VOA标准英语2008年-Former President Jimmy Carter Concerned About R

By Kane Farabaugh
Chicago, IL
29 May 2008
 

In the 1976 U.S. Presidential election, African-American voters played a key role in electing former Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter. He was raised in that southern state in a predominately African-American community. Today, while involved in a wide array of humanitarian¹ and political activities, Mr. Carter still maintains deep personal and political ties to that community. And so as this new election season heats up - now with an African-American seeking the Democratic Party nomination² - VOA's Kane Farabaugh discussed the issue of race and politics during a recent interview with the former President and Nobel Laureate.

Decades ago, when Jimmy Carter was a young boy growing up in the small southern town of Plains, Georgia, his progressive mother and father encouraged interaction with all of his neighbors, not just the white ones.

, "I was immersed, from tiny childhood, in a black community," Carter explained.

Writing about those years in his book An Hour Before Daylight, President Carter discussed his relationship with five of the most influential³ people in his life.

 "Of those five, only two of them are white. The other three were black people who literally⁴ shaped who I am, and the way that I think, and the way that I deal with moral values and the way that I deal with religious issues. I'm a product of the finest aspects of African American culture, and I'm proud of it," he said.

But the racial openness of Jimmy Carter's youth did not characterize the political reality of the time. Race was sometimes used by politicians as a divisive issue. In 1976, 12 years after the U.S. Congress adopted landmark⁵ civil rights legislation, then-Presidential candidate Jimmy Carter faced Alabama Governor George Wallace. The southern segregationist⁶, with a history of appealing to racial hostilities⁷, beat Mr. Carter in several primaries, although the Georgian eventually won the nomination and the Presidency⁸.

 

Reporter: "Does it trouble you then to watch the current campaign and see how race is creeping into this contest?"

Carter: "It does. And I think that there is a lot of racism⁹ still in the political arena¹⁰ of America. And I am troubled by it."

In this year's primary election season, for example, there are reports U.S. Senator Barack Obama's presidential campaign has been the target of isolated¹¹ racist¹² incidents.

President Carter says he hopes these are the exception and not the rule.

 "I hope that this year will bring an end to it, or a substantial end," he said. "My mother would be delighted to see a black man and a woman with the potential of becoming president. That would be a breakthrough for her and she would like it."

If he wins the Democratic Party's presidential nomination, and defeats presumptive Republican Party nominee¹³ John McCain, Barack Obama would make history as the first African-American to be elected president.

While President Carter has yet to endorse¹⁴ any presidential candidate, he has playfully pointed¹⁵ out that members of his own family are supporting Obama for the party's nomination, over opponent Senator Hillary Clinton.

When he does publicly announce his preference, one influential factor for Jimmy Carter will certainly be how the candidates view racial issues. It is something that framed his youth back in the small town of Plains, and later in life, in the much larger town of Washington.

1 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

2 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

3 influential   

adj.有影响的，有权势的

参考例句：

• He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
• He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。

4 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

5 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
• The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

6 segregationist   

隔离主义者

参考例句：

• Recent federal action undermined the segregationist position. 近期的联邦行动消弱了隔离主义者的地位。

7 hostilities   

n.战争；敌意(hostility的复数)；敌对状态；战事

参考例句：

• Mexico called for an immediate cessation of hostilities. 墨西哥要求立即停止敌对行动。
• All the old hostilities resurfaced when they met again. 他们再次碰面时，过去的种种敌意又都冒了出来。

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 racism   

n.民族主义；种族歧视(意识)

参考例句：

• He said that racism is endemic in this country.他说种族主义在该国很普遍。
• Racism causes political instability and violence.种族主义道致政治动荡和暴力事件。

10 arena   

n.竞技场，运动场所；竞争场所，舞台

参考例句：

• She entered the political arena at the age of 25. 她25岁进入政界。
• He had not an adequate arena for the exercise of his talents.他没有充分发挥其才能的场所。

11 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

12 racist   

n.种族主义者，种族主义分子

参考例句：

• a series of racist attacks 一连串的种族袭击行为
• His speech presented racist ideas under the guise of nationalism. 他的讲话以民族主义为幌子宣扬种族主义思想。

13 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。

14 endorse   

vt.(支票、汇票等)背书，背署；批注；同意

参考例句：

• No one is foolish enough to endorse it.没有哪个人会傻得赞成它。
• I fully endorse your opinions on this subject.我完全拥护你对此课题的主张。

15 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。