VOA标准英语2008年-Former US Senator Jesse Helms Dies At 86

Former U.S. Senator Jesse Helms, a conservative icon¹ and opponent of U.S. foreign aid, died Friday at the age of 86. A spokesman says the former lawmaker died of natural causes in his home state of North Carolina. VOA's Kent Klein reports from Washington.
　
Jesse Helms (file photo)

"They've got to put up with that right-wing extremist from North Carolina until well after the 21st century, the lord willing," said Helms.

During his 30 years on Capitol Hill, the North Carolina Republican became a powerful voice for a conservative movement that was growing both in the U.S. Congress and across the country. He used his position to speak out against issues like gay rights, federal funding for the arts and U.S. foreign aid.

Jesse Helms was born in 1921, in a small town in North Carolina. He was a journalist, commentator², broadcast executive and banker before winning his first Senate race in 1972. The lawmaker soon became known nationwide as a forceful conservative spokesman, a reputation he kept for the rest of his life. He supported the armed forces, prayer in public schools and other old-fashioned values. He fiercely opposed legal abortion³, homosexuality and government-funded art.

The senator also remained a rigid⁴ anti-communist long after the end of the Cold War. Cuba was one of his favorite targets. In 1996 he co-authored the Helms-Burton bill, which tightened⁵ the U.S. economic blockade around the island. The measure touched off a storm of protest from Cuba's trading partners, like Canada, Mexico and the European Union. Helms was typically unapologetic.

"I've said it before and I'll say it again. Those people [who] are so eager to deal with the bloody⁶ Fidel Castro remind me of a guy named Neville Chamberlain," said Helms. "Remember that name? He was the British prime minister who went over to Munich in the 1930's and sat down with Adolf Hitler."

Despite his power in Washington, Helms had to fight some hard political battles in his home state. He narrowly won re-election in 1984, and six years later faced a tough race against an African-American opponent, Harvey Gantt. That year, the Helms campaign aired a television commercial that showed a pair of white hands crumpling⁷ a job rejection⁸ letter.

"You needed that job," he said. "And you were the best qualified⁹. But they had to give it to a minority because of a racial quota¹⁰. Is that really fair? Harvey Gantt says it is."

Critics charged that the commerical was thinly veiled racism¹¹, but Helms won the election. He beat Gantt again six years later to win his fifth term. After 30 years in the Senate, Helms retired¹² in 2002.

　

 

1 icon   

n.偶像，崇拜的对象，画像

参考例句：

• They found an icon in the monastery.他们在修道院中发现了一个圣像。
• Click on this icon to align or justify text.点击这个图标使文本排齐。

2 commentator   

n.注释者，解说者；实况广播评论员

参考例句：

• He is a good commentator because he can get across the game.他能简单地解说这场比赛，是个好的解说者。
• The commentator made a big mistake during the live broadcast.在直播节目中评论员犯了个大错误。

3 abortion   

n.流产，堕胎

参考例句：

• She had an abortion at the women's health clinic.她在妇女保健医院做了流产手术。
• A number of considerations have led her to have a wilful abortion.多种考虑使她执意堕胎。

4 rigid   

adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的

参考例句：

• She became as rigid as adamant.她变得如顽石般的固执。
• The examination was so rigid that nearly all aspirants were ruled out.考试很严，几乎所有的考生都被淘汰了。

5 tightened   

收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）变紧； （使）绷紧； 加紧

参考例句：

• The rope holding the boat suddenly tightened and broke. 系船的绳子突然绷断了。
• His index finger tightened on the trigger but then relaxed again. 他的食指扣住扳机，然后又松开了。

6 bloody   

adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染

参考例句：

• He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
• He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。

7 crumpling   

压皱，弄皱( crumple的现在分词 )； 变皱

参考例句：

• His crumpling body bent low from years of carrying heavy loads. 由于经年累月的负重，他那皱巴巴的身子被压得弯弯的。
• This apparently took the starch out of the fast-crumpling opposition. 这显然使正在迅速崩溃的反对党泄了气。

8 rejection   

n.拒绝，被拒，抛弃，被弃

参考例句：

• He decided not to approach her for fear of rejection.他因怕遭拒绝决定不再去找她。
• The rejection plunged her into the dark depths of despair.遭到拒绝使她陷入了绝望的深渊。

9 qualified   

adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的

参考例句：

• He is qualified as a complete man of letters.他有资格当真正的文学家。
• We must note that we still lack qualified specialists.我们必须看到我们还缺乏有资质的专家。

10 quota   

n.（生产、进出口等的）配额，（移民的）限额

参考例句：

• A restricted import quota was set for meat products.肉类产品设定了进口配额。
• He overfulfilled his production quota for two months running.他一连两个月超额完成生产指标。

11 racism   

n.民族主义；种族歧视(意识)

参考例句：

• He said that racism is endemic in this country.他说种族主义在该国很普遍。
• Racism causes political instability and violence.种族主义道致政治动荡和暴力事件。

12 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。