2006年VOA标准英语-The Tradition of the State of the Union

By Charlene Sarmiento
Washington, DC
24 January 2006
 
watch State of Union report
 
  
  
President Bush will make his State of the Union address on Tuesday, January 31st to both houses of Congress, members of the Supreme¹ Court, other government officials and the American people.  Paul Miller² has a look at the history and significance of this political tradition. 

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U.S President George W. Bush's address to both houses of Congress continues a long-standing tradition in the relations between the executive and legislative³ branches of the United States government. 

Under the terms of the U.S. Constitution, an American president must communicate from time to time with Congress on the State of the Union and on other issues he considers necessary and expedient⁴.  The Constitution gives no further guidance, but the presidential message, now commonly called the State of the Union address, has become an annual political ritual.

Allan Lichtman (file photo)   
  
The tradition began with the first president, George Washington, who delivered his yearly messages in person.  Delivery in person fell out of favor though, under third president, Thomas Jefferson. 

American University professor Allan Lichtman explains President Jefferson felt appearing before Congress was too much like royalty⁵.  "So Jefferson in 1801 decided⁶ he would not appear personally before a congress, but rather he would deliver a written annual message and low and behold⁷ we changed the president. Since Jefferson, presidents kept delivering annual messages, but in writing rather than in person until another great political leader came on the scene, Woodrow Wilson," he said.

President Wilson went before Congress in 1913, to deliver his proposal for economic regulation.  The next president to appear in person was Franklin D. Roosevelt whose annual speech was the first to be broadcast on radio. 

Stephen Wayne (file photo)   
  
Stephen Wayne is an expert on the presidency⁸ at Georgetown University in Washington D.C. says, "The State of the Union address has become the way in which the president sets the agenda for Congress and speaks to the American people about his accomplishments⁹ and hopes for the future. It's part of our political tradition.   There is a lot of ceremony attached to it.  And that usually works to the benefit of the president."

Mr. Lichtman spoke¹⁰ about this annual message. He says, "Any shrewd politician knows if you're going to get a chance to make a major address you're not just going to speak to the members of Congress, you're going to speak to all the American people.  And really, presidents have used their annual messages, not simply to inform Congress, but to sell their programs to the public."

Abraham Lincoln, in fact, used his annual message in 1862 to launch his first attack on slavery, saying that without slavery there would have been no U.S. Civil War.  Franklin D. Roosevelt's Economic Bill of Rights was announced in one of his addresses.  Harry¹¹ Truman went before Congress to outline the program he called, The Fair Deal.  And Lyndon Johnson, in the 1960s, proposed new civil rights laws and efforts to eradicate¹² poverty.  "And this administration, today, here, and now, declares unconditional¹³ war on poverty in America," he said.

In this year's address, President Bush will try to reinvigorate his second term agenda following a difficult 2005 where mounting disenchantment with the war on terror, the government's response to Hurricane Katrina, the indictment¹⁴ of a top White House advisor¹⁵ and scandals involving leaders of his Republican Party gave Mr. Bush the lowest approval ratings of his presidency.

1 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。

2 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

3 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

4 expedient   

adj.有用的，有利的；n.紧急的办法，权宜之计

参考例句：

• The government found it expedient to relax censorship a little.政府发现略微放宽审查是可取的。
• Every kind of expedient was devised by our friends.我们的朋友想出了各种各样的应急办法。

5 royalty   

n.皇家，皇族

参考例句：

• She claims to be descended from royalty.她声称她是皇室后裔。
• I waited on tables，and even catered to royalty at the Royal Albert Hall.我做过服务生， 甚至在皇家阿伯特大厅侍奉过皇室的人。

6 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

7 behold   

v.看，注视，看到

参考例句：

• The industry of these little ants is wonderful to behold.这些小蚂蚁辛勤劳动的样子看上去真令人惊叹。
• The sunrise at the seaside was quite a sight to behold.海滨日出真是个奇景。

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 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》

10 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

11 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

12 eradicate   

v.根除，消灭，杜绝

参考例句：

• These insects are very difficult to eradicate.这些昆虫很难根除。
• They are already battling to eradicate illnesses such as malaria and tetanus.他们已经在努力消灭疟疾、破伤风等疾病。

13 unconditional   

adj.无条件的，无限制的，绝对的

参考例句：

• The victorious army demanded unconditional surrender.胜方要求敌人无条件投降。
• My love for all my children is unconditional.我对自己所有孩子的爱都是无条件的。

14 indictment   

n.起诉；诉状

参考例句：

• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。
• They issued an indictment against them.他们起诉了他们。

15 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。