美国国家公共电台 NPR No, Ruth Bader Ginsburg Does Not Intend To Retire Anytime Soon

No, Ruth Bader Ginsburg Does Not Intend To Retire Anytime Soon

play pause stop mute unmute max volume 00:0007:02repeat repeat off Update Required To play the media you will need to either update your browser¹ to a recent version or update your Flash plugin. RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST: 

Supreme² Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has made her life an open book. The book is called "My Own Words: Ruth Bader Ginsburg." It features selections of her writings dating back to age 13, when she edited a school paper. It includes her best known court opinions as well.

NPR legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg reports on the 83-year-old justice known inside the court, and actually outside as well, as RBG.

NINA TOTENBERG, BYLINE³: The original plan was to have this volume come out after Ginsburg's authorized⁴ biography was published. But as the justice told me last month...

RUTH BADER GINSBURG: My biographers would like to have my time at the court almost complete before they finish the book. We decided⁵ last October to flip⁶ the order.

TOTENBERG: Is that your way of saying you don't intend to retire anytime soon?

GINSBURG: I will retire when it's time. And when is it time? When I can't do the job full-steam.

TOTENBERG: To read these pieces is to view the span of a professional career that's profoundly changed the lives of American women, their families, their schools and their workplaces.

In interviews with the justice, I've heard many of her stories over the years. I've come to call them RBG's greatest hits. One of them is the advice her mother-in-law gave her on her wedding day.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

GINSBURG: She took me aside and said dear, I want you to know the secret of a happy marriage. Every now and then, it helps to be a little deaf. And with that, she handed me a pair of earplugs.

GINSBURG: It's advice, says the justice, that served her well not only with her husband Marty Ginsburg, but with her fellow justices. In law school when Marty was diagnosed with testicular cancer, she learned that sleep was relatively⁷ unnecessary. She had to take care of him, her 2-year-old daughter and do her own studying. Because the daily radiation treatments made Marty too sick to eat during the day, dinner was between midnight and two.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

GINSBURG: My bad hamburger, usually. And then he would dictate⁸ to me his senior paper. And then he'd go back to sleep. And it was about 2 o'clock. Then I'd take out the books and start reading what I needed to read to be prepared for classes the next day.

TOTENBERG: Though she graduated from law school tied for first in her class, she couldn't find a job. Law firms were loath⁹ to hire a woman, much less a mother.

She would go on to a stellar academic career, hiding her second pregnancy¹⁰ to win tenure¹¹, and founded the ACLU Women's Project. For more than a decade, she briefed and argued dozens of sex discrimination cases, persuading the courts to treat men and women the same way under the law.

Before her first Supreme Court appearance in 1973, a nervous Ginsburg skipped lunch for fear she would throw up at the afternoon argument. But in the tape, available on the Oyez website, she sounds not skittish¹², but steely.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

GINSBURG: Mr. Chief Justice, and may it please the court. The legislative¹³ judgment¹⁴ in both derives¹⁵ from the same stereotype¹⁶.

TOTENBERG: In her 30s and 40s, Ginsburg often was exasperated¹⁷ by demands from school administrators¹⁸ that she come to discuss her son's alleged¹⁹ misbehavior. Finally, there came a day when she'd had enough.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

GINSBURG: I was very weary. I stayed up all night the night before. And I said to the principal, this child has two parents. Please alternate calls.

(LAUGHTER)

TOTENBERG: That hearty²¹ laugh in the background was Justice Antonin Scalia, often Ginsburg's ideological²² opposite on the Supreme Court. He was such a good friend, says Ginsburg, because in the words of "Who Framed Roger Rabbit"...

GINSBURG: He had an extraordinary ability to make me laugh. We liked each other. Our styles were very different. But we both labored²³ over our opinions.

TOTENBERG: A couple of years ago, I interviewed the two of them for the Smithsonian Associates, and all aspects of their friendship were on display. They teased each other, told admiring stories about each other. And they fought intelligently, respectfully and adamantly²⁴.

Here's a fragment of their discussion about whether the Constitution is a living document.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

ANTONIN SCALIA: If it is subject to whimsical change by 5 out of 9 votes on the Supreme Court, who decide that it ought to mean something different from what the people voted on when they ratified²⁵ the provision of the Constitution, that is not a living Constitution.

GINSBURG: Well, you said the people. Think of our Constitution in 1787. We the people, the people who were part of the political community were white property-owning men, very select constituency.

(APPLAUSE)

GINSBURG: So I have always said that I think the genius of our Constitution is that over now more than two centuries, this notion of who counts has become ever more inclusive.

TOTENBERG: Ginsburg was of course the second woman to serve on the court. And her other great friend among the justices was the first woman, Reagan appointee Sandra Day O'Connor.

It was because of O'Connor's generosity²⁶, says Ginsburg, that as a very junior justice, she got to write the Court's historic opinion declaring that the all-male state-sponsored Virginia Military Institute could not exclude qualified²⁷ women. Originally, the opinion was assigned to O'Connor.

GINSBURG: But Justice O'Connor, her response was Ruth should write this opinion.

GINSBURG: For 60 of her years on this Earth, Ruth Ginsburg's biggest booster, best pal²⁰ and heartthrob was her husband Marty, who promoted her at every turn, teased her incessantly²⁸ and prodded²⁹ her back to work after both of her bouts³⁰ with cancer.

In 2010 though, it was Marty who was mortally ill. And as she packed up his things at the hospital, preparing to take him home to die, she found a handwritten note he'd drafted.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

GINSBURG: My dearest Ruth, I have admired and loved you almost since the day we first met at Cornell. The time has come for me to tough it out or to take leave of life because the loss of polity now simply overwhelms. I hope you will support where I come out, but I understand you may not. I will not love you a jot³¹ less (crying).

TOTENBERG: I have known Ruth Bader Ginsburg for some 40 years. And that reading, at my request this summer when I interviewed her for the Academy of Achievement, was the first time I ever saw her cry.

MONTAGNE: And that's Nina Totenberg for NPR News.

1 browser   

n.浏览者

参考例句：

• View edits in a web browser.在浏览器中看编辑的效果。
• I think my browser has a list of shareware links.我想在浏览器中会有一系列的共享软件链接。

2 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

3 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

4 authorized   

a.委任的，许可的

参考例句：

• An administrative order is valid if authorized by a statute.如果一个行政命令得到一个法规的认可那么这个命令就是有效的。

5 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

6 flip   

vt.快速翻动；轻抛；轻拍；n.轻抛；adj.轻浮的

参考例句：

• I had a quick flip through the book and it looked very interesting.我很快翻阅了一下那本书，看来似乎很有趣。
• Let's flip a coin to see who pays the bill.咱们来抛硬币决定谁付钱。

7 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

8 dictate   

v.口授；(使)听写；指令，指示，命令

参考例句：

• It took him a long time to dictate this letter.口述这封信花了他很长时间。
• What right have you to dictate to others?你有什么资格向别人发号施令？

9 loath   

adj.不愿意的；勉强的

参考例句：

• The little girl was loath to leave her mother.那小女孩不愿离开她的母亲。
• They react on this one problem very slow and very loath.他们在这一问题上反应很慢，很不情愿。

10 pregnancy   

n.怀孕，怀孕期

参考例句：

• Early pregnancy is often accompanied by nausea.怀孕早期常有恶心的现象。
• Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage.怀孕期吸烟会增加流产的危险。

11 tenure   

n.终身职位；任期；(土地)保有权，保有期

参考例句：

• He remained popular throughout his tenure of the office of mayor.他在担任市长的整个任期内都深得民心。
• Land tenure is a leading political issue in many parts of the world.土地的保有权在世界很多地区是主要的政治问题。

12 skittish   

adj.易激动的，轻佻的

参考例句：

• She gets very skittish when her boy-friend is around.她男朋友在场时，她就显得格外轻佻。
• I won't have my son associating with skittish girls.我不准我的儿子与轻佻的女孩交往。

13 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

14 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

15 derives   

v.得到( derive的第三人称单数 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取

参考例句：

• English derives in the main from the common Germanic stock. 英语主要源于日耳曼语系。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He derives his income from freelance work. 他以自由职业获取收入。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 stereotype   

n.固定的形象，陈规，老套，旧框框

参考例句：

• He's my stereotype of a schoolteacher.他是我心目中的典型教师。
• There's always been a stereotype about successful businessmen.人们对于成功商人一直都有一种固定印象。

17 exasperated   

adj.恼怒的

参考例句：

• We were exasperated at his ill behaviour. 我们对他的恶劣行为感到非常恼怒。
• Constant interruption of his work exasperated him. 对他工作不断的干扰使他恼怒。

18 administrators   

n.管理者( administrator的名词复数 )；有管理（或行政）才能的人；（由遗嘱检验法庭指定的）遗产管理人；奉派暂管主教教区的牧师

参考例句：

• He had administrators under him but took the crucial decisions himself. 他手下有管理人员，但重要的决策仍由他自己来做。 来自辞典例句
• Administrators have their own methods of social intercourse. 办行政的人有他们的社交方式。 来自汉英文学 - 围城

19 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

20 pal   

n.朋友，伙伴，同志；vi.结为友

参考例句：

• He is a pal of mine.他是我的一个朋友。
• Listen,pal,I don't want you talking to my sister any more.听着，小子，我不让你再和我妹妹说话了。

21 hearty   

adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的

参考例句：

• After work they made a hearty meal in the worker's canteen.工作完了，他们在工人食堂饱餐了一顿。
• We accorded him a hearty welcome.我们给他热忱的欢迎。

22 ideological   

a.意识形态的

参考例句：

• He always tries to link his study with his ideological problems. 他总是把学习和自己的思想问题联系起来。
• He helped me enormously with advice on how to do ideological work. 他告诉我怎样做思想工作，对我有很大帮助。

23 labored   

adj.吃力的，谨慎的v.努力争取(for)( labor的过去式和过去分词 )；苦干；详细分析；（指引擎）缓慢而困难地运转

参考例句：

• I was close enough to the elk to hear its labored breathing. 我离那头麋鹿非常近，能听见它吃力的呼吸声。 来自辞典例句
• They have labored to complete the job. 他们努力完成这一工作。 来自辞典例句

24 adamantly   

adv.坚决地，坚定不移地，坚强不屈地

参考例句：

• "Come over here,"he told her adamantly. “到这边来，”他对她坚定地说。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His family were adamantly opposed to the marriage. 他的家人坚决反对这门亲事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

25 ratified   

v.批准，签认（合约等）( ratify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The treaty was declared invalid because it had not been ratified. 条约没有得到批准，因此被宣布无效。
• The treaty was ratified by all the member states. 这个条约得到了所有成员国的批准。

26 generosity   

n.大度，慷慨，慷慨的行为

参考例句：

• We should match their generosity with our own.我们应该像他们一样慷慨大方。
• We adore them for their generosity.我们钦佩他们的慷慨。

27 qualified   

adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的

参考例句：

• He is qualified as a complete man of letters.他有资格当真正的文学家。
• We must note that we still lack qualified specialists.我们必须看到我们还缺乏有资质的专家。

28 incessantly   

ad.不停地

参考例句：

• The machines roar incessantly during the hours of daylight. 机器在白天隆隆地响个不停。
• It rained incessantly for the whole two weeks. 雨不间断地下了整整两个星期。

29 prodded   

v.刺，戳( prod的过去式和过去分词 )；刺激；促使；（用手指或尖物）戳

参考例句：

• She prodded him in the ribs to wake him up. 她用手指杵他的肋部把他叫醒。
• He prodded at the plate of fish with his fork. 他拿叉子戳弄着那盘鱼。 来自《简明英汉词典》

30 bouts   

n.拳击（或摔跤）比赛( bout的名词复数 )；一段（工作）；（尤指坏事的）一通；（疾病的）发作

参考例句：

• For much of his life he suffered from recurrent bouts of depression. 他的大半辈子反复发作抑郁症。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• It was one of fistiana's most famous championship bouts. 这是拳击界最有名的冠军赛之一。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

31 jot   

n.少量；vi.草草记下；vt.匆匆写下

参考例句：

• I'll jot down their address before I forget it.我得赶快把他们的地址写下来，免得忘了。
• There is not a jot of evidence to say it does them any good.没有丝毫的证据显示这对他们有任何好处。