当我们要学习英语演讲稿，对英语演讲稿:西奥多·罗斯福 The Man with the Muck-rake的了解是不能避免的，下面请阅读英语演讲稿:西奥多·罗斯福 The Man with the Muck-rake
theodore"teddy"roosevelt
themanwiththemuck-rake
delivered14april1906
演讲者简介：西奥多·罗斯福(英文：theodoreroosevelt，又译狄奥多·罗斯福，人称老罗斯福，昵称泰迪(teddy)，1858年10月27日-1919年1月6日)，美国军事家、政治家，第26任总统。
关于耙粪记者的相关背景介绍：
所谓“耙粪记者/耙粪运动”(muckraker)，也称黑幕揭发记者/运动，是指美国19世纪末20世纪初掀起的一股新闻报道浪潮，一些记者和报刊致力于深入调查报道黑幕，揭发丑闻，对社会阴暗面进行揭示。其名称源于西奥多·罗斯福总统的一次演讲。此演讲中，罗斯福将20世纪初一批致力于揭丑、暴露、煽情等报道的记者，比作英国作家约翰·班扬小说《天路历程》中的一个反派人物，他从不仰望天空，只是手拿粪耙，埋头打扫地上的秽物。但是被批评的揭丑记者却不以为然，反而欣然接受这个称号。后来，人们便将这种新闻及报道这些新闻的记者和报刊称为耙粪运动、耙粪记者、耙粪报刊等，就如同人们将赫斯特报刊的煽情报道成为黄色新闻一样。
overacenturyagowashingtonlaidthecornerstoneofthecapitolinwhatwasthenlittlemorethanatractofwoodedwildernessherebesidethepotomac.wenowfinditnecessarytoprovidebygreatadditionalbuildingsforthebusinessofthegovernment.
thisgrowthintheneedforthehousingofthegovernmentisbutaproofandexampleofthewayinwhichthenationhasgrownandthesphereofactionofthenationalgovernmenthasgrown.wenowadministertheaffairsofanationinwhichtheextraordinarygrowthofpopulationhasbeenoutstrippedbythegrowthofwealthincomplexinterests.thematerialproblemsthatfaceustodayarenotsuchastheywereinwashington'stime,buttheunderlyingfactsofhumannaturearethesamenowastheywerethen.underalteredexternalformwewarwiththesametendenciestowardevilthatwereevidentinwashington'stime,andarehelpedbythesametendenciesforgood.itisaboutsomeofthesethatiwishtosayawordtoday.
inbunyan's"pilgrim'sprogress"youmayrecallthedescriptionofthemanwiththemuckrake,themanwhocouldlooknowaybutdownward,withthemuckrakeinhishand;whowasofferedacelestialcrownforhismuckrake,butwhowouldneitherlookupnorregardthecrownhewasoffered,butcontinuedtoraketohimselfthefilthofthefloor.
in"pilgrim'sprogress"themanwiththemuckrakeissetforthastheexampleofhimwhosevisionisfixedoncarnalinsteadofspiritualthings.yethealsotypifiesthemanwhointhislifeconsistentlyrefusestoseeaughtthatislofty,andfixeshiseyeswithsolemnintentnessonlyonthatwhichisvileanddebasing.
now,itisverynecessarythatweshouldnotflinchfromseeingwhatisvileanddebasing.thereisfilthonthefloor,anditmustbescrapedupwiththemuckrake;andtherearetimesandplaceswherethisserviceisthemostneededofalltheservicesthatcanbeperformed.butthemanwhoneverdoesanythingelse,whoneverthinksorspeaksorwrites,saveofhisfeatswiththemuckrake,speedilybecomes,notahelpbutoneofthemostpotentforcesforevil.
thereareinthebodypolitic,economicandsocial,manyandgraveevils,andthereisurgentnecessityforthesternestwaruponthem.thereshouldberelentlessexposureofandattackuponeveryevilman,whetherpoliticianorbusinessman,everyevilpractice,whetherinpolitics,business,orsociallife.ihailasabenefactoreverywriterorspeaker,everymanwho,ontheplatformorinabook,magazine,ornewspaper,withmercilessseveritymakessuchattack,providedalwaysthatheinhisturnremembersthattheattackisofuseonlyifitisabsolutelytruthful.
theliarisnowhitbetterthanthethief,andifhismendacitytakestheformofslanderhemaybeworsethanmostthieves.itputsapremiumuponknaveryuntruthfullytoattackanhonestman,orevenwithhystericalexaggerationtoassailabadmanwithuntruth.
anepidemicofindiscriminateassaultuponcharacterdoesnogood,butverygreatharm.thesoulofeveryscoundrelisgladdenedwheneveranhonestmanisassailed,orevenwhenascoundrelisuntruthfullyassailed.
now,itiseasytotwistoutofshapewhatihavejustsaid,easytoaffecttomisunderstandit,andifitisslurredoverinrepetitionnotdifficultreallytomisunderstandit.somepersonsaresincerelyincapableofunderstandingthattodenouncemudslingingdoesnotmeantheendorsementofwhitewashing;andboththeinterestedindividualswhoneedwhitewashingandthoseotherswhopracticemudslingingliketoencouragesuchconfusionofideas.
oneofthechiefcountsagainstthosewhomakeindiscriminateassaultuponmeninbusinessormeninpubliclifeisthattheyinviteareactionwhichissuretotellpowerfullyinfavoroftheunscrupulousscoundrelwhoreallyoughttobeattacked,whooughttobeexposed,whoought,ifpossible,tobeputinthepenitentiary.ifaristidesispraisedovermuchasjust,peoplegettiredofhearingit;andover-censureoftheunjustfinallyandfromsimilarreasonsresultsintheirfavor.
anyexcessisalmostsuretoinviteareaction;and,unfortunately,thereactionsinsteadoftakingtheformofpunishmentofthoseguiltyoftheexcess,isapttotaketheformeitherofpunishmentoftheunoffendingorofgivingimmunity,andevenstrength,tooffenders.theefforttomakefinancialorpoliticalprofitoutofthedestructionofcharactercanonlyresultinpubliccalamity.grossandrecklessassaultsoncharacter,whetheronthestumporinnewspaper,magazine,orbook,createamorbidandviciouspublicsentiment,andatthesametimeactasaprofounddeterrenttoablemenofnormalsensitivenessandtendtopreventthemfromenteringthepublicserviceatanyprice.
asaninstanceinpoint,imaymentionthatoneseriousdifficultyencounteredingettingtherighttypeofmentodigthepanamacanalisthecertaintythattheywillbeexposed,bothwithout,and,iamsorrytosay,sometimeswithin,congress,toutterlyrecklessassaultsontheircharacterandcapacity.
attheriskofrepetitionletmesayagainthatmypleaisnotforimmunityto,butforthemostunsparingexposureof,thepoliticianwhobetrayshistrust,ofthebigbusinessmanwhomakesorspendshisfortuneinillegitimateorcorruptways.thereshouldbearesoluteefforttohunteverysuchmanoutofthepositionhehasdisgraced.exposethecrime,andhuntdownthecriminal;butrememberthateveninthecaseofcrime,ifitisattackedinsensational,lurid,anduntruthfulfashion,theattackmaydomoredamagetothepublicmindthanthecrimeitself.
itisbecauseifeelthatthereshouldbenorestintheendlesswaragainsttheforcesofevilthatiaskthewarbeconductedwithsanityaswellaswithresolution.themenwiththemuckrakesareoftenindispensabletothewellbeingofsociety;butonlyiftheyknowwhentostoprakingthemuck,andtolookupwardtothecelestialcrownabovethem,tothecrownofworthyendeavor.therearebeautifulthingsaboveandroundaboutthem;andiftheygraduallygrowtofeelthatthewholeworldisnothingbutmuck,theirpowerofusefulnessisgone.
ifthewholepictureispaintedblackthereremainsnohuewherebytosingleouttherascalsfordistinctionfromtheirfellows.suchpaintingfinallyinducesakindofmoralcolorblindness;andpeopleaffectedbyitcometotheconclusionthatnomanisreallyblack,andnomanreallywhite,buttheyareallgray.
inotherwords,theyneitherbelieveinthetruthoftheattack,norinthehonestyofthemanwhoisattacked;theygrowassuspiciousoftheaccusationasoftheoffense;itbecomeswellnighhopelesstostirthemeithertowrathagainstwrongdoingortoenthusiasmforwhatisright;andsuchamentalattitudeinthepublicgiveshopetoeveryknave,andisthedespairofhonestmen.toassailthegreatandadmittedevilsofourpoliticalandindustriallifewithsuchcrudeandsweepinggeneralizationsastoincludedecentmeninthegeneralcondemnationmeansthesearingofthepublicconscience.thereresultsageneralattitudeeitherofcynicalbeliefinandindifferencetopubliccorruptionorelseofadistrustfulinabilitytodiscriminatebetweenthegoodandthebad.eitherattitudeisfraughtwithuntolddamagetothecountryasawhole.
thefoolwhohasnotsensetodiscriminatebetweenwhatisgoodandwhatisbadiswellnighasdangerousasthemanwhodoesdiscriminateandyetchoosesthebad.thereisnothingmoredistressingtoeverygoodpatriot,toeverygoodamerican,thanthehard,scoffingspiritwhichtreatstheallegationofdishonestyinapublicmanasacauseforlaughter.suchlaughterisworsethanthecracklingofthornsunderapot,foritdenotesnotmerelythevacantmind,buttheheartinwhichhighemotionshavebeenchokedbeforetheycouldgrowtofruition.thereisanyamountofgoodintheworld,andthereneverwasatimewhenloftierandmoredisinterestedworkforthebettermentofmankindwasbeingdonethannow.theforcesthattendforevilaregreatandterrible,buttheforcesoftruthandloveandcourageandhonestyandgenerosityandsympathyarealsostrongerthaneverbefore.itisafoolishandtimid,nolessthanawickedthing,toblinkthefactthattheforcesofevilarestrong,butitisevenworsetofailtotakeintoaccountthestrengthoftheforcesthattellforgood.
hystericalsensationalismisthepoorestweaponwherewithtofightforlastingrighteousness.themenwhowithsternsobrietyandtruthassailthemanyevilsofourtime,whetherinthepublicpress,orinmagazines,orinbooks,aretheleadersandalliesofallengagedintheworkforsocialandpoliticalbetterment.butiftheygivegoodreasonfordistrustofwhattheysay,iftheychilltheardorofthosewhodemandtruthasaprimaryvirtue,theytherebybetraythegoodcauseandplayintothehandsoftheverymenagainstwhomtheyarenominallyatwar.
inhisecclesiasticalpolitythatfineoldelizabethandivine,bishophooker,wrote:
hethatgoethabouttopersuadeamultitudethattheyarenotsowellgovernedastheyoughttobeshallneverwantattentiveandfavorablehearers,becausetheyknowthemanifolddefectswhereuntoeverykindofregimenissubject,butthesecretletsanddifficulties,whichinpublicproceedingsareinnumerableandinevitable,theyhavenotordinarilythejudgmenttoconsider.