听力笔记Peoples in America-008 Barbara Jordan

Barbara Charline Jordan (February 21, 1936–January 17, 1996) was an American politician from Texas. She served as a congresswoman in the United States House of Representatives from 1973 to 1979.

 

wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Jordan 

Key Words:

• Baptist
  n.
   施洗约翰,施洗者,浸信会教友
• pharmacist
  n.
   药剂师
• nominee
  n.
   被提名者, 被任命者
   Mark is the nominee for Treasurer.
   马克被提名为司库。
  nominator 
  提名者
• 
  House of Representatives
  n.
   （美国、新西兰、澳大利亚等国的）众议院
  Senate
  n.
   参议院, 上院
   The proposal was approved by both the House and the Senate.
   那项提案在众议院和参议院均获通过。
• legislation
  n.
   法律; 法规
   They began to draft legislation.
   他们开始起草法规。
   立法, 法律的制定[通过]
   He brings in legislation.
   他提议立法。
• the House Judiciary committee
  众议院司法委员会 
   【摘要】 即将由众议院司法委员会(The House Judiciary Committee)提交众议院进行全体表决的 数据库法案，很可能对上述案例没有影响
• resignation
  n.
   辞职
   His resignation left a vacancy on the board of directors.
   他的辞职给董事会留下了一个空缺。
   辞职书
   They handed their resignations to the manager.
   他们将辞呈交给了经理。
   顺从, 听从
   She bore the pain with resignation.
   她默默地忍受着痛苦。
• hearings
  听证会 
    听证程序 
   【摘要】 目前许多司法裁决于实际审判前先进行Markman听证程序(hearings)，以解读申请专利范围。 于该诉讼程序阶段后，专利侵权诉讼 ...
    hold hearings
    举行听证会 
   【摘要】 hold hearings 举行听证会. honor a business agreement 履行业务和约. in damages
   
• Convention
  n.
   (某一职业、政党等的人士召开的)大会
   At the recent convention a declaration was adopted.
   在最近举行的大会上通过了一项宣言。
   习俗, 惯例
   Convention dictates that a minister should resign in such a situation.
   依照常规部长在这种情况下应该辞职。
   协议, 协定
   Japan has signed a convention of peace with a neighbouring country.
   日本已与邻国签署一项和平协定。
• multiple sclerosis
  n.
   多发性硬化
• lessen
  vi.
   变少
  vt.
   减少(某事物)
• separatism
  n.
   分离主义
• pneumonia
  n.
   〈医〉肺炎
   This was a light epidemic of flu and there was no danger if you avoided pneumonia.

 

Text:

 

Barbara Jordan, 1936-1996: A Powerful Voice for Justice and Social Change
Jordan was the first African-American woman elected to the United States Congress to represent Texas. Transcript of radio broadcast: 21 April 2007

VOICE ONE:

I’m Steve Ember.

VOICE TWO:

And I’m Sarah Long with People in America in VOA Special English.  Today, we tell about a woman who worked to make a difference in people’s lives, Barbara Jordan.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Barbara Jordan was a lawyer, educator and member of Congress.  She was well known

Barbara Jordan

for her powerful, thoughtful speeches.  During her long political career, Barbara Jordan worked for social change.  She sought to use her political influence to make a difference for all Americans.

Barbara Jordan became the first African-American woman to be elected to the United States Congress to represent Texas.  In nineteen seventy-four, she gained national recognition as a member of the congressional committee investigating President Richard Nixon.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

Barbara Charline Jordan was born in the southern city of Houston, Texas in nineteen thirty-six.  She was the youngest of three daughters.  Her father was a Baptist minister.  He taught her a love of family, faith, music and language.  As a child, Barbara’s parents pushed her to succeed.

Barbara Jordan said her parents would criticize her for not speaking correct English.  They urged her to become a music teacher, because they said that was the only good job for a black woman at that time.  Her sisters did become music teachers.  Barbara Jordan, however, explained later that she wanted to be something unusual.  At first she thought about being a pharmacist, a scientist who is an expert in medicines.  But, she noted, she never heard of an important pharmacist.

VOICE ONE:

In high school, Barbara heard a black woman lawyer speak.  Miz Jordan decided to become a lawyer.  She attended the all-black college, Texas Southern University in Houston.  She led a championship debating team and became known for her speaking skills.  She finished at the top of her class.  Then she went onto Boston University law school in Boston, Massachusetts.

After she finished law school, Miz Jordan returned to Texas.  She began to work as a lawyer.  She also discovered she was interested in politics.  Her interest began when she helped in a presidential campaign.  She worked to help get Democratic presidential nominee John F. Kennedy elected in nineteen sixty.

VOICE TWO:

Soon, Miz Jordan decided to become a politician herself.  She first campaigned for public office in nineteen-sixty-two.  She wanted to become a member of the Texas House of Representatives. She lost that election, and another election two years later. 

In nineteen sixty-six, she decided to seek a seat in the Texas Senate.  She won.  Barbara Jordan became the first black person to serve in the Texas Senate since eighteen eighty-three.

During her years as a Texas lawmaker, Miz Jordan proposed and helped pass legislation dealing with social change.  She helped reform public assistance programs and protect workers' wages.  She also opposed legislation that would have made it harder for blacks and Latin Americans to vote.

VOICE ONE:

After eight years in the Texas Senate, Miz Jordan campaigned for a seat in the United States House of Representatives.  She won easily.  She was the first woman and first black to be elected to Congress to represent Texas. 

In Congress, Miz Jordan spoke for the poor, for women, for African-Americans and Latin Americans.  She believed strongly, however, in being loyal to her state and her political party.  She considered the interests of the people of Texas before those of any other group.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

In nineteen seventy-four, Congresswoman Jordan was a member of the House Judiciary committee.  The committee was investigating evidence of wrongdoing by then President Richard Nixon.  The Congressional hearings into the situation known as Watergate were broadcast on national television.

During the Watergate hearings, Miz Jordan declared her strong belief in the United

Barbara Jordan speaking at the Watergate hearings

States Constitution.  She denounced President Nixon for violating it.  She is remembered still for her commanding presentation at the hearing and deep knowledge of constitutional issues.  The Watergate hearings that led to President Nixon’s resignation made Barbara Jordan known around the nation.

VOICE ONE:

Following the Watergate hearings, Barbara Jordan went on to other firsts.  In nineteen seventy-six, she was asked to speak at the Democratic National Convention which nominated Jimmy Carter. 

Miz Jordan was the first black woman to give an opening speech at the Democratic Convention.  She said members of the Democratic Party believe that the people are the basis of all governmental power.  Democrats believe, she continued, that the power of the people is to be extended, not restricted.  In her speech, Miz Jordan also urged Americans to work for the common good:

BARBARA JORDAN 

"Many fear the future.  Many are distrustful of their leaders and believe that their voices are never heard.  Many seek only to satisfy their private wants, to satisfy their private interests.  But this is the great danger America faces -- that we will cease to be one nation and become instead a collection of interest groups, each seeking to satisfy private wants.  If that happens, who then will speak for America?  Who then will speak for the common good?"

VOICE  TWO:

The fact she was black and a woman did not seem to slow Barbara Jordan's rise.  Her future seemed limitless.  Then, in nineteen seventy-seven, Miz Jordan suddenly announced she was retiring from Congress and returning to Texas.  She later said she felt she was not making enough difference.

BARBARA JORDAN

"If I felt that I could have been increasingly effective in that job, I suppose I would have continued to do it.  But politics is (takes) a long, long time to make any significant, long-lasting difference."

VOICE ONE:

After returning to Texas, Barbara Jordan began teaching about political values at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas in Austin.  Her two classes were so popular, students had to be chosen from a long list. 

At the time that Miz Jordan left Congress, there were widespread reports that failing health was the cause for her decision.  Later, it was announced that she had the disease called multiple sclerosis that affects the muscles.  She had to move about in a wheelchair.  But, she said, the disease did not lessen her thinking or the quality of her mind.  Nor did it affect her ability to speak.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

In the years after she retired from Congress, Miz Jordan made two more appearances at Democratic National Conventions.  She announced her support for the vice-presidential nomination of Lloyd Bentsen at the nineteen eighty-eight convention in Atlanta.  She spoke from a wheelchair.  Her powerful voice was heard once again at the nineteen ninety-two Democratic convention, which nominated Bill Clinton for president.  In her speech, she called for national unity:

BARBARA JORDAN

"We are one, we Americans, we're one, and we reject any intruder who seeks to divide us on the basis of race and color.  We honor cultural identity--we always have, we always will.  But, separatism is not allowed (applause)--separatism is not the American way.  We must not allow ideas like political correctness to divide us and cause us to reverse hard-won achievements in human rights and civil rights."

VOICE ONE:

Barbara Jordan considered herself a teacher first, above all else.  By her example, she taught all Americans about the importance of one's beliefs and the power of truth.  She developed pneumonia caused by the blood cancer, leukemia, and died January eighteenth, nineteen ninety-six.  She was fifty-nine.

VOICE  TWO:

Barbara Jordan was buried wearing the Presidential Medal of Freedom.  It is the highest non-military honor given to Americans.  President Clinton presented it to her in nineteen ninety-four.  At the funeral ceremony, former Texas Governor Ann Richards said: "There was simply something about her that made you proud to be part of the country that produced her."

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

This Special English program was written by Cynthia Kirk and produced by Paul Thompson.  I'm Steve Ember.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Sarah Long.  Join us again next week for another People in America program in VOA Special English.