美国总统37 吉米卡特.docx

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1、美国总统37吉米卡特JimmyCarter:Outsiderplaystopmutemaxvolume-14:0600:00repeatByKellyJeanKelly26November,2017VOALearningEnglishpresentsAmericasPresidents.TodaywearetalkingaboutJimmyCarter.HisgivennamewasJames,buthelikedtobecalledJimmy.OfficialWhiteHouseportraitofPresidentJimmyCarter(APPhoto/TheWhiteHouse)Cart

2、erwaselectedpresidentin1976.Untilhecampaignedfortheoffice,fewAmericansknewwhohewas.ButCartersaidhislackofexperiencewiththefederalgovernmentmadehimthebestcandidate.AfterwitnessingyearsofproblemsintheWhiteHouse,manyvotersappearedtoagreewithhim.However,Cartersinexperiencealsobecameaproblem.Someoftheiss

3、ueshefacedwerecomplexand,attimes,theyseemedoverwhelming.Afteronlyoneterm,Carterfailedtogetre-elected.Butintime,hispublicimageimproved.HisyearsafterleavingtheWhiteHousearegenerallyconsideredmoresuccessfulthanhistimeinoffice.EarlylifeJimmyCarterwasborninthesouthernstateofGeorgia.Hewastheoldestoffourch

4、ildren.Hisfatherwasabusinessman.Hismotherwasanurse.Thefamilyownedastore,aswellasapeanutfarmandwarehouse.Althoughthebusinessesdidwell,JimmyCartergrewupverymodestly.Hisfamilyshousedidnothaveelectricityorrunningwater.Buthewashardworkingandwantedtobesuccessful.Asaboy,hesavedenoughmoneytobuyfourhouses.He

5、earnedmoremoneybyrentingthemtootherpeople.HealsodecidedtoattendcollegeattheUnitedStatesNavalAcademy.Andintime,hedidso.Carterwasanexcellentstudent.AndhebecameafineNavalofficer.Asamidshipman,Carterworkedononeofthecountrysfirstnuclearsubmarines.Helatertaughtnuclearengineeringtoothercrewmembers.ButCarte

6、rspromisingcareerintheNavyendedafteronlysevenyears.Hisfatherwasdying.Andthefamilyfarmwasintrouble.Carter,hiswife,Rosalynnzandtheirthreesons,decidedtoreturntoGeorgiaandtrytosaveit.Thefirstyearsbackonthefarmweredifficult.Butintime,thebusinessbecamesuccessfulagain.Carterbegantoturnhisattentiontootheris

7、sues.Hebecameinvolvedinhischurch,localschool,hospitalsandlibraries.Whenhehadachancetocompeteforapositioninthestatesenate,hetookit.Asapolitician,Carterdevelopedanimageasanindependentthinkerwhotriedtosavethegovernmentmoney.Healsoactedandspokestronglyagainstracialdiscrimination.InGeorgiaatthetime,manyv

8、otersdidnotagreewithCarterssupportofracialequality.In1966,evenhisownDemocraticPartydidnotchoosehimtobeitscandidatetorepresentGeorgiaintheU.S.Senate.SoCarterbegancampaigningfortheofficeofstategovernorinstead.In1970,hewaselected.AsGeorgiasgovernor,Carterwasknownasasocialandpoliticalreformer.However,hi

9、storianRobertStrongnotesthatCarterdidnotalwaysworkwellwithothersinhisparty.StrongteachesatWashingtonandLeeUniversityinLexingtonzVirginia.HewritesthatsomeGeorgialawmakersbelievedCarterwasarrogant.Hecouldappeartothinkhewasmorallyright,andtheyweremorallywrong.Cartersdifficultyingettingalongwithotheroff

10、icialsprovedtobeoneoftheproblemshewouldlaterface.Butinthepresidentialelectionof1976,manyAmericansseemedtolikethisquality.Thelittle-knowngovernorfromGeorgiadefeatedthesittingpresident,GeraldFord.Carterwon,inpart,bysayingthathewasdifferentthanotherpoliticians.Hewas,hesaidzaWashingtonoutsider.Thensudde

11、nly,Carterwasthebiggestinsiderofall:theAmericanpresident.PresidencyOneofthethingsCarterwantedtodowaschangetheimageofthepresident.Earlierleaders,suchasRichardNixonandLyndonJohnson,hadincreasedthepowerofthepresidency.Nixonhadalsobeenshowntobedishonest,andresignedfromoffice.TheCartersonInaugurationDay,

12、1979CarterpromisednevertolietotheAmericanpeople.Andonthedayofhisswearing-inaspresident,hepurposefullytriedtokeepthingssimple.HewalkedtotheWhiteHousefromtheU.S.Capitolbuildinginsteadofridinginthebackofanautomobile.Hiswife,Rosalynnzworeclothesthatshehadworninpublicbefore.TheNationalFirstLadiesLibraryn

13、otesthatherchoiceofclothingsentamessageofanoldAmericanvalueofthrift-orrespectingmoney,andnotspendingitneedlessly.Whatsheworewasmeaningfulbecausethecountrywasgoingthroughdifficulteconomictimes.TheCarterswantedtoshowthatthenewgovernmentwouldworktocutcosts.Theyalsowantedtoshowthattheyweretheretohelpthe

14、Americanpeople,notenjoythepowersoftheWhiteHouse.Butintheend,theCarteradministrationreceivedpoorratingsinsurveysofpublicopinion.PresidentCarterhadtroubledealingwithU.S.lawmakers,evenwhenhispartywasincontrolofCongress.OneresultwasthatCartercouldnotadvancemanyofhisideasforlegislation.Heappearedineffect

15、ive.Manyhistorianspointoutthat,infact,Carterhadanumberofsuccesses.Hehelpedreducethecountrysdependenceonforeignoil.Hetookstepstomakethefederalgovernmentmoreefficient,andtoimprovetheenvironment.Heappointedanumberofwomenandracialminoritiestotopgovernmentjobs-animportantmoveatatimewhenmanywerepressingfo

16、rwomensrightsandcivilrights.And,inmanycases,Cartersupportedhumanrightscauses,bothintheUnitedStatesandaroundtheworld.ButthepublicgenerallydidnotseeCarterforhissuccesses.Instead,manyAmericansblamedhimforthecountryseconomicproblems.Somealsodislikedthewayhespoketothem.Inonespeech,Carterblamedthecountrystroublesonwhathecalledacrisisofconfidence.Somelistenerswereoffended.Healsodecid