(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
Today, we begin telling about Bill Clinton, America's forty-second president. He led the United States for eight years. He acted on many important issues that affected the United States and other countries. President Clinton also had to defend himself against accusations of dishonesty and sexual wrongdoing. In nineteen ninety-one, many Americans felt happier and more secure than they had in years. Worries about nuclear war had eased. The United States had led a coalition of allies to victory in the Persian Gulf War. In a little more than four days, the coalition freed Kuwait from invaders from Iraq and deeply damaged the Iraqi military. Republican President George Bush had won huge popularity after successfully leading the war effort. Most political experts believed President Bush would easily be re-elected in nineteen ninety-two. President Bush's popularity fell, however, as many people lost their jobs. Unemployment climbed to its highest rate since nineteen eighty-four. Economic growth slowed to recession levels. The federal government was deeply in debt after years of borrowing to pay for its programs.The opposition Democratic Party correctly believed it had a good chance to elect a president in nineteen ninety-two. It placed its hopes for winning the White House on Arkansas Governor William Jefferson Clinton. The future president was born William Jefferson Blythe on August nineteenth, nineteen forty-six, in Hope, Arkansas. His parents were William Jefferson Blythe and Virginia Blythe. Bill's father was a traveling salesman. His father had died in a car accident three months before Bill was born. At age two, Bill was sent to live with his grandparents while his mother studied to become a nurse. Bill's mother married Roger Clinton when Bill was four years old. The family moved to Hot Springs, Arkansas, in nineteen fifty-three. Bill officially changed his name to William Jefferson Clinton at age fifteen. Bill Clinton's new father, Roger Clinton, drank too much alcohol. Bill's life at home was unpleasant at times. However, he did well in school and liked it very much. He also developed a strong early interest in politics. He competed for many offices while in high school. In nineteen sixty-three, Bill Clinton met President John F. Kennedy. Bill was visiting Washington, D.C. as a delegate for a citizenship training program. President Kennedy provided the young Bill Clinton with a strong example of leadership. Bill continued his education at Georgetown University in Washington.
He graduated in nineteen sixty-eight. Excellence in his studies won him a Rhodes Scholarship to attend Oxford University in Oxford, England. He spent two years there before entering Yale University Law School in New Haven, Connecticut. At Yale, Bill fell in love with another Yale law student. Hillary Rodham of Park Ridge, Illinois shared his deep interest in politics and public service. They were married in October of nineteen seventy-five. Their daughter Chelsea was born in nineteen-eighty. Bill Clinton returned to Arkansas after completing law school. He soon entered politics as a Democrat, narrowly losing an election for Congress. Later, Arkansas citizens elected him attorney general -- the top law official for the state. In nineteen seventy-eight, he became the Democratic Party candidate for governor. He easily defeated his Republican opponent. He was the youngest man ever elected governor of Arkansas. While Bill Clinton was governor, the federal government operated a holding center for Cuban refugees in Arkansas. Rioting among these Cubans hurt his chances for re-election. Governor Clinton's opponent said he should have done more to get the government to hold the Cubans someplace else. Mister Clinton also supported unpopular new taxes. Bill Clinton was defeated in his effort to be re-elected governor of Arkansas in nineteen eighty.He deeply regretted this loss. He promised himself he would again be governor. Bill Clinton gained his goal in the election two years later. He continued to serve as governor of Arkansas until nineteen ninety-two. Education in Arkansas improved under the leadership of Governor Clinton. Many more students graduated from Arkansas high schools. The number of students entering college also rose. The state began requiring examinations for teachers. It also increased their pay. Mister Clinton started health centers in public schools. And he expanded Head Start programs to help prepare poor children to begin school. While governor of Arkansas, Bill Clinton also served in national organizations for governors and Democratic Party leaders. He became well known as a moderate Democrat. In nineteen ninety-one, William Jefferson Clinton announced he would compete for the Democratic nomination for president. Former Massachusetts Senator Paul Tsongas and former California Governor Edmund Brown, Junior were his main opponents for the nomination. However, Paul Tsongas later suspended his campaign for lack of money. Mister Clinton won a big lead over Mister Brown in state nominating elections. Democrats met for their national nominating convention in New York City in July, nineteen ninety-two. They named Bill Clinton as their candidate for president. He chose Senator Al Gore of Tennessee to be his vice president in the election.
The Republican Party nominated President Bush and Vice President Dan Quayle for a second term. Texas businessman Ross Perot competed as an independent. His vice presidential candidate was a former top Navy officer, James Stockdale. President Bush talked about his foreign policy successes during the campaign. He said he would cut taxes. He said Bill Clinton would raise taxes. Many Americans, however, remembered that President Bush had raised taxes after promising not to do this. Bill Clinton criticized President Bush mostly about important domestic issues in the United States. He said the president had failed to deal with the slow economy and high unemployment. President Bush answered that the Democrats controlled Congress. He said the Democrats defeated most of his domestic proposals. Ross Perot criticized both Republican President Bush and Democratic candidate Clinton. Mister Perot said neither man considered the importance of the huge federal debt. Bill Clinton and Al Gore won the nineteen ninety-two presidential election. They received about forty five-million votes. President Bush and Mister Quayle had about thirty-nine million votes. About eighteen million people voted for Mister Perot and Mister Stockdale. Bill Clinton became America's forty-second president on January twentieth, nineteen ninety-three. At age forty-six, he was the third youngest person ever elected president. At his swearing-in ceremony, the new president said there was no longer division between foreign and domestic issues.
Listen to these words from President Bill Clinton's swearing-in-speech: BILL CLINTON: "The world economy, the world environment, the world AIDS crisis, the world's arms race -- they affect us all. Today, as an old order passes, the new world is more free but less stable. Communism's collapse has called forth old animosities and new dangers. Clearly America must continue to lead the world we did so much to make."Even as President Clinton took office, critics were accusing him of wrongdoing. There were questions about sexual relationships outside his marriage. Other accusations involved an investment he and Missus Clinton had made years before. In nineteen seventy-eight they had bought land in Arkansas to sell for holiday homes. President Clinton denied any dishonorable actions. But the criticism and suspicion of America's forty-second president continued.重点解析
1.cut taxes 削减税收
Cut taxes and spending, privatize, and deregulate.
缩减税收和消费，私有化，接触管制。
2.no longer 不再
The order was no longer effective.
这项命令已不再生效。
3.deal with 处理；涉及；做生意
I'll deal with the children later.
孩子们的事由我以后去处理。
4.lack of 没有，缺乏；不足，不够
His rudeness rooted in his lack of education.
他的粗鲁是由于缺乏教育而形成的。
5.suspicion of 怀疑
His conduct roused the suspicion of the police.
他的举动引起了警察的怀疑。
参考译文
今天，我们开始讲述美国第42任总统比尔·克林顿的故事。比尔·克林顿执政八年。他在关乎美国和其他国家的许多重要问题上采取了行动。克林顿总统还不得不为自己的不诚实和性行为辩护。1991年，许多美国人感到比过去几年更幸福、更安全。对核战争的担忧已经减轻，在波斯湾战争中，美国领导的联盟取得了胜利。在四天多的时间里，联军将科威特从伊拉克侵略者手中解救出来，并使伊拉克军队元气大伤。成功领导了这场战争后，共和党总统布什声望大增。大多数政治专家认为布什总统会在1992年轻松连任。然而，由于许多人失业，布什总统的支持率下降。失业率攀升至1984年以来的最高水平，经济衰退。联邦政府多年来一直在为其项目借款，如今负债累累。反对党民主党认为1992年的总统选举是个大好时机。民主党把赢得白宫的希望寄托在阿肯色州州长威廉·杰斐逊·克林顿身上。这位未来的总统于1946年8月19日出生于阿肯色州的霍普市。父母是威廉·杰弗逊·布莱斯和维吉尼亚·布莱斯，父亲是一名旅行推销员，父亲在比尔出生三个月前死于车祸。两岁时，比尔被送去和他的祖父母住在一起，而他的母亲成为一名护士。比尔四岁时，他的母亲嫁给了罗杰·克林顿。
1953年，一家人搬到了阿肯色州的温泉城。比尔15岁时正式改名为威廉·杰斐逊·克林顿。比尔·克林顿的继父——罗杰·克林顿饮酒过量。比尔的家庭生活有时很不和谐。然而，他在学校表现很好，很喜欢学习。早年，比尔对政治也产生了浓厚的兴趣，高中时他曾竞争过许多职位。1963年，比尔·克林顿会见了约翰·F.·肯尼迪总统。比尔作为公民培训项目的代表访问了华盛顿特区。肯尼迪总统为年轻的比尔·克林顿树立了榜样。比尔在华盛顿的乔治敦大学继续他的学业。1968年，比尔毕业了。因为学业优秀，他赢得了罗氏奖学金，得以到英国的牛津大学继续深造。他在牛津大学待了两年，之后进入康涅狄格州纽黑文的耶鲁大学法学院。在耶鲁，比尔爱上了另一个耶鲁法学院的学生。来自伊利诺伊州帕克里奇的希拉里·罗德姆也对政治和公共服务颇感兴趣。
1975年10月，两人结婚，1980年，女儿切尔西出生。比尔·克林顿完成法学院学业后回到阿肯色州。他很快以民主党人的身份进入政坛，但在国会选举中惜败。后来，阿肯色州人民选举他为司法部长——该州的最高法官。1978年，比尔·克林顿成为民主党州长候选人。他轻松击败了共和党对手成为阿肯色州有史以来最年轻的州长。比尔·克林顿担任州长期间，联邦政府在阿肯色州为古巴难民开设了一个收容中心。古巴人的暴乱影响了克林顿连任。他的对手说，克林顿应该让政府把古巴人关押在别地。克林顿先生还支持新税法，人们并不欢迎这个税法。1980年，比尔·克林顿竞选连任阿肯色州州长落败。他对此深表遗憾，他答应自己他会再次成为州长。两年后，比尔·克林顿在选举中实现了自己的目标——继续担任阿肯色州州长直至1992年。在克林顿州长的领导下，阿肯色州的教育得到了改善。从阿肯色州高中毕业的学生人数增加。进入大学的学生人数也有所增加。该州开始要求教师参加考试。教师工资上涨了。克林顿在公立学校开办了健康中心。他还扩大了“启蒙计划”的规模，帮助贫困儿童入学。担任阿肯色州州长期间，比尔·克林顿还在州长和民主党领导人的国家组织中任职。比尔·克林顿以温和派民主党人而知名。
1991年，威廉·杰弗逊·克林顿宣布他将参加民主党总统提名竞选，主要对手是前马萨诸塞州参议员——保罗·松加斯和前加州州长——埃德蒙·布朗。然而，保罗·聪格斯后来因资金不足暂停竞选。克林顿先生在州提名选举中遥遥领先于布朗先生。1992年7月，民主党在纽约召开全国提名大会。他们提名比尔·克林顿为他们的总统候选人，比尔·克林顿选择田纳西州的参议员阿尔·戈尔作为他的副总统。共和党提名布什总统和副总统丹·奎尔连任。德克萨斯州商人罗斯·佩罗以独立身份竞争。佩罗的副总统候选人是前海军高级军官詹姆斯·斯托克代尔。布什总统在竞选期间谈到了他在外交政策上的成功。布什总统表示要减税，他说比尔·克林顿将增税。然而，许多美国人都记得，布什总统在承诺减税后提高了税率。比尔·克林顿主要就美国重要的国内问题上批评布什总统。他说，布什总统未能解决经济缓慢增长和高失业率的问题。布什总统回答说，民主党控制了国会。
他说，民主党人击败了他的大部分国内提案。佩罗批评了共和党总统布什和民主党总统候选人克林顿。佩罗表示，两人都没有考虑到巨额联邦债务的重要性。比尔·克林顿和阿尔·戈尔赢得了1992年的总统选举。比尔·克林顿和阿尔·戈尔获得了大约4500万张选票，布什总统和奎尔先生获得了大约3900万张选票。大约有1800万人投票给了佩罗先生和斯托克代尔先生。1993年1月20日，比尔·克林顿成为美国第42任总统。46岁的克林顿成为历史上第三年轻的总统。在宣誓就职仪式上，这位新总统表示，国内外问题不会再存在分歧。听一听比尔·克林顿总统宣誓就职演说中说的这句话：“世界经济、环境、艾滋病危机以及军备竞赛——这些都影响到我们所有的人。今天，随着旧秩序的消逝，新世界更加自由，但不那么稳定。共产主义的倒台引发了旧的仇恨和新的危机。显然，美国必须继续领导这个我们曾经付出巨大努力而创造的世界。”就在克林顿总统就职之际，批评人士指责他的不当行为，包括婚姻之外的不正当的两性关系，以及他和克林顿夫人多年前进行的一项投资，1978年，他们在阿肯色州购买了土地，用来出售度假屋。克林顿总统否认有任何不光彩的行为。但对美国第42任总统的批评和怀疑仍在继续。
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