VOA慢速英语2015 America Remembers Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

AS IT IS 2015-04-14 America Remembers Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination¹

This week, Americans remember an important date in history: one hundred fifty years ago, President Abraham Lincoln was killed. Museums and historic organizations all around the country have special exhibits and events.

President Lincoln was the first American president to be assassinated³. It happened in 1865 at Ford’s Theater in Washington, D.C. This month, the theater is showing objects from that tragic⁴ night. The objects are on display together for the first time.

More than 150 Civil War living historians will be at Ford’s Theater. They will recreate the events after the shooting.

Sic semper tyrannis

On April 14, 1865, Abraham Lincoln and his wife Mary sat in the presidential box at Ford's Theatre in Washington. They were watching a play, “Our American Cousin.” Everyone heard a gunshot, and the president fell.

The gunman was John Wilkes Booth, an actor. He supported the Confederate side in the Civil War.  After he shot President Lincoln, Mr. Booth shouted "Sic semper tyrannis." This Latin phrase means "thus ever to tyrants⁶." Then he dropped his gun and ran away.

Mr. Lincoln was carried to a house across the street where he died the next morning.

Freedom for the slaves

Many people believe Mr. Lincoln is one of this country's greatest and most beloved presidents. He died just as he was leading the nation out of a long and bloody⁷ Civil War. More than 620,000 soldiers died in that war between the Union and the Confederacy.

Michelle Krowl is a historian at the Library of Congress. She considers saving the Union one of the most important successes of his presidency⁸.

"There were times when Lincoln was not sure that the war would necessarily be won. But he saw the United States as an experiment in democracy … he didn't want that experiment in democracy to fail and his perseverance⁹ helped make sure that it didn't fail.”

Ms. Krowl adds that, "When you read the Gettysburg Address and he says 'this is a Government of the people, by the people, for the people,' he meant that.”

Historian Martin Johnson says the Gettysburg Address became popular and important very quickly because it told people the lesson of the War in a very short speech.

After the War, Johnson says, the speech was recited "over and over, hundreds of times across the Union and elsewhere... it became rooted very quickly in American memory about what the Civil War meant. "

"School children around the world learn the speech as part of their lessons in English because it is recognized as one of the finest speeches by any American."

Abraham Lincoln -- the man

Michelle Krowl says Lincoln's language ability came from his love of storytelling. He was also a patient man, with a great sense of humor, and was a devoted¹⁰ father.

She said, "You really see the more tender side of Lincoln when you hear or read about him interacting - particularly with his sons Willie and Todd during their White House years."

Tracey Avant is Curator of Exhibitions at Ford's Theatre. She says one of the objects on display shows that tender side. It is his signature top hat. The hat is in the exhibit, ‘Silent Witnesses: Artifacts of the Lincoln Assassination.”

She says, "It's a beautiful, iconic piece; everyone thinks of Abraham Lincoln with a top hat. But what I love about it is it's got this beautiful band that he put on it to remember his son Willie who had died in 1862 of Typhoid Fever. It still remained on the hat in 1865 and to me, I'm a parent, it speaks to how deeply he felt that loss."

The exhibit also includes the small gun that John Wilkes Booth used to shoot the president.

Avant describes it as the weapon that changed American history. "In one small moment," she says, "one of our greatest presidents was brought down."

Another favorite item is President Lincoln's eyeglasses.

She says, "The arm on it had broken off at some point and he clearly still wanted to use them so he used a little piece of twine¹¹ to tie it back together, and to me that just humanizes him so much and makes you realize how humble¹² he still remained even though he was the president of the United States."

What President Lincoln leaves behind

Even though he died young, Mr. Lincoln's ideas continue today. More books have been written about him than any other American president. His face appears on U.S. money. Millions of people visit his memorial on the National Mall in Washington.

Many recognize Mr. Lincoln's efforts during his presidency for helping¹³ to make the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s possible.

Michelle Krowl believes Mr. Lincoln would have been happy to see an African American as president 150 years after the Civil War. There has been progress, she says. But there is still much room for improvement.

One hundred and fifty years after the death of their 16th president, many American believe in Abraham Lincoln's vision. Like many who came before him, he saw a nation where all are created equal. Americans hope that this vision will be true one day.

Words in This Story

assassinate² - v. to kill (someone, such as a famous or important person) usually for political reasons

tragic – adj. extremely sad; terrible

sic semper tyrannis – motto. “thus ever to tyrants” in Latin; a call to resist cruel rulers

tyrant⁵ – n. a ruler who has complete power over a country and who is cruel and unfair

recite - v. to read (something) out loud or say (something) from memory usually for an audience 

appeal - n. a quality that causes people to like someone or something

vision - n. something that you imagine : a picture that you see in your mind

1 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。

2 assassinate   

vt.暗杀，行刺，中伤

参考例句：

• The police exposed a criminal plot to assassinate the president.警方侦破了一个行刺总统的阴谋。
• A plot to assassinate the banker has been uncovered by the police.暗杀银行家的密谋被警方侦破了。

3 assassinated   

v.暗杀( assassinate的过去式和过去分词 )；中伤；诋毁；破坏

参考例句：

• The prime minister was assassinated by extremists. 首相遭极端分子暗杀。
• Then, just two days later, President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. 跟着在两天以后，肯尼迪总统在达拉斯被人暗杀。 来自辞典例句

4 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

5 tyrant   

n.暴君，专制的君主，残暴的人

参考例句：

• The country was ruled by a despotic tyrant.该国处在一个专制暴君的统治之下。
• The tyrant was deaf to the entreaties of the slaves.暴君听不到奴隶们的哀鸣。

6 tyrants   

专制统治者( tyrant的名词复数 )； 暴君似的人； （古希腊的）僭主； 严酷的事物

参考例句：

• The country was ruled by a succession of tyrants. 这个国家接连遭受暴君的统治。
• The people suffered under foreign tyrants. 人民在异族暴君的统治下受苦受难。

7 bloody   

adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染

参考例句：

• He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
• He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。

8 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。

9 perseverance   

n.坚持不懈，不屈不挠

参考例句：

• It may take some perseverance to find the right people.要找到合适的人也许需要有点锲而不舍的精神。
• Perseverance leads to success.有恒心就能胜利。

10 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

11 twine   

v.搓，织，编饰；（使）缠绕

参考例句：

• He tied the parcel with twine.他用细绳捆包裹。
• Their cardboard boxes were wrapped and tied neatly with waxed twine.他们的纸板盒用蜡线扎得整整齐齐。

12 humble   

adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低

参考例句：

• In my humble opinion,he will win the election.依我拙见，他将在选举中获胜。
• Defeat and failure make people humble.挫折与失败会使人谦卑。

13 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。