2007年VOA标准英语-Former US President Gerald Ford Laid to Rest in

By Michael Bowman
Grand Rapids, Michigan
03 January 2007

The late U.S. President Gerald Ford¹ has been laid to rest at his presidential museum in his hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan, following a private service at a local church. VOA's Michael Bowman reports, tens of thousands of well-wishers joined a long list of dignitaries for a final farewell to America's 38th president.

 
Betty Ford, seated in a wheelchair, follows her husband, former President Gerald R. Ford's casket at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum on it's way to his interment, 3 Jan 2007
It is perhaps fitting that a president often praised for his humility³ and unpretentiousness was remembered by his family, longtime friends and colleagues at a simple brick church several miles from Gerald Ford's boyhood home.

Two of the late president's sons read bible passages, and three grandchildren offered prayers as his wife, Betty Ford, looked on from the first row of pews.

Former Defense⁴ Secretary Ronald Rumsfeld, who also served in the Ford administration, reminded the congregation of the turmoil⁵ that had engulfed⁶ America when Gerald Ford assumed the presidency⁷ from his disgraced predecessor⁸, Richard Nixon, in 1974.

 
Donald Rumsfeld speaking at Gerald Ford's funeral
"Many here remember what our country was like on the day that Gerald Ford took the presidency," he said. "The pressures were enormous. The stakes were high. The world was watching. And the American people were holding their breath, wondering what would happen next. The words President Ford used to reassure⁹ our country and the American people were plain, and they were straightforward¹⁰. His sincerity¹¹ gave them eloquence¹². Even in a country coarsened by skepticism, few doubted that the gentleman from Michigan would keep his word."

Gerald Ford was America's only president never to have been elected to either the presidency or the vice² presidency. Running to retain the office in 1976, the Republican Ford was narrowly defeated by Democrat¹³ Jimmy Carter.

 
Jimmy Carter 
Mr. Carter journeyed to Grand Rapids and paid tribute to his former political opponent and the friendship they forged over the last 30 years.

"You learn a lot about a man when you run against him for president and when you stand in his shoes and assume the responsibilities that he has borne so well," he said. "Jerry and I frequently agreed that one of the greatest blessings¹⁴ that we had after we left the White House was the intense personal friendship that bound us together. And Jerry never came to the Washington area without being invited to have lunch with me at the White House. As president, I relished¹⁵ his sound advice. And he often, although I must say, reluctantly, departed from the prevailing¹⁶ opinion of his political party to give me support on some of my most difficult challenges."

 
Hundreds of mourners wait outside of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in the middle of the night to pay their respects in Grand Rapids, 3 Jan 2007 
Gerald Ford, who lived to be 93, was buried at his presidential museum, where, before the funeral service, his casket lay in public repose¹⁷ for 18 hours. More than 57,000 people braved near-freezing temperatures to wait as long as six hours to pass by his casket. Ever since the late president's body arrived in Grand Rapids, tens of thousands of people have lined the streets in quiet reverence¹⁸ to view the hearse carrying his remains¹⁹.

As one resident said with pride and great emotion, "America needs to acknowledge a hero."

1 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• 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。

2 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

3 humility   

n.谦逊，谦恭

参考例句：

• Humility often gains more than pride.谦逊往往比骄傲收益更多。
• His voice was still soft and filled with specious humility.他的声音还是那么温和，甚至有点谦卑。

4 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。

5 turmoil   

n.骚乱，混乱，动乱

参考例句：

• His mind was in such a turmoil that he couldn't get to sleep.内心的纷扰使他无法入睡。
• The robbery put the village in a turmoil.抢劫使全村陷入混乱。

6 engulfed   

v.吞没，包住( engulf的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was engulfed by a crowd of reporters. 他被一群记者团团围住。
• The little boat was engulfed by the waves. 小船被波浪吞没了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• 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。

8 predecessor   

n.前辈，前任

参考例句：

• It will share the fate of its predecessor.它将遭受与前者同样的命运。
• The new ambassador is more mature than his predecessor.新大使比他的前任更成熟一些。

9 reassure   

v.使放心，使消除疑虑

参考例句：

• This seemed to reassure him and he continued more confidently.这似乎使他放心一点，于是他更有信心地继续说了下去。
• The airline tried to reassure the customers that the planes were safe.航空公司尽力让乘客相信飞机是安全的。

10 straightforward   

adj.正直的，坦率的；易懂的，简单的

参考例句：

• A straightforward talk is better than a flowery speech.巧言不如直说。
• I must insist on your giving me a straightforward answer.我一定要你给我一个直截了当的回答。

11 sincerity   

n.真诚，诚意；真实

参考例句：

• His sincerity added much more authority to the story.他的真诚更增加了故事的说服力。
• He tried hard to satisfy me of his sincerity.他竭力让我了解他的诚意。

12 eloquence   

n.雄辩；口才，修辞

参考例句：

• I am afraid my eloquence did not avail against the facts.恐怕我的雄辩也无补于事实了。
• The people were charmed by his eloquence.人们被他的口才迷住了。

13 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

14 blessings   

n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福

参考例句：

• Afflictions are sometimes blessings in disguise. 塞翁失马，焉知非福。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We don't rely on blessings from Heaven. 我们不靠老天保佑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

15 relished   

v.欣赏( relish的过去式和过去分词 )；从…获得乐趣；渴望

参考例句：

• The chaplain relished the privacy and isolation of his verdant surroundings. 牧师十分欣赏他那苍翠的环境所具有的幽雅恬静，与世隔绝的气氛。 来自辞典例句
• Dalleson relished the first portion of the work before him. 达尔生对眼前这工作的前半部分满有兴趣。 来自辞典例句

16 prevailing   

adj.盛行的；占优势的；主要的

参考例句：

• She wears a fashionable hair style prevailing in the city.她的发型是这个城市流行的款式。
• This reflects attitudes and values prevailing in society.这反映了社会上盛行的态度和价值观。

17 repose   

v.(使)休息；n.安息

参考例句：

• Don't disturb her repose.不要打扰她休息。
• Her mouth seemed always to be smiling,even in repose.她的嘴角似乎总是挂着微笑，即使在睡眠时也是这样。

18 reverence   

n.敬畏，尊敬，尊严；Reverence:对某些基督教神职人员的尊称；v.尊敬，敬畏，崇敬

参考例句：

• He was a bishop who was held in reverence by all.他是一位被大家都尊敬的主教。
• We reverence tradition but will not be fettered by it.我们尊重传统，但不被传统所束缚。

19 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。