VOA标准英语2008年-Bush Daughter to Marry at Private Texas Ceremon

By Scott Stearns
White House
10 May 2008

U.S. President George Bush is at his Texas ranch¹, where his daughter Jenna is getting married in a private ceremony at the Bush home. VOA White House Correspondent Scott Stearns reports, the president noted² the occasion in his weekly radio address.

The president used this week's radio address to mark Mother's Day (Sunday) and the celebration of his daughter's wedding.

"Today is my daughter Jenna's wedding day," he said.  "This is a joyous³ occasion for our family as we celebrate the happy life ahead of her and her husband Henry. It's also a special time for Laura, who, this Mother's Day weekend, will watch a daughter we raised together walk down the aisle⁴."

Speaking to reporters this past week, Mrs. Bush said she and her husband are staying calm amid all the media interest in the ceremony, a private affair at the family ranch before a stone cross placed near the fishing pond.

"Neither one of us are nervous. I am very, very excited. It is a very interesting passage of life when you get to that time in your life when your first child is getting married, and we are getting for us our first son," she said.  "So, it's a thrill and we are very happy about it."

The president and Mrs. Bush joined more than 100 people at a rehearsal⁵ dinner Friday evening in the Texas town of Salado, where they also celebrated⁶ the groom⁷'s 30th birthday.

Wedding guests not attending the rehearsal dinner had what the first lady's Press Secretary Sally McDonough called a Texas-sized celebration at the Salado Silver Spur Theater, hosted by friends of the Bush family.

The president's 26-year-old daughter is a writer and schoolteacher, who graduated from the University of Texas. Her embroidered⁸ gown is by Oscar de la Renta, and her bridesmaid is her twin sister Barbara.

The groom, Henry Hager, is a graduate of Wake Forest University and is studying for a Masters in business at the University of Virginia. He is a former presidential campaign aide, whose father was lieutenant⁹ governor of Virginia and now head's that state's Republican party.

Mrs. Bush said this week, her daughter briefly¹⁰ considered a White House wedding, but chose their ranch in Texas instead.

"Well, she just wanted to get married at home," she added.  "She just feels a lot more comfortable there. It will be really beautiful. This is a time when wildflowers are all blooming. I think it will be a very, very lovely wedding.  It will be very like Jenna and Henry.  And that's what we want. We want what she wants."

The couple will honeymoon¹¹ in Europe and reside in the city of Baltimore, about 40 miles north of Washington, DC.

1 ranch   

n.大牧场，大农场

参考例句：

• He went to work on a ranch.他去一个大农场干活。
• The ranch is in the middle of a large plateau.该牧场位于一个辽阔高原的中部。

2 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

3 joyous   

adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的

参考例句：

• The lively dance heightened the joyous atmosphere of the scene.轻快的舞蹈给这场戏渲染了欢乐气氛。
• They conveyed the joyous news to us soon.他们把这一佳音很快地传递给我们。

4 aisle   

n.（教堂、教室、戏院等里的）过道，通道

参考例句：

• The aisle was crammed with people.过道上挤满了人。
• The girl ushered me along the aisle to my seat.引座小姐带领我沿着通道到我的座位上去。

5 rehearsal   

n.排练，排演；练习

参考例句：

• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。
• You can sharpen your skills with rehearsal.排练可以让技巧更加纯熟。

6 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

7 groom   

vt.给（马、狗等）梳毛，照料，使...整洁

参考例句：

• His father was a groom.他父亲曾是个马夫。
• George was already being groomed for the top job.为承担这份高级工作，乔治已在接受专门的培训。

8 embroidered   

adj．绣花的

参考例句：

• She embroidered flowers on the cushion covers. 她在这些靠垫套上绣了花。
• She embroidered flowers on the front of the dress. 她在连衣裙的正面绣花。

9 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。

10 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

11 honeymoon   

n.蜜月（假期）；vi.度蜜月

参考例句：

• While on honeymoon in Bali,she learned to scuba dive.她在巴厘岛度蜜月时学会了带水肺潜水。
• The happy pair are leaving for their honeymoon.这幸福的一对就要去度蜜月了。