PBS高端访谈:前总统老布什去世（在线收听）

CHIEF JUSTICE WILLIAM REHNQUIST: I, George Herbert Walker bush, do solemnly swear.

GEORGE H. W. BUSH: I, George Herbert walker bush, do solemnly swear.

CHIEF JUSTICE WILLIAM REHNQUIST: that I will faithfully execute the office of president of the United States.

GEORGE H. W. BUSH: that I will faithfully execute the office of president of the United States.

HARI SREENIVASAN: George Herbert Walker Bush became president in 1989. His inaugural address included the words kinder and gentler, words that would become part of his legacy, and that he also used in his acceptance speech at the republican convention in 1988

GEORGE H. W. BUSH: I want a kinder and gentler nation. Mr. Bush was born on June 12, 1924, in Milton, Massachusetts. The son of a wealthy family he grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut, and spent summers the family's oceanfront home in Kennebunkport, Maine. His father Prescott Bush was an investment banker who also served as the republican U.S. Senator from Connecticut for 10 years. After graduating from boarding school, Mr. Bush enlisted in the navy and became one of the youngest aviators in naval history at age 18. He flew 58 combat missions and was shot down in the pacific in 1944 but rarely talked about his military career. Returning home, he married Barbara Pierce who he first met as a teenager at a Christmas dance. Following in his father's footsteps, he attended Yale University, graduating Phi Beta Kappa in just 2.5 years. But instead of continuing to follow his father to Wall Street in 1948, Bush and his family headed for Texas. There, he eventually formed an oil exploration company and quickly made his first millions. From there, George H.W. Bush embarked upon a political career spanning over thirty years. From a two-term Texas congressman, to UN ambassador under Richard Nixon under President Gerald Ford he became liaison to China and then director of the CIA. His quest for the presidency led to his serving eight years as vice president under Ronald Reagan and, finally, to the highest office in the land in 1989. But before winning the presidency, Mr. Bush made a promise he would later come to regret.

GEORGE H. W. BUSH: My opponent won't rule out raising taxes but I will and the congress will push me to raise taxes and I'll say no. And they'll push, and I'll say no. and they'll push again and I'll say to them, Read my lips, no new taxes.

HARI SREENIVASAN: In office, President Bush sent troops to the Persian Gulf War in 1991 when Iraq invaded Kuwait.

GEORGE H. W. BUSH: Seven months ago, America and the world drew a line in the sand. We declared that the aggression against Kuwait would not stand, and tonight, America and the world have kept their word.

HARI SREENIVASAN: He is credited with bringing the Cold War to a peaceful end after the fall of the Berlin Wall, and signed the American with Disabilities and Clean Air acts into law. But in 1992, when he ran for re-election, the economy was failing and the new budget bill forced a compromise which included a tax increase. Democrats seized on the broken promise and it helped Bill Clinton become president. In the years after his presidency, George H.W. Bush continued his life of public service. He toured Asia with his former political rival, Bill Clinton, to raise funds for victims of the 2004 tsunami there. In 2006, he did the same for victims of Hurricane Katrina. And he lived an active and athletic life, celebrating his 80th and 90th birthdays by skydiving. He offered this advice for his fellow senior citizens:

GEORGE H. W. BUSH: Get out and do something. If you don't want to do a parachute jump, do something else, don't just sit around watching TV, talking to it. Get out there and realize at 80 years old, you've still got a life.

HARI SREENIVASAN: President Trump took to twitter today, writing, President George H. W. Bush led a long, successful and beautiful life. Whenever I was with him I saw his absolute joy for life and true pride in his family. Other former presidents expressed their condolences today. President Obama wrote, George H. W. Bush's life is a testament to the notion that public service is a noble, joyous calling. And he did tremendous good along the journey. President Clinton said, Few Americans have been or will ever be able to match president bush's record of service to the United States and the joy he took every day from it. President Jimmy Carter wrote that President Bush espoused a uniquely American volunteer spirit, fostering bipartisan support for citizen service and inspiring millions to embrace community volunteerism as a cherished responsibility. And in a statement, his son, George W. Bush, who was the 43rd president, said, George H. W. Bush was a man of the highest character and the best dad a son or daughter could ask for.

大法官威廉·伦奎斯特：我，乔治·赫伯特·沃克·布什，在此郑重宣誓。

乔治·布什：我，乔治·赫伯特·沃克·布什，在此郑重宣誓。

大法官威廉·伦奎斯特：我将忠实担任美国总统一职。

乔治·布什：我将忠实担任美国总统一职。

哈里·斯瑞尼瓦桑：乔治·赫伯特·沃克·布什于1989年当选美国总统。他的就职演讲提到了“更仁爱”、“更温和”这样的词，这些词都是他留下的宝藏。1988年，在共和党代表大会的提名演说中，他也用到了这样的词汇。

乔治·布什：我希望美国更仁爱、更温和。布什1924年6月12日出生于马萨诸塞州的米尔顿。出生于阔绰家庭的他在康涅狄格州的格林威治长大。他的很多个夏天都是在缅因州肯纳邦克海滨附近的家度过的。布什的父亲普雷斯科特·布什是一位投资银行家，曾在长达10年的时间里担任共和党康涅狄格州的参议员。在寄宿学校毕业后，布什参军美国海军，当时他只有18岁，是美国海军历史上最年轻的飞行员。他曾执行过58次战斗任务。1944年在太平洋被击落，但他很少提起自己的戎马生涯。退伍后，他与芭芭拉·布希结。他们第一次见面是在一次圣诞节舞会上，那时布什还年少。布什追随父亲的脚步，成为了耶鲁大学的学生，并用仅两年半的时间从美国大学优秀生全国性荣誉组织毕业。但1948年，他并未选择追随父亲的脚步去华尔街，反而举家搬到了德克萨斯州。他最终在德克萨斯州成立了一家石油勘探公司，并迅速赚到了第一桶金——几百万。也是在德克萨斯州，布什开启了长达30多年的政治生涯。在担任了两届德克萨斯州国会议员后，他在理查德·尼克松总统期间担任了美国驻联合国大使。又在杰拉尔德·福特期间，担任了美国驻华联络员。随后又担任了联邦调查局局长。为了当选总统，他甘心为罗纳德·里根担任8年的副总统。最后终于在1989年当选总统。但在担任总统之前，布什做了一个日后让他后悔的承诺。

乔治·布什：我的对手不会反对加大税收，但我会。虽然国会也在催促我加大税收，但我会拒绝。他们如果继续催促，我就会继续拒绝。如果还有下次，我会说“看我的嘴型——不会增加新的赋税。”

哈里·斯瑞尼瓦桑：在职期间，布什派军队去波斯湾。那是1991年的事情，当时伊拉克正入侵科威特。

乔治·布什：7个月前，美国和全球表明了底线：我们宣布，对科威特的侵略站不住脚。而今晚，美国和全世界将履行自己的诺言。

哈里·斯瑞尼瓦桑：世人赞誉他将冷战和平结束，标志是柏林墙倒塌。布什还签署了《美国残疾人法》和《清洁空气法案》。 但1992年，布什再次竞选总统时，美国经济萧条。新法案要想实行，就得做出妥协，其中一项妥协就是加大税收。民主党抓住了布什食言而肥的把柄，推比尔·克林顿上位。总统任期结束多年后，乔治·布什依然没有停止公共服务。布什跟昔日政敌比尔·克林顿环行亚洲，为2004年海啸的受害者们募集资金。2006年，布什为卡特里娜飓风的受害者做了同样的事情。他一生激流勇进、体格强健，80岁和90岁的生日都是通过跳伞来庆祝的。他为老年人提供了建议。

乔治·布什：出去做点什么吧。如果你们不想跳伞，那就做的别的也好。但千万别坐在家里守着电视。出去走走，你们就会发现，80岁的你，还是可以享受生活的。

哈里·斯瑞尼瓦桑：特朗普总统今天发了推文写道，乔治·布什总统拥有成功、美丽又悠长的一生。每次见到他，我都能感受到他对生活极致的喜悦和对家庭真正的自豪。其他前总统也于今天表达了哀悼。奥巴马写道，乔治·布什总统的一生证明了公共服务是神圣而又让人快乐的事业。他一路上做了许多大好事。克林顿总统写道，布什总统为美国公共服务所做的贡献无论是过去、现在还是以后都无人可比，他从中获得的快乐也是其他人体验不到的。吉米·卡特总统写道，布什总统信奉的是美国人独特的进取精神，他促成了两党对公民服务的支持，他启发无数人支持志愿服务，并将志愿服务作为备受珍惜的责任。在一份声明中，美国第43任总统小布什写道，乔治·布什是具有崇高人格的人，是世上最好的父亲。