历届美国总统简介：托马斯·伍德罗·威尔逊

托马斯·伍德罗·威尔逊（Thomas Woodrow Wilson，1856.12.28日－1924年2月3日），美国第28任总统。

少年时代就醉心于政治，三度出任英国首相的威廉·尤尔特·格莱斯顿是他心目中崇拜的英雄。威尔逊16岁进入戴维森学院，29岁获博士学位，30岁开始在大学任教。1902年发表的《美国人民史》被认为是其学术上的最高成就。同年威尔逊出任普林斯顿大学校长。1909年当选为新泽西州长。1912年总统大选中，由于西奥多·罗斯福和威廉·塔夫脱的竞争分散了共和党选票，以民主党人身份当选总统。1883年，伍德罗·威尔逊进入约翰·霍普金斯大学研究生院，并在3年后获得历史与政治科学的哲学博士学位。博士论文为《议会制政府：对美国政治的研究》（Congressional Government: A Study in American Politics）。毕业后，先后在Bryn Mawr学院（1885-1888）和卫斯理大学（1888-1890）任学术职。

威尔逊是唯一一名拥有哲学博士头衔的美国总统（法学博士衔除外），也是唯一一名任总统以前曾在新泽西州担任公职的美国总统[1]  。1919年，威尔逊被授予当年的诺贝尔和平奖。

 

Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States. He served two terms in office from 1913 to 1921. He was born in Virginia in 1856. Wilson suffered from dyslexia and didn’t learn to read until he was ten years old. He graduated from Princeton in 1879. He also studied law at the University of Virginia and in 1883 gained a PhD in history and political science from John Hopkins University.

 

Wilson advanced rapidly as a conservative young professor of political science and became president of Princeton in 1902. His growing national reputation led some Democrats¹ to consider him Presidential material. He was nominated for President at the 1912 Democratic Convention. He won only 42 percent of the popular vote but got an overwhelming electoral vote to become President.

 

Wilson passed bills for lower tariffs², a graduated income tax, the prohibition³ of child labor⁴, 8-hour days for railroad workers, and more. These and his promise to keep the USA out of World War I meant he narrowly won re-election in 1916. However, after the election Wilson said America could not remain neutral when German submarines were attacking US ships. Wilson declared war on Germany in April 1917.

 

Wilson stated WWI was the “war to end all war”. Massive American effort helped the Allies win the War and Germany surrendered in November 1918. Wilson helped create the League of Nations in Paris, but the Versailles Treaty failed in the Senate by seven votes. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts. He died in 1924, leaving his legacy⁵ for the USA to fight for democracy around the world.

 

 

1 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 tariffs   

关税制度； 关税( tariff的名词复数 )； 关税表； （旅馆或饭店等的）收费表； 量刑标准

参考例句：

• British industry was sheltered from foreign competition by protective tariffs. 保护性关税使英国工业免受国际竞争影响。
• The new tariffs have put a stranglehold on trade. 新的关税制对开展贸易极为不利。

3 prohibition   

n.禁止；禁令，禁律

参考例句：

• The prohibition against drunken driving will save many lives.禁止酒后开车将会减少许多死亡事故。
• They voted in favour of the prohibition of smoking in public areas.他们投票赞成禁止在公共场所吸烟。

4 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

5 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。