英语听力—环球英语 1364 Sickness and Power

 　　Voice 1

 

　　Hello and welcome to Spotlight¹. I'm Marina Santee.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　And I'm Ruby² Jones. This programme uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　Imagine this situation. You awake from sleep, feeling very sick. Your chest³ is painful - you find it difficult to breathe. Your legs feel like you have run a very long distance! Your head hurts and your eyes burn. You do not want to miss a day's work. You know that your family need the money. But they will manage - just for one day. So you decide not to go to work. You send a message to your employer⁴. Then, you find some medicine and go and rest.

 

　　Now, imagine this. You are the leader of your country. You awake from sleep, feeling very sick. Your chest is painful - you find it difficult to breathe. Your legs feel like you have run a very long distance! Your head hurts and your eyes burn. You decide that you are too sick to go to work. However, you know that you cannot stay in bed. Your work is too important to miss even one day! People are depending on you. And not just your family - a whole country! News of your sickness would make the public think that you were weak. Your enemies may take this chance to make trouble for you! You sit up and try to get out of bed. It is going to be a long, hard day. But what else can you do? Your people come first. And noone said that governing a country would be easy!

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　There is no question that governing a country is a great responsibility⁵. It demands a clear mind. Leaders often have to make quick, difficult decisions. It demands that leaders are in top mental and physical condition at all times. So, what happens when a leader becomes sick, or suffers from poor health? This question greatly interested a man called David Owen. David Owen is a retired⁶ medical doctor. He is also a member of the United⁷ Kingdom government. During his political⁸ life, Doctor Owen met many world leaders. As a doctor, he was interested in their health, as well as their politics⁹! And, in 2008, Doctor Owen published a book on the subject. In it, he examined the health problems of world leaders over the past one hundred years. He called the book, "In Sickness and In Power." Today's Spotlight is the first of two programmes about this book. Here, Doctor Owen describes the book's purpose:

 

　　Voice 3

 

　　"I have an unusual background - more than forty years being involved in medicine and politics! With this experience, I have tried to examine past examples of bad health in heads of government across the world. I have described their sicknesses. And, I have written about the political events that happened during those times. Readers can then judge for themselves what connections there may be between the leaders' health and the way events happened."

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　One of the most important events over the last hundred years was the Second World War. During that time, Leaders made decisions that affected¹⁰ the lives of millions of people. What they chose to do and how they acted changed history. It was a time of great worry and concern for everyone. And it was not a good time for a leader to be sick! In his book, Doctor Owen examined the medical state of the main leaders involved in World War II. One of these was Franklin Roosevelt.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Franklin Roosevelt was President of the United States at the time of the Second World War. When he became president, he was already suffering from poliomyelitis. The polio virus¹¹ had attacked his body's nerve¹² system. And it left Roosevelt unable to move from the waist¹³ down. This meant that he could not walk. However, he kept his condition secret from the American public. He appeared to enjoy good health. In 1939, the war began in Europe. At first, Roosevelt did not want to involve the United States in the conflict¹⁴. But as time went on, he felt under pressure to change his mind. This affected Roosevelt's health. His blood pressure increased. And he developed a serious lack of iron¹⁵ in his blood. Doctors had to supply him with fresh blood. However, Doctor Owen does not believe that Roosevelt's bad health influenced any of his political decisions. Roosevelt was an intelligent leader. And he did not think that the American public would support him sending soldiers to fight a war in Europe.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　However, in 1941, an event took place that changed President Roosevelt's mind. The Japanese air force attacked an American navy¹⁶ base at Pearl¹⁷ Harbour. The United States government then declared war on Japan. Doctor Owen's book describes how the president's health grew worse over the next two years. Roosevelt developed heart disease¹⁸ and lung problems. But these did not stop him from working. And in 1944, he presented himself as a candidate¹⁹ for president again - and won! But his success did not last for long. Roosevelt eventually died in April, 1945 - just weeks before the end of the war. Doctor Owen comments that:

 

　　Voice 3

 

　　"Roosevelt knew about the serious state of his health. And it was not right to present himself as a candidate for president again in 1944. But it is hard to believe that a new US president would have made much difference to the result of the war in those last few months."

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　Roosevelt had particular success when discussing the war with other world leaders. Doctor Owen observed:

 

　　Voice 3

 

　　"It is true that a healthier man than Roosevelt may have taken a more active lead in discussions²⁰. But Roosevelt, in truth, got what he and the United States wanted. Roosevelt fought bad health from the time he caught polio. But it was just like his character to plan for the future and not think about his health."

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　So far, we have only looked at the physical health of leaders. However, Doctor Owen's book also examines their state of mind. In the second Spotlight programme on this subject, we will talk about more about this issue²¹. And, we examine the Hubris²² Syndrome²³. Doctor Owen claims that all people in power are at risk of developing²⁴ this mental condition - but what is it all about? We will tell more in our programme ‘Sickness and Power - Hubris'.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　The writer and producer of this programme was Ruby Jones. The voices you heard were from the United Kingdom. All quotes²⁵ were adapted and voiced by Spotlight. To hear more Spotlight programmes, visit our website: http://www.Radio.English.net This .programme is called "Sickness and Power".

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Spotlight is now on Facebook. To find us, just look for Spotlight Radio. Thank you for listening today, goodbye.

1 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

2 ruby   

n.红宝石，红宝石色

参考例句：

• She is wearing a small ruby earring.她戴着一枚红宝石小耳环。
• On the handle of his sword sat the biggest ruby in the world.他的剑柄上镶有一颗世上最大的红宝石。

3 chest   

n.胸，大箱子，金库，资金，一箱，密封室，衣橱

参考例句：

• The bear's chest is hairy.那只熊的胸部毛茸茸的。
• Mother has a pain in her chest.母亲胸口疼.。

4 employer   

n.雇用方，雇主

参考例句：

• My employer deducted ten pounds from my wages this week.我的雇主从我本周的工钱中扣除了十英镑。
• His monthly salary is paid into the bank by his employer.他的月薪由雇主替他存入银行。

5 responsibility   

n.责任，职责

参考例句：

• The safety of the ship is the captain's responsibility.确保船的安全是船长的责任。
• The matter is outside my area of the responsibility.此事超出我的责任范围。

6 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

7 united   

adj.和谐的；团结的；联合的，统一的

参考例句：

• The whole nation is closely united.全国人民紧密团结。
• The two men were united by community of interests.共同的利益使两个人结合在一起。

8 political   

adj.政治上的，政党的，政略性的，政治的

参考例句：

• He was forced to leave his homeland for political reasons.因为政治原因他被迫离开自己的祖国。
• In ideas those two political parties are worlds apart.那两个政党在思想上有巨大分歧。

9 politics   

n.政治，政治学；政纲，政见，策略

参考例句：

• They seldom talk on politics in those days.那时人们很少谈论政治。
• The two brothers differed about politics.这兄弟俩政见不同。

10 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

11 virus   

n.病毒，滤过性微生物，毒害，恶毒；（一个能够复制、感染其他程序或破坏操作系统的程序）

参考例句：

• He is suffering from a virus infection.他受到病毒感染。
• There is a virus going round the world.世界上流行着一种病毒性疾病。

12 nerve   

n.神经；勇气，胆量，沉着，果断

参考例句：

• Did he have the nerve to say that?他竟有脸说这话吗？
• He never got up enough nerve to meet me.他从没有足够的胆量来见我。

13 waist   

n.腰，腰部，腰身，背心

参考例句：

• The coat is a bit tight at the waist.这件上衣腰身瘦了点。
• The sound is from the waist of a violin.声音是从小提琴的中间部分发出的。

14 conflict   

n.冲突，矛盾，争执；vi.争执，撞斗，冲突，抵触

参考例句：

• Your statement is in conflict with the rest of the evidence.你的陈述同其余证据有矛盾。
• The conflict between them seems ceaseless.他们之间冲突似乎没个止息。

15 iron   

n.铁，熨斗，坚强，烙铁，镣铐；vt.烫平，熨，用铁包；vi. 烫衣服

参考例句：

• The iron has lost its magnetic force.这块铁已失去了磁力。
• We need an electrician to mend the iron.我们要请电工修理熨斗。

16 navy   

n.海军，海军人员，海军军力，藏青色

参考例句：

• My brother is in the navy.我兄弟在海军服役。
• He has transferred from the army to the navy.他从陆军转到海军。

17 pearl   

n.珍珠，珍珠母

参考例句：

• He bought his girlfriend a pearl necklace.他给他女朋友买了一条珍珠项链。
• The crane and the mother-of-pearl fight to death.鹬蚌相争。

18 disease   

n.疾病，弊端

参考例句：

• The doctors are trying to stamp out the disease.医生正在尽力消灭这种疾病。
• He fought against the disease for a long time.他同疾病做了长时间的斗争。

19 candidate   

n.候选人；候补者；投考者，申请求职者

参考例句：

• Voters like a candidate who has the common touch. 投票者喜欢那些平易近人的候选人。
• The local newspapers dressed up the candidate as a boxer.当地报纸把那个候选人描绘成一个拳击手。

20 discussions   

n.讨论( discussion的名词复数 )；商讨；详述；论述

参考例句：

• Discussions are held on an informal basis within the department. 讨论限于在本部门内非正式地进行。
• Her specialist input to the discussions has been very useful. 她在这些讨论中提供的专家建议很有助益。

21 issue   

n.出版，发行，（报刊等）期、号，论点，问题，结果， （水，血等的）流出；vt.使流出，放出，发行（钞票等），发布（命令），出版（书等）发给；vi.发行，流出，造成...结果，进行辩护，传下

参考例句：

• I bought the book the day after its issue.这书出版后的第一天，我就去买了它。
• I'll support her down the line on that issue.在那个问题上我将全力支持她。

22 hubris   

n.傲慢，骄傲

参考例句：

• There is no safety in unlimited technological hubris.在技术方面自以为是会很危险。
• The very hubris of French claims alarmed the other powers.法国贪婪的胃口使其他大国惊恐不安。

23 syndrome   

n.综合病症；并存特性

参考例句：

• The Institute says that an unidentified virus is to blame for the syndrome. 该研究所表示,引起这种综合症的是一种尚未确认的病毒。
• Results indicated that 11 fetuses had Down syndrome. 结果表明有11个胎儿患有唐氏综合征。

24 developing   

adj.发展中的

参考例句：

• Transport has always been the key to developing trade.运输一直是发展贸易的关键。
• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。

25 quotes   

v.引用，援引( quote的第三人称单数 )；报价；引述；为（股票、黄金或外汇）报价

参考例句：

• He quotes a few verses from Tennyson in his paper. 他在论文中引用了英国诗人丁尼生的几行诗句。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He quotes (from) the Bible to support his beliefs. 他引用圣经来支持自己的信念。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》