小布什写的老布什的悼词

1、I once heard it said of man that “The idea is to die young as late as possible.点评：即使是在葬礼上，小布什也不忘幽默。The idea is to die young as late as possible.（ 个人应该趁年轻就死去，但是要越晚越好）这句话出自美国人类学Ashley Montagu，在悼 词开头引用这句话可以缓解气氛。同时我们在下文中也可以看到其他句子是如何与它形成呼 应的。At age 85, a favorite pastime of George H. W. Bush was firing u

2、p his boat, the Fidelity, and opening up the three-300 horsepower engines to fly- joyfully fly - across the Atlantic, with Secret Service boats straining to keep up.At 90, George H. W. Bush parachuted out of an aircraft and landed on the grounds of St. Arin s by the Sea in Kennebunkport, Maine - the

3、 church where his mom was married and where hed worshipped often. Mother liked to say he chose the location just in case the chute didnt open.In his 90s, he took great delight when his closest pal, James A. Baker, smuggled a bottle of Grey Goose vodka into his hospital room. Apparently, it paired we

4、ll with the steak Baker had delivered from Mortons.To his very last days, Dads life was instructive. As he aged, he taught us how to grow old with dignity, humor, and kindness - and, when the Good Lord finally called, how to meet Him with courage and with joy in the promise of what lies ahead.点评：小布什

5、回顾了父亲晚年生活中的几个瞬间，包括85岁时开船在大西洋上飞驰，90岁 时跳伞降落到他母亲结婚的教堂，以及在病房里和老友偷喝伏特加。从这些生活细节中读者 可以看到一个有趣的不一样的老布什。当然这里小布什也不忘调侃他父亲：选择在教堂降落 是考虑到万一降落伞没打开，也至少有个安息之处。One reason Dad knew how to die young is that he almost did it - twice. When he was a teenager, a staph infection nearly took his life. A few years later he was

6、 alone in the Pacific on a life raft, praying that his rescuers would find him before the enemy did.God answered those prayers. It turned out He had other plans for George H.W. Bush. For Dadis part, I think those brushes with death made him cherish the gift of life. And he vowed to live every day to

7、 the fullest.点评：One reason Dad knew how to die young 这一句与前面的 The idea is to die young as late as possible.形成呼应，描述了父亲在早年经历过的各种危险。同时，God answered those prayers这一句与前面的动作praying that his rescuers-也形成呼应，使得句子衔接非 常自然。Dad was always busy - a man in constant motion - but never too busy to share his love of l

8、ife with those around him. He taught us to love the outdoors. He loved watching dogs flush a covey. He loved landing the elusive striper. And once confined to a wheelchair, he seemed happiest sitting in his favorite perch on the back porch at Walkers Point contemplating the majesty of the Atlantic.

9、The horizons he saw were bright and hopeful. He was a genuinely optimistic man. And that optimism guided his children and made each of us believe that anything was possible.点评：小布什回忆了父亲生活中的点点滴滴，比如钓鳟鱼，比如坐在轮椅上凝视大西洋。这 一段文字很朴实，但读起来让人感觉很温暖。He continually broadened his horizons with daring decisions. He wa

10、s a patriot. After high school, he put college on hold and became a Navy fighter pilot as World War II broke out. Like many of his generation, he never talked about his service until his time as a public figure forced his hand. We learned of the attack on Chichi Jima, the mission completed, the shoo

11、tdown. We learned of the death of his crewmates, whom he thought about throughout his entire life. And we learned of his rescue.And then, another audacious decision; he moved his young family from the comforts of the East Coast to Odessa, Texas. He and mom adjusted to their arid surroundings quickly

12、. He was a tolerant man. After all, he was kind and neighborly to the women with whom he, mom and I shared a bathroom in our small duplex - even after he learned their profession - ladies of the night.点评：这两段回顾了老布什早年的军队生涯以及离开军队后的日子。对于他在二战中经历的 种种危险，老布什只字不提，直到他参与公职后不得不向外界披露。他在生活中是一个宽容 大度的人，即使对待和他们一家共享公

13、寓浴室的特殊行业工作者们也是如此。Dad could relate to people from all walks of life. He was an empathetic man. He valued character over pedigree. And he was no cynic. He looked for the good in each person - and usually found it.点评：He valued character over pedigree.这里pedigree词的含义是背景，出身”，句子 的意思是“他看重品格而非出身”。he was no c

14、ynic也是一个很简单但很多人不会用的表达， 它可以用来代替常见的he was not a cynic.Dad taught us that public service is noble and necessary; that one can serve with integrity and hold true to the important values, like faith and family. He strongly believed that it was important to give back to the community and country in which

15、one lived. He recognized that serving others enriched the givers soul. To us, his was the brightest of a thousand points of light.点评：这一段对于政府公共服务的阐述很到位，可以背诵下来。In victory, he shared credit. When he lost, he shouldered the blame. He accepted that failure is part of living a full life, but taught us nev

16、er to be defined by failure. He showed us howsetbacks can strengthen.点评：句子最后的strengthen用得很棒，我们更加熟悉的是strengthen的及物动词用法， 但它也可以作为不及物动词使用，setbacks can strengthen相当于setbacks can make us stronger.None of his disappointments could compare with one of lifes greatest tragedies, the loss of a young child. Jeb

17、 and I were too young to remember the pain and agony he and mom felt when our three-year-old sister died. We only learned later that Dad, a man of quiet faith, prayed for her daily. He was sustained by the love of the Almighty and the real and enduring love of our mom. Dad always believed that one d

18、ay he would hug his precious Robin again.He loved to laugh, especially at himself. He could tease and needle, but never out of malice. He placed great value on a good joke. Thats why he chose Simpson to speak. On email, he had a circle of friends with whom he shared or received the latest jokes. His

19、 grading system for the quality of the joke was classic George Bush. The rare 7s and 8s were considered huge winners - most of them off-color.点评:这两段分别讲述了老布什人生中的悲伤和欢喜。最大的悲伤来源于三岁小女儿的去世， 人生中的欢喜在于自己天性乐观，喜欢讲笑话，而且有一群同样喜欢笑话的朋友。George Bush knew how to be a true and loyal friend. He honored and nurtured his

20、many friendships with his generous and giving soul. There exist thousands of handwritten notes encouraging, or sympathizing, or thanking his friends and acquaintances.He had an enormous capacity to give of himself. Many a person would tell you that dad became a mentor and a father figure in their li

21、fe. He listened and he consoled. He was their friend. I think of Don Rhodes, Taylor Blanton, Jim Nantz, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and perhaps the unlikeliest of all, the man who defeated him, Bill Clinton. My siblings and I refer to the guys in this group as “brothers from other mothers.点评:listened, co

22、nsoled这两个词简短而有力。He taught us that a day was not meant to be wasted. He played golf at a legendary pace. I always wondered why he insisted on speed golf. He was a good golfer.Well, heres my conclusion: he played fast so that he could move on to the next event, to enjoy the rest of the day, to expend

23、his enormous energy, to live it allHe was born with just two settings: full throttle, then sleep.点评：He was born with just two settings: full throttle, then sleep.（他从降生起就只有两个设 置：全力以赴，然后完工休息）。这个比喻很有意思，形象说明老布什努力将每一天活得充 实的状态。He taught us what it means to be a wonderful father, grandfather, and great gra

24、nd-father.He was firm in his principles and supportive as we began to seek our own ways. He encouraged and comforted, but never steered. We tested his patience - I know I did - but he always responded with the great gift of unconditional love.点评：He encouraged and comforted, but never steered.（他鼓舞、安抚

25、我们，但从不对我 们进行操纵），encouraged, comforted, steered这三个动词的使用同样令人印象深刻。Last Friday, when I was told he had minutes to live, I called him. The guy who answered the phone said, “I think he can hear you, but hasnt say anything most of the day. I said, “Dad, I love you, and yodve been a wonderful father? And th

26、e last words he would ever say on earth were, “I love you, too.”To us, he was close to perfect. But, not totally perfect. His short game was lousy. He wasn t exactly Fred Astaire on the dance floor. The man couldnt stomach vegetables, especially broccoli. And by the way, he passed these genetic defe

27、cts along to us.点评：小布什在讲这段话的时候台下听众一直在笑，他列举的这些“小缺点能够拉近听众与 老布什的距离，让听众觉得老布什是一个有血有肉的人。Finally, every day of his 73 years of marriage, Dad taught us all what it means to be a great husband. He married his sweetheart. He adored her. He laughed and cried with her. He was dedicated to her totally.In his old

28、 age, dad enjoyed watching police show reruns, volume on high, all the while holding moms hand. After mom died, Dad was strong, but all he really wanted to do was to hold moms hand, again.Of course, Dad taught me another special lesson. He showed me what it means to be a President who serves with in

29、tegrity, leads with courage, and acts with love in his heartor the citizens of our country. When the history books are written, they will say that George H.W.Bush was a great President of the United States - a diplomat of unmatched skill, a Commander in Chief of formidable accomplishment, and a gent

30、leman who executed the duties of his office with dignity and honor.点评：这一段有多处地方运用了排比手法，读起来很有气势。In his Inaugural Address, the 41st President of the United States said this: We cannot hope only to leave our children a bigger car, a bigger bank account. We must hope to give them a sense of what it means to be a loyal