
VOA Learning English presents America’s Presidents.
美國之音慢速英語介紹美國總統(tǒng)欄目。
Today we are talking about William McKinley. He took office in 1897 and was re-elected in 1900. He led the United States into the 20th century.
今天,我們談?wù)摰氖峭溄鹑R。他于1897年上任,并于1900年成功連任。他領(lǐng)導(dǎo)美國進(jìn)入了20世紀(jì)。

One way to think of McKinley is as a transition[1] president. In the 1800s, lawmakers were mostly concerned with how the country was growing in North America.
麥金萊是一位過渡時期的總統(tǒng)。1800年代,議員們主要關(guān)心的是美國在北美如何發(fā)展。
But during McKinley’s government, the U.S. looked beyond its borders. Congress declared war on Spain, the first time the U.S. had fought a European power since the War of 1812 against Britain.
但在麥金萊政府時期,美國著眼于海外。國會向西班牙宣戰(zhàn),這是美國自1812年英美戰(zhàn)爭之后第一次向歐洲國家宣戰(zhàn)。
The U.S. also took control of overseas territories, annexed[2] Hawaii, and tried to regulate the world’s trade with China.
美國也獲得了部分海外領(lǐng)地控制權(quán),吞并了夏威夷,并試圖控制與中國的全球貿(mào)易。
Some historians say President McKinley himself wanted the U.S. to increase its international influence. Others argue that he was just answering the country’s mood[3] at the time.
一些歷史學(xué)家認(rèn)為,麥金萊總統(tǒng)想要提升美國的國際影響力,另一些人則認(rèn)為他只是順應(yīng)當(dāng)時的國內(nèi)情緒。
Either way, his presidency is often defined by the country’s rise as an imperial[4] power.
無論哪種說法,他的總統(tǒng)生涯經(jīng)常被認(rèn)為是美利堅帝國主義的開始。
Early life 早年生活
McKinley was the sixth president to come from the state of Ohio. He was the seventh of eight children. Historians describe his childhood as loving and fun.
麥金萊是第六位來自俄亥俄州的總統(tǒng)。他是八個孩子中的老七,歷史學(xué)家描繪了他的童年時期是充滿愛和樂趣的。
His father owned a small iron factory. His mother raised her children to be honest and polite.
他的父親擁有一間小型鐵廠,母親教育她的孩子們要誠實(shí)、有禮貌。
McKinley was a hard-working student. He briefly attended Allegheny College in Pennsylvania, but he did not have the money to finish his education there.
麥金萊是一位勤奮的學(xué)生。他曾短暫就讀于賓夕法尼亞州的阿勒格尼學(xué)院,但因無力承擔(dān)學(xué)費(fèi)而中途輟學(xué)。
A few years after leaving that school, he volunteered for the Army on the side of the Union in the Civil War. He served under a man who would later become president himself, Rutherford B. Hayes. The two stayed close throughout their lives.
離開學(xué)校的幾年后,內(nèi)戰(zhàn)爆發(fā),他自愿參加了聯(lián)邦軍,并在拉瑟福德·B·海斯部下服役,海斯后來當(dāng)上了總統(tǒng)。他們兩人一生都親密無間。
After the war ended, McKinley studied law, became involved in Republican Party politics, married, and had two daughters.
內(nèi)戰(zhàn)結(jié)束后,麥金萊學(xué)習(xí)了法律,進(jìn)入了共和黨,結(jié)婚并生育了兩個女兒。

His wife, Ida, was an energetic, well-educated young woman from a wealthy family. For a while, she had worked in her father’s bank.
他的妻子艾達(dá),是一位精力充沛,受過良好教育,來自一個富有家庭的年輕女子。他曾在父親的銀行工作過一段時間。
But Ida McKinley’s health began to suffer. She was struck by seizures. Then her mother died. A few months later, her younger daughter died while still an infant. Ida McKinley clung[5] to her older daughter, but the little girl soon developed a fever disease, and she died, too.
但艾達(dá)·麥金萊的健康開始出現(xiàn)問題,她突然癲癇發(fā)作,然后母親去世。幾個月后,她的小女兒在襁褓中就死了。艾達(dá)·麥金萊守護(hù)著她的大女兒,然而小姑娘很快就得了熱病也去世了。
William and Ida McKinley were never the same. Ida McKinley remained sick her entire life. She spent most of her hours in a small rocking chair sewing.
威廉和艾達(dá)·麥金萊從來都不一樣。艾達(dá)·麥金萊一生都疾病纏身,她大部分時間都是在一個小小的搖椅上縫紉度過的。
William McKinley paid great attention to her. He organized his schedule to spend time near her, even as his political success grew.
威廉·麥金萊在妻子身上花費(fèi)了很多精力,他把他的行程都安排在她附近,即使政治上越來越成功時也是如此。
In time, McKinley served in Congress and as the governor of Ohio. He was known as a likable person and a skilled politician.
最終,麥金萊進(jìn)入了國會,并且擔(dān)任了俄亥俄州的州長。他是一位討人喜歡的人,也是一位老練的政治家。
His Republican Party nominated him on the first ballot at their convention. A few months later, voters elected McKinley into office in a landslide[6]. He became the country’s 25th president.
共和黨代表大會第一輪投票提名了麥金萊為候選人,幾個月后,在選民投票當(dāng)中以絕對優(yōu)勢當(dāng)選為總統(tǒng)。他成為了美國第25任總統(tǒng)。
Presidency 總統(tǒng)任期
When McKinley took office, the U.S. was just coming out of a severe economic depression.
麥金萊上任時,美國剛從嚴(yán)重的經(jīng)濟(jì)蕭條當(dāng)中走出來。

His government quickly approved a high protective tariff to help struggling workers. In general, his administration also permitted the growth of big business.
麥金萊政府很快通過了一項高關(guān)稅保護(hù)法案來幫助掙扎中的工人??偟膩碚f,他的政府也允許大企業(yè)的發(fā)展。
But most of McKinley’s attention as president was devoted to foreign policy. The main issue was Cuba.
但麥金萊的大部分關(guān)注都放在外交政策上。主要是古巴問題。
At that time, Spain controlled the island. Cubans revolted, and Spanish forces used violence and detainments to crush the rebellion.
當(dāng)時,西班牙控制著古巴島,古巴人起義反抗,西班牙軍隊使用了暴力和拘留來鎮(zhèn)壓起義。
In the U.S., many Americans denounced the events in Cuba. They wanted McKinley and his government to intervene.
在美國,許多美國人譴責(zé)了這一事件。他們希望麥金萊政府能夠進(jìn)行干預(yù)。
At first, President McKinley was unwilling. He tried to use diplomacy. He even ordered a U.S. ship into Spanish waters near Havana to show his continued support of Spain.
起初,麥金萊總統(tǒng)沒有同意,他試圖通過外交談判,甚至派出了美國軍艦進(jìn)入靠近哈瓦那(古巴城市)的西班牙水域來顯示他繼續(xù)對西班牙的支持。
But the ship, called the Maine, exploded. Americans believed the Spanish were responsible. Relations between the two countries worsened fast. Spain declared war. The U.S. Congress answered in kind[7].
但這艘叫做緬因號的軍艦爆炸了,美國人認(rèn)為西班牙要負(fù)責(zé)任,兩國之間的關(guān)系迅速交惡。西班牙對美宣戰(zhàn),美國國會宣布應(yīng)戰(zhàn)。
For 100 days, U.S. and Spanish forces fought in Cuba and other areas under Spanish control.
美國和西班牙軍隊在古巴和其他西班牙控制的區(qū)域進(jìn)行了100天的戰(zhàn)爭。
The war quickly turned in the Americans’ favor. When the Spanish-American War ended with the Treaty of Paris in 1898, the U.S. took control of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines from Spain. Cuba was made independent; however, the U.S. continued to occupy the island for several more years.
戰(zhàn)爭很快變得對美國有利。美西戰(zhàn)爭于1898年結(jié)束,雙方簽署了巴黎和約,美國從西班牙取得了波多黎各,關(guān)島和菲律賓。古巴獲得了獨(dú)立;然而,美國仍然一直掌控著古巴數(shù)年。
Not everyone approved of the actions of McKinley’s government. Even some members of Congress warned against the U.S. becoming an imperial power.
然而,并不是所有人都同意麥金萊政府的舉措。甚至一些國會議員發(fā)出警告,美國正成為一個帝國主義。
But a majority of voters approved of McKinley as a victorious commander-in-chief. They also noted that the U.S. economy was getting stronger. In 1900, McKinley won re-election.
但大多數(shù)選民贊成麥金萊是一名勝利的司令官。他們也注意到美國的經(jīng)濟(jì)正變得更好。1900年,麥金萊贏得連任。

Assassination 遇刺
As it turned out, McKinley’s second term in office was short.
正如事情結(jié)果那樣,麥金萊在第二任期內(nèi)被暗殺了。
In September, only six months after his swearing-in, the president was receiving visitors at a fair in the city of Buffalo, New York.
九月,也就是麥金萊宣誓就職的六個月后,這位總統(tǒng)在紐約州布法羅市的一個博覽會上接待來訪者。
One of the visitors in line was a 28-year-old man named Leon Czolgosz. His family was from Poland, but he lived in the city of Detroit, Michigan. He had worked in a factory, but at the time was unemployed. He supported the idea of anarchy[8] – no government at all.
其中有一位來訪者是叫里昂·喬戈什的28歲年輕人。他的家庭來自波蘭,但他住在密歇根州的底特律市。他曾在一家工廠工作,但當(dāng)時已經(jīng)被解雇了。他支持無政府主義思想。
When McKinley reached to shake the young man’s hand, Czolgosz shot the president twice in the stomach.
當(dāng)麥金萊與這位年輕人握手時,喬戈什朝總統(tǒng)的腹部連開了兩槍。
Although injured, McKinley spoke to his guards. He told them not to hurt the shooter. And, he expressed concern about how his wife would feel when she learned he had been shot.
盡管受傷,麥金萊還是告訴他的安保人員不要傷害刺客。并且,他表達(dá)了對妻子的擔(dān)憂,怕他的妻子知道自己被槍擊后情緒不穩(wěn)定。
Quickly, McKinley was taken to a hospital. Doctors predicted that he would survive. And, for a few days, McKinley seemed to improve.
麥金萊很快被送到醫(yī)院,醫(yī)生預(yù)測總統(tǒng)會生還。而且?guī)滋旌螅溄鹑R似乎有所好轉(zhuǎn)。
But the wound became infected, and eight days after the attack McKinley died.
但傷口逐漸感染,被刺殺的八天后麥金萊去世了。
The president’s murderer did not say he was sorry for his act. He defended it, saying McKinley was an enemy of working people.
謀殺總統(tǒng)的罪犯沒有為他的行為感到遺憾。他為自己辯解道,麥金萊是勞動人民的敵人。

Within a few weeks of the shooting, Czolgosz was tried, found guilty, and executed.
幾周之后,喬戈什受審,被判有罪,并被處決。
Legacy 遺產(chǎn)
Both the nation and the world mourned when McKinley died. He had been one of the country’s most popular presidents in many years.
全國以及全世界人民都在為麥金萊的去世哀悼。他在很多年里都是美國最著名的總統(tǒng)之一。
He left behind the beginning of what some called an American empire[9]. He also marked a change in the U.S. presidency.
他開啟了一些人所謂的美帝主義,也標(biāo)志著美國總統(tǒng)的改變。
When he first took office in the 19th century, most presidents acted primarily as administrators.
他在19世紀(jì)第一次就任總統(tǒng)時,大多數(shù)總統(tǒng)主要是作為行政人員。
But President McKinley began to act in ways that are more like a modern president. He prepared remarks to give to the media. He traveled across the country speaking to voters. He used the power of his office to direct the armed forces.
但麥金萊總統(tǒng)開始以更像現(xiàn)代總統(tǒng)的方式行事。他準(zhǔn)備言辭向媒體發(fā)表講話,到全國各地進(jìn)行演講,使用政府權(quán)力來指揮武裝部隊。
McKinley laid the groundwork, but he did not completely change the presidency. He left that to the even more famous man who followed him into the White House.
麥金萊奠定了基礎(chǔ),但他并沒有徹底改變總統(tǒng)職位。他將這些留給了接著他入主白宮甚至比他還出名的人(西奧多·羅斯福)。
After McKinley’s death, his vice president, Theodore Roosevelt, took office and truly brought the country into modern times.
麥金萊去世后,副總統(tǒng)西奧多·羅斯福宣誓成為總統(tǒng),并真正將美國帶進(jìn)現(xiàn)代社會。
原文鏈接
https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/americas-presidents-william-mckinley/3979185.html
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transition - n. a change from one state or condition to another - 轉(zhuǎn)變 ?
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annex - v. to add an area to a country : to take control of a place - 吞并 ?
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mood - n. an attitude or feeling shared by many people - 情緒;氣氛 ?
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imperial - adj. of or relating to an empire or an emperor - 帝國的 ?
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clung - v. tried very hard to keep something that you are in danger of losing - 堅持,依附 ?
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landslide - n. election in which the winner gets a much greater number of votes than the loser - 大勝利;山崩 ?
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in kind - adj. in a way that is equal or very similar to what someone else has done to or for you - 以同樣的方法 ?
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anarchy - n. a situation in which the people in a country are not controlled by rules or laws - 無政府狀態(tài) ?
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empire - n. a group of countries or regions that are controlled by one ruler or one government - 帝國 ?