VOA标准英语2012--Attack on Reagan Changed US Protection Tactics, Agent Says

Attack on Reagan Changed US Protection Tactics, Agent Says

Secret Service agent Tim McCarthy faced a decision the morning of March 30, 1981 - file paperwork in the office, or protect President Ronald Reagan on a local trip to give a speech.

“So the shift leader rather than pointing to one or the other, since we had both been briefed, it’s probably more clichéd, but ‘flip a coin’ because one of the two of you have to fill that position," said McCarthy.

McCarthy lost the toss.

On site later that day, he recalls scanning the crowd as Mr. Reagan emerged from the hotel after his speech.

“I had looked back at the president, and all of a sudden, John Hinckley, who is on the left side of the rope line, pushed himself forward," said McCarthy.

Hinckley took aim at the president, and fired a revolver.

“I really never put the gun with the person because it happened so quickly," remembered Tim McCarthy. "I could tell by the sound and the smoke that I saw where the rounds were coming from.”

More shots rang out, including one that ricocheted off President Reagan’s limousine¹. As this car sped away and became free of the chaos², it was apparent that President Reagan was wounded, by the bullet that ricocheted. Once the gunfire ended, and officers wrestled³ Hinckley to the ground, three people around President Reagan were also wounded, including Press Secretary James Brady and Agent McCarthy.”

“I was hit in the chest, and the bullet went into the lung, liver and diaphragm, and the common picture shows me grabbing my abdomen⁴, but that’s down where the liver was when it went through the liver," said McCarthy. "That’s where the pain was at the time, but actually I was shot in the chest.”

Press Secretary Brady suffered serious injuries, but survived, as did Washington police offer Thomas Delehanty.

President Reagan also recovered from his wounds, but McCarthy says the incident was a wake up call for the Secret Service.

“After that, metal detectors⁵ were used to screen anyone who gets near the president," he said. "Shortly thereafter, the legacy⁶ is that since that time, there has not been another attack on any of our presidents by the historic assassin, which is the lone⁷ gunman who would simply get close to the president with a handgun and of course attempt to assassinate⁸ the president.”

John Hinckley Junior was found not guilty by reason of insanity⁹. He remains¹⁰ confined to a mental health facility.

The limousine that carried Mr. Reagan to the hospital is now on display at the Henry Ford¹¹ Museum in Dearborn Michigan. The damage caused by Hinckley’s bullet was repaired shortly after the shooting.

Though the incident occurred over thirty years ago, the attack created a lasting¹² bond between the president and his protector.

“The President and Mrs. Reagan were more than grateful, more than thankful and gracious to me and my family from that day on," said McCarthy.

After serving two more Presidents, McCarthy retired¹³ from the Secret Service in 1993. He now serves as the chief of the Orland Park Police Department in suburban¹⁴ Chicago. 

1 limousine   

n.豪华轿车

参考例句：

• A chauffeur opened the door of the limousine for the grand lady.司机为这个高贵的女士打开了豪华轿车的车门。
• We arrived in fine style in a hired limousine.我们很气派地乘坐出租的豪华汽车到达那里。

2 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

3 wrestled   

v.（与某人）搏斗( wrestle的过去式和过去分词 )；扭成一团；扭打；（与…）摔跤

参考例句：

• As a boy he had boxed and wrestled. 他小的时候又是打拳又是摔跤。
• Armed guards wrestled with the intruder. 武装警卫和闯入者扭打起来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 abdomen   

n.腹，下腹(胸部到腿部的部分)

参考例句：

• How to know to there is ascarid inside abdomen?怎样知道肚子里面有蛔虫？
• He was anxious about an off-and-on pain the abdomen.他因时隐时现的腹痛而焦虑。

5 detectors   

探测器( detector的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The report advocated that all buildings be fitted with smoke detectors. 报告主张所有的建筑物都应安装烟火探测器。
• This is heady wine for experimenters using these neutrino detectors. 对于使用中微子探测器的实验工作者，这是令人兴奋的美酒。 来自英汉非文学 - 科技

6 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。

7 lone   

adj.孤寂的，单独的；唯一的

参考例句：

• A lone sea gull flew across the sky.一只孤独的海鸥在空中飞过。
• She could see a lone figure on the deserted beach.她在空旷的海滩上能看到一个孤独的身影。

8 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。

9 insanity   

n.疯狂，精神错乱；极端的愚蠢，荒唐

参考例句：

• In his defense he alleged temporary insanity.他伪称一时精神错乱，为自己辩解。
• He remained in his cell,and this visit only increased the belief in his insanity.他依旧还是住在他的地牢里，这次视察只是更加使人相信他是个疯子了。

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。

11 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

12 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。

13 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。

14 suburban   

adj.城郊的，在郊区的

参考例句：

• Suburban shopping centers were springing up all over America. 效区的商业中心在美国如雨后春笋般地兴起。
• There's a lot of good things about suburban living.郊区生活是有许多优点。