.

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THE MAKING OF A NATION is one of the most popular programs in VOA Special English.

It started in May of nineteen sixty-nine. Some longtime listeners can remember when THE MAKING OF A NATION was on the radio twice a week. People who grew up listening to it are old enough now to listen with their own children, or even their grandchildren.

The series tells a story. You can think of it not just as a series of programs about the history of America and its people, but a series of lessons. The subjects include exploration, revolution, civil war, social and political change, the rise of industry and modern technology, and more.

As time adds to the story of American history, we add to our series. We finished in May at program number two hundred forty. The subject was the Great Recession and the presidential election of two thousand eight.

Over the last year, we took our series in a new direction. We added more sound from the people who made history in the twentieth century ...

PRESIDENT FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT: "Yesterday, December seventh, nineteen forty-one, a date which will live in infamy¹, the United States of America … "

PRESIDENT RICHARD NIXON: "Throughout the long and difficult period of Watergate, I have felt it was my duty to persevere² – to make every possible effort to complete the term of office."

More sound from popular culture and entertainment ...

(SOUND: Dialogue from the movie "Gone with the Wind," with Clark Gable as Rhett Butler and Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O’Hara)

President Richard M. Nixon and his wife Pat Nixon 

RHETT BUTLER: "That’s what’s wrong with you. You should be kissed, and often, and by someone who knows how."

SCARLETT O’HARA: "Oh, and I suppose you think you’re the proper person."

(SOUND: Larry Hagman as J.R. from the television series "Dallas")

J.R: "Your daddy lacked the killer³ instinct -- he forgave those who transgressed⁴ against him. People just weren’t afraid of him.

(SOUND: Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz as Lucy and Ricky Ricardo from the TV series "I Love Lucy")

LUCY: "Ah, what’ll I have to do?"

RICKY: "You gonna get me back on the television show."

LUCY: "How?"

RICKY: "I don’t know how, but if you don’t …"

LUCY: "I will, Ricky. I’ll get you back on the show. Don’t even think of what you’ll do if I don’t."

(SOUND: Michael Douglas as Gordon Gecko from the film "Wall Street")

GORDON GECKO: "The point is, ladies and gentlemen, that greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right. Greed works."

And more sound from the events that defined the times.

DWIGHT EISENHOWER: "People of Western Europe: a landing was made this morning on the coast of France by troops of the Allied⁵ Expeditionary Force."

General Dwight Eisenhower.

DWIGHT EISENHOWER: "This landing is part of a concerted United Nations plan for the liberation of Europe."

One of our programs, on the D-Day invasion during World War Two, was a finalist for most creative radio feature in the twenty-eleven Association for International Broadcasting Media Awards:

(SOUND: Excerpt⁶ from Nation #193]

On June fifth, nineteen forty-four, a huge Allied force waited for the order to invade German-occupied France.

All eyes turned toward Eisenhower. The decision was his. His face was serious. And for a long time he was silent. Finally he spoke⁷. "OK," he said. "We will go."

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In a sense, THE MAKING OF A NATION is living history. Our programs are still broadcast on radio. But now -- thanks to one of the defining events in modern history, the invention of the Internet -- they are also available online.

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So how was the nation made? Why did people rebel against one nation and start their own? THE MAKING OF A NATION answers these and other questions about American history.

We will tell the story of how a group of farmers, businessmen and lawyers wrote a document they called the Constitution of the United States. On September seventeenth, seventeen eighty-seven, delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia met one last time to sign it.

The Constitution became a guide not just for Americans, but also for other governments in creating democracies.

We will explore why the writers of the Constitution included guarantees of freedom of speech and religion, and the right to a fair and public trial.

We will also talk about the reasons for the American Revolution. One of the most important reasons was the idea that citizens of a country should have a voice in its decisions.

British citizens in the American colonies paid taxes but had no representatives in the British Parliament. Taxation⁸ without representation would lead to growing anger in the American colonies.

The leaders of the revolt made important changes. For example, all free men who owned land and paid taxes were permitted to vote. Not until nineteen twenty, however, did the Constitution guarantee women the right to vote.

Later, another change lowered the voting age for Americans from twenty-one to eighteen.

Our programs will explain the thinking behind these and other rights. They will also tell the story of each presidential election and presidency⁹ in American history.

THE MAKING OF A NATION explores the good and the bad in American history. For example, how could slavery exist in a nation whose people declared that "all men are created equal" and with a right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness? 

Many of our programs explore the ideas and issues that have shaped the United States. But most importantly, they talk about the people.

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For example, George Washington was a farmer before he became a military commander. He became president because the citizens of the new country wanted him as their first leader.

After two terms, Washington gave up power by his own choice. He once again became a farmer and a private citizen. In his farewell address in seventeen ninety-six, he warned Americans about the dangers of political parties.

Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence. It told the world that the people of this new country would no longer answer to a European ruler.

Some of the people who formed the United States into a nation during the seventeen hundreds were well educated and wealthy. Abraham Lincoln was not. Still, he grew up to become president.

Abraham Lincoln became president during the eighteen sixties when several southern states decided¹⁰ they no longer wanted to be part of the Union. We tell the story of how President Lincoln dealt with the terrible Civil War that almost split the country apart.

One of our programs will focus on the speech he gave in the little town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. A great battle had been fought there. President Lincoln had been asked to come to Gettysburg to say a few words at the dedication¹¹ of a military burial ground.

The speech was short. President Lincoln honored the young men who had died on that bloody¹² battlefield. He also told the world why the war was being fought and why it was so important.

Lincoln’s "Gettysburg Address" began with these words:

"Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth¹³ on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated¹⁴ to the proposition that all men are created equal."

Those words were just the first sentence. After President Lincoln wrote the speech, he felt sad. He considered it a failure. In fact, his words earned the respect of history. You can hear the full Gettysburg Address in our programs about the life and presidency of Abraham Lincoln.

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THE MAKING OF A NATION touches on many different subjects. One of them is social change. For example, we discuss the changes that took place during the so-called Roaring Twenties.

In the nineteen twenties, many young people decided they no longer needed to follow the conservative traditions of their parents and grandparents. This was also the age of jazz.

But music and social values were not the only things changing. The Roaring Twenties were also a time of fast-moving economic change. Productivity grew sharply. At the same time, the divide between rich and poor Americans grew wider.

By the end of the twenties, the economy was ready to collapse¹⁵. Then, in October of nineteen twenty-nine, the stock market crashed. What followed was an economic disaster worse than any the modern world has ever known.

We will examine the causes of the Great Depression and how it affected¹⁶ Americans and the rest of the world.

We will tell the story of people who lost their jobs, their homes and their hope for the future.

PRESIDENT FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT: "This great Nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper¹⁷. So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself."

Franklin Roosevelt was elected with a promise to bring the country out of the Depression. On March fourth, nineteen thirty-three, he was inaugurated to his first of four terms. He served longer than any other president in American history. We discuss Roosevelt's New Deal programs and his leadership during World War Two.

But not all of our subjects are so serious. We also look at the history of American popular culture.

(SOUND: From the "Burns and Allen" radio program]

GRACIE ALLEN: "Another cup of Maxwell House Coffee, George?"

GEORGE BURNS: "Sure, pour me a cup, Gracie"

(MUSIC: "Let's Dance"/Benny Goodman)

(SOUND: Excerpt from Nation #184)

The most popular sound of the nineteen thirties was a new kind of music called "Swing." And the "King of Swing" was a clarinet player named Benny Goodman.

(SOUND: Excerpt from Nation #206]

The painter Jackson Pollock represented a spirit of rebellion in art. Pollock would drop paint onto a canvas. What did his works mean? People had to decide for themselves. 

In music, the rebel was Elvis Presley -- the king of rock and roll.

(MUSIC: "Don't Be Cruel"/Elvis Presley)

The Beatles – four rock 'n' roll musicians from Liverpool.

(MUSIC: "I Want to Hold Your Hand"/The Beatles)

(SOUND: From the TV series "All in the Family")

ARCHIE (CARROLL O'CONNOR): "Lemme hear your idea again."

MICHAEL (ROB REINER): "OK, I want us to watch Jack¹⁸ 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."

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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.

And we discuss subjects like the rise of high technology.

(SOUND: Excerpt from Nation #197)

President Abraham Lincoln and Congress established the National Academy of Sciences during the Civil War in the eighteen sixties. And in the early nineteen hundreds, the nation created scientific offices to study and improve agriculture, public health, even air travel.

(SOUND: Excerpt from Nation #208]

NASA ANNOUNCER: "Lift off of Apollo 11."

On July sixteenth, nineteen sixty-nine, three American astronauts lifted off in Apollo 11.

(SOUND: Excerpt from Nation #225)

TV 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."

In other words, something for everyone.

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We begin our story of American history next week.

You can find our series online with texts, MP3s, podcasts and pictures at www.voanews.cn. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter at VOA Learning English. I’m Steve Ember, inviting¹⁹ you to join us again next week for THE MAKING OF A NATION -- American history in VOA Special English.

1 infamy   

n.声名狼藉，出丑，恶行

参考例句：

• They may grant you power,honour,and riches but afflict you with servitude,infamy,and poverty.他们可以给你权力、荣誉和财富，但却用奴役、耻辱和贫穷来折磨你。
• Traitors are held in infamy.叛徒为人所不齿。

2 persevere   

v.坚持，坚忍，不屈不挠

参考例句：

• They are determined to persevere in the fight.他们决心坚持战斗。
• It is strength of character enabled him to persevere.他那坚强的性格使他能够坚持不懈。

3 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。

4 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

5 allied   

adj.协约国的；同盟国的

参考例句：

• Britain was allied with the United States many times in history.历史上英国曾多次与美国结盟。
• Allied forces sustained heavy losses in the first few weeks of the campaign.同盟国在最初几周内遭受了巨大的损失。

6 excerpt   

n.摘录，选录，节录

参考例句：

• This is an excerpt from a novel.这是一部小说的摘录。
• Can you excerpt something from the newspaper? 你能从报纸上选录些东西吗？

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。

8 taxation   

n.征税，税收，税金

参考例句：

• He made a number of simplifications in the taxation system.他在税制上作了一些简化。
• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。

9 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

10 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

11 dedication   

n.奉献，献身，致力，题献，献辞

参考例句：

• We admire her courage,compassion and dedication.我们钦佩她的勇气、爱心和奉献精神。
• Her dedication to her work was admirable.她对工作的奉献精神可钦可佩。

12 bloody   

adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染

参考例句：

• He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
• He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。

13 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

14 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。

15 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

16 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。

17 prosper   

v.成功，兴隆，昌盛；使成功，使昌隆，繁荣

参考例句：

• With her at the wheel,the company began to prosper.有了她当主管，公司开始兴旺起来。
• It is my earnest wish that this company will continue to prosper.我真诚希望这家公司会继续兴旺发达。

18 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。

19 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。