VOA标准英语2013--Personality Influences Life After Presidency
时间：2019-01-13 作者：英语课 分类：VOA标准英语2013年(一月)
Personality Influences Life After Presidency 1
George W. Bush's quiet service
When former president George W. Bush left the White House in 2009, he largely left the spotlight 2.
But last year he worked alongside volunteers in Zambia to renovate 3 a clinic that specializes in treating cervical cancer. Like other former presidents, Bush uses his fame to draw attention to issues, but says he prefers not to call attention to his own work.
"I hope you don't see much of it, because I don't want to be in the news," said Bush as he took a break from painting. "In other words, I believe that quiet service is the best kind of service."
Urgent missions
Former presidents have the ability to harness the public's attention and goodwill 4. President Barack Obama tapped Bush and former president Bill Clinton to lead a fundraising effort in 2010 after the earthquake in Haiti.
"On behalf of the American people, I want to thank both of you for returning to service and leading this urgent mission," Obama said at the time, standing 5 alongside the two former presidents outside the White House.
Men who once led the nation can find themselves without a clearly defined role when they leave office.
"If you've been president, you know how limited the role of a former president in any sort of institutional way should be," says presidential historian Richard Norton Smith. "There are presidents who call upon former presidents in all kinds of ways to be of assistance."
Clinton and former president George H.W. Bush visited Indonesia after the devastating 6 tsunami 7 in 2004, and they raised funds and awareness 8 after Hurricane Katrina ravaged 9 parts of the southern U.S. in 2005.
Bill Clinton's global challenges
Clinton has remained in the public eye since his presidency, working as a U.N. special envoy 10 to Haiti, pressing North Korea to release American prisoners, and campaigning for his wife, Hillary Clinton, when she ran for president in 2008.
Clinton also founded the Clinton Global Initiative, which he says "was designed to tackle big global challenges in bite-sized pieces."
George H.W. Bush's personal causes
Like his son, former president George H.W. Bush has little interest in pursuing high-profile work, preferring personal causes instead, according to Mark Updegrove, director of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library.
??"It's a relatively 11 passive post-presidency," says Updegrove. "Of course, the most significant chapter in his post-presidency was when he became the father of the president of the United States."
Historians say post-presidential life has evolved. Prior to 1958, ex-presidents weren't granted pensions - let alone office space, staff and other benefits that give them a degree of freedom to pursue various interests.
Modern technology also links presidents to the public.
"As the presidency has become part of the 24/7 news cycle, presidents come into our lives. They come into our homes more than anyone except members of our immediate 12 family," says Smith. "Whatever our partisan 13 loyalties 14 may be, we establish relations with them and their wives and their families."
Ronald Reagan chose a public life
Such is the case with one-time movie star and former president Ronald Reagan, who left office in 1989. He published a letter in 1994 revealing he'd been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.
His wife, Nancy, said they considered it an opportunity to raise awareness.
At the time, Nancy Reagan noted 15 they'd been "public people our entire married life." She added, "If we can make a difference through our involvement, then we simply have to get out and do it."
Post-presidencies reflective of their character
Former presidents can devote themselves to chosen causes in a way they couldn't while in office, according Updegrove, the author of various books on the presidency.
"I think in many ways that the post-presidential activities of our former presidents are more reflective of their character than their years in office, which tend to be more insular 16 in nature," says Updegrove. "When you're president, you can't always set the agenda. You have to react to events around you, nationally and internationally, so you might come in with ideas of what you want to do, but your presidency turns into something far different."
Post-presidency for an unelected president
Former president Gerald Ford 17 did not even campaign before his presidency. He was serving in Congress when disgraced president Richard Nixon nominated him, as the Watergate scandal enveloped 18 the sitting president's administration.
Ford, who served as president from 1974 to 1977, is known to have valued the advice of his wife, Betty, respected for her candor 19 and outspokenness 20.
In 1978, Betty Ford sought treatment for prescription 21 drug and alcohol use. Four years later, she co-founded the Betty Ford Center, which treats patients with substance abuse issues.
"He was so proud of her. He was very, very much an active foot soldier, for example, in the Betty Ford Center," historian Smith says. "Every year they had an alumni event, and he could be found cooking hot dogs."
Carter's 'adventurous 22 and unpredictable' years
Former president Jimmy Carter's work often focuses on health, human rights, and democracy promotion 23, including election monitoring. He says his life's interests did not change when he left office back in 1981.
"I would say, and I think my wife would agree, that the time we spent since the White House has been the most exciting and productive and adventurous and unpredictable and gratifying time," said Carter.
He cited his work with his foundation, the Carter Center, his teaching position at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, and his large family.
Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, are well known for their work as volunteers with Habitat for Humanity, a group which helps low-income working people to build and buy their own homes.
"All of those things put together and still living in the same little town of 600 people, where my wife and I were born and where we own land since 1833, all those things combined together have given me a very wonderful life since the White House," Carter says.
- 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。
- This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
- The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。
- The couple spent thousands renovating the house.这对夫妇花了几千元来翻新房子。
- They are going to renovate the old furniture.他们准备将旧家具整修一番。
- His heart is full of goodwill to all men.他心里对所有人都充满着爱心。
- We paid ￡10,000 for the shop,and ￡2000 for its goodwill.我们用一万英镑买下了这家商店，两千英镑买下了它的信誉。
- After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
- They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
- It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
- Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。
- Powerful quake sparks tsunami warning in Japan.大地震触发了日本的海啸预警。
- Coastlines all around the Indian Ocean inundated by a huge tsunami.大海啸把印度洋沿岸地区都淹没了。
- There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
- Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。
- a country ravaged by civil war 遭受内战重创的国家
- The whole area was ravaged by forest fires. 森林火灾使整个地区荒废了。
- Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
- The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。
- The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
- The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。
- His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
- We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。
- In their anger they forget all the partisan quarrels.愤怒之中，他们忘掉一切党派之争。
- The numerous newly created partisan detachments began working slowly towards that region.许多新建的游击队都开始慢慢地向那里移动。
- an intricate network of loyalties and relationships 忠诚与义气构成的盘根错节的网络
- Rows with one's in-laws often create divided loyalties. 与姻亲之间的矛盾常常让人两面为难。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
- Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。
- A continental climate is different from an insular one.大陆性气候不同于岛屿气候。
- Having lived in one place all his life,his views are insular.他一辈子住在一个地方，所以思想狭隘。
- 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。
- She was enveloped in a huge white towel. 她裹在一条白色大毛巾里。
- Smoke from the burning house enveloped the whole street. 燃烧着的房子冒出的浓烟笼罩了整条街。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- He covered a wide range of topics with unusual candor.他极其坦率地谈了许多问题。
- He and his wife had avoided candor,and they had drained their marriage.他们夫妻间不坦率，已使婚姻奄奄一息。
- He wondered whether his outspokenness a liability to John. 他怀疑自己那么心直口快，是否为成为约翰的包袱。
- He wondered whether his outspokenness might a. to his friend. 他怀疑自己那么心直口快，会否使他朋友背上思想包袱。
- The physician made a prescription against sea- sickness for him.医生给他开了个治晕船的药方。
- The drug is available on prescription only.这种药只能凭处方购买。
- I was filled with envy at their adventurous lifestyle.我很羨慕他们敢于冒险的生活方式。
- He was predestined to lead an adventurous life.他注定要过冒险的生活。