(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
Today, we continue the story of the thirty-seventh president of the United States, Richard Nixon. It is nineteen sixty-nine in America. Richard Nixon is in the first year of his first term in office. His biggest foreign policy problem is the continuing war in Vietnam. During the election campaign, he had promised to do something to end the war. Some Americans believe the United States should withdraw from Vietnam immediately. Bring the soldiers back home, they say. Others believe the United States should take whatever measures are necessary to win. Expand the ground war, they say, or use nuclear weapons. The decision is not easy. Withdrawing allied troops would leave South Vietnam alone to fight against communist North Vietnam. And that was the reason the United States became involved in the conflict. It wanted to prevent the Communists from taking over the South. Expanding the military effort would mean more deaths. Already, by nineteen sixty-nine, more Americans had died in Vietnam than in the Korean War. For Richard Nixon, the war is a terrible test. If he is not able to deal with it, his presidency could end like Lyndon Johnson's ended. Johnson decided not to run for re-election after he lost public and political support for his war policies.
How did the new president deal with the problem? Like Johnson, he made decisions based on information from his advisers. His most important adviser was Henry Kissinger. Kissinger was an expert on foreign relations. He later served as Nixon's secretary of state. Together, they tried many ways to settle the conflict in Vietnam. It took several years to end American involvement there. The American efforts were both diplomatic and military. The Nixon administration started new, secret peace talks in Paris. The official peace talks were taking place in Paris at the same time. The administration withdrew some troops from Vietnam. Yet it sent other troops into Cambodia secretly. And it began dropping bombs on Laos. It also started dropping bombs on North Vietnam again. Former president Johnson had stopped the bomb attacks a few years earlier. Efforts to end American involvement did not begin suddenly. For his first eight months in office, President Nixon made no major policy changes. Then, in October nineteen sixty-nine, he ordered the withdrawal of sixty thousand troops. He said he acted to speed the peace talks. He also ordered American commanders to give the South Vietnamese most of the responsibility for fighting.
Americans were happy that fewer troops would be involved. But many were unhappy that the withdrawal was not complete. Huge anti-war demonstrations took place in the United States in the autumn of nineteen sixty-nine. On November fifteenth, several hundred thousand people protested in Washington, D.C. President Nixon tried to explain his policy to anti-war protesters. A slow withdrawal of troops is not the easy way, he told them, but it is the right way. He also continued his efforts for a military victory. In the spring of nineteen seventy, American and South Vietnamese troops invaded Cambodia. They attacked Communist supply centers there. Early the following year, the Nixon administration decided to provide air and artillery support for a South Vietnamese invasion of Laos. The goal was to stop supplies from reaching North Vietnam through that country. The military action in Laos lasted forty-four days. South Vietnamese forces destroyed many enemy weapons. However, they also suffered many deaths and injuries. And many American planes were shot down. After six weeks, the South Vietnamese were forced to withdraw. Many members of the United States Congress were angry. They said the invasion of Laos was another in a long series of failures. The Nixon administration had said that the United States was winning the war. Opposition lawmakers said the administration was lying. Criticism by the American public grew louder, too.
President Nixon answered by saying again that the United States must not permit North Vietnam to take over South Vietnam. Former president Johnson had said the same thing. For a long time, many Americans accepted it. As the war continued, however, public opinion changed. In nineteen sixty-five, sixty-one percent of those questioned approved the war. By nineteen seventy-one, sixty-one percent did not approve. The official peace talks in Paris offered little hope of settlement. Over a period of several years, each side made proposals. Then each side rejected the proposals. One American observer said: "As long as either side thinks it can win a military victory, there is no hope for official peace talks."President Nixon wanted to ease public tension and anger over the war. So he announced that Henry Kissinger had held twelve secret meetings with North Vietnamese officials. But the secret meetings made no more progress than the official talks. In late March nineteen seventy-two, North Vietnam launched a major offensive. In May, Nixon ordered increased bomb attacks against roads and railways in the North. By the end of August, the communist offensive had been stopped. Yet many lives had been lost. The pressure to withdraw American forces grew stronger.
For the next five months, the Nixon administration continued a policy of official talks, secret meetings, and increased military action. Finally, the president announced that an agreement had been reached at the peace talks in Paris. There would be a ceasefire. And negotiators from the United States, South Vietnam, North Vietnam, and the Viet Cong would sign the official agreement. Under the terms of the agreement, all American and allied forces would withdraw from South Vietnam. The North and South would be free to settle their conflict without interference from other countries. President Nixon made the official announcement from the White House. RICHARD NIXON: "At twelve-thirty Paris time today, January twenty-three, nineteen seventy-three, the agreement on ending the war and restoring peace in Vietnam was initialed by Doctor Henry Kissinger on behalf of the United States and special adviser Le Duc Tho on behalf of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. The agreement will be formally signed by the parties participating in the Paris conference on Vietnam on January twenty seven, nineteen-seventy-three, at the international conference center in Paris. ..."The United States and the Democratic Republic of Vietnam express the hope that this agreement will insure stable peace in Vietnam and contribute to the preservation of lasting peace in Indochina and Southeast Asia."Another foreign policy problem during the Nixon administration was China.
The president had much greater success dealing with this problem than with Vietnam. Communists took power in China in nineteen forty-nine. However, the United States did not recognize the Communist government. Instead, it recognized the Nationalist government in Taiwan. In the early nineteen seventies, the Nixon administration began trying to improve relations. It eased restrictions on travel to China. And it supported a visit to China by the United States table tennis team. Then, President Nixon made a surprise announcement. He, too, would visit China. The historic event took place in February, nineteen seventy-two. Chinese leaders Mao Zedong and Zhou En-lai greeted the American president. Nixon and Zhou held talks that opened new possibilities for trade. The next year, Nixon sent a representative to open a diplomatic office in Beijing. After more than twenty years, the two countries were communicating again. They established official relations in nineteen seventy-nine. Many Americans expressed pleasure that tensions between the two countries had decreased. Many were proud to see their president standing on the Great Wall of China. History experts would later agree that it was the greatest moment in the presidency of Richard Nixon.
重点解析
1.dealing with 处理；对待
It’s an understandable reaction but we need to balance it with prudence in dealing with the economy.
这虽然可以理解，但是我们需要在处理经济问题的时候谨慎权衡它的利弊。
2.terms of the agreement 协议条款
The client also agrees to accept specified exceptions to the general terms of the agreement.
客户还同意接受协议一般条款的指定例外情况。
3.peace talk 和平谈判
The present conflict may provide fresh impetus for peace talk.
目前的冲突可能会给和谈提供新的推动力。
4.Paris conference 巴黎和会
Nevertheless, it is a measure of progress that protection of academics was only part of the focus at the Paris conference.
然而，保护学术界人士只是巴黎会议焦点的一部分，这是进展的标志。
5.contribute to 有助于；捐献；带来，促成；
Your success should contribute to the success of others!
你的成功应能有助于他人的成功！
参考译文
今天，我们继续讲述美国第37任总统理查德·尼克松的故事。那是1969年，是理查德·尼克松首届任职的第一年。尼克松面临的最大外交政策问题是越南战争的持续进行竞选期间，他曾承诺要做些什么来结束这场战争。一些美国人认为美国应该立即从越南撤军。他们说让把士兵带回家。另一些人则认为美国应该采取一切必要的措施来赢得战争胜利。他们说，要么扩大战事，要么使用核武器。做出这个决定绝非容易。美国撤出盟军将使南越在与共产主义北越战争中孤军奋战。这就是美国卷入这场冲突的原因。美国想要阻止共产党接管南越。扩大军事行动意味着更多的死亡。到1969年，比起朝鲜战争，美国在越南战争的死亡人数要更多。对理查德·尼克松来说，战争是一次可怕的考验。如果他无法应对，他可能会像林登·约翰逊一样结束自己的总统任期。约翰逊在战争政策失去公众和政治支持之后，决定不再竞选连任。尼克松是如何处理这个问题的？和约翰逊一样，他也是根据顾问的情报来做决定的。尼克松最看重的顾问是亨利·基辛格。基辛格是外交关系方面的专家，后来担任尼克松的国务卿。他们一起尝试了许多方法来解决越南的冲突。美国花了几年时间才结束介入越南战争。美国做出的努力包括外交和军事两方面。尼克松政府在巴黎开始了新的秘密和谈。
与此同时，官方和谈正在巴黎举行。政府从越南撤军，然而却秘密派遣其他部队进入柬埔寨，开始向老挝投掷炸弹。开始再次向北越投掷炸弹。几年前，前总统约翰逊已经停止了炸弹袭击。美国结束介入并不是突然开始。尼克松总统在上任后的头八个月，没有做出重大的政策调整。1969年10月，尼克松下令撤军6万。他说，他要加快和平谈判。他还命令美军指挥官将大部分战斗的责任交予南越。美国人高兴的是参军减少了。但很多人不高兴的是并没有完全撤军。1969年秋，美国发生了大规模的反战示威活动。11月15日，数十万人在华盛顿特区举行抗议活动尼克松总统试图向反战抗议者解释他的政策。他告诉抗议者们，缓慢撤军不是简单的方法，但很正确。他会继续努力争取军事胜利。1970年春，美国和南越军队入侵柬埔寨。他们袭击了那里的共产主义供应中心。第二年年初，尼克松政府决定为南越入侵老挝提供空中和火炮支援。目标是阻止物资通过该国到达越南北部。老挝的军事行动持续了四十四天，南越军队战胜了许多敌军。然而，伤亡惨重，许多美国飞机被击落。
六周后，南越被迫撤退。许多美国国会议员对此感到愤怒。他们说，入侵老挝是接连失败中的又一次失败。尼克松政府曾表示，美国正在赢得这场战争。反对派议员称，政府在撒谎，美国公众的批评声音也越来越大。尼克松总统再次回答说，美国不能允许北越接管南越。前总统约翰逊也说过同样的话。在很长一段时间里，许多美国人接受了这一说法，然而，随着战争的继续，舆论发生了变化。1965年，61%的受访者表示支持这场战争。1971年，61%的人表示不同意该战争。巴黎和谈没有给问题的解决带来多少希望。几年的时间里，双方都提出议案。然后双方都拒绝了这些提案。美国一位观察员表示：“只要任何一方认为自己能赢得军事胜利，正式和谈就没有可能。”尼克松总统想缓和公众对战争的紧张和愤怒情绪，因此宣布亨利·基辛格与北越官员已经举行了12次秘密会谈。但是秘密会谈和官方会谈相比取得的进展并不大。1972年3月底，北越发动了一次重大的进攻。5月，尼克松下令增加对北部公路和铁路的炸弹袭击。8月底，共产党已经停止进攻，然而，许多人失去了生命。撤军的压力越来越大。在接下来的五个月里，尼克松政府继续采取官方会谈、秘密会谈和增加军事行动的政策。最后，总统宣布在巴黎和平会谈中达成了一项协议——停火协定。自美国、南越、北越和越共的谈判代表将签署此次协议。
根据协议条款，所有美国和盟国军队将从南越撤出。北越和南越可以自行解决冲突，而不受其他国家的干涉。尼克松总统在白宫发表了正式声明。“1973年1月23日，巴黎时间12点30分，亨利基辛格博士代表美国和特别顾问，黎德寿代表越南民主共和国，签署了关于结束战争和恢复越南和平的协议。该协议将于1973年1月27日，在巴黎国际会议中心由出席巴黎会议商讨越南战争一事的各方正式签署。“美国和越南民主共和国对此表示希望该协议能确保越南实现和平稳定，并有助于维护印度支那和东南亚的持久和平。”尼克松政府时期的另一个外交政策问题是中国。比起越南问题，尼克松总统在处理中国问题上取得了更大的成功。1949年共产党在中国执政。然而，美国并不承认共产党政府。相反，承认的是台湾的国民党政府。20世纪70年代初，尼克松政府开始试图改善两国关系。中国放松了对赴华旅游的限制，还支持美国乒乓球队访问中国。接着，尼克松总统出人意料地宣布了一项决定，他也将访问中国。这一历史性事件发生在1972年2月。中国领导人毛泽东和周恩来向美国总统致以问候。尼克松和周恩来举行了会谈，为贸易开辟了新的可能性。第二年，尼克松派一名代表在北京开设了一个外交办事处。20多年后，两国再次进行了沟通。1979年，中美两国正式建立外交关系。许多美国人对两国间的紧张关系有所缓和表示高兴。看到他们的总统站在中国的长城上，许多美国人都为之自豪。历史专家后来一致认为，这是理查德·尼克松总统任期内最伟大的时刻。
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