VoiceofCourage勇氣之聲譯文

1、Unit Two: History and Personality Text A Voice of CourageBy Jonathan Alter勇氣之聲美國喬納森奧爾特A few days after Franklin Delano Roosevelt was sworn into office, he sat in the White House working on a radio speech about the countrys banking crisis, scheduled for delivery on Sunday, March 12, 1933. It was the

2、depths of the Depression, with a quarter of Americans out of work, homeless and destitute. Glancing out the window, FDR saw a workman taking down the inaugural scaffolding on the White House grounds.在富蘭克林德拉諾羅斯福宣誓就職的幾天后，他坐在白宮里起草一份關(guān)于美國銀行業(yè)危機(jī)的廣播演說，它將于1933年3月12日這個(gè)星期天播出。此時(shí)此刻，美國正處于經(jīng)濟(jì)大蕭條的水深火熱之中，四分之一的美國人不是失業(yè)

3、，就是無家可歸，窮困潦倒。羅斯福向窗外望去，只見一個(gè)工人正在拆掉白宮臨時(shí)搭建的總統(tǒng)就職演說的平臺(tái)。 I decided Id try to make a speech that this workman could understand, he told Louis Howe, his chief aide. “我一定要讓這樣的普通工人也能聽得懂我的演講?！彼麑κ紫砺芬姿够舴蛘f。The American economic system was in a state of shock. On Saturday, March 4, a few hours before FDRs swearin

4、g-in, the governors of New York, Illinois and Pennsylvania signed orders closing banks in those states. The New York Stock Exchange had suspended trading, and the Chicago Board of Trade bolted its doors for the first time since its founding in 1848. The terrifying runs that began the year before on

5、more than 5,000 failing banks had stripped rural areas of capital and now threatened to overwhelm American cities.美國的經(jīng)濟(jì)體系正處于危難之中。3月4日星期六，就在羅斯福宣誓就職前幾個(gè)小時(shí)，紐約州、伊利諾斯州和賓夕法尼亞州的州長們剛剛簽署了指令，關(guān)閉這些州的銀行。紐約證券交易所已經(jīng)暫停了交易。而自從1848年成立以來，芝加哥期貨交易所也頭一次關(guān)上了大門。始于前一年的“擠兌”現(xiàn)象令人驚慌，5000多家銀行倒閉，農(nóng)村資金極度匱乏，而現(xiàn)在美國的城市也面臨著全面的危機(jī)。This was t

6、he bottom. If you had your money in a bank that went bust, you were wiped out. With no idea whether banks would reopen, millions of people hid their few remaining assets under their mattresses, where no one could steal them without a fight. 這就是底線了。如果你存錢的銀行倒閉了，那么你也就完蛋了。數(shù)以百萬計(jì)的美國人無法確定銀行是否能夠重新開門，于是把自己僅剩

7、的那點(diǎn)財(cái)產(chǎn)都藏在褥墊下面。除非經(jīng)過一場激戰(zhàn)，藏在這里的錢誰也偷不走。Roosevelts inaugural address at the Capitol had begun to restore hope, with his standout line, The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. Yet the greatest applause came when he said that if his reform program was not adopted, I shall ask Congress for the one rem

8、aining instrument to meet the crisis: broad executive power to wage a war against the emergency. 羅斯福在國會(huì)的就職演講給人們重新帶來了希望，他那句最著名的話給人們留下了深刻的印象：“唯一值得恐懼的就是恐懼本身?！碑?dāng)提到若改革措施不被接受時(shí)，他的決心得到了人們的大聲喝彩：“我將向國會(huì)要求對付危機(jī)的最后手段向緊急狀況開戰(zhàn)的廣泛行政權(quán)力?！盩hen FDR used a new medium in a new way to change millions. 羅斯福以新的方式利用了一種新媒體，改變了百萬人

9、的生活。The first Presidential radio broadcast was introduced by Robert Trout of CBS, who read from a folksy script approved by FDR: The President wants to come into your home and sit at your fireside for a little fireside chat. FDR brought natural talent to the role. His speaking voice was a beautiful,

10、 relaxed tenor, not the contrived basso profundo of pompous politicians. 第一次總統(tǒng)廣播演講是由CBS的羅伯特特勞特向公眾介紹的，這份親切的介紹詞受到了羅斯福的肯定：“總統(tǒng)希望來到你的家里，坐在壁爐旁，與大家做個(gè)爐邊小談?！睂τ谕瓿蛇@個(gè)任務(wù)，羅斯福有著天分。他的音質(zhì)優(yōu)美，語調(diào)放松，與那些華而不實(shí)的政客的虛情假意完全不同。Roosevelt owed much to technological good fortune. In 1921, the number of radios in the United States w

11、as in the thousands. By 1928, there were 9 million, and by 1932, 18 million, with about half the households owning at least one radio. Herbert Hoover had appeared on one of the first telecasts produced by an infant technology called television, but neither he nor anyone else knew how to use the broa

12、dcasting medium effectively. 羅斯福的爐邊談話大大受益于技術(shù)的發(fā)展。1921年，全美收音機(jī)的數(shù)量只有幾千臺(tái)。而到了1928年，這個(gè)數(shù)字就達(dá)到了900萬臺(tái)。到1932年的時(shí)候，全美已經(jīng)有1800萬臺(tái)收音機(jī)了，大約有一半的家庭每家至少有一臺(tái)收音機(jī)。赫伯特胡佛利用過一種叫做電視的新生技術(shù)，他曾經(jīng)首次出現(xiàn)在“電視廣播”上。但無論是胡佛還是其他人，都不知道如何有效地利用廣播媒體。Roosevelt, though, was different. 然而，羅斯福則與眾不同。All afternoon, workers busily removed the gold pieces

13、and Presidential china patterns in the Diplomatic Reception Room on the White House ground floor. In came bulky electrical equipment and telephone cables, connected to a desk and built-in microphone. Meanwhile, Roosevelt pictured people gathered in the parlor, listening with their neighbors, wrote F

14、rances Perkins, who witnessed many broadcasts. As he talked, his head would nod and his hands would move in natural, relaxed gestures. His face would light up as though he were actually sitting with people. 整個(gè)下午，工人們都在忙著搬走白宮外交接待大廳里的各種金飾品和總統(tǒng)瓷器，而搬進(jìn)來的則是笨重的電氣設(shè)備和電話電纜，這些設(shè)備都與一臺(tái)桌子和內(nèi)置的麥克風(fēng)相連接。與此同時(shí)，羅斯福想象人們“聚在客廳

15、里，與他們的鄰居共同傾聽”。曾經(jīng)親歷了無數(shù)廣播現(xiàn)場的弗朗西斯珀金斯如是寫道，“當(dāng)羅斯福說話的時(shí)候，他點(diǎn)著頭，并且做出各種自然而放松的手勢。他的面孔熠熠生輝，就好像真的與人們坐在一起談話一樣?！盩he ritual went this way: Upstairs, FDR would put the finishing touches on every word and phrase. He was obsessed with punctuation. Grace Tully, his secretary, sometimes inserted extra commas when she typ

16、ed, leading her boss to gently upbraid her for wasting the taxpayers commas. His real concern was timing. He read aloud at about 100 words a minute, but he adjusted his pace for effect. At 6 p.m., Roosevelt had his throat sprayed for a sinus problem. Then he enjoyed cocktails and dinner.整個(gè)過程是這樣進(jìn)行的：在

17、樓上，羅斯福對每個(gè)單詞和短語進(jìn)行最后的潤色。他對標(biāo)點(diǎn)符號(hào)非常在意，而秘書格雷斯塔利打字時(shí)有時(shí)會(huì)多打一些逗號(hào)，她的老板會(huì)因此語氣和善地批評她 “浪費(fèi)納稅人的逗號(hào)”。羅斯福最關(guān)心的是時(shí)間把握問題。他大聲朗讀的速度大約是每分鐘100個(gè)單詞，但是他會(huì)調(diào)整自己的速度以求得到最好的效果。下午6點(diǎn)鐘，因?yàn)楸歉]的問題羅斯福讓人幫他沖洗了喉嚨，然后就開始享用雞尾酒和晚餐了。Moments before the first Fireside Chat was to air, there was a crisis. No one could find his leather-bound reading copy.

18、Panic ensued for everyone except FDR, who calmly picked up a smudged, mimeographed copy. After sipping from a glass of water, he read the words perfectly on the air. 就在第一次爐邊談話播出前一刻，還發(fā)生了一場危機(jī)：那份用皮革包邊的朗讀稿找不到了。大家都驚慌失措，而羅斯福則沒有。他冷靜地拿起一份臟兮兮的油印稿，啜飲了一點(diǎn)水之后，開始完美地朗讀起來，并同時(shí)向全國播出。The beauty of that first prime-tim

19、e radio speech was its clarity. FDR walked people through the basics of banking without being patronizing. He outlined the process for deciding which banks to open. He made everyone understand it, even the bankers, Will Rogers quipped later. 這次黃金時(shí)段的廣播演講其美妙之處在于它的清晰。羅斯福幫助人們了解了銀行業(yè)的基本原理，而沒有任何施恩于人的姿態(tài)。對于哪

20、些銀行要開業(yè)，他大體介紹了其決策過程?！八屆總€(gè)人都清楚明白甚至包括銀行家在內(nèi)?！蓖柫_杰斯后來打趣地說道。In the middle of the speech, Roosevelt said simply, I can assure you that it is safer to keep your money in a reopened bank than under the mattress. By raising an issue that made so many feel shameful, he lifted the shameoffering listeners a way

21、to strike a patriotic blow by simply depositing money into a solvent bank. Those who planned instead to withdraw money were gently thrown in with an unsavory lot. Hoarding, the President said, has become an exceedingly unfashionable pastime. 在演講中，羅斯福簡單地說道：“我敢向大家保證，把錢存在重新開業(yè)的銀行里，比放在褥子底下要安全?！彼峒傲诉@件讓很多人

22、羞愧的事情，旨在幫助人們擺脫羞愧他告訴人們只要把錢存入有償付能力的銀行，就是一種愛國之舉。而打算把錢從銀行取走則被溫和地指為不明智的行為。總統(tǒng)說，囤積，“已經(jīng)成為一種極度不流行的消遣行為了?！盩hen he returned to themes so popular in his inaugural. Confidence and courage are the essentials in carrying out our plan. Let us unite in banishing fear. We have provided the machinery to restore our fi

23、nancial system. Together we cannot fail. 然后他又回到在其就職演說中深受歡迎的主題。“在執(zhí)行計(jì)劃的過程中，信心和勇氣必不可少。讓我們聯(lián)合起來，趕走恐懼。我們已經(jīng)有了恢復(fù)金融體系的機(jī)制。只要團(tuán)結(jié)起來，就不會(huì)失敗的?！盝im Farley, a top political advisor, wrote that if judged by its impact, this speech may have been the greatest single utterance by an American President. No other talk ever

24、 called forth such a wave of spontaneous enthusiasm and cooperation. With 60 million people listening, the effect was immediate. The next day, Monday, March 13, newspapers reported long lines of Americans anxious to redeposit their money. The New York Stock Exchange, closed for over a week, opened 1

25、5 percent higher, the largest one-day surge in more than half a century. Within a week, most of the recently closed banks reopened. 高級(jí)政治顧問吉姆法利認(rèn)為，如果以影響力作為評價(jià)標(biāo)準(zhǔn)，那么這次演講可被認(rèn)為是美國總統(tǒng)所做的最偉大的一次演講了?！皼]有哪一次談話能夠像它一樣激起人們?nèi)绱藦?qiáng)烈的自發(fā)熱情和合作?！?000萬人同時(shí)傾聽，產(chǎn)生的即時(shí)效果是可想而知的。第二天3月13日是個(gè)周一，報(bào)紙報(bào)道說美國人排起了長隊(duì)，急切地要把錢重新存回銀行。而關(guān)閉了一周多的紐約證券交易所也重

26、新開市了，當(dāng)天高開了15%，創(chuàng)造了半個(gè)多世紀(jì)以來的單日最大漲幅。爐邊談話后的一個(gè)星期之內(nèi)，大多數(shù)最近關(guān)閉的銀行都重新開業(yè)了。Gerald Ford, about 20 at the time, remembered FDRs Fireside Chats as big eventswe would all stop and listen. Ronald Reagans biographer, Lou Cannon, has written that Reagans metaphors were the offspring of FDRs. And Bill Clinton recalled h

27、earing his grandfather talk about how he sat in rapt attention, then went to work the next day feeling a little different about the country. 當(dāng)時(shí)杰拉德福特只有20歲左右，他回憶說羅斯?？偨y(tǒng)的爐邊談話是“重要的事情我們都會(huì)停下手頭的事情傾聽”。羅納德里根的傳記作家盧坎農(nóng)寫道，里根的“比喻說話方式得到了羅斯?？偨y(tǒng)的遺傳”。比爾克林頓也回憶說，他的祖父談到自己當(dāng)時(shí)聽羅斯福的演講時(shí)，會(huì)全神貫注，“第二天上班的時(shí)候，感覺到這個(gè)國家已經(jīng)發(fā)生了變化。After the

28、 first Fireside Chat, FDR relaxed in his office. At 11:30 p.m. he said, I think its time for beer. Preparations for a bill to speed the end of Prohibition began that night. 第一次爐邊談話之后，羅斯福在辦公室里稍稍放松了一下。晚上11點(diǎn)半的時(shí)候，他說：“該喝點(diǎn)啤酒了。”就在那一天晚上，他開始了加速取消禁酒令的準(zhǔn)備工作。Vocabulary1. swear swZE v. to admit someone to a parti

29、cular office or position by directing them to take a formal oath 宣誓2. delivery di5livEri n. giving a speech in public 演講3. destitute 5destitju:t adj. having no money, no food, no home etc. 困窮的4. inaugural i5nC:jurEl adj. (of an official speech) first, and marking the beginning of sth. important 就職的,

30、 開始的5. scaffolding 5skAfEldIN n. a set of poles and boards built into a structure for workers to stand on outside of a building 腳手架6. aideeid n. sb. helping a person with an important job, esp. a politician 助手, 副官7. swearing-inswZEIN-In n. making a promise to do a job correctly宣誓就職 8. suspendsEs5pen

31、d v. to officially stop something from continuing, esp. for a short time暫停 9. boltbEult v. to lock a door or window by sliding a bolt across上門閂10. overwhelm5EuvE5welm v. to surprise someone very much so that they do not know how to react 使人不知所措 11. asset5Aset n. the property of a person, company, et

32、c., esp. of value 資產(chǎn)12. mattress5mAtris n. the soft part of a bed to lie on床墊 13. Capitol5kApitEl n. the building in Washington D.C. where the US Congress meets國會(huì)大廈 14. restoreris5tC: v. to make something return to its former state or condition恢復(fù) 15. standoutstAndaJt adj. a person or sth. in a group

33、 much better than all the rest出色的, 杰出的 16. Congress5kCNres n. the group of people elected to make laws in the US, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives (美國等國的)國會(huì), 議會(huì)17. executivei5zekjutiv adj. relating to the job of managing a business or organization and making decisions行政的18.

34、wageweidV v. to begin and continue a war, a battle, etc. 發(fā)動(dòng)19. folksy5fEuksi adj. (infml.) esp. AmE friendly and informal 和氣的, 無拘束的 20. scriptskript n. the written form of a speech, play, film etc.手稿, 原本 21. tenor5tenE n. a high male singing voice 男高音 22. contrived kEn5traIvd adj. seeming false and

35、not natural人為的, 做作的23. basso profundo n. (pl. basso profundos) a deep bass sing voice 低音24. pompous5pCmpEs adj. feeling oneself better than others浮夸的 25. telecast5telikB:st n. sth. broadcast on television電視廣播26. bulky5bQlki adj. bigger and difficult to carry or store體積大的27. parlor5pB:lE n. (old-fash

36、ion) a room in pubic buildings to receive guests會(huì)客室28. obsess Eb5ses v. to be talking or worrying about sth. all the time 著迷 29. punctuationpQNktjJ5eIF(E)n n. the marks to divide writing into sentences, phrases, etc.標(biāo)點(diǎn), 標(biāo)點(diǎn)符號(hào)30. upbraidQp5breid v. (fml.) to blame sb. having done sth. wrong責(zé)備31. timin

37、g5taimiN n. speed調(diào)速32. spraysprei v. to force liquid out of a container in a stream of very small drops噴射33. sinus5sainEs n. the spaces in the bones of ones head connected to the inside of ones nose竇 34. airZE v. to broadcast a program on television or radio （用無線電，電視）播送 35. panic5pAnik n. a sudden s

38、trong feeling of fear or nervousness making sb. unable to think clearly 驚慌, 恐慌 36. ensuein5sju: vi. to happen after or as a result of something跟著發(fā)生 37. smudgesmQdV v. to make a dirty mark on a surface弄臟 38. mimeograph5mimiErB:f n. a copy made by using a duplicator油印品 39. prime-time n. the time in th

39、e evening with the largest number of people watching television黃金時(shí)段40. patronizing 5pAtrEnaiziN adj. showing oneself better, or more intelligent 高人一等的41. quipkwip v. to say something clever and amusing 嘲弄 42. assureE5FuE v. to tell positively or confidently向保證 43. solvent5sClvEnt adj. having enough

40、money to pay your debts有償付能力的 44. unsavory Qn5seIvErI adj. disgusting令人討厭的45. lot n. a group or set of people or things 一批，一類人或物 46. hoarding5hC:diN n. store貯藏 47. pastime5pB:staim n. something enjoyable or interesting消遣, 娛樂48. themeWi:m n. the main subject or idea in writing, speech, film, etc. (談話

41、, 寫作等的) 主題 49. banish5bAniF v. to try to stop thinking about something or someone消除50. utterance5QtErEns n. (fml.) something a person says說話 51. spontaneousspCn5teinjEs, -niEs adj. not planned or organized, but happening by itself 自發(fā)的, 自然產(chǎn)生的52. surgesE:dV n. a sudden increase in amount or number劇增53

42、. raptrApt adj. attentive全神貫注的 Phrases and expressions1. work on:to try hard to improve or achieve something 從事于；致力于2. take down:to separate sth. into pieces拆卸3. go bust:to go bankrupt 俚破產(chǎn);完蛋4. wiped out:not before noun (infml.) extremely tired 精疲力竭的 5. the finishing touch: the last detail 最后一筆6. wa

43、lk sb. through sth.:to help sb. learn or become familiar with sth.幫助某人了解某事7. strike a blow for sb./sth.: to help achieve an aim 幫助某人獲得成功8. call forth:to produce a particular reaction 使起作用Notes1. Jonathan Alter: Jonathan Alter (1957-) is a columnist and senior editor for Newsweek magazine, where he h

44、as worked since 1983. For nearly two decades, he has written a widely acclaimed column that examines politics, media, and social and global issues. For more than a decade, he has worked as a contributing correspondent to NBC News.2. Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Franklin D. Roosevelt(1882-1945), the th

45、irty-second President of the United States (1933-1945). Assuming the Presidency at the depth of the Great Depression, Franklin D. Roosevelt helped the American people regain faith in themselves. He brought hope as he promised prompt, vigorous action, and asserted in his Inaugural Address, the only t

46、hing we have to fear is fear itself. 3. The Depression: The “Great Depression” (1929-1939) was a period in United States History when business was poor. Banks, stores, and factories were closed and left millions of Americans jobless, homeless, and penniless. Many people came to depend on the governm

47、ent or charity to provide them with food. The Depression became a worldwide business slump of the 1930s that affected almost all nations. 大蕭條 4. The New York Stock Exchange: The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), nicknamed the Big Board, is a New York City-based stock exchange. It is the largest stock

48、exchange in the world. 紐約證券交易所5. The Chicago Board of Trade: An important market in Chicago, US, in which future contracts for the delivery of commodities are bought and sold. 芝加哥交易所6. Robert Trout: (1909-2000) an American broadcast news reporter, best known for his radio work before and during Worl

49、d War II. He anchored CBS News coverage of World War II and coined the phrase fireside chat to describe President Franklin D. Roosevelts radio addresses to the nation. 7. CBS: Columbia Broadcasting System哥倫比亞廣播公司8. Herbert Hoover: (1874-1964) a US politician in the Republican Party and President of

50、the US from 1929 to 19339. Frances Perkins: (1882-1965) secretary of labor for the 12 years of Franklin D. Roosevelts presidency and the first woman to hold a Cabinet post10. Will Rogers: (1879-1935), first an Indian, a cowboy, then a national figure 11. Jim Farley: (1888-1973) appointed by FDR post

51、master general and party chairman in 1933 and later one of FDRs closest political advisors12. Gerald Ford: (1913-2006) Thirty-eighth President (1974-1977) 13. Ronald Reagan: (1911-2004) the fortieth President of the United States (1981-1989)14. Lou Cannon: (1933-) an American non-fiction author and

52、biographer. He covered Reagan for over twenty-five years and the author of President Reagan: The Role of a Lifetime15. Bill Clinton (1946-): the forty-second President of the United States (1993-2001)16. Prohibition: the period from 1919 to 1933 in the US when the production and sale of alcoholic dr

53、inks was illegal禁止, 阻止, 禁酒令ExercisesI. Questions for discussion1. Why does the author say that the American economic system was in a state of shock?2. What is the most encouraging line in FDRs speech?3. Why does the author say that Roosevelt owed much to technological good fortune?4. How did FDRs sp

54、eech affect people and why?5. How do you understand the title and does the word “courage” in the title only refers to the courage shown by FDR?II. Fill in the blanks with the words from the box. Change the form where necessary. ensue wage overwhelm restore obsess destitute panic folksy assets delive

55、ry suspend adopt banish quip assure1. Youll have to work on your _, for youll face a large audience.2. The unprecedented floods left many people _ and homeless.3. Sales of the drug will be temporally _ until more tests are completed.4. I was completely _ by his generosity to offer me the opportunity

56、 to use his luxury car when I first met him.5. He was once an immigrant worker but has now a corporation with $2 billion in _. 6. She was hoping that the Mediterranean climate would _ her to full health and energy.7. The courts were asked to _ a more flexible approach to young offenders instead of a severe punishment.8. The council has _ a vigorous campaign against the proposal put forward by the newly elected president.9. The Smiths have lived in the town for more than 50 years and they have a special l