2007年VOA标准英语-Former US First Lady, Lady Bird Johnson Dies

By Greg Flakus
Houston
12 July 2007

Former First Lady and environment champion Lady Bird Johnson has died at her home in Texas. The widow of President Lyndon Johnson was 94 and had been in failing health for some time. VOA's Greg Flakus has more about this remarkable¹ woman in this report from our Houston bureau.

Lady Bird Johnson (2002 photo)

Although she came to prominence² as the wife of a president, Lady Bird Johnson was regarded as a woman of great influence in her own right. She was a strong advocate for such programs as Headstart, to help underprivileged children succeed in school, and environmental protection. As first lady, she started a program of highway beautification that eliminated billboards³ from some stretches of federal roadways.

She was born Claudia Alta Taylor and acquired the nickname Lady Bird at birth when a nurse described the infant as pretty as a lady bird. She was considered shy while growing up in the small east-Texas town of Karnack, but she blossomed when she attended the University of Texas in Austin. That is where she met then congressional aide Lyndon Johnson, who proposed to her on their second date as Mrs. Johnson later recalled in a TV interview. "I think we both knew that we were better together than we were, or would be, apart," she said.

Mrs. Johnson helped her husband both morally and financially in his first run for Congress and was at his side in 1960 as he ran for the Democratic presidential nomination⁴. He lost that to Massachusetts senator John F Kennedy, who later asked him to run with him in the vice⁵ presidential position. Kennedy won the election and Johnson became vice president. On November 22, 1963, President Kennedy was assassinated⁶ in Dallas and Mr. Johnson was thrust into the White House. Lady Bird had now become first lady of a land in mourning.

During her time in Washington, Lady Bird Johnson became known as a strong woman with southern charm and a genteel manner. As first lady she developed her own office within the White House, with two news media representatives to help her champion her causes with the public.

President Johnson chose not to run for re-election in 1968, amid growing discord⁷ over the Vietnam war. After he left office in January, 1969, he and Lady Bird retired⁸ to his family ranch⁹ in the Texas hill country, west of Austin.

After President Lyndon Johnson died in 1973, Mrs. Johnson continued her advocacy of environmental projects and helped establish a wildflower center in Austin that bears her name.

Lady Bird Johnson is survived by her two daughters, Lynda Bird Robb, wife of former Virginia Senator Chuck Robb, and Luci Baines Turpin, as well as seven grandchildren.

1 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

2 prominence   

n.突出；显著；杰出；重要

参考例句：

• He came to prominence during the World Cup in Italy.他在意大利的世界杯赛中声名鹊起。
• This young fashion designer is rising to prominence.这位年轻的时装设计师的声望越来越高。

3 billboards   

n.广告牌( billboard的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Large billboards have disfigured the scenery. 大型告示板已破坏了景色。 来自辞典例句
• Then, put the logo in magazines and on billboards without telling anyone what it means. 接着我们把这个商标刊在杂志和广告看板上，却不跟任何人透漏它的涵意。 来自常春藤生活英语杂志-2006年4月号

4 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• 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。

5 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。

6 assassinated   

v.暗杀( assassinate的过去式和过去分词 )；中伤；诋毁；破坏

参考例句：

• The prime minister was assassinated by extremists. 首相遭极端分子暗杀。
• Then, just two days later, President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. 跟着在两天以后，肯尼迪总统在达拉斯被人暗杀。 来自辞典例句

7 discord   

n.不和，意见不合，争论，（音乐）不和谐

参考例句：

• These two answers are in discord.这两个答案不一样。
• The discord of his music was hard on the ear.他演奏的不和谐音很刺耳。

8 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• 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。

9 ranch   

n.大牧场，大农场

参考例句：

• He went to work on a ranch.他去一个大农场干活。
• The ranch is in the middle of a large plateau.该牧场位于一个辽阔高原的中部。