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1、美国总统35理查德尼克松RichardNixon:Resignedplaystopmutemaxvolume00:00-16:51repeatByKellyJeanKelly12November,2017VOALearningEnglishpresentsAmericasPresidents.TodaywearetalkingaboutRichardNixon.RichardMilhausNixonNixoniswell-knowntomanyAmericansforonereason:hewastheonlypresidenttoresignfromtheposition.Facingpos
2、siblelegalactionbyCongress,Nixonleftofficeearlyinhissecondterm.Nixonsearlypoliticalcareerwasmarkedbysuccess.HealsohadsomenoteworthyachievementsduringhisWhiteHouseyears.Andheattainedhisgoalofmovingthegovernmentinamoreconservativedirection.Inhislateryears,Nixonandhissupporterstriedtoreclaimhisplaceasa
3、nexpertoninternationalaffairs.ButformanyAmericans,thenameNixonremainslinkedtodistrustofnationalleaders,abuseofpower,andpoliticalwrongdoing.EarlylifeRichardNixonhadadifficultearlylife.HewasthesecondoffivesonsinaQuakerfamily.HisparentsownedalemonranchinCalifornia,nearthecityofLosAngeles.Butthefamilyst
4、ruggledfinancially.AndtwoofRichardsbrothersdied-oneasasmallchild,andoneasayoungadult.Intime,hisparentsbusinessfailed,andtheNixonsmovedtoanearbytown.Theparentsandchildrenallworkedatafillingstationthatsoldfuelandotherproducts.Despitethemanyhoursheworkedatthestore,RichardNixonwasatopstudentinhighschool
5、.HewasofferedfinancialaidtoattendHarvardUniversity,butthefamilyneededevenmoremoneytosendhimthere.Instead,heattendedalocalcollege,wherehebecamethestudentbodypresident,joinedadebateteam,actedinthetheater,andplayedfootball.NixonwentontolawschoolatDukeUniversityinNorthCarolina.Evenwithhisimpressivebackg
6、round,hedidnotgetthejobshesoughtattheFederalBureauofInvestigation-theFBI-ortoplawoffices.SohereturnedtheCaliforniatownwherehegrewupandbeganworkingasalawyer.There,hemarriedanotheractoratthecommunitytheater.HernamewasThelmaRyanzbutshewascalledPat.TheNixonswentontohavetwodaughters,TriciaandJulie.In1942
7、,NixonacceptedajobwiththefederalgovernmentinWashington,DC.Hedidnotstayinthepositionlong.AftertheUnitedStatesenteredWorldWarII,NixonjoinedtheNavy.HeservedasanofficerinthePacific.WhenhereturnedtotheU.S.,RepublicanPartyofficialsaskedhimtobeacandidateforCongress.Nixonagreed.HewontwotermsintheHouseofRepr
8、esentatives,andthenaseatintheU.S.Senate.Twoyearslater,DwightEisenhowerztheRepublicanpresidentialcandidate,askedNixontobehisvicepresident.Thetwomenwoninanelectorallandslide,andin1953Nixontookofficeasvicepresident.Hewasonly40yearsold,thesecond-youngestvicepresidentinU.S.history.EarlypoliticalcareerNix
9、onsearlypoliticalcareerisrememberedforseveralreasons.Oneishowquicklyherosetohighgovernmentoffice.AnotherisforhispartintheAlgerHisscaseinthelate1940s.HisswasatopofficialintheStateDepartment.HewasaccusedofbeingaCommunistinthe1930sand1940szandofpassinginformationabouttheU.S.governmenttoSovietspies.Hiss
10、deniedtheaccusations.ThecasewasbignewsintheUnitedStates.ItshowedtheclashbetweenpeoplewhobelievedHisswasfalselyaccusedasawaytodiscreditliberalpolicieszandpeoplewhobelievedthegovernmentwasprotectingcommunistsympathizers.Nixonwasinthesecondgroup.HewaspartoftheinvestigationagainstHissandpushedforhisindi
11、ctment.Nixonseffortssucceeded,andHisswenttojailforalmostfouryears.1.ater,Nixonsaidthatthecasewasoneofthereasonsforhisrisetopower.TheCheckersspeechtaughtpoliticianstheimportanceofTVincreatingapublicimage.ItalsohelpedNixonandEisenhowerwinthepresidentialelectionof1952.Theyarepicturedherewiththeirwives.
12、NixonalsoearnednationalattentionwithaneventthathasbecomeknownastheCheckersspeech.Ithappenedin1952zwhenNixonwasrunningforvicepresident.SomereportersaccusedNixonofcorruption.Theysaidhewasacceptingmoneyandgiftsfromwealthydonorsinexchangeforhispoliticalsupport.Nixonwentontelevisiontodenytheclaimspersona
13、lly.Atthetime,Americanswerenotusedtoseeingpoliticiansspeakingdirectlytothepublic.YetNixonspokeinformallyandemotionally,fromwhatappearedtobeahome.Heexplainedhisfamilysfinances.Hesaidhedidnotacceptcampaigndonationsforpersonalbenefit.But,headded,therewasoneexception.AsupporterhadoncegiventheNixonchildr
14、enablackandwhitedogtheycalledCheckers.Nixonsaidherefusedtoreturnhisdaughterspet.Thepublic-andRepublicanPartyofficials-lovedthespeech.Nixonappearedwarmandlikable.Middle-classAmericansespeciallysaidtheycouldrelatetohim.Mostforgottheclaimsagainsthim.AndNixonspoliticalcareerwassaved.Duringthefollowingei
15、ghtyears,heservedasvicepresidentintheEisenhoweradministration.ButthenNixonsluckturned.InI960,NixonlostasapresidentialcandidatetoJohnF.Kennedy.Heblamed,inpartzthemedia.Thenin1962,helosthiseffortstobegovernorofCalifornia.Nixonsaidhewasretiringfrompolitics.Hefamouslytoldreporters,YouwonthaveNixontokick
16、aroundanymore.Yetsevenyearslater,hewasintheWhiteHouse.ItwasoneofthemostmemorablecomebacksinU.S.politicalhistory.PresidencyWhenNixontookofficein1969zsomeAmericansthoughtthecountrywasincrisis.Theeconomywasnotdoingwell.Raceriotshadbeeneruptinginbigcities.Manypeoplewerestilltryingtorecoverfromtheviolenc
17、eofayearearlier.CivilrightsleaderMartinLutherKingJuniorandPresidentJohnF.KennedysbrotherRoberthadbothbeenshotandkilled.Pollutionoftheenvironmentwasbecomingamajorpoliticalissue.Womenwerepressingforequalrights.AndmanyAmericanscontinuedtoprotestAmericaninvolvementinVietnam.Nixontookaction.Duringhisfirs
18、tyearsinoffice,hesupportedreformsandrulestoimprovetheeconomy;protecttheenvironment;increaseworkplaceandotheropportunitiesforwomen;supportcivilrights;and,inhiswords,bringpeacewithhonorinVietnam.But,forthemostpartzNixondidnothavethesupportofCongresstoenactlegislation.Soheexpandedthepowerofthepresidenc
19、ytocarryouthisgoals.Heisrememberedespeciallyforthreeforeignpolicymoves.In1972zhevisitedChina,withwhichtheU.S.governmenthadtenserelationssincetheChineseCommunistPartytookpower.AstheAlgerHisscaseshowed,Nixonwasstronglyanti-communist.Buthemadeestablishingdiplomaticrelationsbetweenthetwosidespossibleaga
20、in.HealsovisitedtheSovietUnion,andwasthefirstU.S.presidenttovisitMoscow.NixonandtheSovietIeaderzLeonidBrezhnevzagreedtolimitthegrowthofnucleararms.TheiractionshelpedeasetensionsatatimewhenU.S.officialswereworriedabouttheexpansionofcommunism.AndNixondidsucceedinreachingapeaceagreementwithNorthVietnam
21、eseleaders.In1973zAmericantroopsslowlybegantoleavethecountry,althoughfightingtherecontinued.Nixonsforeignpolicyachievementshelpedhiminthe1972electioncampaign.Hisfirstpresidentialelectionhadbeenextremelyclose;thesecondhewonbyoneofthewidestelectoralvotemarginsinU.S.history.WatergateEventhoughhewaspopu
22、larwithvoters,Nixonhadbeenconcernedabouthispoliticalfuture.Nixonwassoworriedthat,beforetheelection,hecreatedasecretteamtopreventanydamaginginformationfromreachingthemedia.Later,itsjobexpandedtoincludeinvestigatinganyinformationthatmighthurthispublicimage.FILE-InthisMarch15z1973,filephotoPresidentNix
23、ontellsaWhiteHousenewsconferencethathewillnotallowhislegalcounsel,JohnDeanztotestifyonCapitolHillintheWatergateinvestigation.AboutfivemonthsbeforeElectionDay,fivemenbrokeintotheoppositionpartysheadquartersattheWatergate,ahotelandofficecomplex,inWashington,DC.Theteamhadalreadystolencopiesofsecretcamp
24、aigndocuments.Now,inthemiddleofthenight,themenweretryingtoaddlisteningequipmenttothetelephones-inotherwords,spyontheopposition.Butasecurityguardbecamesuspiciousandcalledthepolice.Themenwerecaughtandarrested.WhenthestorycametoIightzNixonpubliclydeniedthatanyWhiteHouseofficialswereinvolvedinthecrime.B
25、utintime,thepubliclearnedthatNixonwaslying.Infact,heassistedwithpaymentstothemenwhowerearrested.AndhetriedtousetheCentralIntelligenceAgencytoblockanFBIinvestigationofthecrime.NixonknewthattheWatergatebreak-inwasonlypartoftheillegalorquestionableactshecouldbeheldresponsiblefor.1.ater,peopleconnectedw
26、ithNixontoldinvestigatorsthatthepresidenthadtapedeverythingthathappenedinhisoffice.Investigatorsdemandedthetapes.TheywouldprovehowmuchNixonknewabouttheillegaloperations.Thepresidentrefused.Hedismissedtheleadinvestigator.TwootherJusticeDepartmentofficialsresignedinprotest.Anewinvestigatorwasappointed
27、,andtheU.S.SupremeCourtorderedNixontoreleasethetapes.AtthesametimeztheHouseofRepresentativesvotedtoremoveNixonfromoffice.Theychargedhimwithobstructingjustice,abusinghispower,coveringupacrimezandviolatingtheConstitution.Finally,Nixonreleasedthetapes.ButbeforetheSenatecouldholdatrial-inwhichthepreside
28、ntwouldalmostcertainlybefoundguilty-RichardNixonresigned.HelefttheWhiteHousethefollowingday.Nixonlivedfor20moreyears.Hewroteanumberofbooksztraveled,spenttimewithhisfamily,andofferedforeignpolicyadvicetootherleaders.Hecontinuedtodenythathehaddoneanythingcriminalaspresident;instead,Nixonsaidhehadmadeb
29、addecisions.NixonspokeabouttheWatergatescandalduringaseriesofTVinterviewswithSirDavidFrostin1977.Andhedidnotgototrial.Thenextpresident,GeraldFord,usedhispowertopardonNixonforalloffensesagainsttheUnitedStates.ButNixonsimagewaspermanentlydamaged.MostpeoplefoundevidenceinthetapesthatNixonknewaboutarela
30、tedseriesofcrimescommonlyknownasWatergate.Theyalsofoundthatsomeofhispublicstatementsweredishonest.Theysaidhemadethemtoforwardhisownpoliticalgoals,nottofurtherthepublicgood.Asaresult,NixonsplaceinU.S.historyisgenerallythoughttobeatroubledone.Tobesure,hemadeanumberofpositiveaccomplishments,bothwithint
31、heU.S.andinternationally.Buthispresidencyleftthecountryshaken.WhenFordreplacedhimaspresident,hesaidtoAmericans,Ourlongnationalnightmareisover.mKellyJeanKelly.KellyJeanKellywrotethisstoryforLearningEnglish.GeorgeGrowwastheeditor.WordsinThisStoryattain-v.accomplishorachieveQuaker-n.amemberofaChristian
32、religiousgroupwhosemembersdresssimply,areagainstviolence,andhavemeetingswithoutanyspecialceremonyorpriestsimpressive-adj.deservingattention,admiration,orrespect:makingagoodimpressionlandslide-n.anelectioninwhichthewinnergetsamuchgreaternumberofvotesthantheloserindictment-n.anofficialwrittenstatementchargingapersonwithacrimecomeback-n.anewefforttowinorsucceedafterbeingclosetodefeatorfailureerupt-v.tohappenorbeginsuddenlyorviolentlyobstructing-v.tosloworblockthemovement,progress,oractionofpositive-adj.goodorusefulnightmare-n.averybadorfrighteningexperienceorsituation
