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1、美国总统29卡尔文柯立芝CalvinCoolidge:Silentplaystopmutemaxvolume00:00-11:18repeatByKellyJeanKelly17September,2017VOALearningEnglishpresentsAmericasPresidents.TodaywearetalkingaboutCalvinCoolidge.HewasthevicepresidentunderWarrenHarding.WhenHardingdiedsuddenlyalittlemorethantwoyearsintohisterm,Coolidgebecamepre
2、sident.CalvinCoolidges1924campaignsloganwasKeepCoolwithCoolidge.Coolidgeislinkedtotwoopposingideas.Thefirstideaisquietrestraint.ThepresidentsnicknamewasSilentCal.Herarelytookpartincasualconversation.Andasaleader,heoftenthoughtthebestactionwasnottotakeanyaction.Manyvoterslikedhiscoolstyle.Coolidgequi
3、cklyearnedapublicimageasaseriousmanwhodidnotspendmoneyorwordseasily.ButCoolidgeisalsolinkedtoaperiodinU.S.historyknownastheRoaringTwenties.Inthoseyears,the1920sztheAmericaneconomywasgenerallygood.Manypeoplespentmoneyonexcitingthings-suchasthestill-newautomobile-andonentertainment,includingalcoholicd
4、rinksfcigarettes,anddancing.CreativeexpressionsuchasjazzandArtDecoarchitecturebecamepopular.CalvinCoolidgeisoftengivencreditforhelpingfueltheRoaringTwentieswithhispro-businesseconomicpolicies.ButsomehistorianscautionagainstrememberingCoolidgesbusinessfreedompoliciestoofondly.Theysayhehelpedcreatethe
5、conditionsforthesevereeconomicdepressionthatfollowedhispresidency.EarlylifeCalvinCoolidgeandhissisterwerebornandraisedonafarminthenortheaststateofVermont.Coolidgespokehighlyofbothhisparents.Hisfatherownedastore,andalsoheldlocalpoliticaloffices.Hehadapublicimageforhonesty,publicservice,andthrift.Youn
6、gCalvinCoolidgehelpedhisfatherinthestorezandhopedtobejustlikehim.Coolidgealsoadmiredhismothersstrongcharacter.Hewas12yearsoldwhenshedied,andhewrotethatlosingherwasthegreatestgriefthatcancometoaboy.Sixyearslater,hissisteralsodied.TheirdeathsmadeyoungCalvinCoolidgeevenmoreseriousthanhealreadywas.ButCo
7、olidgewasalsoknownforhiswit-akindofhumorthatoftendependsonwordplayorintelligence.AsastudentatAmherstCollegeinMassachusetts,Coolidgebecameknownasanableandfunnypublicspeaker.Thatskillhelpedhimriseinpolitics.Hebeganwithlower-levelofficesinMassachusetts,andlaterservedasthatstatesgovernor.PresidentCalvin
8、CoolidgeandGraceCoolidgeAlongtheway,hemarriedGraceAnnaGoodhue,ateacherforthedeaf.Shewasknowntobewarmandsocialzandthecouplewerereportedtohavealovingmarriage.Theywentontohavetwosons.In1920ztheRepublicanPartynominatedCoolidgetobeitsvicepresidentialcandidate.Ingeneral,voterslikedtheRepublicanticket.They
9、werereadyforachangeafterthereformpoliciesandinternationalengagementofDemocratWoodrowWilson.Sureenough,theRepublicanswontheelectioninalandslide.ButCoolidgedidnotenjoytheofficeofvicepresidentverymuch.Hehadlittlepowerinthegovernment.Duringmeetings,heoftenremainedsilent.Onesummernightheandhiswifewereonv
10、acationinVermont.Hisfather,ColonelCoolidge,wokethemupinthemiddleofthenightwithsomedramaticnews:PresidentHardinghaddied.Reportersquicklygatheredatthesmallfarmhouse.ColonelCoolidgehadnotputelectricityinthehouse.Soeveryonewatchedbythelightofanoillamp.ColonelCoolidgewasapublicofficial.HeusedthefamilyBib
11、leandacopyoftheConstitutiontoswearinhissonasthe30thU.S.president.Thenthecountrysnewleaderdidaverysensiblething:hewentbacktobed.PresidencyPresidentCoolidgebelievedinlimitedgovernment,especiallylimitedfederalgovernment.HepermittedstateandCabinetofficialstodecideasmanyissuesastheycould.Coolidgeusedhisa
12、uthoritytofocusmostlyonthecountryseconomy.Atthetimehetookoffice,theU.S.wasatthestartofaneconomicboom.Coolidgetriedtomaintainthatprosperity.Hedidnotregulatebusinessestoomuch,andhesharplyreducedtaxeszespeciallyonthewealthy.Bynearlyeverymeasure,theeconomygrew.Butthepoliciesalsowidenedthedividebetweenri
13、chandpoorAmericans,andputthecountryseconomyinariskysituation.Moreandmorepeoplebegantoinvesttheirmoneyinthestockmarket.Someputtheirdollarsindangerousinvestments.Andbusinessownersproducedmoregoodsthanmostmembersofthepubliccouldreallyafford.Increasingly,peopleborrowedmoneyoncredittopayforluxurygoods.At
14、thesametime,theeconomicsituationofmanyAmericanfarmerswasgettingworse.Theweatherhadbeenunusuallydryinsomeplaces.Andthepriceoffoodwasfalling.Farmersaskedthefederalgovernmentforassistance.ButCoolidgerejectedseveralbillsthatmighthavehelpedthem.Thebillshadotherproblems,Coolidgereasoned,andhedidnotthinkth
15、atthefederalgovernmentshouldinterveneinthesituation.Sothefarmerscontinuedtosuffer.ButmostvotersremainedsupportiveofCoolidge.Eventhoughthepresidentwasconsideredaquietperson,hespokeoftenontheradio,appearedinatalkingfilm,metwithreportersregularly,andposedinfunnycostumesforphotographers.Coolidgehadapubl
16、icimageasrespectableandresponsible.Buthecouldalsomakevoterslaugh.Heeasilywonelectedin1924.Historiansbelievehecouldhavewonanotherterm,too,in1928.ButCoolidgechosenottoseekoffice.Somebelievedhewastoosaddenedbythedeathofhisteenagedson.ShortlyafterCoolidgebecamepresident,theboyhadbeenplayingtennisandslightlywoundedhistoe.Thewoundbecameinfected.Theinfectionspreadtotheb
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