美国总统33 约翰·肯尼迪.docx

美国总统33约翰肯尼迪JohnKennedy:Youngplaystopmutemaxvolume13:56-00:07repeatByKellyJeanKelly29October,2017VOALearningEnglishpresentsAmerica'sPresidents.TodaywearetalkingaboutJohnFitzgeraldKennedy.HewasalsoknownasJackKennedy,orbythelettersJFK.Whenhetookofficein1961zKennedywas43yearsold.HewastheyoungestelectedpresidentinUnitedStates'history.JohnF.Kennedyremainstheyoungestelectedpresident,buthewasnottheyoungestoverall.TheodoreRooseveltwas42atthetimeofhisswearing-inceremony,buthebecamepresidentafterthedeathofWilliamMcKinley.KennedywasalsothefirstCatholictobeelectedU.S.president.Kennedy'syouthandreligionraisedquestionsinthemindsofsomeAmericansthatKennedycouldleadthecountry.TheywonderedifhewouldalwaysfollowthepoliciesoftheRomanCatholicChurch.ButKennedybecamewell-knownasastatesman,andpopularwithpeoplearoundtheworld.Hewasintelligent,funnyandgood-looking.Formany,Kennedywasasignofnewenergyandhope.Thepublicwasshocked,then,whenthepresident'stermwasviolentlycutshort.EarlylifeJohnF.Kennedywasbornin1917nearBoston,Massachusetts.Hewasthesecondofninechildren.BothhisparentswereCatholic,withancestorsfromIreland.Manyyearsago,IrishCatholicsoftenfaceddiscriminationintheUnitedStates.ButtheKennedyfamilywasalsopoliticallypowerfulandwealthy.Asaresult,youngJackKennedygrewupinbigzbeautifulhousesandreceivedatopqualityeducation.HisfamilydidnotsufferduringtheGreatDepression,asmanyAmericanshad.Instead,theKennedychildrenswam,sailedboatsandplayedsports.Jackalsoenjoyedreadingbooksandfollowingthenews.HisolderbrotherJoewantedtoenterpolitics,butJacksaidhemightbecomeateacherorwriter.WhenhewasacollegestudentatHarvard,JackwrotealongpaperaboutBritainintheyearsleadinguptoWorldWarII.Aversionofitwaspublishedin1940asabook.ThewarchangedJack'sthinkingabouthisfutureplans.DuringWorldWarII,bothJackandhisolderbrotherjoinedtheU.S.Navy.InthePacific,Jackbecameahero.HewonmedalsforleadingsomeofhistroopstosafetyafteraJapanesewarshipstruckaboattheywereon.JosephP.KennedyJr.zJosephP.KennedySr.,andJohnF.KennedyarrivingatSouthampton,England,July2,1938.ButJoewaskilled.In1944zhisairplaneexplodedoverEurope.Whenthewarended,Jack'sfatherurgedhimtofollowhisbrother'sdreamofsucceedinginpolitics.Jackagreed,andhesethissightsonbecomingthecountry'sfirstCatholicpresident.PresidencyKennedywasnominatedastheDemocraticParty,scandidate,andhewaselectedin1960.HeeasilydefeatedVicePresidentRichardNixon,theRepublicancandidate,intheElectoralCollege.ButKennedywononlynarrowlyinthepopularvote.Thoughhewasyoung,Kennedybroughtexperiencetothejob.Inadditiontobeinganavalofficer,KennedyhadbeenamemberoftheU.S.HouseofRepresentativesaswellasasenatorfromMassachusetts.HealsopublishedaPulitzerPrize-winningbookcalled"ProfilesinCourage."Andhehadbecomeahusbandandfather.Hemarriedawealthy,well-educatedwomanwhohadbeenworkingasanewspaperphotographer.HernamewasJacquelineBouvierzbutshewassometimescalledJackie.Shebecamepregnantfivetimes,butonlytwoofherchildrenwouldsurvive:adaughternamedCaroline,andason,JohnF.Kennedy,Junior.Jackie,JackzJohn,Jr.andCarolineThefamilyoffourmovedintotheWhiteHouseinJanuary1961.Onthedayhewassworn-inzKennedygaveaspeechthatmanypeoplestillremembertoday.Itcelebratedthe"newgenerationofAmericans/'andpromisedto"payanyprice"forliberty.Supportersofthenewpresidentlovedhisenergyandsenseofhope.Inhismostfamousline,Kennedysaid,"Asknotwhatyourcountrycandoforyou-askwhatyoucandoforyourcountry.',ManyyoungpeoplerememberedthatlinewhentheyvolunteeredforaprogramKennedycreatedin1961:thePeaceCorps.OtherAmericansrememberedthelinewhentheywatchedtwoApollo11astronautswalkonthemoonin1969.Kennedystronglysupportedthecountry'sspaceprogram.HepromisedthatAmericanswouldlandonthemoonbytheendofthe1960s,andtheydid.KennedyalsosupportedeffortstoimprovecivilrightsacrosstheU.S.,althoughhisadministrationmovedslowly.CallstoendlegalizedracismweregrowingstrongerduringKennedy'stimeinoffice,particularlybecauseoftheleadershipofMartinLutherKing,Junior.InJuneof1963zKingspoketohundredsofthousandsofpeopleatacivilrightsprotestcalledtheMarchonWashington.Hetoldthecrowdthathedreamed"myfourlittlechildrenwillonedayliveinanationwheretheywillnotbejudgedbythecoloroftheirskinzbutbythecontentoftheircharacter.',TheMarchonWashington,amongotherevents,showedthepowerofthecivilrightsmovement.Inlate1963zPresidentKennedysentacivilrightsbilltoCongressandspoketoAmericansabouttheinjusticethatremainedinthecountry.ThePeaceCorps,theSpaceRace,andcivilrightsareallpartofKennedy'slegacy.Kennedyisalsorememberedforseveraltroublinginternationalevents.Inone,knownastheBayofPigszAmericanssupportedCubanrefugeesinanefforttooustthegovernmentofFidelCastro.Notonlydidtherefugeesfail,butKennedy'sgovernmentwasfoundtobelyingabouttheirsupportoftheeffort.AndKennedyfacedoffwiththeleaderoftheSovietUnion,NikitaKhrushchev.In1962,AmericanleaderslearnedthattheSovietshadhiddennuclearweaponsinCuba.ThemissileswouldbeabletoreachtheU.S.mainlandeasily.KenneydandSovietPremierNikitaKhrushchevin1961KennedyorderedablockadeofCuba.PeoplearoundtheworldheldtheirbreathastheywaitedtoseeiftheU.S.andtheSovietUnionwouldlaunchanuclearwar.Theydidnot.Afterseveralverytenseweeks,KennedyandKhrushchevreachedanagreementthatendedthecrisis.KennedywentontoreachanagreementwiththeSovietUnionandBritaintolimitnuclearweaponstesting.Hesaidtheagreementwasoneofthepresidentialactsofwhichhewasmostsatisfied.HistoriansstilldebateKennedy'sactions,andwhatelsemighthavehappenedduringhispresidency.TheywonderespeciallywhathewouldhavedoneabouttheincreasingconflictinVietnam.ButKennedydidnotlivetofinishhisfirstterm.DeathByNovember22,1963zKennedyhadbeenpresidentforjustunderthreeyears.Thenextelectionwasstillayearaway,butitwastimetostartcampaigningagain.SothepresidentandhiswifewenttoDallaszTexastoconnectwithvoters.Theywereridinginacarwithotherofficialvehiclesthatdroveslowlythroughthecenterofthecity.Jack,Jackie,andtheTexasgovernorandhiswifesatinaconvertible-anautomobilewithoutprotectionovertheseats.Thepresidentwaswavingatthecrowd.Suddenly,severalgunshotswerefired.Thepresidentwasstrucktwice.Thegovernorwasalsohitandinjured.Kennedywashurriedtoahospital,butdoctorswereunabletohelphim.Newsreportersannouncedhisdeathtoastunnedpublic.HoursIaterzJackieKennedyappearednexttotheformervicepresident-nowpresident-LyndonJohnson.Shestillworetheclotheswithherhusband'sbloodonthem.Three-year-oldJohnF.KennedyJr.saluteshisfather,scasket.TheeventsremainintenseinthemindsofmanyAmericanswhowerealiveatthetime.TheimagesremaineasilyrecognizablepartsofAmericanhistory.ThepicturesofKennedy'sfamilyathisfuneralareespeciallymemorable.Inone,three-year-oldJohnholdsuphisarmandsaluteshisfather'scasket.Attentionquicklyturnedtothegunman.Itwasreportedlya24-year-oldmannamedLeeHarveyOswald.Shortlyafterthepresidentandthegovernorwereshot,Oswaldshotapolicemanwhoquestionedhim.Oswaldwaseventuallydetained.Officialsplannedtobringhimtocourtforthedeathofthepresidentandthepoliceman.Butonthewayfromthepolicestationtothejailzalocalnight-clubownershotandkilledOswald.Asaresult,thecasenevercametotrial.ManyAmericansbelievethereasonfortheattackhasyettobeclarified.1.egacyHistorianshaveamixedreactiontoKennedy'syearsasapresident,althoughtheiropinionsaregenerallypositive.HisimagewiththepublicsufferedsomeyearsafterhisdeathbecauseofreportsthathehadromanticrelationshipswithwomenotherthanJackiethroughouthismarriage.Intime,thepublicalsolearnedaboutKennedy'shealthproblems.HesufferedfromseverebackpainandAddison'sdisease.Heoftenusedstrongmedicinetohelpcontroltheconditions.ThehealthproblemsareatoddswithKennedy'simageofhealthandloveofsports.Yetevenwiththesenewdetails,Kennedyisstilloneofthecountry'sbest-rememberedleaders.HewasacharismaticmanwhosecareerinfluencedmanyOtherAmericanstoenterpublicservice.Americansalsorememberhisstylish,culturedwife.JackieKennedycomparedtheKennedyyearsattheWhiteHousetoCamelotzthelegendarycourtofKingArthur.Theirremains,alongwiththoseoftwooftheirchildren,areburiedatArlingtonNationalCemetery,acrossthePotomacRiverfromWashington.Theyarehonoredtherewithaneternalflame-onedesignedsothefirewillnevergoout.mKellyJeanKelly.KellyJeanKellywrotethisstoryforLearningEnglish.GeorgeGrowwastheeditor.