VOA标准英语2013--Peace Corps Among President Kennedy's Lasting Achievements

 

Peace Corps¹ Among President Kennedy's Lasting² Achievements 

WASHINGTON — Friday, November 22, will mark 50 years since the assassination³ of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas.  The anniversary has sparked discussion and reflection about Kennedy’s achievements while in office and his presidential legacy⁴. 

One of the president's more notable accomplishments⁶ was creation of the Peace Corps, a volunteer force of mainly young Americans who have served in developing nations for decades.

On January 20, 1961, Kennedy said, “And so my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you.  Ask what you can do for your country.”

The president’s call to service during his inaugural⁸ address set the stage for one of his lasting achievements - the creation of the Peace Corps.

The concept was the result of a late-night campaign stop by then-candidate Kennedy in October of 1960 at the University of Michigan.

Young Americans quickly embraced the idea of delaying their own careers to work in developing countries.

Creating the Peace Corps was one of the new president’s top priorities.

“Putting that together was one of the great experiences of my own life.  And Kennedy wanted action," said Sen. Harris Wofford, a former Kennedy advisor⁹. "He wanted us to move and we had the plan of the Peace Corps within the first six weeks.”

Kennedy hosted the first group of volunteers at the White House before they left for Africa.

“The fact that you are willing to do this for our country and in the larger sense, as the name suggests, for the cause of peace and understanding, I think should make all Americans proud and make them appreciative,” he said.

Those early volunteers entered the Peace Corps with a sense of adventure and determination, and among them was Barbara Kamara.

“Going to Liberia as a Peace Corps volunteer was a life-changing experience for me," she said. " I learned that I could just endure, that you start something and no matter what the challenges were, to do it.  I could keep doing it until it was completed.”

50 years later, what remains¹⁰ is a sense of pride and accomplishment⁵.

“When I look back on the great things that Peace Corps volunteers did, the many lives they impacted," said Kamara. "I mean, the vice⁷ president of Liberia today gives tribute to his Peace Corps teacher for contributing to his ability to serve in that position as vice president.”

For most volunteers, Peace Corps was a life-changing experience.

“When I think back on President Kennedy and creating the Peace Corps, I would say it is probably one of the most significant things that he did as president," Kamara added.  "Would I recommend the Peace Corps to other people?  Absolutely.  If I had my way, I think every young person who is in high school should have an international experience.”

The creation of the Peace Corps remains an important part of John Kennedy’s legacy, says Harris Wofford.

“Around the world, people thought, here is the America we’ve been believing in or hoping for, young, optimistic, can-do," he said. "That’s the America that we’ve read about, we’ve thought about, we’ve hoped for, and here he was bringing it about.”

Since 1961, more than 200,000 Americans have served in the Peace Corps in 139 host countries around the world. 

1 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

2 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

3 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。

4 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。

5 accomplishment   

n.完成，成就，（pl.）造诣，技能

参考例句：

• The series of paintings is quite an accomplishment.这一系列的绘画真是了不起的成就。
• Money will be crucial to the accomplishment of our objectives.要实现我们的目标，钱是至关重要的。

6 accomplishments   

n.造诣；完成( accomplishment的名词复数 )；技能；成绩；成就

参考例句：

• It was one of the President's greatest accomplishments. 那是总统最伟大的成就之一。
• Among her accomplishments were sewing,cooking,playing the piano and dancing. 她的才能包括缝纫、烹调、弹钢琴和跳舞。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

7 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

8 inaugural   

adj.就职的；n.就职典礼

参考例句：

• We listened to the President's inaugural speech on the radio yesterday.昨天我们通过无线电听了总统的就职演说。
• Professor Pearson gave the inaugural lecture in the new lecture theatre.皮尔逊教授在新的阶梯讲堂发表了启用演说。

9 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。

10 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。