美国总统35 理查德 尼克松.docx

美国总统35理查德尼克松RichardNixon:Resignedplaystopmutemaxvolume00:00-16:51repeatByKellyJeanKelly12November,2017VOALearningEnglishpresentsAmerica'sPresidents.TodaywearetalkingaboutRichardNixon.RichardMilhausNixonNixoniswell-knowntomanyAmericansforonereason:hewastheonlypresidenttoresignfromtheposition.FacingpossiblelegalactionbyCongress,Nixonleftofficeearlyinhissecondterm.Nixon'searlypoliticalcareerwasmarkedbysuccess.HealsohadsomenoteworthyachievementsduringhisWhiteHouseyears.Andheattainedhisgoalofmovingthegovernmentinamoreconservativedirection.Inhislateryears,Nixonandhissupporterstriedtoreclaimhisplaceasanexpertoninternationalaffairs.ButformanyAmericans,thename"Nixon"remainslinkedtodistrustofnationalleaders,abuseofpower,andpoliticalwrongdoing.EarlylifeRichardNixonhadadifficultearlylife.HewasthesecondoffivesonsinaQuakerfamily.HisparentsownedalemonranchinCalifornia,nearthecityofLosAngeles.Butthefamilystruggledfinancially.AndtwoofRichard'sbrothersdied-oneasasmallchild,andoneasayoungadult.Intime,hisparent'sbusinessfailed,andtheNixonsmovedtoanearbytown.Theparentsandchildrenallworkedatafillingstationthatsoldfuelandotherproducts.Despitethemanyhoursheworkedatthestore,RichardNixonwasatopstudentinhighschool.HewasofferedfinancialaidtoattendHarvardUniversity,butthefamilyneededevenmoremoneytosendhimthere.Instead,heattendedalocalcollege,wherehebecamethestudentbodypresident,joinedadebateteam,actedinthetheater,andplayedfootball.NixonwentontolawschoolatDukeUniversityinNorthCarolina.Evenwithhisimpressivebackground,hedidnotgetthejobshesoughtattheFederalBureauofInvestigation-theFBI-ortoplawoffices.SohereturnedtheCaliforniatownwherehegrewupandbeganworkingasalawyer.There,hemarriedanotheractoratthecommunitytheater.HernamewasThelmaRyanzbutshewascalledPat.TheNixonswentontohavetwodaughters,TriciaandJulie.In1942,NixonacceptedajobwiththefederalgovernmentinWashington,DC.Hedidnotstayinthepositionlong.AftertheUnitedStatesenteredWorldWarII,NixonjoinedtheNavy.HeservedasanofficerinthePacific.WhenhereturnedtotheU.S.,RepublicanPartyofficialsaskedhimtobeacandidateforCongress.Nixonagreed.HewontwotermsintheHouseofRepresentatives,andthenaseatintheU.S.Senate.Twoyearslater,DwightEisenhowerztheRepublicanpresidentialcandidate,askedNixontobehisvicepresident.Thetwomenwoninanelectorallandslide,andin1953Nixontookofficeasvicepresident.Hewasonly40yearsold,thesecond-youngestvicepresidentinU.S.history.EarlypoliticalcareerNixon'searlypoliticalcareerisrememberedforseveralreasons.Oneishowquicklyherosetohighgovernmentoffice.AnotherisforhispartintheAlgerHisscaseinthelate1940s.HisswasatopofficialintheStateDepartment.HewasaccusedofbeingaCommunistinthe1930sand1940szandofpassinginformationabouttheU.S.governmenttoSovietspies.Hissdeniedtheaccusations.ThecasewasbignewsintheUnitedStates.ItshowedtheclashbetweenpeoplewhobelievedHisswasfalselyaccusedasawaytodiscreditliberalpolicieszandpeoplewhobelievedthegovernmentwasprotectingcommunistsympathizers.Nixonwasinthesecondgroup.HewaspartoftheinvestigationagainstHissandpushedforhisindictment.Nixon'seffortssucceeded,andHisswenttojailforalmostfouryears.1.ater,Nixonsaidthatthecasewasoneofthereasonsforhisrisetopower.TheCheckersspeechtaughtpoliticianstheimportanceofTVincreatingapublicimage.ItalsohelpedNixonandEisenhowerwinthepresidentialelectionof1952.Theyarepicturedherewiththeirwives.NixonalsoearnednationalattentionwithaneventthathasbecomeknownastheCheckersspeech.Ithappenedin1952zwhenNixonwasrunningforvicepresident.SomereportersaccusedNixonofcorruption.Theysaidhewasacceptingmoneyandgiftsfromwealthydonorsinexchangeforhispoliticalsupport.Nixonwentontelevisiontodenytheclaimspersonally.Atthetime,Americanswerenotusedtoseeingpoliticiansspeakingdirectlytothepublic.YetNixonspokeinformallyandemotionally,fromwhatappearedtobeahome.Heexplainedhisfamily'sfinances.Hesaidhedidnotacceptcampaigndonationsforpersonalbenefit.But,headded,therewasoneexception.AsupporterhadoncegiventheNixonchildrenablackandwhitedogtheycalledCheckers.Nixonsaidherefusedtoreturnhisdaughters'pet.Thepublic-andRepublicanPartyofficials-lovedthespeech.Nixonappearedwarmandlikable.Middle-classAmericansespeciallysaidtheycouldrelatetohim.Mostforgottheclaimsagainsthim.AndNixon'spoliticalcareerwassaved.Duringthefollowingeightyears,heservedasvicepresidentintheEisenhoweradministration.ButthenNixon'sluckturned.InI960,NixonlostasapresidentialcandidatetoJohnF.Kennedy.Heblamed,inpartzthemedia.Thenin1962,helosthiseffortstobegovernorofCalifornia.Nixonsaidhewasretiringfrompolitics.Hefamouslytoldreporters,"Youwon'thaveNixontokickaroundanymore."Yetsevenyearslater,hewasintheWhiteHouse.ItwasoneofthemostmemorablecomebacksinU.S.politicalhistory.PresidencyWhenNixontookofficein1969zsomeAmericansthoughtthecountrywasincrisis.Theeconomywasnotdoingwell.Raceriotshadbeeneruptinginbigcities.Manypeoplewerestilltryingtorecoverfromtheviolenceofayearearlier.CivilrightsleaderMartinLutherKingJuniorandPresidentJohnF.Kennedy'sbrotherRoberthadbothbeenshotandkilled.Pollutionoftheenvironmentwasbecomingamajorpoliticalissue.Womenwerepressingforequalrights.AndmanyAmericanscontinuedtoprotestAmericaninvolvementinVietnam.Nixontookaction.Duringhisfirstyearsinoffice,hesupportedreformsandrulestoimprovetheeconomy;protecttheenvironment;increaseworkplaceandotheropportunitiesforwomen;supportcivilrights;and,inhiswords,bring"peacewithhonor"inVietnam.But,forthemostpartzNixondidnothavethesupportofCongresstoenactlegislation.Soheexpandedthepowerofthepresidencytocarryouthisgoals.Heisrememberedespeciallyforthreeforeignpolicymoves.In1972zhevisitedChina,withwhichtheU.S.governmenthadtenserelationssincetheChineseCommunistPartytookpower.AstheAlgerHisscaseshowed,Nixonwasstronglyanti-communist.Buthemadeestablishingdiplomaticrelationsbetweenthetwosidespossibleagain.HealsovisitedtheSovietUnion,andwasthefirstU.S.presidenttovisitMoscow.NixonandtheSovietIeaderzLeonidBrezhnevzagreedtolimitthegrowthofnucleararms.TheiractionshelpedeasetensionsatatimewhenU.S.officialswereworriedabouttheexpansionofcommunism.AndNixondidsucceedinreachingapeaceagreementwithNorthVietnameseleaders.In1973zAmericantroopsslowlybegantoleavethecountry,althoughfightingtherecontinued.Nixon'sforeignpolicyachievementshelpedhiminthe1972electioncampaign.Hisfirstpresidentialelectionhadbeenextremelyclose;thesecondhewonbyoneofthewidestelectoralvotemarginsinU.S.history.WatergateEventhoughhewaspopularwithvoters,Nixonhadbeenconcernedabouthispoliticalfuture.Nixonwassoworriedthat,beforetheelection,hecreatedasecretteamtopreventanydamaginginformationfromreachingthemedia.Later,itsjobexpandedtoincludeinvestigatinganyinformationthatmighthurthispublicimage.FILE-InthisMarch15z1973,filephotoPresidentNixontellsaWhiteHousenewsconferencethathewillnotallowhislegalcounsel,JohnDeanztotestifyonCapitolHillintheWatergateinvestigation.AboutfivemonthsbeforeElectionDay,fivemenbrokeintotheoppositionparty'sheadquartersattheWatergate,ahotelandofficecomplex,inWashington,DC.Theteamhadalreadystolencopiesofsecretcampaigndocuments.Now,inthemiddleofthenight,themenweretryingtoaddlisteningequipmenttothetelephones-inotherwords,spyontheopposition.Butasecurityguardbecamesuspiciousandcalledthepolice.Themenwerecaughtandarrested.WhenthestorycametoIightzNixonpubliclydeniedthatanyWhiteHouseofficialswereinvolvedinthecrime.Butintime,thepubliclearnedthatNixonwaslying.Infact,heassistedwithpaymentstothemenwhowerearrested.AndhetriedtousetheCentralIntelligenceAgencytoblockanFBIinvestigationofthecrime.NixonknewthattheWatergatebreak-inwasonlypartoftheillegalorquestionableactshecouldbeheldresponsiblefor.1.ater,peopleconnectedwithNixontoldinvestigatorsthatthepresidenthadtapedeverythingthathappenedinhisoffice.Investigatorsdemandedthetapes.TheywouldprovehowmuchNixonknewabouttheillegaloperations.Thepresidentrefused.Hedismissedtheleadinvestigator.TwootherJusticeDepartmentofficialsresignedinprotest.Anewinvestigatorwasappointed,andtheU.S.SupremeCourtorderedNixontoreleasethetapes.AtthesametimeztheHouseofRepresentativesvotedtoremoveNixonfromoffice.Theychargedhimwithobstructingjustice,abusinghispower,coveringupacrimezandviolatingtheConstitution.Finally,Nixonreleasedthetapes.ButbeforetheSenatecouldholdatrial-inwhichthepresidentwouldalmostcertainlybefoundguilty-RichardNixonresigned.HelefttheWhiteHousethefollowingday.Nixonlivedfor20moreyears.Hewroteanumberofbooksztraveled,spenttimewithhisfamily,andofferedforeignpolicyadvicetootherleaders.Hecontinuedtodenythathehaddoneanythingcriminalaspresident;instead,Nixonsaidhehadmadebaddecisions.NixonspokeabouttheWatergatescandalduringaseriesofTVinterviewswithSirDavidFrostin1977.Andhedidnotgototrial.Thenextpresident,GeraldFord,usedhispowertopardonNixon"foralloffensesagainsttheUnitedStates."ButNixon'simagewaspermanentlydamaged.MostpeoplefoundevidenceinthetapesthatNixonknewaboutarelatedseriesofcrimescommonlyknownas"Watergate."Theyalsofoundthatsomeofhispublicstatementsweredishonest.Theysaidhemadethemtoforwardhisownpoliticalgoals,nottofurtherthepublicgood.Asaresult,Nixon'splaceinU.S.historyisgenerallythoughttobeatroubledone.Tobesure,hemadeanumberofpositiveaccomplishments,bothwithintheU.S.andinternationally.Buthispresidencyleftthecountryshaken.WhenFordreplacedhimaspresident,hesaidtoAmericans,"Ourlongnationalnightmareisover."mKellyJeanKelly.KellyJeanKellywrotethisstoryforLearningEnglish.GeorgeGrowwastheeditor.WordsinThisStoryattain-v.accomplishorachieveQuaker-n.amemberofaChristianreligiousgroupwhosemembersdresssimply,areagainstviolence,andhavemeetingswithoutanyspecialceremonyorpriestsimpressive-adj.deservingattention,admiration,orrespect:makingagoodimpressionlandslide-n.anelectioninwhichthewinnergetsamuchgreaternumberofvotesthantheloserindictment-n.anofficialwrittenstatementchargingapersonwithacrimecomeback-n.anewefforttowinorsucceedafterbeingclosetodefeatorfailureerupt-v.tohappenorbeginsuddenlyorviolentlyobstructing-v.tosloworblockthemovement,progress,oractionofpositive-adj.goodorusefulnightmare-n.averybadorfrighteningexperienceorsituation