William Taft:Heavy

VOA Learning English presents America’s Presidents.
美国之音慢速英语介绍美国总统栏目。

Today we are talking about William Howard Taft, who took office in 1909.
今天，我们讨论的是威廉·霍华德·塔夫脱，他于1909年上台。

In some ways, the story of Taft’s presidency is also a story about Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency. Roosevelt had been president for the eight years before Taft. The two men were friends; Roosevelt was even a mentor¹ to Taft.
从某种程度上来说，塔夫脱的总统生涯故事也就是西奥多·罗斯福的总统生涯故事。罗斯福在塔夫脱之前担任了八年的总统职位。两人也是好朋友，罗斯福甚至是塔夫脱的导师。

But the two men were very different. Roosevelt was energetic, both in his physical abilities and in his use of executive power. His vision for the country was progressive.
但这两人也非常不同。罗斯福精力充沛，不管是身体能力还是执政能力，他持有一套国家进步主义理念。

In contrast², Taft was a more conservative, heavy man who fell asleep in meetings, and who did not make decisions quickly.
相比较而言，塔夫脱更加保守，是一位会议上会睡着的魁梧之人，并且也是一位不会迅速作出决断的人。

In fact, Americans often remember Taft because of his size. His weight changed frequently, but as president Taft usually weighed about 135 kilograms.
事实上，美国人经常由于他魁梧的身材而记得他。塔夫脱的体重经常改变，但当上总统后体重一直维持在135公斤左右。

One popular story claims that Taft got stuck in a White House bathtub. This story is not true. However, it is true that Taft had a special bathtub made for him. Several men could sit comfortably in it.
据一个流行的传闻说，塔夫脱曾经被困在白宫的浴缸里，这个故事并不是真的。然而，塔夫脱确实有一个定制的浴缸，里面坐好几个男人都没问题。

As president, Taft did continue some of Roosevelt’s reforms, but in a more orderly way. He also took some actions that contradicted³ Roosevelt’s wishes.
作为总统，塔夫脱确实延续了罗斯福的一些改革，但是以一种更有序的方式。他还采取了一些与罗斯福意愿相背的举措。

In four years, the two men had gone from political allies to competitors for the White House.
四年时间里，他们两人从政治联盟变成了竞争对手。

Early life 早年生活

Taft was another president who was born in the state of Ohio. He grew up in the city of Cincinnati, along with five siblings.
塔夫脱又是一位出生于俄亥俄州的总统，他和五个兄弟姐妹在辛辛那提市长大。

Taft’s father was a well-known lawyer, public official and diplomat. He was an advisor to President Ulysses Grant.
塔夫脱的父亲是一位著名的律师，政府官员和外交官，担任过尤利西斯·格兰特总统的顾问。

His mother was an intelligent, independent woman who also worked for the public good.
他的母亲是一位聪明，独立的女性，致力于公益事业。

The Tafts had high expectations for their son. He became an excellent student, who went on to study at Yale and then the University of Cincinnati Law School.
这对夫妻对他们的儿子寄予了厚望。塔夫脱成为了一名出色的学生，先后进入耶鲁大学和辛辛那提法律学院学习。

Taft sought a career path that he hoped would lead him one day to the U.S. Supreme Court. He worked as a lawyer, and then as a judge in Ohio. Along the way, he met Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt helped Taft advance⁴ his career as a judge.
塔夫脱所追求的职业理想是终有一天能够进入美国最高法院。他先是当了律师，然后当选了俄亥俄州的最高法官。在这期间，塔夫脱认识了西奥多·罗斯福，罗斯福帮他加快实现了他的大法官职业理想。

But one person was not happy about the career move: Taft’s wife.
但塔夫脱的妻子对他的职业规划并不满意。

Taft had married an intelligent, independent woman named Helen Herron, known as Nellie. She had always wanted to be first lady, and she urged her husband to follow a path toward the White House.
塔夫脱的妻子海伦·赫伦是一位聪明，独立的女人，大家都叫她内莉。她一直想要成为第一夫人，所以力劝她的丈夫向着白宫前进。

In time, Nellie Taft had her wish. In 1900 President William McKinley offered Taft a position in the Philippines. The islands had come under the control of the United States after the Spanish-American War.
最终，内莉·塔夫脱愿望成真了。1900年，威廉·麦金莱总统任命塔夫脱一项在菲律宾的工作。美西战争后，菲律宾一直在美国的掌控之下。

McKinley wanted Taft to help prepare the Philippines to be ruled by civilians, instead of by soldiers. Taft worried he would not like the job; however, he knew that it was a good chance to build a political career.
麦金莱希望塔夫脱帮助菲律宾人实现文治替代武治。塔夫脱担心他会不喜这个工作，然而，他知道这是一次发展自己政治生涯的绝佳机会。

Taft was right about that. But he was wrong about disliking the job. He enjoyed it so much that he turned down two offers to return to the U.S. and serve on the Supreme Court.
塔夫脱完全是对的，除了他不喜欢这项工作之外。他非常享受这个职位，并且拒绝了两份回到美国的工作以及任职于最高法院的机会。

In the Philippines, Taft successfully established courts, schools, a transportation network⁵, and a health care system.
塔夫脱在菲律宾成功建立了法院，学校，交通运输网络，以及健康医疗体系。

Taft did have pejorative⁶ views about the people who lived there – he did not think they were yet capable of governing themselves. But he performed his job as governor general effectively.
塔夫脱对菲律宾人确实有轻蔑的看法，他认为菲律宾人没有能力管理好自己。但他有效地履行了总督的职责。

Taft might have even stayed in the Philippines if it were not for his friend Theodore Roosevelt. In 1901, Roosevelt became president. He asked Taft to become his secretary of war.
如果不是因为他的朋友西奥多·罗斯福，塔夫脱也许还会在菲律宾。1901年，罗斯福当选总统，他任命塔夫脱为战争部长。

Taft agreed, partly so he could continue to supervise the Philippines. But the job also put him in a position to become president himself.
塔夫脱同意了，部分原因是为了继续监管菲律宾，但这项工作也让他自己走上了总统之路。

Presidency 总统任期

William Taft did not really want to be president. But Theodore Roosevelt and Nellie Taft wanted him to be.
威廉·塔夫脱并不是真正想当总统，但西奥多·罗斯福和内莉·塔夫脱想要他当。

During the election of 1908, Taft permitted Roosevelt to do most of the campaigning for him. He spent a lot of time golfing. Taft was the first president to be strongly linked – so to speak – to the sport of golfing. (Another word for golf course is “links.”)
1908年大选期间，塔夫脱允许罗斯福帮他做大部分竞选工作，自己很多时间都在打高尔夫球。可以这么说，塔夫脱是第一位与高尔夫运动密切相关的总统。（高尔夫球场的另一个词是“links.”）

Yet voters approved of Taft. They likely hoped he would continue the reforms of Roosevelt. He won the election easily.
然而，选民们支持塔夫脱，他们可能是希望塔夫脱能够延续罗斯福的改革，他轻松赢取了这次大选。

Once in the White House, however, Taft did several things that reversed⁷ Roosevelt’s positions.
然而，塔夫脱一入主白宫就做了几件与罗斯福政策相背的事情。

First, Taft signed a bill that did not reduce tariffs⁸ as much as many progressive⁹ activists wanted.
首先，塔夫脱签署了一项法案，该法案并没有像许多进步分子所希望那样降低的关税。

Then, Taft removed one of Roosevelt’s friends from a goverment position. Taft believed he was correct in making the move, but Roosevelt and many other Republicans were furious.
其次，塔夫脱解雇了罗斯福一位担任政府职位的朋友，他认为自己做的决定没有问题，但却惹恼了罗斯福和许多其他共和党人。

Some historians say they did not give Taft enough credit for the many reforms he did make. His government pursued a large number of anti-trust¹⁰ suits against big business.
一些历史学家认为他们对于塔夫脱所做的很多改革并没有给予充分信任。塔夫脱政府对大企业发起了大量反垄断诉讼。

It also advanced two Constitutional amendments – one to establish a federal income tax, and another to permit voters to elect senators directly.
塔夫脱政府还提出了两项宪法修正案 —— 一项是建立联邦所得税，另一项是允许选民直接选举参议员。

As the end of Taft’s term in the White House came near, the Republican Party was divided. At their 1912 convention, a majority of delegates nominated Taft for president again. But a number left the meeting in anger. They created a new group, called the Progressive Party, and nominated as their candidate Theodore Roosevelt.
在塔夫脱白宫任期快要结束之时，共和党产生分裂。1912年共和党大会上，多数代表再次提名塔夫脱为总统候选人，但一部分人愤然离席。他们创建了一个新的政治团体称为进步党，并提名西奥多·罗斯福为总统候选人。

Taft and Roosevelt, along with the Democratic Party candidate, fought a bitter campaign during 1912. Of the three, Taft came in last.
1912年大选期间，塔夫脱和罗斯福以及民主党候选人之间进行了一场激烈的竞选，三个人当中，塔夫脱排名最后。

Roosevelt came in second.
罗斯福排名第二。

The divided Republicans had given control of the White House to the Democratic candidate Woodrow Wilson.
共和党分裂将白宫掌控权拱手让给了民主党候选人伍德罗·威尔逊。

Legacy 遗产

Happily for him, Taft’s story does not end there.
很高兴塔夫脱的故事到这儿并没有结束。

Taft taught at Yale University Law School for a while. Then, when a Republican took the White House again, President Warren Harding appointed Taft as chief justice of the Supreme Court. He is the only person to lead both the executive and judicial branches of the U.S. government.
塔夫脱在耶鲁大学法学院任教过一段时间。后来，共和党再次执掌白宫后，沃伦·哈定总统任命了塔夫脱为美国最高法院首席大法官。他是唯一一位领导过美国行政和司法部门的人。

Taft was clear about which one he favored: He was much more comfortable¹¹ as a justice than he was as president.
塔夫脱很清楚自己喜欢哪一个，作为大法官的他比当总统来得更加舒服。

One journalist at the time described Chief Justice Taft as “a smiling Buddha, placid, wise, gentle, sweet.”
当时，一名记者描述首席大法官塔夫脱是“一位微笑佛陀，平和，智慧，文雅，亲切。”

He even lost weight.
他甚至减重了。

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