THE MAKING OF A NATION 181 - Franklin Roosevelt and the Firs

THE MAKING OF A NATION - February 21, 2002: Franklin Roosevelt and the First 100 Days

By David Jarmul
VOICE 1:
THE MAKING OF A NATION -- a program in Special English by the Voice of America.
(Theme)

 

The inauguration¹ speech of President Franklin Roosevelt in March, nineteen-thirtythree,
gave hope to millions of Americans. The new president promised to fight the
terrible economic crisis², the great depression.

Roosevelt kept his promise. His administration³ launched⁴ into action even before the
inauguration ceremonies were finished. As Roosevelt and his wife, Eleanor,
watched the traditional inauguration parade, his assistants began working.

The lights of Washington's federal⁵ office buildings burned late that night. And not
just on inauguration night, but the next night and the next night, too. The nation was
in crisis. There was much work to do.

VOICE 2:

The first three months of Franklin Roosevelt's administration were an exciting time. Roosevelt led the Congress⁶
to pass more important legislation⁷ during this short period than most presidents pass during their entire term.
These three months are remembered today as "the Hundred Days. "

Sunday, March fifth, was the day after the inauguration.

Roosevelt told Congress to begin a special meeting on Thursday. And he ordered all the nation's banks to close
until the economy improved. Roosevelt also banned the export of gold.

Congress met on Thursday, as Roosevelt had asked. It passed everything that Roosevelt wanted. Both the house
and Senate⁸ approved Roosevelt's strong new banking⁹ laws in less than eight hours. Roosevelt signed the bills into
law the same day.

VOICE 1:

The next day, Friday, Roosevelt called on Congress to cut federal spending. Once again, Congress met and
approved Roosevelt's request immediately.

Two nights later, Roosevelt spoke¹⁰ to the nation in a radio speech. His warm, powerful voice traveled to millions
of homes. He gave listeners hope that they could once again trust their banks and political leaders. On Monday,
Roosevelt called on Congress to pass laws making it legal to drink wine or beer. And once again, Congress
agreed.

Roosevelt's success in passing these important and difficult laws excited the nation. People across the country
watched in wonder as the new president fought and won battle after battle.

VOICE 2:

Washington was filled with activity. The air was full of energy, like a country sky during an electric storm.
People from around the country rushed to the capital to urge the administration to support their ideas.

Bankers came by the thousands to win favorable¹¹ legislation. Experts of all kinds offered new ideas on how to
rescue the economy. Ambassadors¹² came from Britain, France, Brazil, Chile, China, and many other countries to


speak with Roosevelt on economic and diplomatic¹³ issues. And members of the Democratic¹⁴ Party arrived by the
thousands to seek jobs in the new administration.

Americans watched closely¹⁵ what was happening in Washington. And they liked what they saw. They had voted
for action. Now, Roosevelt was giving them action.

VOICE 2:

One of the most important areas of action for the new administration was agriculture. American farmers had been
hurt more than any other group by the economic depression. The average income of American farmers had
dropped in three years from one-hundred sixty-two dollars a year to just forty-eight dollars. Farm prices had
fallen fifty -five percent. The buying power of the average farmer had dropped by more than half.

Many farmers could not even earn enough money to pay for their tools and seeds.

The main cause of the farmers' problem was that they produced too much. There was too much grain, too much
meat, too much cotton. As a result, prices stayed low. The situation was good for people in cities who bought
farm products. But it was a disaster for the farmers themselves.

VOICE 2:

Roosevelt attacked the problem by limiting production. His administration put a new tax on grain products,
increasing their price and reducing demand. The administration paid cotton farmers to destroy some of their
crops. And it bought and killed five-million pigs to reduce the amount of meat on the market.

It was a strange situation. Some Americans had trouble understanding the economic reason why food had to be
destroyed so people could have enough to eat. But more officials agreed that this was the only way to limit
supply, raise prices, and save farmers.

The plan worked. Production fell rapidly. Hot weather and bad harvests in nineteen-thirty-three and nineteen-
thirty-four reduced the amount of grain even more. As a result, prices rose. Farm income increased fifty percent
in four years.

VOICE 1:

The administration also attacked the problem of falling industrial production.

At the time of Roosevelt's inauguration, American industry was producing less than half the goods that it had just
four years before. Business owners reacted by cutting costs: lowering wages and reducing the number of workers.
This only reduced the number of people with enough money to buy goods. And so production went down further
and further.

The administration created a national recovery¹⁶ administration to allow companies to cooperate¹⁷ to increase
production. Business owners agreed to follow certain rules, such as limiting the number of hours people could
work. They also agreed to raise wages and to stop hiring children. They agreed to improve working conditions
and to cooperate with labor¹⁸ unions.

At the same time, Roosevelt created a public works¹⁹ administration to provide jobs to unemployed²⁰ workers. The
federal government put people to work building dams, bridges, water systems, and other major projects.

VOICE 2:

On money policy, Roosevelt and the Congress decided²¹ that the dollar should no longer be tied to the price of
gold. They passed a home owner's bill that helped many Americans borrow new money to protect their homes.
And a bank insurance bill guaranteed the safety of money that Americans placed in banks, greatly increasing
public faith in the banks.

Roosevelt and the Congress created a new civilian²² conservation corps²³ to put young men to work in rural²⁴ areas to
protect the nation's natural resources. These young men planted trees, improved parks, and protected natural
water supplies. They also worked with farmers to develop crops and farming methods to protect soil from wind


and rain.

VOICE 1:

One of Roosevelt's most creative projects was a plan to improve the area around the state of Tennessee in the
southeastern part of the country. The Tennessee river valley area was very poor. Forests were thin, floods
common, and income low. Few farms had electricity.

Roosevelt and Congress decided to attack all these problems with a single project. The new Tennessee Valley
administration (authority) built dams, cleared rivers, expanded forests, and provided²⁵ electricity. It succeeded in
helping²⁶ farmers throughout the area, creating new life and hope.

VOICE 2:

"The Hundred Days" -- the first three months of the Roosevelt administration -- were a great success. One
reporter for the New York Times newspaper observed that the change from President Hoover to President
Roosevelt was like a man moving from a slow horse to an airplane. Suddenly, the nation was moving again.
There was action everywhere.

Newsman Frederick Allen described the situation this way:

"The difference between Roosevelt's program and the Hoover program was sharp," Allen wrote. "Roosevelt's was
not a program of defense²⁷, but of attack. In most of the laws, there was a new push for the good of the common
man. There was a new effort to build wealth from the bottom up, rather than from the top down." Said Allen:
"there was a new willingness to expand the limits of government."

(Theme)

VOICE 1:

You have been listening to the Special English program THE MAKING OF A NATION. Your reporters were
Harry²⁸ Monroe and Rich Kleinfeldt. Our program was written by David Jarmul.

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1 inauguration   

n.开幕、就职典礼

参考例句：

• The inauguration of a President of the United States takes place on January 20.美国总统的就职典礼于一月二十日举行。
• Three celebrated tenors sang at the president's inauguration.3位著名的男高音歌手在总统就职仪式上演唱。

2 crisis   

n.危机，危急关头，决定性时刻，关键阶段

参考例句：

• He had proved that he could be relied on in a crisis.他已表明，在紧要关头他是可以信赖的。
• The topic today centers about the crisis in the Middle East.今天课题的中心是中东危机。

3 administration   

n.经营，管理；行政，行政机关，管理部门

参考例句：

• Who is in charge of the administration of your company?你们公司的行政工作由谁负责？
• The teachers are responsible to the school administration.教师向学校行政负责。

4 launched   

v.发射( launch的过去式和过去分词 )；[计算机]开始（应用程序）；发动；开展（活动、计划等）

参考例句：

• He launched a bitter diatribe against the younger generation. 他对年轻一代发起了猛烈的抨击。
• The product was launched amid much fanfare worldwide. 这个产品在世界各地隆重推出。

5 federal   

adj.联盟的；联邦的；(美国)联邦政府的

参考例句：

• Switzerland is a federal republic.瑞士是一个联邦共和国。
• The schools are screaming for federal aid.那些学校强烈要求联邦政府的援助。

6 Congress   

n.(代表)大会；(C-:美国等国的)国会，议会

参考例句：

• There were some days to wait before the Congress.大会的召开还有几天时间。
• After 18 years in Congress,he intented to return to private life.在国会供职18年后，他打算告老还乡。

7 legislation   

n.立法，法律的制定；法规，法律

参考例句：

• They began to draft legislation.他们开始起草法规。
• The liberals band together against the new legislation.自由党员联合一致反对新的立法。

8 senate   

n.参议院，上院

参考例句：

• They feel deeply the honour of belonging to the Senate.他们为作为参议院的成员而深感荣幸。
• His unsuccessful senate run was his last hurrah.这次失败的参议员竞选是他最后的尝试。

9 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

10 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

11 favorable   

adj.赞成的，赞成的；有利的，良好的，顺利的

参考例句：

• The book received a favorable review.这本书赢得了好评。
• Each nation suppressed news that was not favorable to it.每个国家都扣留对它不利的消息。

12 ambassadors   

大使( ambassador的名词复数 )； （派驻联合国等国际组织的）代表； 特使； [比喻]使者

参考例句：

• Kennedy, greatly admiring, rated him very high among his ambassadors. 肯尼迪十分赏识他，在所有大使中对他评价很高。
• Many countries were represented by their ambassadors at the Independence Day celebrations. 庆祝美国独立纪念日时，许多国家都派其大使代表参加。

13 diplomatic   

adj.外交的，从事外交的，策略的，有手腕的

参考例句：

• There are certain forms that must be followed in diplomatic circles.在外交界有一些礼节是必须遵守的。
• You must be more diplomatic in handling the situation.你在处理这一情况时，必须圆滑。

14 democratic   

adj.民主的；民主主义的，有民主精神的

参考例句：

• Their country has democratic government.他们国家实行民主政体。
• He has a democratic work-style.他作风民主。

15 closely   

adv.紧密地；严密地，密切地

参考例句：

• We shall follow closely the development of the situation.我们将密切注意形势的发展。
• The two companies are closely tied up with each other.这两家公司之间有密切联系。

16 recovery   

n.恢复，痊愈；追回，寻回，收复

参考例句：

• The doctors said that his recovery was a miracle. 医生们说他的复原是件奇事。
• The quick recovery was truly in response to medication.这次迅速康复确实是对药物治疗的反应。

17 cooperate   

vi.合作，协作，相配合

参考例句：

• We hope we can cooperate even more closely in the future.希望我们今后能更加密切地合作。
• I hope you can cooperate on this matter.我希望你在这件事上能给予合作。

18 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

19 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。

20 unemployed   

adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的

参考例句：

• There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
• The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。

21 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

22 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

23 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

24 rural   

adj.乡下的，田园的，乡村风味的

参考例句：

• He lived a rural life.他过着田园生活。
• We left the city for a rural home.我们离开城市，去农村安家。

25 provided   

conj.假如，若是；adj.预备好的，由...供给的

参考例句：

• Provided it's fine we will have a pleasant holiday.如果天气良好，我们的假日将过得非常愉快。
• I will come provided that it's not raining tomorrow.如果明天不下雨，我就来。

26 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

27 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

28 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。