VOA常速英语2008年-Obama Addresses Racial Divisiveness in Presiden
时间:2019-02-03 作者:英语课 分类:VOA标准英语2008年(三月)
Washington
18 March 2008
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama sought to defuse a brewing 1 political controversy 2 Tuesday when he condemned 3 inflammatory statements made over the years by his former pastor 4, the Reverend Jeremiah Wright of Chicago. Obama's remarks came during a speech on race in America delivered in Philadelphia. VOA National correspondent Jim Malone has more from Washington.
Senator Obama condemned racially charged comments made by Reverend Wright in some of his sermons, calling his view of the United States profoundly distorted.
Over the years, Reverend Wright accused the U.S. government of being the source of the AIDS virus and said the 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States were retribution for U.S. foreign policy.
Obama is seeking to become the first African-American president and said Wright's comments offended both blacks and whites and have the potential to widen the racial divide in America.
"Did I know him to be an occasionally fierce critic of American domestic and foreign policy? Of course," Obama said. "Did I ever hear him make remarks that could be considered controversial while I sat in church? Yes. Did I strongly disagree with many of his political views? Absolutely, just as I am sure many of you have heard remarks from your pastors 5, priests or rabbis with which you strongly disagreed."
Wright retired 6 recently and was known for fiery 7 sermons, like this one in 2003 that focused on what he believed were U.S. government efforts to mistreat blacks.
"The government gives them drugs, builds bigger prisons, passes a three-strike law and then wants us to sing God Bless America," Wright said. "No, no, no, not God Bless America, God damn America! That is in the Bible for killing 8 innocent people. God damn America for treating our citizens as less than human!"
Obama met Wright more than 20 years ago and described him as someone who helped introduce him to his Christian 9 faith.
Despite his criticism of Wright's racially-tinged comments over the years, Obama said he will not disown his former minister.
"As imperfect as he may be, he has been like family to me," Obama said. "He strengthened my faith, officiated my wedding and baptized my children. I can no more disown him than I can disown the black community. I can no more disown him than I can my white grandmother."
Obama also attempted to spark a frank discussion of race as an issue in U.S. politics. Obama acknowledged that blacks and whites had different views of the state of the problem, but said the answer was openly confronting those differences to bring the country together.
"I would not be running for president if I did not believe with all my heart that this is what the vast majority of Americans want for this country," Obama said. "This union may never be perfect, but generation after generation has shown that it can always be perfected."
The controversy over Wright's comments has been a major distraction 10 for the Obama campaign in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination 11 with Senator Hillary Clinton.
Obama and Clinton next face off in the Pennsylvania primary on April 22. A new poll gives Clinton a 12 point lead in Pennsylvania as she tries to overcome Obama's continuing lead in the delegate count.
- That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
- We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。
- He was the son of a poor pastor.他是一个穷牧师的儿子。
- We have no pastor at present:the church is run by five deacons.我们目前没有牧师:教会的事是由五位执事管理的。
- Do we show respect to our pastors, missionaries, Sunday school teachers? 我们有没有尊敬牧师、宣教士,以及主日学的老师? 来自互联网
- Should pastors or elders be paid, or serve as a volunteer? 牧师或长老需要付给酬劳,还是志愿的事奉呢? 来自互联网
- 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。
- She has fiery red hair.她有一头火红的头发。
- His fiery speech agitated the crowd.他热情洋溢的讲话激动了群众。
- Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
- Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。
- They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
- His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。
- Total concentration is required with no distractions.要全神贯注,不能有丝毫分神。
- Their national distraction is going to the disco.他们的全民消遣就是去蹦迪。
- 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。