約翰·亞當(dāng)斯是美國的第二任總統(tǒng)。他1735年出生于馬薩諸塞州。他在哈佛大學(xué)學(xué)習(xí)法律,因參加獨(dú)立運(yùn)動(dòng)而出名。他在獨(dú)立戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)期間,作為外交官服務(wù)于法國和荷蘭,并協(xié)助與法國談判和平條約。從歐洲歸來后,他被選為副總統(tǒng),輔助總統(tǒng)喬治·華盛頓。
Adams served two terms as Vice President. The White House describes them as being "frustrating experiences for a man of his vigor, intellect, and vanity". He complained to his wife Abigail about his frustrations with his sense of a lack of power in his position. He said: "My country has in its wisdom contrived for me the most insignificant office that ever the invention of man contrived or his imagination conceived."
亞當(dāng)斯連任了兩屆副總統(tǒng)。白宮將他的這兩次總統(tǒng)經(jīng)歷描述為:“對(duì)一個(gè)男人來說,這是一個(gè)令人沮喪的經(jīng)歷,它消磨了一個(gè)人的活力、智慧以及虛榮。” 亞當(dāng)斯曾向他的妻子阿碧格爾抱怨他所遇到的挫折,因?yàn)樗X得自己手中的權(quán)力實(shí)在太少了。他說:“我們的國家自作聰明,拿那個(gè)最不起眼的職位給我,那個(gè)職位簡(jiǎn)直就像某個(gè)人的即興作品或其憑空捏造出來的東西。”
When Adams first became President, the war between the French and British was causing great difficulties for the United States. It disrupted trade and shipping to the USA and caused fierce rivalries between Americans loyal to each of the European powers. His decision to send a peace mission to France badly divided American politics and he lost the 1801 election to Thomas Jefferson.
亞當(dāng)斯初任總統(tǒng)時(shí),英法戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)給美國帶來了許多困擾。該戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)阻礙了美國的船舶貿(mào)易,導(dǎo)致追隨不同歐洲勢(shì)力的美國人之間的激烈對(duì)抗。他決定與法國進(jìn)行和平談判,而這嚴(yán)重分裂了美國政壇。在1801年的美國總統(tǒng)大選中,亞當(dāng)斯輸給了托馬斯·杰斐遜。
Adams retired from political life and returned to his farm. He will be remembered as being one of the key Founding Fathers of the United States and for the first U.S. politician to start apolitical dynasty – his son John Quincy became America's sixth President. Adams died on July 4, 1826. His most memorable words are: "People and nations are forged in the fires of adversity."
亞當(dāng)斯退出政壇后回到了他的農(nóng)場(chǎng)。他將作為美國最重要的開國元?jiǎng)字弧㈤_啟美國政治王朝的第一人而被人們銘記——他的兒子約翰·昆西·亞當(dāng)斯當(dāng)選為美國第6任總統(tǒng)。1826年7月4日,亞當(dāng)斯逝世。他最著名的話是:“人民與國家都是在烈火中涅槃重生的。”