The Gipper: Ronald Reagan(a)|传奇的美国总统――里根

The Gipper: Ronald Reagan

by William Ryan

As with many political figures, history seems a lot kinder now than when he was president.


  Ronald Wilson Reagan was born on February 6, 1911, in the small Midwestern town of Tampico, Illinois. His father Jack was a tough Irish-American shoe salesman, and his mother Nelle was of Scottish-Irish descent. Young Reagan did not like his first name and used the nickname Dutch during his childhood. His older brother Neil was his only sibling. The family moved frequently within Illinois and finally settled in Dixon, Illinois, a small town of 10,000, when he was nine years old.


  Reagan was a quiet boy who enjoyed playing alone with his tin soldiers and reading books on natural history. Years later, he would remark that Dixon was a great place to grow up, recalling fond memories of playing in the woods, fishing, and swimming in the Rock River. Although racial and ethnic discrimination were widespread there, Jack and Nelle encouraged the boys to invite their African-American and Jewish friends into their home. Both parents of the future American president had very little formal education, and the Reagan family was poor. They encouraged their sons to work hard in school and to make something of their future. However, Reagan wasn't the best student, focusing more on extracurricular activities like football and acting. He took leading roles in several plays, became one of the most popular and well-liked boys in his class, and was elected president of the student body in his senior year.


  Reagan entered Eureka College in 1928. As in high school, he spent most of his time engaging in school sporting activities such as football, track, and swimming. While at Eureka, he organized a student strike to protest a teacher layoff at the onset of the Great Depression. Reagan eventually graduated in 1932 with a major in economics and sociology.


传奇的美国总统――里根

就像许多政治人物一样,今日历史对他的评论似乎比他担任总统时要仁慈许多。

 

  隆纳德‧威尔逊‧里根于 1911 年二月六日出生在美国中西部伊利诺州的一个小镇坦皮科。他的父亲杰克是一位个性相当坚毅的爱尔兰裔美国籍鞋子销售员,而他的母亲妮尔则有苏格兰及爱尔兰的血统。年少时的里根并不喜欢自己的名字,他在童年时光都使用『荷兰人』这个绰号。他的哥哥尼尔是他唯一的兄弟姊妹。他们家经常在伊利诺州四处搬家,最后在里根九岁的时候,他们终于在人口一万人的伊利诺州小镇迪克森安顿下来。


  里根当时是个安静的小男孩,他喜欢独自玩他的锡制玩具小兵和阅读有关自然历史的书籍。多年之后,他回想起在森林里玩耍以及在罗克河钓鱼和游泳的美好回忆,他说迪克森是一个适合孩子成长的好地方。虽然当地的种族歧视情形相当普遍,但杰克和妮尔鼓励儿子们邀请他们的非裔美国人和犹太人朋友到家里作客。这位未来美国总统的父母都没有受过什么正式教育,而且里根一家人相当贫穷。他们鼓励儿子们在学校要用功读书,并且要在未来出人头地。然而,里根称不上是最棒的学生,他较多的注意力都放在象是足球和演戏这类的课外活动。他在好几齣戏剧中都担纲主角,并成了班上最受欢迎和喜爱的男孩之一,他在高三时还被选为学生会的主席。


  里根在 1928 年进入尤里卡学院就读。就如同高中时期一样,他花了大部份时间参与学校的体育活动,例如足球、田径和游泳。在尤里卡学院就读时,他在经济大萧条开始之际筹划了一场学生罢课活动,目的是为了对一位教师被裁员的事件提出抗议。里根最终在 1932 年以经济学和社会学的双主修学位毕业。

 

0

播放音频

The Gipper: Ronald Reagan(a)|传奇的美国总统――里根

开心一读