STEVE EMBER: Welcome to THE MAKING OF A NATION – American history in VOA Special English. I'm Steve Ember.
This week in our series, we begin the story of America's thirty-seventh president.
RICHARD NIXON: "I, Richard Milhous Nixon, do solemnly swear..."
CHIEF JUSTICE EARL WARREN: "That you will faithfully execute the office..."
NIXON: "That I will faithfully execute the office..."
WARREN: "Of President of the United States."
NIXON: "Of President of the United States..."
Richard Nixon was sworn into office on January twentieth, nineteen sixty-nine.
(MUSIC)
Nixon began his presidency at a difficult time.
当时的美国真正处于一个艰难时期。
(Viet Nam War battle sounds)
American forces, allied with the Army of South Vietnam, were continuing to fight against the communist forces of North Vietnam. Thousands of soldiers and civilians were dying. The Americans and South Vietnamese were making little progress, and there were anti-war demonstrations in the United States.
尼克松1969年1月20日宣誓就职。美国跟南越部队一起，继续跟北越的共产武装作战，成千上万的士兵和民众在战争中丧生，美国的反战抗议示威风起云涌。
Anti-War Protesters chanting: "Hell No, We Won't Go!"
There were also demonstrations against racial injustice. The issues that divided the nation also divided families and friends.
此时，美国国内也出现了反对种族歧视的抗议活动。这些棘手的问题不仅让整个国家，也让家庭和朋友之间出现了严重的意见分歧。
At the same time, fighting the war meant there was less government money available to fight social problems.
打仗要花钱，战争的继续就意味着政府能够用于解决社会问题的资金减少。
The last president, Lyndon Johnson, had proposed new legislation to help poor people and minorities. In some cases, Congress approved less money than he had requested. In other cases, lawmakers did not approve any money at all.
上届总统约翰逊提出了一些帮助穷人和少数族裔的议案，有些议案得到了国会的批准，但是拨款数额低于索取数额，另外一些议案则索性一分钱也没有拿到。
The new president seemed well prepared to deal with the difficulties of being president. He was known for his ability to fight, to lose, and to keep trying.
新总统尼克松为解决这些难题做好了充分准备。他向来以坚持不懈的斗志而著称。
(MUSIC)
Richard Nixon was born in California. His family was poor. When he was about ten years old, he harvested vegetables to help earn money for his family. He earned the money that he needed to go to college. Then he decided to study law. He was among the top students in his class.
尼克松生于加利福尼亚，家境贫寒，十岁大就去收割蔬菜，贴补家用，他自己供自己上了大学，大学毕业后就读法学院，成绩在班里名列前茅。
During World War Two, Nixon served in the Navy in the Pacific. When he came home, he ran for a seat in Congress and won. As a member of the House of Representatives, Nixon became known for his part in the Alger Hiss case.
第二次世界大战期间，尼克松加入海军，在太平洋服役，服役结束后，参选国会众议员，进入国会，担任国会议员期间尼克松，因为主持对前国务院官员希斯的调查而知名。
RICHARD NIXON: "I am holding in my hand a microfilm of very highly confidential secret State Department documents. These documents were fed out of the State Department, over ten years ago, by communists who were employees of that department and who were interested in seeing if these documents were sent to the Soviet Union, where the interests of the Soviet Union happened to be in conflict with those of the United States."
他曾说过下面这段话：“我手里拿着的这张微型胶片，上面有国务院的机密文件，这些机密文件是十多年前由国务院里的共产党人传出来的，涉及的都是一些苏联跟美国有利益冲突的问题，他们想让苏联得到这些文件”。
(MUSIC)
Alger Hiss was a former official in the State Department. He had been accused of lying about helping provide secret information to the Soviet Union. He denied the accusations.
希斯是前美国国务院官员。他被指控向苏联透露机密信息，希斯矢口否认。
Nixon demanded a congressional investigation. Other members of the House thought the issue should be dropped. But Nixon succeeded and led the investigation. While never convicted of espionage, Hiss was tried and found guilty of lying to a grand jury that investigated the case. He was sentenced to prison.
尼克松要求国会就此展开调查，国会其他众议员觉得应该放手此事，但是尼克松最终胜利了，并亲自主持调查。希斯没有因为间谍罪而受到正式起诉，但是法庭认定，希斯向大陪审团做伪证的罪名成立，将希斯投入监狱。