慢速英语美国总统

The president of America/American presidentThe first black president of america

VOA Learning English presents America’s Presidents. 美国之音慢速英语介绍美国总统栏目。

Today we are talking about Franklin Pierce, the 14th president of the United States. He took office in 1853 at age 48. At that time, he was the youngest person elected to the White House. 今天，我们来谈论下美国第14届总统富兰克林·皮尔斯。他于1853年48岁的时候就职。当时，他是最年轻的总统。

Pierce was known for being social – and for his good looks. But his personal life was full of tragedy, and he was not an effective chief executive [1] . 皮尔斯以善于交际而闻名，他的英俊也让他声名远扬。但是他的个人生活充满悲剧，他不是一位有能力的总统。

Over time, he has come to be remembered as one of the country’s worst presidents. 久而久之，皮尔斯逐渐以美国最差的总统之一而被人记住。

Franklin Pierce was born in the northern state of New Hampshire. He was one of eight children. 富兰克林·皮尔斯出生于北方 新罕布什尔州 ，他是八个孩子中的一个。

He attended school regularly [2] as a child, and he went on to Bowdoin College in Maine. There, he developed his skills as an excellent public speaker. He also became an able lawyer. 孩童时期，他正常上了学，后来继续读了缅因州的鲍登学院。在那儿，他开发了卓越的公众演讲才能。他也成为了一名优秀的律师。

Pierce’s abilities carried him far. But his personal connections helped, too. 皮尔斯的能力对他帮助很大，然而他个人的关系也帮助了很多。

His father became the governor of New Hampshire. Shortly after, Pierce was elected to the state legislature . He soon became a member of the U.S. Congress – first as a member of the House of Representatives, and then as a senator. 他的父亲是新罕布什尔州的州长。不久之后，皮尔斯入选州 立法机构 。他很快就成为了国会的议员 —— 起初是众议员，然后是参议员。

Several important things happened in Pierce’s personal life during those years in Washington, DC. He married Jane Means Appleton. They soon had a son, but the child died after only three days. The couple went on to have two more boys. 在华盛顿的那几年，皮尔斯的个人生活发生了几件重要的事情。他和简·米恩斯·阿普尔顿结婚，很快就有了一个儿子，但三天后就夭折了。这对夫妻后来又有了两个儿子。

In Washington, Franklin Pierce also developed friendships with many people from the South. They defended the right of states to permit slavery. Although he was from the North, Pierce came to share the opinions of his Southern friends. He grew to dislike anti-slavery activists , who were known as abolitionists . 在华盛顿，富兰克林·皮尔斯与许多南方人士发展了友谊。他们捍卫允许奴隶制的权利。尽管皮尔斯来自北方，他开始分享他南方朋友的观点。他逐渐讨厌禁奴 积极分子 ，也就是 废奴主义者 。

As a politician, Pierce was a member of the Democratic Party and strongly supported the ideas of President Andrew Jackson. But politics did not appeal to his wife. She also did not like her husband’s habit [3] of drinking alcohol with his friends. Jane Pierce belonged to the temperance movement , which urged Americans to avoid the use of alcoholic drinks. 作为一名政客，皮尔斯是一名民主党人士，并且强烈支持 安德鲁·杰克逊 总统的理念。但是他的妻子对政治不感兴趣。他也不喜欢他丈夫和朋友喝酒的习惯。简·皮尔斯支持 禁酒运动 ，这项运动旨在推进美国人避免使用酒精饮料。

So Pierce resigned his job in the Senate and moved back to New Hampshire. 所以，皮尔斯辞去了参议员的职位，回到了新罕布什尔州。

There, he stopped drinking alcohol and earned fame as a lawyer and public speaker. But tragedy struck again: his second son became sick and died. ​ 回去后，他不再喝酒，并且作为一名律师和公众发言人赢得了一些声誉。但是悲剧再次降临：他的第二个儿子生病死亡。

Pierce remained active in politics in New Hampshire. He helped the Democratic candidate for president at the time, James K. Polk, win votes in the state. 在新罕布什尔，皮尔斯仍旧活跃在政治舞台。当时，他帮助民主党总统候选人 詹姆斯·诺克斯·波尔克 赢取了该州的选票。

When Polk entered the White House, he gave Pierce a position as a general in the Mexican-American War. 当波尔克入主白宫后，在美墨战争中，他给了皮尔斯一个将军的职位。

Pierce did not earn the respect of his troops. In one battle, he passed out [4] after he fell off his horse and crushed his leg. Some of his men, seeing what happened, fled the battlefield. Others called him “ Fainting [5] Frank.” 皮尔斯没有获得军队的尊敬。在一场战役中，他从马背上摔下来压断了腿，然后就晕厥过去。一些士兵看到了眼前发生的事后就逃离了战场。其他一些人称他为“晕厥的富兰克林”。

Although Pierce had his critics, he returned to New Hampshire as a leader in the state’s Democratic Party. Yet no one expected him to become president of the United States. 尽管富兰克林受到了批评，他还是作为一位民主党领袖（退役）回到了新罕布什尔州。然而，没有人希望他成为美国总统。

Pierce’s nomination came during the Democratic national convention in 1852. Party leaders could not agree on a candidate. They were split among the three top choices. 1852年民主党全国代表大会上，皮尔斯获得提名。党内领袖就总统候选人无法达成一致，他们有三个竞争候选人。

So the party turned to Pierce. They liked the fact that he was not well known or had taken any strong positions as a lawmaker. As a result, fewer people could object to him, they reasoned. 所以，民主党的目光移到了皮尔斯身上。他们喜欢他不是很出名而且作为议员没有供职于任何重要职位的事实。最后，他们推断，很少会有人反对他。

Pierce did very little during the election campaign. He did not need to. Many voters, especially in the South, did not like his opponent. 皮尔斯在大选中几乎没做什么事情。他也不需要。许多选民，尤其是南方选民，不喜欢他的竞争对手。

When the election was held, Pierce won easily. 当选举大会举行时，皮尔斯很轻松地赢取大选。

But before he took office, another terrible thing happened. Franklin and Jane Pierce were traveling by train with their youngest son Benjamin, who was 11-years-old. The train went off the rails. Bennie was killed instantly [6] in front of his parents. 但在皮尔斯任职前，发生了另一件可怕的事情。富兰克林和简·皮尔斯带着他们11岁的小儿子本杰明乘坐火车出行。火车脱轨了，本尼在他的父母面前当场死亡。

Neither Franklin nor Jane Pierce ever really recovered. Jane believed their son’s death was a punishment from God for her husband becoming president. 富兰克林和简·皮尔斯从来没有真正从儿子的死去中恢复过来。简认为他们儿子的死亡是上帝对他丈夫当选总统的惩罚。

As president, Pierce faced an extremely difficult situation. The country’s ongoing dispute about whether and where to permit slavery was becoming more intense. Under Pierce, the dispute centered on the areas of Kansas and Nebraska. 作为总统，皮尔斯面临着非常严峻的形势。国内关于是否以及在哪允许奴隶制的争论愈演愈烈。皮尔斯时期，争论的焦点在于堪萨斯和内布拉斯加区域。

At the time, both areas were considered territories, not states. And each territory was above the line of the Missouri Compromise of 1820. That act, approved by lawmakers nearly 35 years before Pierce took office, banned slavery in northern areas, including what would become Kansas and Nebraska. 当时，这两个区域都被视为领土而不是州。每个领土都在1820年 密苏里妥协案 规定的分界线之上。这一分界线是在皮尔斯执政时期大约35年前由国会批准的，它禁止了北方蓄奴，自然就包括了即将成为堪萨斯州以及内布拉斯加州的区域。

But pro-slavery settlers demanded that Kansas and Nebraska voters – a group comprised of white men – decide the issue for themselves. A majority of U.S. lawmakers agreed. 但是奴隶主要求堪萨斯和内布拉斯加一群由白人组成的选民自己来决定是否允许奴隶制。美国大多数国会议员都同意了。

Under pressure, President Pierce signed the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854. 压力之下，1854年皮尔斯总统签署了 《堪萨斯-内布拉斯加法案》 。

The measure was one of the most important in U.S. history. It overturned the Missouri Compromise and cancelled the ban on slavery. It incited years of intense of violence between pro-slavery and anti-slavery activists. And it pushed a divided nation even further apart. 这项美国历史上最重要的举措之一，推翻了密苏里妥协法案，取消了奴隶制的禁止。它刺激了蓄奴和禁奴分子之间数年的紧张暴力局势，并且整个国家被进一步推向分裂。

The troubles also showed Pierce to be an ineffective president. He could not ease the tensions over slavery, nor unite the country behind the Kansas-Nebraska Act. 动乱也显现了皮尔斯是一位无能的总统。他没能够缓解奴隶制的紧张局势，也没能在 《堪萨斯-内布拉斯加法案》 下统一国家。

And he delayed using his power to stop the violence in Kansas until it was far too late. 在他使用总统权力去阻止堪萨斯暴力的时候已经太晚了。

Finally, his sympathy for pro-slavery groups angered many in the North, including people in his own party. 最终，他对于奴隶制团体的同情惹怒了许多北方人，包括自己的党派。

The Democrats did not nominate him again at the next election. 民主党人士没有再次提名他作为下届总统选举的候选人。

After four years as president, Pierce returned to New Hampshire. He rarely socialized and began drinking alcohol again. 卸任总统后，皮尔斯返回了新罕布什尔州。他很少社交并且再次开始酗酒。

After his wife died in 1863, Pierce seemed to disappear from public life. Americans heard little about him until his death in 1869. 皮尔斯的妻子逝世于1863年，之后他似乎就消失于公众之中。直到1869年去世前，人们很少能够听到关于他的消息。

But he lived to see the ultimate [7] tragedy of the Civil War that he – like other presidents before him – had failed to prevent. 但他一直活着并目睹了最终的悲剧内战 —— 他和几位前任总统都无法阻止的悲剧。

VOA Learning English presents America’s Presidents. 美国之音慢速英语介绍美国总统栏目。

Andrew Jackson, the seventh president, was unlike the earlier U.S. presidents . 安德鲁·杰克逊，美国第七任总统，与前面几任总统不同。

His family was poor, he had little education, and he lived on what was then the western part of the country. 他家境贫困，没受过多少教育，并且居住在当时还是美国的西部边远地区。

Jackson became nationally known in the early 1800s – first as a fighter against Native American tribes, and then as a general in the War of 1812 against the British. 19世纪初，杰克逊举国闻名 — 起初作为一名对抗美洲印第安部落的斗士，然后作为一名1812年战争中对抗英国的将军。

His image as a military hero and man of the people [1] made him a popular choice for the presidency. 他的军事英雄以及人民公仆的形象使他成为总统的热门人选。

But critics said Jackson did not accept any limits on his power. 但评论家认为杰克逊不接受对自己的任何限权。

He is also remembered for supporting slavery, and for forcing Native Americans from their homes. 人们记得他还因为他支持蓄奴，以及迫使美洲印第安人离开家园。

Andrew Jackson’s parents were immigrants from Ireland. His father died in an accident before Andrew, the third and youngest son, was born. 安德鲁·杰克逊的父母是爱尔兰移民。他的父亲死于一场意外，当时，安德鲁还没出生，是他们第三个也是最小的一个儿子。

When the American colonies entered a war of independence, Andrew and his two brothers fought against the British – although Andrew was too young to be a regular soldier. 美国殖民地进入独立战争时期，安德鲁和他的两个哥哥都参加了抗英战争 — 尽管安德鲁还太年轻，并不能成为一名 合格的 战士。

Andrew’s oldest brother soon died. 不久，安德鲁的大哥便牺牲了。

Then Andrew and his other brother were both captured by British soldiers. One cut Andrew’s face, leaving a scar that remained his entire life. 接着，安德鲁和他的二哥都被英国士兵俘获。有个军官砍伤了安德鲁的面部，造成了一道永久性的疤痕。

But Andrew, unlike his brother, survived captivity [2] . 然而，安德鲁活了下来，他的二哥却没有。

A short time later, Andrew’s mother became sick and died. 不久之后，安德鲁的母亲病故。

By age 15, Andrew Jackson had no living immediate family [3] . 15岁时，安德鲁·杰克逊失去了所有的直系亲人。

He had already stopped attending school, but taught himself enough to become a lawyer. He moved to what became Nashville, Tennessee, where he developed a successful law career. 那时他已经辍学，但通过自学成为了一名律师。他搬到了田纳西州的纳什维尔，在那里成功地发展了律师执业。

In time, he bought land and slaves. 后来，他买了土地和奴隶。

Jackson was tall and thin, with red hair and bright blue eyes. Sometimes Jackson was playful. He loved to dance, hold parties, and play games where he could win money. 杰克逊身形瘦削，一头红发，双眸湛蓝深邃。有时，杰克逊会嬉戏。他喜欢跳舞，举办舞会，玩他能赢钱的游戏。

Sometimes he was violent. He was known for getting angry easily. Jackson fought duels with [4] several men. In one, he killed a man who insulted his wife. 有时，他很暴力，人人都知道他易怒。杰克逊与很多人决斗，其中一个人因辱及他妻子而为他所杀。

Yet many people liked Jackson’s passionate, action-first personality. By the time the United States entered the War of 1812, Jackson had been a congressman, senator, and judge. 然而，很多人喜欢杰克逊有激情，行动第一的个性。时值美国处于1812年战争，杰克逊就已经当过国会众议员，参议员（6个月）和法官（6年）。

Jackson did not have any officially recognized military training. But during the War of 1812, he volunteered in the Tennessee militia and quickly took control of troops. 杰克逊没有接受过任何正统的军事训练。但是，1812年战争期间，他自愿参加了田纳西州的 民兵组织 ，并很快领导了这支军队。

Many of his soldiers came to respect him. Jackson refused to give up, even when the government ordered the militia to disband . And, when some of the men wanted to leave, he threatened them with a gun. 许多战士都很尊敬他。杰克逊永不言弃，甚至在政府下令 解散 民兵队的时候也是这样。当时，一些人想要离开民兵队，他用枪威胁他们。

Because he was uncompromising and strong as a tree, soldiers called Jackson “Old Hickory.” 由于他不妥协以及强韧如大树的个性，战士们称他为“老山胡桃”。

A group of Creek Indians gave him another name. After he defeated them in battle, Jackson negotiated a treaty that punished both his Native American enemies and his Native American allies. 克里克印第安人给他起了另一个名字。杰克逊战胜他们后，与他们签署了条约，条约既惩罚了敌对的北克里克族，也惩罚了结盟的南克里克族。

The treaty was more severe than the U.S. government had asked. In time, it forced the Creeks – as well as several other tribes – off their land. 此条约比美国政府签署的条约还苛刻。最终，它迫使克里克族以及其他几个部落离开了他们的土地。

The move was popular with many white settlers. It was less popular with the Creeks, who called Jackson “Sharp Knife.” 这一举动在白人定居者当中很受欢迎。然而，却使克里克族人反感，他们称杰克逊为“锋利的刀子”。

His best-known military operation was in New Orleans, Louisiana. A large, experienced army of British soldiers moved to attack. Jackson defended the city with a small group of untrained soldiers. His group included volunteers, free blacks, Creoles, Native Americans, and pirates. 杰克逊最著名的军事行动是在路易斯安那州的新奥尔良。一大队训练有素的英军来犯，杰克逊仅用一小队未经训练的民兵就击退了英军。他的部队包括志愿军，自由黑人，克里克人，本土美洲人以及个人。

Jackson’s ragtag troops not only defeated the British force, but suffered only a few losses. 杰克逊这一杂牌军不仅打败了英军，而且仅付出了很少的代价。

Jackson didn't know that the battle came after the British and Americans had already agreed to end the war. But his victory there gave many Americans a feeling of pride [5] . 然而，杰克逊并不知道英国和美国其实已经协议终止战争。但是这场胜利让美国人觉得很自豪。

It also made Jackson famous. He became known across the country as the “Hero of New Orleans.” 这场胜利也让杰克逊名扬全美，人们称他为“新奥尔良英雄”。

Voters across the country supported Jackson, too. He was especially well-liked in the South and West. 全国的选民也很支持杰克逊，尤其是在南部和西部。

Many Americans saw him as a man of the people. They believed his success came from experience and hard work, not wealth and family connections. 许多美国人视他为人民公仆。他们认为杰克逊的成功来自于经验和勤奋，而不是富有和家族关系。

In the presidential election of 1824, Jackson received more popular and electoral votes [6] than any of the other candidates. But, because no candidate had a majority, lawmakers in the House of Representatives decided the election. 1824年美国总统大选中，杰克逊获得比其他候选人更多的普选以及选举团选票。但因无人得票过半，而交由众议院来决定总统当选人。

Those lawmakers chose John Quincy Adams , the son of former president John Adams . They were persuaded, in part, because a leader in Congress, named Henry Clay, said Jackson did not have the temperament [7] to be president. 众议院推举了前总统约翰·亚当斯的儿子约翰·昆西·亚当斯作为总统。众议院此举，部分是因为国会众议院议长亨利·克雷的说服，他认为杰克逊的性情不适合当总统。

Immediately after Quincy Adams won, he appointed Clay secretary of state. 昆西·亚当斯赢得总统后，很快便任命克雷为国务卿。

The appointment angered Jackson. He believed Adams and Clay had entered into a “corrupt bargain.” 此举惹恼了杰克逊。他认为亚当斯和克雷之间进行了“腐败交易”。

In the next presidential election four years later, Jackson defeated Quincy Adams in a landslide . 四年后的总统大选中，杰克逊 以压倒性优势 击败了昆西·亚当斯。

And in the presidential election after that, he crushed Henry Clay. 在那之后的总统选举中，杰克逊粉碎了亨利·克雷的阴谋。

Jackson wanted to be a powerful leader who controlled a limited federal government. But he wanted that government to have power over state governments. 杰克逊想成为一名权威的领导来控制有限制的联邦政府。但是，他希望中央政府能够对州政府拥有实权。

For example, Jackson refused to let the state of South Carolina nullify [8] , or ignore, a federal law that state officials opposed. Jackson said if they failed to obey the law, he would consider them traitors and send in troops. 例如，杰克逊拒绝让南卡罗莱纳州撤销，或者说忽略，州政府官员反对的联邦法律。杰克逊说，如果他们不能遵守联邦法律，他会认为他们叛国并考虑出兵。

In time, South Carolina and Congress were able to reach a compromise on the law. 最终，南卡罗莱纳州和国会在这项法律上达成妥协。

Jackson also refused to extend the charter [9] of the National Bank. He believed the bank helped industrialists and businesses more than farmers and settlers. His move was popular with many voters – especially farmers and settlers. 杰克逊同样也拒绝延长中央银行之联邦特许状。他认为中央银行帮助工业家和商人多于农民和定居者。他的举动在许多选民当中很受欢迎 — 尤其是农民和定居者。

But Jackson’s opponents warned against the bank veto. They disagreed with his economic plan, and they objected to how he had operated outside of Congress. Senators censured Jackson for acting as if he did not have to follow the law. 但是杰克逊的反对者警告他的这个银行否决案。他们不同意杰克逊的经济计划，并且反对他绕过国会采取措施。参议员们对于杰克逊不遵循法律的行为提出了谴责案。

Jackson’s supporters fought back. They removed the official criticism from the Senate records. 杰克逊的支持者们进行了反击。他们从参议记录中删除了该谴责案。

Jackson vetoed more bills than the first six presidents combined. He actively worked for only one major law: the Indian Removal Act of 1830. 杰克逊否决的法案比前六位总统加起来都多。唯一让他积极应对的法律是：1830年印第安人迁移法案。

Jackson believed Native Americans occupied land that should belong to white settlers. He also thought Native Americans would be destroyed or lose their culture to white people anyway. 杰克逊认为美洲印第安人占用了原本该属于白人定居者的土地。他还认为，无论如何，美洲印第安人将被摧毁或失去他们的文化。

So he offered several tribes what appeared to be generous [10] treaties to move onto land west of the Mississippi River. 所以，他提供给印第安部落若干看起来似乎很慷慨的条约，让他们迁移到密西西比河以西的地带。

But the treaties were often unfair or illegal. The tribes who accepted rarely received the benefits Jackson promised them. And some tribes, such as the Cherokees , simply refused to go. 但这些条约基本都是不公平或者非法的。接受条约的部落很少有得到杰克逊允诺他们的利益。一些部落，例如 切罗基人 ，直接拒绝迁移。

Empowered by Jackson’s Indian Removal Act, U.S. government officials eventually forced 15,000 Cherokees off their land. They were made to march over 1,600 kilometers. About 4,000 died on the march. It is remembered as the “ Trail of Tears. ” 然而，因授权于杰克逊的印第安人排除法案，美国政府官员最终迫使15000名切罗基人离开了他们的家园。他们被迫迁徙了1600公里，大约4000人死于迁徙途中。这段历史被铭记为“ 血泪之路 ”。

For white settlers, Jackson’s Indian removal policies resulted in over 100,000 square kilometers of new land to farm. Thousands of cotton planters moved west with their enslaved workers. 对于白人定居者而言，杰克逊的印第安人迁移政策为他们增加了超过100,000平方公里的新土地去耕种。成千上万的棉花种植园主带着奴隶劳动者迁居到西部。

The Indian Removal Act served not only to aid an economic boom in cotton, but to spread slavery further in the United States. Jackson had no objections. 印第安人迁移法案不仅有助于棉花的经济增长，而且进一步扩大了国内的奴隶制。杰克逊没有反对者。

In 1837, Jackson officially moved out of the White House – but he did not really leave the presidency. He advised the presidents who followed him from his home in Tennessee. 1837年，杰克逊正式离开白宫 — 但他并没有真正离任总统。他在田纳西州的家中，一直幕后建议跟随他的总统。

Jackson had particular influence over two future leaders: Martin Van Buren, his former vice president; and James Polk, who shared Jackson’s beliefs so closely that he was called “Young Hickory.” 杰克逊对未来的两位总统有着特殊的影响：马丁·范布伦，他的前副总统；詹姆斯·波尔克，是杰克逊坚定的支持者，被称为“小山胡桃”。

Jackson’s beloved wife, Rachel, had died before he took office. They did not have any children together, but they raised two boys: a Native American orphan who died as a teenager; and a nephew, whom they called Andrew Jackson, Jr. 杰克逊深爱的妻子瑞秋，于他就任总统前去世。他们没有任何孩子，但抚养了两个儿子：一个美洲印第安孤儿，年轻的时候就死了；一个外甥，叫做小安德鲁·杰克逊。

The younger Andrew Jackson and his wife lived with the former president in his final years. 前总统杰克逊晚年与小安德鲁·杰克逊及他的妻子生活在一起。

He died in his bed at 78 of old wounds and old age. But his legacy [11] remains very much alive. 杰克逊由于旧伤和年老逝世于床上，终年78岁。但是他所遗留的东西仍旧活跃于人们心目中。

Jackson changed the U.S. presidency. After him, presidential candidates had to show they could connect with voters, not just lawmakers. 杰克逊改变了美国总统。在他之后，总统候选人不得不展示他们与选民的联系，而不仅仅是与议员的联系。

He also increased the power of the chief executive [12] . Jackson often questioned – or dismissed – the power of Congress, the Constitution, and the Supreme Court. 他也提升了总统的权利。杰克逊经常质疑或驳回国会，宪法以及最高法院的权利。

And, he began the custom of replacing experienced government officials with people whose main qualification [13] was their loyalty to him. 而且，他开启了将有经验的政府官员替换为忠诚于总统的习惯。

Critics added to Jackson’s nicknames. They called him King Andrew, King Mob, or American Cesar. The opposition to Jackson led to a new political party called the Whigs . 批评家给杰克逊添加了一个绰号，叫做安德鲁国王，暴徒国王，或者美国凯撒。杰克逊的反对派领导了一支新的政治党派叫做 辉格党 。

Part of Jackson's legacy is the two major party system that exists in the U.S. today. 杰克逊的部分遗产包括当今美国最主要的两个政治体系。

But those who loved Jackson really loved him. His humble beginnings, rise to power , and defense of the common man inspired them. 那些喜爱杰克逊的人是真正地喜爱他。他的卑微出生， 崛起之路 ，以及对普通人的保卫激励着他们。

In the U.S., the name of Andrew Jackson is still often used as a positive symbol of American democracy. 在美国，安德鲁·杰克逊的名字仍然经常被用于美国民主的积极象征。