(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
I'm Shirley Griffith. And I'm Steve Ember with People in America in VOA Special English. Today we tell about Lady Bird Johnson. She is best known for being the wife of President Lyndon Baines Johnson who led the nation during the nineteen sixties. But Missus Johnson was also an influential environmental activist, tireless campaigner and successful businesswoman.
She showed great strength and heroism during a tense period in American history. Her work to make America beautiful can still be seen today in flowering fields, roads, and parks across the country.
Lady Bird Johnson was born Claudia Alta Taylor in nineteen twelve. The Taylor family lived in the small town of Karnack, Texas. Claudia's father, Thomas Jefferson Taylor, owned two stores as well as thousands of hectares for cotton production. Her mother, Minnie Taylor, died when Claudia was only five years old. A woman who worked for the Taylor family gave Claudia her nickname. Alice Tittle said the small child was "as purty as a lady bird."
Claudia had two older brothers who went away to school. She spent many hours by herself exploring the natural beauty of the fields and forests near her home. She said she grew up listening to the wind in the pine trees of the East Texas woods. She said her heart found its home in the beauty, mystery, order and disorder of the flowering earth.
Claudia attended public schools and worked hard at her studies. But she was very shy and did not like attention. When she graduated from high school, she had the third highest grades in the class. She reportedly made sure she finished third to avoid giving the graduation speech required by the top two students in the class.
In nineteen thirty-four Lady Bird graduated from the University of Texas in Austin with degrees in history and journalism. She planned to teach or work as a theater critic. But then she met an energetic congressional assistant named Lyndon Baines Johnson. The young politician from Texas asked her to marry him on their first date. After weeks of pressure from Mister Johnson, Lady Bird accepted his marriage proposal. Here is Missus Johnson talking about her first meeting with her future husband:
"We had a breakfast date, but we wound up by spending the whole day together, riding and talking. Well, he really let me know before the day was over that he wanted to marry me. And I thought this impossible. But on the other hand, there was one thing I knew I just couldn't bear to have happen and that was to say goodbye, goodbye period."
Lyndon Johnson was busy planning his political career. Within three years, he ran for a seat in the United States Congress and won. Lady Bird Johnson had given him ten thousand dollars to get his campaign started.
When Japanese planes attacked American ships at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in nineteen forty-one, Mister Johnson joined the navy to fight in World War Two. Missus Johnson stayed in Washington, D.C. and supervised his congressional office during the eight months he was away. Her excellent organizational skills and smart political sense made her perfect for the job.
After Mister Johnson returned, Lady Bird Johnson soon found a new project. She used about seventeen thousand dollars of family money to buy a small radio station in Austin, Texas. The radio station was in debt and had a small broadcast range. Missus Johnson used her husband's connections with the Federal Communications Commission to increase the radio station's power and range.
Soon, the station started making money and the company expanded into television as well. Missus Johnson was president of the family company, LBJ Company. She traveled from Washington to Austin every week to take care of business.
During this time the Johnson family started to grow. Lady Bird had a daughter, Lynda Bird, in nineteen forty-four. A second daughter, Luci Baines, was born three years later. Lyndon Johnson's power in politics also continued to grow. In nineteen forty-eight he was elected to the United States Senate.
In nineteen sixty, John F. Kennedy ran for president of the United States with Lyndon Johnson as vice president. Missus Kennedy was unable to travel and campaign for the candidates because of her pregnancy. Missus Johnson bravely accepted the job. She visited eleven states to help express the goals of the candidates. They won the election.
Missus Johnson was also at her husband's side when he visited Texas with President and Missus Kennedy on November twenty-second, nineteen sixty-three.
After the tragic shooting of President Kennedy in Dallas, security officials led the Johnsons to the presidential plane to fly back to Washington. During the flight, Missus Johnson and Missus Kennedy watched as Lyndon Johnson was sworn in as President of the United States.
In the weeks after this national tragedy Lyndon Johnson worked hard to show Americans that he could be a strong president. With his strong support, he got Congress to pass the Civil Rights Act of nineteen sixty-four. This law banned discrimination based on "race, color, religion, or national origin" in public places and federal programs. But the law was not popular with many white voters in the southern part of the country.
Once again, Lady Bird Johnson came to the rescue. As part of Lyndon Johnson's nineteen sixty-four campaign for president she became a spokesman for the law. Lady Bird Johnson visited important southern states although Democratic governors feared for her safety. She traveled through poor areas talking to angry crowds who were against her husband's civil rights policies. Lady Bird Johnson knew how to give a powerful and expressive speech.
She won over the loud crowds with her gentle manner and calming southern accent. She told them that it was time to end the South's racist past and move into the modern world. The media later wrote that she stood as a fearless moral representative of her husband. And, her work paid off. Lyndon Johnson won the election.
The historian Lewis Gould has said Missus Johnson and her press secretary Liz Carpenter were the first to establish the job of the modern first lady. Missus Johnson realized that the wife of the president needed to have her own team of workers. She made sure she had a director of employees as well as a social director. Lady Bird Johnson's business experience and sense of organization helped create a very effective system for future first ladies and their causes.
As first lady, Missus Johnson became an energetic activist for educational and environmental issues. She helped support Head Start, a public program aimed at giving educational and health services to young children from poor families.
She started the Society for a More Beautiful National Capitol. Its aim was to improve the beauty of Washington by planting trees and flowers in public areas and parks. Missus Johnson understood that these improvements were also linked to important issues such as pollution, public transportation, mental health, and crime rates.
But she is most well known for helping to create The Beautification Act of nineteen sixty-five. It aimed to protect America's natural beauty by limiting advertising signs and cleaning up waste areas on the country's roads and highways. The law also supported the planting of local flowers and trees. Here is Missus Johnson talking about her environmental efforts:
"Clean water, clean up the rivers, wilderness areas, more national parks, all of that was a part of our aim and thrust and what we tried to do. I've had a life long love affair with nature, a particular accent on wildflowers, native plants for the whole broad face of America. I hope everybody could enjoy their little piece of America as much as I have enjoyed mine."
Lyndon Johnson and Lady Bird Johnson had a difficult four-year term. The president faced strong opposition about the United States involvement in the war in Vietnam. In nineteen sixty-eight, President Johnson surprised the nation by announcing that he would not seek reelection as president. The Johnsons left politics and returned home to Texas. Mister Johnson died of a heart attack in nineteen seventy-three.
Lady Bird Johnson continued her tireless work to improve the country's natural environment. She created the National Wildflower Research Center in nineteen eighty-two. The center helps to educate people about the environmental importance and value of native plants. Missus Johnson died in two thousand seven at the age of ninety-four. Her memory lives in the many fields of wildflowers that color the roads of America.
重点解析
1.influential 有影响力的
His boss was rather influential in the government circles.
他的老板在政界还是颇有影响的。
2.tireless 不知疲倦的
He was a tireless worker for justice.
他是个为了正义不知疲倦地工作的人。
3.heroism 英勇
He received a medal for his heroism.
他由于英勇而获得一枚奖章。
4.She spent many hours by herself exploring the natural beauty of the fields and forests near her home.
explore 探索
As soon as we arrived on the island we were eager to explore.
我们一来到岛上就急不可耐地开始探胜。
5.Within three years, he ran for a seat in the United States Congress and won.
run for 竞选
Mr Brown did not want to run for governor of the state last year.
布朗先生去年不想竞选州长。
6.Missus Kennedy was unable to travel and campaign for the candidates because of her pregnancy.
campaign for 为...助选
She also asked her supporters to join her campaign for change.
她同时也呼吁支持者参与到她的改革运动中来。
参考译文
我是雪梨·格里菲斯。我是史蒂夫·恩贝尔。这里是VOA慢速英语栏目《美国人物志》。今天我们将讲述伯德·约翰逊的故事。她最为人熟悉的一个身份是1960年代时期林登·贝恩斯·约翰逊总统的妻子。但是约翰逊夫人也是一位有影响力的环保积极分子、孜孜不倦的活动推动者以及成功的女商人。在美国历史上那段形势紧张时期，她展现出了强大的力量和英勇。她为美国环保所做的努力至今仍可在美国花丛、道路及公园里可见。
1912年，伯德·约翰逊出生时的名字是克劳迪娅·阿尔塔·泰勒。泰勒一家居住在德克萨斯州卡纳克的一个小城镇上。克劳迪娅的父亲，托马斯·杰弗森·泰勒拥有两个商店以及几千公顷的棉花产量。她的母亲，明妮·泰勒在克劳迪娅五岁的时候就去世了。一个在泰勒家工作的女士给克劳迪娅取了一个外号。爱丽丝·蒂特尔说这个小女孩“像一只小瓢虫一样美。”
克劳迪娅有两个哥哥，他们离家去上学了。多数时间，她都自己一个人探究附近田地和森林的自然之美。她说她是听着东德克萨斯丛林松树的风声长大的。她说她的心在满是鲜花的地球的美丽、神秘、次序和无序中才能找到居所。
克劳迪娅去了公立学校并刻苦学习。但是她很害羞，不喜欢被关注。毕业时，她的成绩全班第三。据称，她是为了避开毕业演讲才考第三的，因为班上的头两名被要求演讲。1934年，小瓢虫毕业于得克萨斯大学历史和新闻专业。她计划当老师或剧评家。但是她遇到了名叫林登·贝恩斯·约翰逊的国会助理。这位来自德克萨斯的年轻政治家在他们第一次约会的时候就向她求婚。在约翰逊先生几个星期的要求下，小瓢虫同意了他的求婚。以下是约翰逊太太谈论她和未来丈夫的首次约会：
“我们约了早餐，但是一整天都在一起骑车聊天。约会结束时，他说他想娶我。那时我认为这是不可能的。但是另一方面，有一件事我是知道的，我不能仍受和他说再见。”
林登·约翰逊忙着计划他的政治生涯。三年里，他为国会的一个席位而竞争，并赢得了这个席位。小瓢虫约翰逊给了他十万美元开始他的竞选。1941年，当日本飞机袭击夏威夷的珍珠港的美国船只时，约翰逊先生加入海军参加二战。约翰逊太太待在华盛顿，并在他离开的八个月里指导国会办公室工作。她杰出的组织能力和聪明的政治直觉让她出色完成了工作。约翰逊先生回来之后，小瓢虫约翰逊很快就发现了一个新项目。她从家里拿了一万七千美元用于购买德克萨斯州奥斯丁的一个小型无线电台。这个无线电台当时负债且只有一小片服务地区。约翰逊夫人利用丈夫和联邦通信委员会的关系提高无线电台的权利和服务范围。很快，这个电台开始盈利，而且公司也朝着电视行业扩张。约翰逊夫人是这个家族公司—LBJ公司的董事长。每周她都从华盛顿飞到奥斯丁照看她的事业。那段时期，约翰逊家族开始增长。1944年，小瓢虫生了一个女儿，丽迪娅·伯德。二女儿，露西·贝恩斯出生于三年后。林登·约翰逊在政界的权利也在继续增长。
1948年，他进入美国参议院。1960年，约翰·肯尼迪竞选美国总统，林登·约翰逊是副总统。肯尼迪太太由于怀有身孕，去到各州为候选人助选。约翰逊太太勇敢地接受了这个工作。她去了十一个州，去帮助表达候选人的目标。他们赢得了选举。1963年11月22日，在丈夫和总统以及总统夫人参访德克萨斯的时候，约翰逊太太也陪伴在丈夫身旁。肯尼迪总统在达拉斯遇刺身亡后，安保官员带领约翰逊夫妇登上总统的飞机飞回华盛顿。回程中，约翰逊夫人和肯尼迪夫人看着林登·约翰逊宣誓就任美国总统。在这个国家悲剧发生后的几个星期里，林登·约翰逊努力工作向美国人展示了他可以成为一个可靠的总统。
在他的全力支持下，1964年议会通过民权法案。法案禁止在公共场所以及联邦项目中涉及基于“种族、肤色、宗教或民族根源”的歧视。但是一些美国南部的很多白种投票人对这个法案并不感冒。小瓢虫约翰逊再一次赶来营救。作为林登·约翰逊1964年总统竞选的参与者，她成为了这条法案的发言人。虽然民主党州长们担心她的安全，但是小瓢虫约翰逊还是去了几个比较重要的南方州。她来到较为贫穷的地区和反对丈夫民主权利政策的愤怒人群交谈。小瓢虫约翰逊知道该如何发表有影响力且深刻的演讲。她用自己的优雅举止和镇定的南方口音说服了喧闹的人群。她告诉他们现在是时候结束南部过去的种族歧视，是时候向现代世界迈进了。之后媒体写到，她是她丈夫无畏的精神代表。并且她的努力也收到了回报。林登·约翰逊赢得了选举。历史学家刘易斯·古尔德说道，约翰逊夫人和她的新闻秘书利兹·卡彭特是首个建立现代第一夫人工作的人。约翰逊夫人意识到总统的妻子需要自己的工作团队。她确保自己有一位员工主管以及一名社交主管。小瓢虫约翰逊的商业经历和组织感帮助为以后的第一夫人们创造了一条非常有效的体系。
作为第一夫人的约翰逊夫人成为了一个教育和环保问题的积极主义者。她帮助支持开端教育，这是一个公共项目，其目的在于为穷苦家庭的孩子提供教育和医疗服务。她成立了美化首都协会。其目标是为了通过在公共区域和公园种植树木花草，让华盛顿变得更加美丽。约翰逊夫人了解这些改善也和一些重要问题相关联，比如污染、公共交通、精神健康以及犯罪率。但是她最出名的事情还是帮助创作1965年的美化法案。其目的在于，通过限制城市街道和高速上的广告牌、清理废弃区域，破保护美国的自然之美。该法案还支持本地鲜花和树木的种植。以下是约翰逊夫人谈论自己的环保努力：“干净的水源、清理河道、自然保护区以及更多的国家公园，这些都是我们目标的一部分，是我们努力去做的一部分。我一生都爱着自然、特别是野花的特殊香气以及美国所有的国家植物。我希望每个人都能像我一样享受美国的这片小天地。”
林登·约翰逊和小瓢虫约翰逊经历了四年艰难任期。在美国参与越战这件事上，总统面临强烈发对。1968年，约翰逊总统宣布不再竞选总统，此举震惊全国。约翰逊一家离开政治圈，返回德克萨斯的家中。1973年，约翰逊总统死于心脏病发作。小瓢虫约翰逊继续着改善国家自然环境的不懈努力。1982年，她创建国家野花研究中心。中心帮助教授人们关于环保重要性和原生植物的知识。2007年，84岁的约翰逊夫人去世。关于她的记忆永远活跃在点亮美国道路的野花丛中。
译文为可可英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载！
