VOA标准英语2009年-Barack Hussein Obama Becomes 44th US President

Barack Obama has become the 44th President of the United States, taking the oath of office on the steps of the U.S. Capitol before a crowd of more than one million people who had gathered in frigid¹ temperatures to see the first African American become president.
　
Barack Obama, with wife Michelle at his side, takes oath of office from Chief Justice John Roberts at US Capitol, 20 Jan 2009

Immediately after President Obama took the oath of office, a military color guard fired off a 21-gun salute² as an enormous and diverse crowd cheered, waved American flags and chanted the new president's name.

In his inaugural³ address, Mr. Obama said he is entering the White House at a time when the nation is in the midst of crisis.

"Our nation is at war, against a far reaching network of violence and hatred," Mr. Obama said. "Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age."

Mr. Obama says the state of the economy requires bold action to create new jobs and end the recession.

The 47-year-old president is the son of a black Kenyan father and a white American mother. He grew up in Hawaii and Indonesia.

Mr. Obama held out a friendly hand to those watching his address from overseas.

"And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born, know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity and we are ready to lead once more," Mr. Obama said.

President Obama called on all Americans to accept personal responsibility for trying to solve the challenging tasks confronting the nation.

"What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility, a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world," Mr. Obama said. "Duties that we do not grudgingly⁴ accept, but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task."
　
People waiting in line to enter restricted area reserved for Silver ticket holders⁵ ahead of Obama swearing-in ceremony, 20 Jan 2008

Many African American families attended the inauguration⁶ of the country's first black president.

One woman from Pennsylvania said she was overwhelmed to be taking part in the historic event.

"I could not be happier or more proud. I am an 81-year-old black lady who has seen an awful lot in my lifetime," she said. "And never, in all my years, did I think that this day would come and one of us would be in the White House."

Polls show many Americans are optimistic about the nation's future now that President Obama has been sworn in. Laverne Feaster, who traveled to the inauguration from Little Rock, Arkansas, says the opportunities with the new administration are endless.

"This country recognizes with the president we have that all of us can be anything we want to be. It is not just a few," Feaster said. "We do not have to have rich, poor. We can have everybody to be what they want to be."
　
Alan Lichtman (file photo)

Presidential historian Allan Lichtman says President Obama will bring major changes, in both style and substance, to the White House.

"Barack Obama represents and celebrates not only the diversity of America, but the diversity of a knit-together global world," Lichtman said. "In addition, I think, so far Barack Obama has indicated that he is likely to take American foreign policy in new directions as part of this new political era."

President Obama, a Democrat⁷, campaigned on a theme of change, inspiring millions of people both at home and abroad.

Mr. Obama's inauguration brings to an end eight years of Republican rule under George Bush.

1 frigid   

adj.寒冷的，凛冽的；冷淡的；拘禁的

参考例句：

• The water was too frigid to allow him to remain submerged for long.水冰冷彻骨，他在下面呆不了太长时间。
• She returned his smile with a frigid glance.对他的微笑她报以冷冷的一瞥。

2 salute   

vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮

参考例句：

• Merchant ships salute each other by dipping the flag.商船互相点旗致敬。
• The Japanese women salute the people with formal bows in welcome.这些日本妇女以正式的鞠躬向人们施礼以示欢迎。

3 inaugural   

adj.就职的；n.就职典礼

参考例句：

• We listened to the President's inaugural speech on the radio yesterday.昨天我们通过无线电听了总统的就职演说。
• Professor Pearson gave the inaugural lecture in the new lecture theatre.皮尔逊教授在新的阶梯讲堂发表了启用演说。

4 grudgingly   

参考例句：

• He grudgingly acknowledged having made a mistake. 他勉强承认他做错了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Their parents unwillingly [grudgingly] consented to the marriage. 他们的父母无可奈何地应允了这门亲事。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 holders   

支持物( holder的名词复数 )； 持有者； （支票等）持有人； 支托（或握持）…之物

参考例句：

• Slaves were mercilessly ground down by slave holders. 奴隶受奴隶主的残酷压迫。
• It is recognition of compassion's part that leads the up-holders of capital punishment to accuse the abolitionists of sentimentality in being more sorry for the murderer than for his victim. 正是对怜悯的作用有了认识，才使得死刑的提倡者指控主张废除死刑的人感情用事，同情谋杀犯胜过同情受害者。

6 inauguration   

n.开幕、就职典礼

参考例句：

• The inauguration of a President of the United States takes place on January 20.美国总统的就职典礼于一月二十日举行。
• Three celebrated tenors sang at the president's inauguration.3位著名的男高音歌手在总统就职仪式上演唱。

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。