美国总统37 吉米卡特.docx

美国总统37吉米卡特JimmyCarter:Outsiderplaystopmutemaxvolume-14:0600:00repeatByKellyJeanKelly26November,2017VOALearningEnglishpresentsAmerica'sPresidents.TodaywearetalkingaboutJimmyCarter.HisgivennamewasJames,buthelikedtobecalledJimmy.OfficialWhiteHouseportraitofPresidentJimmyCarter(APPhoto/TheWhiteHouse)Carterwaselectedpresidentin1976.Untilhecampaignedfortheoffice,fewAmericansknewwhohewas.ButCartersaidhislackofexperiencewiththefederalgovernmentmadehimthebestcandidate.AfterwitnessingyearsofproblemsintheWhiteHouse,manyvotersappearedtoagreewithhim.However,Carter'sinexperiencealsobecameaproblem.Someoftheissueshefacedwerecomplexand,attimes,theyseemedoverwhelming.Afteronlyoneterm,Carterfailedtogetre-elected.Butintime,hispublicimageimproved.HisyearsafterleavingtheWhiteHousearegenerallyconsideredmoresuccessfulthanhistimeinoffice.EarlylifeJimmyCarterwasborninthesouthernstateofGeorgia.Hewastheoldestoffourchildren.Hisfatherwasabusinessman.Hismotherwasanurse.Thefamilyownedastore,aswellasapeanutfarmandwarehouse.Althoughthebusinessesdidwell,JimmyCartergrewupverymodestly.Hisfamily'shousedidnothaveelectricityorrunningwater.Buthewashardworkingandwantedtobesuccessful.Asaboy,hesavedenoughmoneytobuyfourhouses.Heearnedmoremoneybyrentingthemtootherpeople.HealsodecidedtoattendcollegeattheUnitedStatesNavalAcademy.Andintime,hedidso.Carterwasanexcellentstudent.AndhebecameafineNavalofficer.Asamidshipman,Carterworkedononeofthecountry'sfirstnuclearsubmarines.Helatertaughtnuclearengineeringtoothercrewmembers.ButCarter'spromisingcareerintheNavyendedafteronlysevenyears.Hisfatherwasdying.Andthefamilyfarmwasintrouble.Carter,hiswife,Rosalynnzandtheirthreesons,decidedtoreturntoGeorgiaandtrytosaveit.Thefirstyearsbackonthefarmweredifficult.Butintime,thebusinessbecamesuccessfulagain.Carterbegantoturnhisattentiontootherissues.Hebecameinvolvedinhischurch,localschool,hospitalsandlibraries.Whenhehadachancetocompeteforapositioninthestatesenate,hetookit.Asapolitician,Carterdevelopedanimageasanindependentthinkerwhotriedtosavethegovernmentmoney.Healsoactedandspokestronglyagainstracialdiscrimination.InGeorgiaatthetime,manyvotersdidnotagreewithCarter'ssupportofracialequality.In1966,evenhisownDemocraticPartydidnotchoosehimtobeitscandidatetorepresentGeorgiaintheU.S.Senate.SoCarterbegancampaigningfortheofficeofstategovernorinstead.In1970,hewaselected.AsGeorgia'sgovernor,Carterwasknownasasocialandpoliticalreformer.However,historianRobertStrongnotesthatCarterdidnotalwaysworkwellwithothersinhisparty.StrongteachesatWashingtonandLeeUniversityinLexingtonzVirginia.HewritesthatsomeGeorgialawmakersbelievedCarterwas"arrogant."Hecouldappeartothinkhewasmorallyright,andtheyweremorallywrong.Carter'sdifficultyingettingalongwithotherofficialsprovedtobeoneoftheproblemshewouldlaterface.Butinthepresidentialelectionof1976,manyAmericansseemedtolikethisquality.Thelittle-knowngovernorfromGeorgiadefeatedthesittingpresident,GeraldFord.Carterwon,inpart,bysayingthathewasdifferentthanotherpoliticians.Hewas,hesaidzaWashingtonoutsider.Thensuddenly,Carterwasthebiggestinsiderofall:theAmericanpresident.PresidencyOneofthethingsCarterwantedtodowaschangetheimageofthepresident.Earlierleaders,suchasRichardNixonandLyndonJohnson,hadincreasedthepowerofthepresidency.Nixonhadalsobeenshowntobedishonest,andresignedfromoffice.TheCartersonInaugurationDay,1979CarterpromisednevertolietotheAmericanpeople.Andonthedayofhisswearing-inaspresident,hepurposefullytriedtokeepthingssimple.HewalkedtotheWhiteHousefromtheU.S.Capitolbuildinginsteadofridinginthebackofanautomobile.Hiswife,Rosalynnzworeclothesthatshehadworninpublicbefore.TheNationalFirstLadies'Librarynotesthatherchoiceofclothingsentamessageof"anoldAmericanvalueofthrift-orrespectingmoney,andnotspendingitneedlessly."Whatsheworewasmeaningfulbecausethecountrywasgoingthroughdifficulteconomictimes.TheCarterswantedtoshowthatthenewgovernmentwouldworktocutcosts.TheyalsowantedtoshowthattheyweretheretohelptheAmericanpeople,notenjoythepowersoftheWhiteHouse.Butintheend,theCarteradministrationreceivedpoorratingsinsurveysofpublicopinion.PresidentCarterhadtroubledealingwithU.S.lawmakers,evenwhenhispartywasincontrolofCongress.OneresultwasthatCartercouldnotadvancemanyofhisideasforlegislation.Heappearedineffective.Manyhistorianspointoutthat,infact,Carterhadanumberofsuccesses.Hehelpedreducethecountry'sdependenceonforeignoil.Hetookstepstomakethefederalgovernmentmoreefficient,andtoimprovetheenvironment.Heappointedanumberofwomenandracialminoritiestotopgovernmentjobs-animportantmoveatatimewhenmanywerepressingforwomen'srightsandcivilrights.And,inmanycases,Cartersupportedhumanrightscauses,bothintheUnitedStatesandaroundtheworld.ButthepublicgenerallydidnotseeCarterforhissuccesses.Instead,manyAmericansblamedhimforthecountry'seconomicproblems.Somealsodislikedthewayhespoketothem.Inonespeech,Carterblamedthecountry'stroublesonwhathecalledacrisisofconfidence.Somelistenerswereoffended.Healsodecid