1、Unit Two: History and Personality Text A Voice of Courage By Jonathan Alter 勇气之声 美国乔纳森奥尔特 A few days after Franklin Delano Roosevelt was sworn into office, he sat in the White House working on a radio speech about the countrys banking crisis, scheduled for delivery on Sunday, March 12, 1933. It was
2、the depths of the Depression, with a quarter of Americans out of work, homeless and destitute. Glancing out the window, FDR saw a workman taking down the inaugural scaffolding on the White House grounds. 在富兰克林德拉诺罗斯福宣誓就职的几天后，他坐在白宫里起草一份关于美国银行业危机的广播演说，它将于 1933 年 3 月 12 日这个星期天播出。此时此刻，美国正处于经济大萧条的水深火热之中，四
3、分之一的美国人不是失业，就是无家可归，穷困潦倒。罗斯福向窗外望去，只见一个工人正在拆掉白宫临时搭建的总统就职演说的平台。 “I decided Id try to make a speech that this workman could understand,“ he told Louis Howe, his chief aide. “我一定要让这样的普通工人也能听得懂我的演讲。”他对首席助理路易斯霍夫说。 The American economic system was in a state of shock. On Saturday, March 4, a few hours befor
4、e FDRs swearing-in, the governors of New York, Illinois and Pennsylvania signed orders closing banks in those states. The New York Stock Exchange had suspended trading, and the Chicago Board of Trade bolted its doors for the first time since its founding in 1848. The terrifying “runs“ that began the
5、 year before on more than 5,000 failing banks had stripped rural areas of capital and now threatened to overwhelm American cities. 美国的经济体系正处于危难之中。 3 月 4 日星期六，就在罗斯福宣誓就职前几个小时，纽约州、伊利诺斯州和宾夕法尼亚州的州长们刚刚签署了指令，关闭这些州的银行。纽约证券交易所已经暂停了交易。而自从 1848 年成立以来，芝加哥期货交易所也头一次关上了大门。始于前一年的“挤兑”现象令人惊慌， 5000 多家银行倒闭，农村资金极度匮乏，而现在
6、美国的城市也面临着全面的危机。 This was the bottom. If you had your money in a bank that went bust, you were wiped out. With no idea whether banks would reopen, millions of people hid their few remaining assets under their mattresses, where no one could steal them without a fight. 这就是底线了。如果你存钱的银行倒闭了，那么你也就完蛋了。数以百万计
7、的美国人无法确定银行是否能够重新开门，于是把自己仅剩的那点财产都藏在褥垫下面。除非经过一场激战，藏 在这里的钱谁也偷不走。 Roosevelts inaugural address at the Capitol had begun to restore hope, with his standout line, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.“ Yet the greatest applause came when he said that if his reform program was not adopted, “I sha
8、ll ask Congress for the one remaining instrument to meet the crisis: broad executive power to wage a war against the emergency.“ 罗斯福在国会的就职演讲给人们重新带来了希望，他那句最著名的话给人们留下了深刻的印象：“唯一值得恐惧的就是恐惧本身。”当提到若改革措施不被接受时，他的决心得到了人们的大声喝彩：“我将向国会要求对付危机的最后手段 向紧急状况开战的广泛行政权力。” Then FDR used a new medium in a new way to change
9、 millions. 罗斯福以新的方式利用了一种新媒体，改变了百万人的生活。 The first Presidential radio broadcast was introduced by Robert Trout of CBS, who read from a folksy script approved by FDR: “The President wants to come into your home and sit at your fireside for a little fireside chat.“ FDR brought natural talent to the role
10、. His speaking voice was a beautiful, relaxed tenor, not the contrived basso profundo of pompous politicians. 第一次总统广播演讲是由 CBS 的罗伯特特劳特向公众介绍的，这份亲切的介绍词受到了罗斯福的肯定：“总统希望来到你的家里， 坐在壁炉旁，与大家做个炉边小谈。”对于完成这个任务，罗斯福有着天分。他的音质优美，语调放松，与那些华而不实的政客的虚情假意完全不同。 Roosevelt owed much to technological good fortune. In 1921, th
11、e number of radios in the United States was in the thousands. By 1928, there were 9 million, and by 1932, 18 million, with about half the households owning at least one radio. Herbert Hoover had appeared on one of the first “telecasts“ produced by an infant technology called television, but neither
12、he nor anyone else knew how to use the broadcasting medium effectively. 罗斯福的炉边谈话大大 受益于技术的发展。 1921 年，全美收音机的数量只有几千台。而到了 1928 年，这个数字就达到了 900 万台。到 1932 年的时候，全美已经有 1800 万台收音机了，大约有一半的家庭每家至少有一台收音机。赫伯特胡佛利用过一种叫做电视的新生技术，他曾经首次出现在“电视广播”上。但无论是胡佛还是其他人，都不知道如何有效地利用广播媒体。 Roosevelt, though, was different. 然而，罗斯福则与众不同
13、。 All afternoon, workers busily removed the gold pieces and Presidential china patterns in the Diplomatic Reception Room on the White House ground floor. In came bulky electrical equipment and telephone cables, connected to a desk and built-in microphone. Meanwhile, Roosevelt pictured people “gather
14、ed in the parlor, listening with their neighbors,“ wrote Frances Perkins, who witnessed many broadcasts. “As he talked, his head would nod and his hands would move in natural, relaxed gestures. His face would light up as though he were actually sitting with people.“ 整个下午，工人们都在忙着搬走白宫外交接待大厅里的各种金饰品和总统瓷
15、器，而搬进来的则是笨重的电气设备和电话电缆，这些设备都与一台桌子和内置的麦克风相连接。与此同时，罗斯福想象人们“聚在客厅里，与他们的邻居共同倾听”。曾经亲历了无数广播现场的弗朗西斯珀金斯如是写道，“当罗斯福说话的时候，他点着头，并且做出各种自然而放松的手势。他的面孔熠熠生辉，就好像真的与人们坐在一起谈话一样。” The ritual went this way: Upstairs, FDR would put the finishing touches on every word and phrase. He was obsessed with punctuation. Grace Tully
16、, his secretary, sometimes inserted extra commas when she typed, leading her boss to gently upbraid her for “wasting the taxpayers commas.“ His real concern was timing. He read aloud at about 100 words a minute, but he adjusted his pace for effect. At 6 p.m., Roosevelt had his throat sprayed for a s
17、inus problem. Then he enjoyed cocktails and dinner. 整个过程是这样进行的：在楼上，罗斯福对每个单词和短语进行最后的润色。他对标点符号非常在意，而秘书格雷斯塔利打字时有时会多打一些逗号，她的老板会因此语气和善地批评她 “浪费纳税人的逗号”。罗斯福最关心的是时间把握问题。他大声朗读的速度大约是每分钟 100 个单词，但是他会调整自己的速度以求得到最好的效果。下午 6 点钟，因为鼻窦的问题罗斯福让人帮他冲洗了喉咙，然后就开始享用鸡尾酒和晚餐了。 Moments before the first Fireside Chat was to air, t
18、here was a crisis. No one could find his leather-bound reading copy. Panic ensued for everyone except FDR, who calmly picked up a smudged, mimeographed copy. After sipping from a glass of water, he read the words perfectly on the air. 就在第一次炉边谈话播出前一刻，还发生了一场危机：那份用皮革包 边的朗读稿找不到了。大家都惊慌失措，而罗斯福则没有。他冷静地拿起一份
19、脏兮兮的油印稿，啜饮了一点水之后，开始完美地朗读起来，并同时向全国播出。 The beauty of that first prime-time radio speech was its clarity. FDR walked people through the basics of banking without being patronizing. He outlined the process for deciding which banks to open. “He made everyone understand it, even the bankers,“ Will Rogers
20、quipped later. 这次黄金时段的广播演讲其美妙之处在于它的清晰。罗斯福帮助人们了解了银行业的基本原理，而没有任何施恩于人的姿态。对于哪些银行要开业，他大体介绍了其决策过程。“他让每个人都清楚明白 甚至包括银行家在内。”威尔罗杰斯后来打趣地说道。 In the middle of the speech, Roosevelt said simply, “I can assure you that it is safer to keep your money in a reopened bank than under the mattress.“ By raising an issue
21、that made so many feel shameful, he lifted the shameoffering listeners a way to strike a patriotic blow by simply depositing money into a solvent bank. Those who planned instead to withdraw money were gently thrown in with an unsavory lot. Hoarding, the President said, “has become an exceedingly unf
22、ashionable pastime.“ 在演讲中，罗斯福简单地说道：“我敢向大家保证，把钱存在重新开业的银行里，比放在褥子底下要安全。”他提及了这件让很多人羞愧的事情，旨在帮助人们摆脱羞愧 他告诉人们只要把钱存入有偿付能力的银行，就是一种爱国之举。而打算把钱从银行取走则被温和地指为不明智的行为。总统说，囤积，“已经成为一种极度不流行的消遣行为了。” Then he returned to themes so popular in his inaugural. “Confidence and courage are the essentials in carrying out our plan
23、. Let us unite in banishing fear. We have provided the machinery to restore our financial system. Together we cannot fail.“ 然后他又回到在其就职演说中深受欢迎的主题。“在执行计划的过程中，信心和勇气必不可少。让我们联合起来，赶走恐惧。我们已经有了恢复金融体系的机制。只要团结起来，就不会失败的。” Jim Farley, a top political advisor, wrote that if judged by its impact, this speech may
24、have been the greatest single utterance by an American President. “No other talk ever called forth such a wave of spontaneous enthusiasm and cooperation.“ With 60 million people listening, the effect was immediate. The next day, Monday, March 13, newspapers reported long lines of Americans anxious t
25、o redeposit their money. The New York Stock Exchange, closed for over a week, opened 15 percent higher, the largest one-day surge in more than half a century. Within a week, most of the recently closed banks reopened. 高级政治顾问吉姆法利认为，如果以影响力作为评价标准，那么这次演讲可被认为是美国总统所做的最伟大的一次演讲了。“没有哪一次谈话能够像它一样激起人们如此强烈的自发热情和
26、合作。” 6000 万人同时倾听，产生的即时效果是可想而知的。第二天 3 月13 日 是个周一，报纸报道说美国人排起了长队，急切地要把钱重新存回银行。而关闭了一周多的纽约证券交易所也重新开市了，当天 高开了 15%，创造了半个多世纪以来的单日最大涨幅。炉边谈话后的一个星期之内，大多数最近关闭的银行都重新开业了。 Gerald Ford, about 20 at the time, remembered FDRs Fireside Chats as “big eventswe would all stop and listen.“ Ronald Reagans biographer, Lou C
27、annon, has written that Reagans “metaphors were the offspring of FDRs.“ And Bill Clinton recalled hearing his grandfather talk about how he sat in rapt attention, “then went to work the next day feeling a little different about the country.“ 当时杰拉德福特只有 20 岁左右，他回忆说罗斯福总统的炉边谈话是“重要的事情 我们都会停下手头的事情倾听”。罗纳德里
28、根的传记作 家卢坎农写道，里根的“比喻说话方式得到了罗斯福总统的遗传”。比尔克林顿也回忆说，他的祖父谈到自己当时听罗斯福的演讲时，会全神贯注，“第二天上班的时候，感觉到这个国家已经发生了变化。 After the first Fireside Chat, FDR relaxed in his office. At 11:30 p.m. he said, “I think its time for beer.“ Preparations for a bill to speed the end of Prohibition began that night. 第一次炉边谈话之后，罗斯福在办公室里稍
29、稍放松了一下。晚上 11 点半的时候，他说：“该喝点啤酒了。”就在那一天晚上，他开始了加速取消禁酒令的准备工作。 Vocabulary 1. swear v. to admit someone to a particular office or position by directing them to take a formal oath 宣誓 2. delivery n. giving a speech in public 演讲 3. destitute adj. having no money, no food, no home etc. 困穷的 4. inaugural adj. (o
30、f an official speech) first, and marking the beginning of sth. important 就职的 , 开始的 5. scaffolding n. a set of poles and boards built into a structure for workers to stand on outside of a building 脚手架 6. aide n. sb. helping a person with an important job, esp. a politician 助手 , 副官 7. swearing-in n. m
31、aking a promise to do a job correctly 宣誓就职 8. suspend v. to officially stop something from continuing, esp. for a short time 暂停 9. bolt v. to lock a door or window by sliding a bolt across 上门闩 10. overwhelm v. to surprise someone very much so that they do not know how to react 使人不知所措 11. asset n. th
32、e property of a person, company, etc., esp. of value 资产 12. mattress n. the soft part of a bed to lie on 床垫 13. Capitol n. the building in Washington D.C. where the US Congress meets 国会大厦 14. restore v. to make something return to its former state or condition 恢复 15. standout adj. a person or sth. i
33、n a group much better than all the rest 出色的 , 杰出的 16. Congress n. the group of people elected to make laws in the US, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives (美国等国的 )国会 , 议会 17. executive adj. relating to the job of managing a business or organization and making decisions 行政的 18. w
34、age v. to begin and continue a war, a battle, etc. 发动 19. folksy adj. (infml.) esp. AmE friendly and informal 和气的 , 无拘束的 20. script n. the written form of a speech, play, film etc.手稿 , 原本 21. tenor n. a high male singing voice 男高音 22. contrived adj. seeming false and not natural 人为的 , 做作的 23. basso
35、profundo n. (pl. basso profundos) a deep bass sing voice 低音 24. pompous adj. feeling oneself better than others 浮夸的 25. telecast n. sth. broadcast on television 电视广播 26. bulky adj. bigger and difficult to carry or store 体积大的 27. parlor n. (old-fashion) a room in pubic buildings to receive guests 会客室
36、 28. obsess v. to be talking or worrying about sth. all the time 着迷 29. punctuation n. the marks to divide writing into sentences, phrases, etc.标点 , 标点符号 30. upbraid v. (fml.) to blame sb. having done sth. wrong 责备 31. timing n. speed 调速 32. spray v. to force liquid out of a container in a stream of
37、 very small drops喷射 33. sinus n. the spaces in the bones of ones head connected to the inside of ones nose 窦 34. air v. to broadcast a program on television or radio （用无线电，电视）播送 35. panic n. a sudden strong feeling of fear or nervousness making sb. unable to think clearly 惊慌 , 恐慌 36. ensue vi. to ha
38、ppen after or as a result of something 跟着发生 37. smudge v. to make a dirty mark on a surface 弄脏 38. mimeograph n. a copy made by using a duplicator 油印品 39. prime-time n. the time in the evening with the largest number of people watching television 黄金时段 40. patronizing adj. showing oneself better, or
39、more intelligent 高人一等的 41. quip v. to say something clever and amusing 嘲弄 42. assure v. to tell positively or confidently 向 保证 43. solvent adj. having enough money to pay your debts 有偿付能力的 44. unsavory adj. disgusting 令人讨厌的 45. lot n. a group or set of people or things 一批，一类人或物 46. hoarding n. store
40、 贮藏 47. pastime n. something enjoyable or interesting 消遣 , 娱乐 48. theme n. the main subject or idea in writing, speech, film, etc. (谈话 , 写作等的 ) 主题 49. banish v. to try to stop thinking about something or someone 消除 50. utterance n. (fml.) something a person says 说话 51. spontaneous adj. not planned o
41、r organized, but happening by itself 自发的 , 自 然产生的 52. surge n. a sudden increase in amount or number 剧增 53. rapt adj. attentive 全神贯注的 Phrases and expressions 1. work on: to try hard to improve or achieve something 从事于；致力于 2. take down: to separate sth. into pieces 拆卸 3. go bust: to go bankrupt 俚 破产
42、;完蛋 4. wiped out: not before noun (infml.) extremely tired 精疲力竭的 5. the finishing touch: the last detail 最后一笔 6. walk sb. through sth.: to help sb. learn or become familiar with sth.帮助某人了解某事 7. strike a blow for sb./sth.: to help achieve an aim 帮助某人获得成功 8. call forth: to produce a particular reactio
43、n 使起作用 Notes 1. Jonathan Alter: Jonathan Alter (1957-) is a columnist and senior editor for Newsweek magazine, where he has worked since 1983. For nearly two decades, he has written a widely acclaimed column that examines politics, media, and social and global issues. For more than a decade, he has
44、worked as a contributing correspondent to NBC News. 2. Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Franklin D. Roosevelt(1882-1945), the thirty-second President of the United States (1933-1945). Assuming the Presidency at the depth of the Great Depression, Franklin D. Roosevelt helped the American people regain fait
45、h in themselves. He brought hope as he promised prompt, vigorous action, and asserted in his Inaugural Address, “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.“ 3. The Depression: The “Great Depression” (1929-1939) was a period in United States History when business was poor. Banks, stores, and fact
46、ories were closed and left millions of Americans jobless, homeless, and penniless. Many people came to depend on the government or charity to provide them with food. The Depression became a worldwide business slump of the 1930s that affected almost all nations. 大萧条 4. The New York Stock Exchange: Th
47、e New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), nicknamed the “Big Board,“ is a New York City-based stock exchange. It is the largest stock exchange in the world. 纽约证券交易所 5. The Chicago Board of Trade: An important market in Chicago, US, in which future contracts for the delivery of commodities are bought and sol
48、d. 芝加哥交易所 6. Robert Trout: (1909-2000) an American broadcast news reporter, best known for his radio work before and during World War II. He anchored CBS News coverage of World War II and coined the phrase “fireside chat“ to describe President Franklin D. Roosevelts radio addresses to the nation. 7. CBS: Columbia Broadcasting System 哥伦比亚广播公司 8. Herbert Hoover: (1874-1964) a US polit
