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1、FromVOALearningEnglish,welcometoTHEMAKINGOFANATION–AmericanhistoryinSpecialEnglish.I’mSteveEmber.Thisweekinourseries,wecontinuethestoryoftheUnitedStatesConstitution.InMayof1787,agroupofAmerica'searlyleadersmetinthecityofPhiladelphia,Pennsylvania.TheyplannedtoamendtheArticlesofConfederati
2、on.Thatdocumentestablishedalooseunionofthe13states.Instead,theywroteacompletelynewconstitution.ItcreatedAmerica'ssystemofgovernmentandrecognizedtherightsofitscitizens.ThatConstitution,withotheramendmentsaddedovertheyears,isstillthelawoftheland.Thedelegatesagreedtostarttheconventionassoon
3、assevenstateswererepresented.OnMay25th,theyfinallybegan.TheygatheredinthesameroomwhereAmerica'sDeclarationofIndependencewassignedin1776.Thefirstimportantdecisionwaschoosingapresidentfortheconvention.SeveralofthedelegatesurgedtheotherstochooseGeorgeWashington.Washingtonwasthemostfamousman
4、inAmerica.HehadledtheforcesthatwonthewarforindependencefromBritain.Thedelegatesagreed.Washingtonwastheirchoice.1learningenglish.voanews.com
5、VoiceofAmerica
6、12.26.12GeorgeWashingtonofficiallyopenedtheconventionwithashortspeech.Hethankedthedelegatesfornaminghimpresidentoftheconvention.Buthe
7、saidthehonorwastoogreat.Heaskedthedelegatestoforgivehimifhemademistakes.Afterall,hesaid,hehadneverbeenchairmanofameetingbefore.Withthosewords,GeorgeWashingtonsatdown.HerearetwoactorsplayingGeorgeWashingtonandJamesMadison.TheydiscussWashington’sroleinwritingtheConstitution.WASHINGTON:“Asf
8、orthatdocument,Imerelystoodbackandletthelearnedgentlemendotheirwork.IbelieveIspokeonlyonceinconvention,andthattoaminorpoint.”MADISON:“Ibelieveyoudoyourselfaninjustice,sir.Aspresidentoftheconvention,youledtheway.”Washingtondidleadtheway,butitwasnotastraightpath.Fromthebeginning,thedelegat
9、esagreedthattheyhadtherighttochangetheirdecisions.Thiswastherule.Theconventiondidnotjustdiscussaproposal,voteonit,andmoveontootherissues.Anydelegatecouldasktoagaindiscussanyproposaloranydecision.Andtheyoftendid.Thesamespeechesthatweremadethefirsttimeweremadeagain.Sodays,e
