美国总统23 本杰明·哈里森.docx

美国总统23本杰明哈里森BenjaminHarrison:Grandsonplaystopmutemaxvolume00:00-10:32repeatByKellyJeanKelly06August,2017VOALearningEnglishpresentsAmerica'sPresidents.TodaywearetalkingaboutBenjaminHarrison.BenjaminHarrisonbyEastmanJohnsonHisfamilynamemaysoundfamiliar.ThatisbecausehewasthegrandsonofPresidentWilliamHenryHarrison.ThatsituationisuniqueinU.S.historysofar.Harrisonplayedanunusuallyactiveroleaspresidentatatimewhenmostchiefexecutivessawthemselvesassimplyadministrators.AsaresultzAmericanwriterandintellectualHenryAdamssaidHarrisonwasthebestpresidentsinceLincoln.ButmostAmericansrememberlittleabouthimzexcepthisconnectiontothepreviousPresidentHarrison,whohimselfdiedafteronlyamonthinoffice.EarlylifeBenjaminHarrisongrewuponafarmintheMidwesternstateofOhioasoneofeightchildren.HisgrandfatherwasnottheonlyfamouspoliticalHarrison.Hisgreat-grandfathersignedtheDeclarationofIndependence.Andhisfatherhadbeenacongressman.YoungBenjaminHarrisonrespectedthesemenandbelievedhehadaroletoplayinhistory,too.Hereceivedagoodeducation,andevenoutsideofschoolhereadmanybooks.HishardworkandintelligencecarriedhimtoMiamiUniversityinOhio,andthentoacareerasalawyer.Alongtheway,hemarriedawomanhehadknownsincehewasateenager,CarolineLaviniaScott.ThecouplesettledinanotherMidwesterncity,Indianapolis,Indiana,andhadasonanddaughter.Overtime,Harrisonsteadilybuiltacareerasapublicofficial.ButhispoliticalpathwasinterruptedbytheAmericanCivilWar.HarrisonrosetotherankofgeneralintheUnionArmy.HefoughtunderGeneralWilliamT.ShermanzandwasoneofthefirstsoldierstoenterAtlanta,Georgiaafterthecitysurrendered.Afterthewar,hereturnedhometoIndianaandcontinuedhislegalandpoliticalcareer.In1881zhewaselectedtotheU.S.Senate.ButsixyearslaterhelosthisseatwhenDemocratscametopowerinhisstate.ReportssaythatHarrisonwasanexcellentsoldier.Buthedidnotenjoyfightingorfindwarromantic.Harrison'slossofhisSenateseatsoonturnedtoavictory.TheRepublicanPartynominatedhimastheircandidatetorunagainstGroverClevelandinthe1888presidentialelection.Cleveland'seconomicpolicieshadbecomeunpopular,andRepublicansworkedhardtosupporttheircandidate.Theysucceeded.AlthoughClevelandwonthepopularvote,HarrisonwontheElectoralCollege.In1889zhefollowedhisgrandfather'sfootstepsallthewaytotheWhiteHouse.PresidencyHarrison'selectionwasamajorvictoryforhisRepublicanParty.InadditiontowinningtheWhiteHouse,RepublicansgainedseatsintheHouseofRepresentatives,heldamajorityintheSenate,andappointedseveralRepublicanjusticestotheSupremeCourt.HarrisonandotherRepublicanlawmakersusedtheirpowertotakeactiononissuesathomeandinternationally.Oneactwastopreserveforests.Harrisonidentified17protectednaturalareas,andhelpedcreateYosemiteNationalParkinCalifornia.HisgovernmentalsoestablishedEllisIslandinNewYorktomakeimmigrationtotheU.S.amoreorderlyprocess.Internationally,Harrison'sadministrationsoughttobuildtieswithLatinAmericancountries.Hisgovernmentestablishedwhatwould,intime,becometheOrganizationofAmericanStates.HisadministrationalsoincreasedtheUnitedStates'globaltrade-aswellasthecountry'snavy.But,forthemostpart,themostpressingissuesofthedaywereeconomic.Thefederalgovernmentatthattimehadanunusuallylargesurplus.Somearguedthatthesurpluswashurtingbusiness.Inanswer,Harrison'sgovernmentplacedahighprotectivetariffonimportedgoods.ThelegislationwasknownastheMcKinleyTariffof1890.OfficialsalsoaimedtolimitthepoweroflargecorporationstocontrolimportantmarketsintheU.S.Finally,theyagreedtorequirethegovernmenttobuysilvertouseascurrency.Theseactionspleasedsomeofhissupporters.But,theymayhavecontributedtothesevereeconomicdepressionthatfollowedHarrison'sterm.Andingeneral,votersdisapprovedoftheamountofmoneyRepublicanlawmakerswerespending.Althoughthecountrywasatpeace,the51stCongressappropriated$1billion.Atthemidtermelections,manylawmakerspaidforallthespendingwiththeirseats.Twoyearslater,votersturnedHarrisonoutoftheWhiteHouse,too.TheyreturnedGroverClevelandtothepresidency.Harrisondidnotexpressmuchdisappointment.Hehadworkedhardtobecomepresidentlikehisgrandfather.Buthefoundhedidnotlikebeingthechiefexecutive.HesaidwhenhelefttheWhiteHouse,itwaslikebeingreleasedfromprison.1.egacyAmongU.S.presidents,Harrisondoesnothaveoneofthemostdramaticbiographies.Thefactsofhislifeshowanintelligent,disciplinedmanwhotriedtolivebyhisbeliefs.Buthewasnotconsideredpassionateaboutmanythings,exceptperhapshisenjoymentofnature.Andhedidnothaveaneasywaywithpeople.Evenhisstaffcalledhim"thehumaniceberg"becausehecouldbealoofandactcoldlytowardpeople.YetHarrison'sfamilybroughtsomewarmthtohisadministration.Hiswife,Caroline,wasknowntobealively,socialperson.ShewasthefirsttoinstallaChristmastreeintheWhiteHouse.SomeofHarrison'sgrandchildrenalsolivedintheWhiteHouse.Harrisonpermittedthemtoplayonthegroundswiththeirpetanimals.DuringHarrison'stermzthefamilykeptagoat,whichthechildrencalled"OldWhiskers."Harrison'stimeintheWhiteHousesawsorrow,too.Towardtheendofherhusband'sterm,thefirstladybecameseriouslyillwithtuberculosis.Formonths,BenjaminHarrisondividedhisattentionbetweenhiswifeandhisjob,andyetintheendlostboth.Afterhistermaspresidentended,BenjaminHarrisonreturnedtohishomeinIndianapolis.Hedidsomeworkasateacherandlawyer,andkeptagoodpublicimageinhiscommunity.Healsore-married.Hissecondwifewasawidowherself,aswellashisfirstwife'sniece.HeandMaryScottLordDimmickHarrisonhadadaughtertogether.ThechildwasonlyfourwhenHarrisondiedfrompneumoniaatage67.mKellyJeanKelly.KellyJeanKellywrotethisstoryforLearningEnglish.MarioRitterwastheeditor.WordsinThisStoryrole-n.apartthatsomeoneorsomethinghasinaparticularactivityorsituationinterrupt-v.tocause(something)tostophappeningforatimeromantic-adj.notrealisticorpractical:notbasedonwhatisrealappropriate-v.togetorsave(money)foraspecificuseorpurposepassionate-adj.having,showing,orexpressingstrongemotionsorbeliefsaloof-adj.notinvolvedwithorfriendlytowardotherpeople