VOA慢速英语2023--William Taft: Heavy

William Taft: Heavy

VOA Learning English presents America's Presidents.

Today we are talking about William Howard Taft, who took office in 1909.

In some ways, the story of Taft's presidency¹ is also a story about Theodore Roosevelt's presidency. Roosevelt had been president for the eight years before Taft. The two men were friends; Roosevelt was even a mentor² to Taft.

But the two men were very different. Roosevelt was energetic, both in his physical abilities and in his use of executive power. His vision for the country was progressive.

In contrast, Taft was a more conservative, heavy man who fell asleep in meetings, and who did not make decisions quickly.

In fact, Americans often remember Taft because of his size. His weight changed frequently, but as president Taft usually weighed about 135 kilograms.

One popular story claims that Taft got stuck in a White House bathtub. This story is not true. However, it is true that Taft had a special bathtub made for him. Several men could sit comfortably in it.

As president, Taft did continue some of Roosevelt's reforms, but in a more orderly way. He also took some actions that contradicted Roosevelt's wishes.

In four years, the two men had gone from political allies to competitors for the White House.

Early life

Taft was another president who was born in the state of Ohio. He grew up in the city of Cincinnati, along with five siblings³.

Taft's father was a well-known lawyer, public official and diplomat⁴. He was an advisor⁵ to President Ulysses Grant.

His mother was an intelligent, independent woman who also worked for the public good.

The Tafts had high expectations for their son. He became an excellent student, who went on to study at Yale and then the University of Cincinnati Law School.

Taft sought a career path that he hoped would lead him one day to the U.S. Supreme⁶ Court. He worked as a lawyer, and then as a judge in Ohio. Along the way, he met Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt helped Taft advance his career as a judge.

But one person was not happy about the career move: Taft's wife.

Taft had married an intelligent, independent woman named Helen Herron, known as Nellie. She had always wanted to be first lady, and she urged her husband to follow a path toward the White House.

In time, Nellie Taft had her wish. In 1900 President William McKinley offered Taft a position in the Philippines. The islands had come under the control of the United States after the Spanish-American War.

McKinley wanted Taft to help prepare the Philippines to be ruled by civilians⁷, instead of by soldiers. Taft worried he would not like the job; however, he knew that it was a good chance to build a political career.

Taft was right about that. But he was wrong about disliking the job. He enjoyed it so much that he turned down two offers to return to the U.S. and serve on the Supreme Court.

In the Philippines, Taft successfully established courts, schools, a transportation network, and a health care system.

Taft did have pejorative⁸ views about the people who lived there – he did not think they were yet capable of governing themselves. But he performed his job as governor general effectively.

Taft might have even stayed in the Philippines if it were not for his friend Theodore Roosevelt. In 1901, Roosevelt became president. He asked Taft to become his secretary of war.

Taft agreed, partly so he could continue to supervise the Philippines. But the job also put him in a position to become president himself.

Presidency

William Taft did not really want to be president. But Theodore Roosevelt and Nellie Taft wanted him to be.

During the election of 1908, Taft permitted Roosevelt to do most of the campaigning for him. He spent a lot of time golfing. Taft was the first president to be strongly linked – so to speak – to the sport of golfing. (Another word for golf course is "links.")

Yet voters approved of Taft. They likely hoped he would continue the reforms of Roosevelt. He won the election easily.

Once in the White House, however, Taft did several things that reversed Roosevelt's positions.

First, Taft signed a bill that did not reduce tariffs⁹ as much as many progressive activists¹⁰ wanted.

Then, Taft removed one of Roosevelt's friends from a goverment position. Taft believed he was correct in making the move, but Roosevelt and many other Republicans were furious.

Some historians say they did not give Taft enough credit for the many reforms he did make. His government pursued a large number of anti-trust suits against big business.

It also advanced two Constitutional amendments¹¹ – one to establish a federal income tax, and another to permit voters to elect senators directly.

As the end of Taft's term in the White House came near, the Republican Party was divided. At their 1912 convention, a majority of delegates nominated Taft for president again. But a number left the meeting in anger. They created a new group, called the Progressive Party, and nominated as their candidate Theodore Roosevelt.

Taft and Roosevelt, along with the Democratic Party candidate, fought a bitter campaign during 1912. Of the three, Taft came in last.

Roosevelt came in second.

The divided Republicans had given control of the White House to the Democratic candidate Woodrow Wilson.

Legacy¹²

Happily for him, Taft's story does not end there.

Taft taught at Yale University Law School for a while. Then, when a Republican took the White House again, President Warren Harding appointed Taft as chief justice of the Supreme Court. He is the only person to lead both the executive and judicial¹³ branches of the U.S. government.

Taft was clear about which one he favored: He was much more comfortable as a justice than he was as president.

One journalist at the time described Chief Justice Taft as "a smiling Buddha¹⁴, placid¹⁵, wise, gentle, sweet."

Words in This Story

mentor - n. someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced and often younger person

contrast - n. the act of comparing people or things to show the differences between them

contradicted - v. to not agree with (something) in a way that shows or suggests that it is false or wrong

advance - v. to help the progress of something

network - n. a system of lines, wires, etc., that are connected to each other

pejorative - adj. insulting to someone or something

reversed - v. to cause (something, such as a process) to stop or return to an earlier state

tariffs - n. a tax on goods coming into or leaving a country

progressive - n. a person who favors new or modern ideas especially in politics and education

comfortable - adj. allowing you to be relaxed : causing no worries, difficulty, or uncertainty

1 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

2 mentor   

n.指导者，良师益友；v.指导

参考例句：

• He fed on the great ideas of his mentor.他以他导师的伟大思想为支撑。
• He had mentored scores of younger doctors.他指导过许多更年轻的医生。

3 siblings   

n.兄弟，姐妹( sibling的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A triplet sleeps amongst its two siblings. 一个三胞胎睡在其两个同胞之间。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She has no way of tracking the donor or her half-siblings down. 她没办法找到那个捐精者或她的兄弟姐妹。 来自时文部分

4 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

5 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

6 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。

7 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

8 pejorative   

adj.贬低的，轻蔑的

参考例句：

• In the context of ethnic tourism,commercialization often has a pejorative connotation.摘要在民族旅游语境中，商品化经常带有贬义色彩。
• But news organizations also should make every effort to keep the discussion civil and to discourage the dissemination of falsehoods or pejorat

9 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。

10 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 amendments   

（法律、文件的）改动( amendment的名词复数 )； 修正案； 修改； （美国宪法的）修正案

参考例句：

• The committee does not adequately consult others when drafting amendments. 委员会在起草修正案时没有充分征求他人的意见。
• Please propose amendments and addenda to the first draft of the document. 请对这个文件的初稿提出修改和补充意见。

12 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。

13 judicial   

adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的

参考例句：

• He is a man with a judicial mind.他是个公正的人。
• Tom takes judicial proceedings against his father.汤姆对他的父亲正式提出诉讼。

14 Buddha   

n.佛；佛像；佛陀

参考例句：

• Several women knelt down before the statue of Buddha and prayed.几个妇女跪在佛像前祈祷。
• He has kept the figure of Buddha for luck.为了图吉利他一直保存着这尊佛像。

15 placid   

adj.安静的，平和的

参考例句：

• He had been leading a placid life for the past eight years.八年来他一直过着平静的生活。
• You should be in a placid mood and have a heart-to- heart talk with her.你应该心平气和的好好和她谈谈心。