Ronald Reagan: Communicator

罗纳德·里根：传播者

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　　By Kelly Jean Kelly

　　02 December 2023

　　VOA Learning English presents America's Presidents.

　　Today we are talking about Ronald Reagan. He was president for two terms, and served from 1981 to 1989. Before that, he was the governor of California, worked as an actor and led a labor union.

　　As president, Reagan is credited for changing the direction of the country. He tried to establish a feeling of confidence in the American people.

　　Although not everyone profited equally from his policies, the president rarely suffered in public opinion polls. Reagan was called the "Great Communicator" because he was able to connect with many Americans, and to speak persuasively about conservative values.

　　He is remembered warmly by many Republican Party politicians and voters especially.

　　Early life

　　Ronald Reagan is often linked to California and the American West. But he was born and raised in Illinois, in the center of the United States.

　　His father sold shoes, and his mother mostly took care of Ronald and his older brother, Neil. The entire family supported the Democratic Party, especially President Franklin Roosevelt.

　　While the boys were growing up, the Reagans did not have much money, and the father suffered from alcoholism.

　　But Ronald was energetic and took part in many activities.

　　He played football and basketball; ran on the track team; swam; acted in plays; led student groups; wrote for school newspapers and yearbooks; and worked several jobs to help pay for his education and support his parents.

　　He attended Eureka College in Illinois, and completed his studies in 1932.

　　One of his first jobs out of college was as a sports announcer for a radio station. He had an appealing voice and a natural way of talking that was a good fit for radio.

　　Reagan was also good-looking, and a dependable worker. In time, he was offered a chance to act in movies and moved to California.

　　During his acting career, Reagan made more than 50 films. He also married actress Jane Wyman and had two children with her. But after several years, the relationship ended. Their marriage ended in divorce.

　　Four years later, Reagan married another actress. Her name was Anne Robbins, but she was called Nancy Davis. They also had two children.

　　As he was starting his second family, Reagan began another part of his career. He served as host of a popular television series about the American West. He also became president of a labor union, the Screen Actors Guild. It represented actors, announcers, and others working in the film and television industry.

　　During that time, Reagan's political beliefs changed. He increasingly supported conservative ideas. During public appearances, he often spoke in support of business interests. He also expressed concern that the federal government was limiting Americans' freedom.

　　The message was well-received by many Americans. Although the Democratic Party was in power for most of the 1960s, a number of Americans were becoming increasingly conservative.

　　Reagan won national recognition in 1966 when he successfully ran for governor of California as a Republican. In 1970, voters re-elected him to the position.

　　But Reagan had set his sights on the presidency. He sought the Republican nomination in both 1968 and 1976.

　　Finally, in 1980, he won the office. By that time, he had already had several careers, as well as a long life. At age 69, he was the oldest person until then to be elected president.

　　Presidency

　　When Reagan took office, he made improving the U.S. economy his highest concern. One way to do that, he believed, was to reduce the influence of the federal government.

　　He wanted especially to cut some of the government programs that former president Lyndon Johnson had put in place to help poor people. Reagan believed that cutting taxes – especially on big businesses – would help strengthen the economy, and in time help everyone.

　　In a speech after taking office, Reagan noted that, "Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem."

　　At first, the economy continued to struggle. But in a few years, Reagan's policies appeared to work. Unemployment dropped, the stock market rose, and many industries grew quickly. Americans often remember Reagan's presidency as a time of economic growth.

　　Not everyone benefited equally, however. Reagan's critics observed that his policies largely helped people who were already wealthy. The divide between rich and middle-class Americans increased during Reagan's presidency.

　　And Reagan did not reduce government spending in all areas. In fact, he sharply increased military spending.

　　One result was a large national debt. Another result, Reagan's supporters say, was a quicker end to the Cold War.

　　One of Reagan's major foreign policy goals was to end the stand-off with the Soviet Union. He believed that building up the U.S. military was the best way to pressure the Soviets to reach an agreement on arms control.

　　Reagan also spoke out strongly against communism. In his second term, he famously appealed to the new Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, to tear down the Berlin Wall. For some, the wall was a sign of communism.

　　Many historians say Reagan's policies worked. For sure, Reagan and Gorbachev improved relations between their countries. And in time, the Soviet leadership permitted the Berlin Wall to come down.

　　Assassination attempt and Iran-Contra scandal

　　In addition to the economy and the Cold War, Reagan is often remembered for his likable personality. He spoke easily with the public, often had a positive message about the country, and usually appeared cheerful.

　　He won even more public approval after a man with mental problems tried to kill him.

　　The bullets seriously injured several people nearby, and just missed Reagan's heart.

　　Yet, shortly after he was shot, the president joked with his wife and with his doctors. Opinion polls showed that the recovered president was more popular than ever.

　　Reagan's political image also survived a scandal known as Iran-Contra. In brief, Congress found that a number of government officials secretly sold U.S. weapons to Iran as part of a deal to free hostages. Then, the officials used some of the money to help rebels in Nicaragua.

　　The actions violated congressional rules. They also challenged Reagan's promise that he had not traded weapons for hostages.

　　The president apologized for any part he had played in the events. Polls showed that, in general, the American public accepted his apology and continued to trust him.

　　Unlike most U.S. presidents, who lose public support during their terms, Reagan finished his time in office as he had taken it – with the support of more than half of Americans.

　　Legacy

　　Reagan retired to his home in California with his wife, Nancy. For several years, he wrote about his life and helped organize his presidential library.

　　But in a few years, the former president announced that he suffered from Alzheimer's. The disease affects people's ability to think, remember, and express themselves.

　　Soon, Reagan disappeared from public life. He died in 2004.

　　But he is well-remembered as an able politician who could work effectively with many people. He is also remembered – by both supporters and critics – for being a powerful voice for conservative ideas and traditional values.

　　His influence extended beyond his two terms. Later generations of leaders and voters called themselves Reagan Republicans.

　　I'm Kelly Jean Kelly.

　　Kelly Jean Kelly wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

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　　由Kelly Jean Kelly撰写

　　2023年12月2日

　　VOA学英语为您介绍美国总统系列。

　　今天我们要讲的是罗纳德·里根。他连任两届总统，任期从1981年到1989年。在此之前，他曾是加利福尼亚州的州长，也曾是一名演员，并领导过一个劳工联盟。

　　作为总统，里根被誉为改变了美国的方向。他试图在美国人民中建立一种自信心。

　　尽管并非所有人都从他的政策中获益，但总统在公众舆论中很少受到质疑。里根被称为"伟大的传播者"，因为他能够与许多美国人建立联系，并能够有说服力地讲述保守主义价值观。

　　他在许多共和党政治家和选民中留下了深刻的印象。

　　早年生活

　　罗纳德·里根经常被与加利福尼亚和美国西部联系在一起。但他实际上出生并成长在美国中部的伊利诺伊州。

　　他的父亲是一名鞋商，而他的母亲主要照顾罗纳德和他的哥哥尼尔。整个家庭都支持民主党，尤其是总统富兰克林·罗斯福。

　　在两个孩子成长的过程中，里根家并不富裕，父亲还饱受酗酒之苦。

　　但罗纳德充满活力，参与了许多活动。

　　他玩足球和篮球；参加田径队；游泳；参与戏剧表演；领导学生团体；为学校的报纸和年鉴写作；并做了几份工作来帮助支付他的教育费用和支持他的父母。

　　他在伊利诺伊州的尤里卡学院就读，并在1932年完成了他的学业。

　　他大学毕业后的第一份工作是在一家广播电台做体育播音员。他的声音吸引人，说话方式自然，非常适合广播。

　　里根长得很帅，而且是个可靠的工作者。随着时间的推移，他有了在电影中表演的机会，并搬到了加利福尼亚。

　　在他的演艺生涯中，里根拍摄了50多部电影。他还与女演员简·韦曼结婚，并与她生了两个孩子。但几年后，他们的关系结束了，他们的婚姻以离婚告终。

　　四年后，里根又与另一位女演员结婚。她的名字是安妮·罗宾斯，但人们都叫她南希·戴维斯。他们也有两个孩子。

　　当他开始他的第二个家庭时，里根开始了他职业生涯的另一部分。他担任了一部关于美国西部的热门电视系列的主持人。他还成为了一个劳工联盟——屏幕演员工会的主席。这个工会代表了演员、播音员和其他在电影和电视行业工作的人。

　　在那段时间，里根的政治信仰发生了变化。他越来越支持保守主义的观点。在公开场合，他经常发表支持商业利益的言论。他还表达了对联邦政府限制美国人民自由的担忧。

　　这个信息受到了许多美国人的欢迎。尽管民主党在1960年代的大部分时间里都掌握着权力，但许多美国人正在变得越来越保守。

　　1966年，里根以共和党人的身份成功竞选加利福尼亚州州长，从而在全国范围内赢得了认可。1970年，选民们再次选他为州长。

　　但里根的目标是总统职位。他在1968年和1976年都寻求共和党的提名。

　　最终，在1980年，他赢得了总统职位。那时，他已经有了几个职业，也过了很长的生活。在69岁时，他成为了当时被选为总统的最年长的人。

　　总统任期

　　当里根上任时，他把改善美国经济作为他的首要任务。他认为，实现这一目标的一种方式是减少联邦政府的影响。

　　他特别想削减前总统林登·约翰逊为帮助穷人而设立的一些政府项目。里根认为，削减税收——尤其是对大企业的税收——将有助于强化经济，从而最终惠及所有人。

　　在上任后的一次演讲中，里根指出："政府并非我们问题的解决方案；政府就是问题。"

　　起初，经济仍在挣扎。但几年后，里根的政策似乎起作用了。失业率下降，股市上涨，许多行业迅速增长。美国人通常将里根的总统任期视为经济增长的时期。

　　然而，并非所有人都从中受益。里根的批评者指出，他的政策主要帮助了已经富有的人。在里根的总统任期内，富人和中产阶级美国人之间的差距增加了。

　　而且，里根并没有在所有领域都减少政府开支。事实上，他大幅增加了军事开支。

　　这导致了巨大的国家债务。另一方面，里根的支持者们认为，这加速了冷战的结束。

　　里根的主要外交政策目标之一是结束与苏联的对峙。他认为，增强美国军力是向苏联施压以达成军备控制协议的最佳方式。

　　里根也强烈反对共产主义。在他的第二个任期中，他向新的苏联领导人米哈伊尔·戈尔巴乔夫发出了著名的呼吁，要求他拆除柏林墙。对一些人来说，这堵墙是共产主义的象征。

　　许多历史学家认为里根的政策是有效的。可以肯定的是，里根和戈尔巴乔夫改善了他们国家之间的关系。随着时间的推移，苏联领导层允许拆除柏林墙。

　　暗杀企图和伊朗门事件

　　除了经济和冷战外，里根常常因其讨人喜欢的个性而被人们记住。他能轻松地与公众交流，经常对国家发出积极的信息，通常看起来都很快乐。

　　当一名有精神问题的男子试图杀害他时，他赢得了更多的公众赞誉。

　　子弹严重伤害了附近的几个人，只差一点就击中了里根的心脏。

　　然而，他在被枪击后不久就和他的妻子以及医生开起了玩笑。民意调查显示，康复后的总统比以往任何时候都更受欢迎。

　　里根的政治形象也经受住了被称为伊朗门的丑闻。简而言之，国会发现一些政府官员秘密向伊朗出售美国武器，以此作为释放人质的交易的一部分。然后，这些官员用部分钱来帮助尼加拉瓜的反叛者。

　　这些行为违反了国会的规定。他们也挑战了里根承诺他没有为人质交换武器的承诺。

　　总统为他在这些事件中所扮演的任何角色道歉。民意调查显示，总的来说，美国公众接受了他的道歉，并继续信任他。

　　与大多数美国总统不同，他们在任期内失去了公众的支持，里根在任期结束时仍得到了超过一半美国人的支持。

　　遗产

　　里根和他的妻子南希退休后回到了他们在加利福尼亚的家。几年来，他写了关于他的生活的文章，并帮助组织他的总统图书馆。

　　但几年后，这位前总统宣布他患有阿尔茨海默症。这种疾病影响人们的思考、记忆和表达能力。

　　不久，里根消失在公众视线中。他于2004年去世。

　　然而，他被广泛记住为一个能够与许多人有效合作的能干政治家。他也被支持者和批评者记住——作为保守主义思想和传统价值观的有力代言人。

　　他的影响力超越了他的两个任期。后来的领导者和选民们自称为里根共和党人。

　　我是Kelly Jean Kelly。

　　Kelly Jean Kelly为学习英语写了这个故事。George Grow是编辑。

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　　本文中的词汇

　　confidence - n. 自信，信任，信心

　　fit - adj.适合的，有必要的技能

　　divorce - n. 离婚，通过法律程序结束婚姻

　　host - n. 主持人，电视或广播节目的主持人

　　benefit - v. 对...有益，有助于

　　standoff - n. 僵局，无赢家的争论或竞赛

　　positive - adj. 积极的，乐观的

　　scandal - n.丑闻，因道德或法律错误的行为而使人震惊和痛心的事件

　　challenge - v. 挑战，质疑（某事）可能不真实、不正确或不合法