Οι λόγοι αποδοχής αποτελούν μία πρώτης τάξεως ευκαιρία για εξάσκηση των Αγγλικών μας.

Θ’ αρχίσουμε από τον λόγο αποδοχής του Romney γιατί είναι συντομότερος. Θα τον ακούσετε (και συνιστούμε θερμά αυτό ακριβώς να κάνετε, δηλ. να ακούτε και να διαβάζετε συγχρόνως το κείμενο) στο Youtube αλλά θα τον διαβάσετε παρακάτω:

“Thank you,

thank you my friends, thank you so very much,

thank you

thank you

thank you.

I have just called(1) President Obama to congratulate him on his victory. His supporters in his campaign also deserve congratulations. I wish all of them well but particularly the president and the first lady and their daughters. This is a time of great challenges for America and I pray that the President will be successful in guiding our Nation. I want to thank Paul Ryan for all that he has done(1) for our campaign … and for our country. Besides my wife Ann, Paul is the best choice I’ve ever made(1). And I trust that his intellect and his hard work and his commitment to principal will continue to contribute to the good of our nation. I also wanna thank Ann, the love of my life, … she would have been(4) a wonderful first lady; she is a … . She has been(1) that and more to me and to our family and to the many people that she has touched(1) with her camp.. (λάθος) compassion and her care. I thank my sons for their tireless work on behalf of the campaign and (I) thank their wives and children for taking up the slack as their husbands and dads have spent(1) so many weeks away from home. I want to thank Matt Rhoades and the dedicated campaign team he lead(2). They have made(1) an extraordinary effort, not just for me but also for the country that we love. And to you here tonight and to the team across the country, the volunteers, the fundraisers, the donors,  the surrogates. I don’t believe that there’s ever been(1) an effort in our party that can compare with what you have done(1) over these past years.

Thank you so very much.

Thanks for all the hours of work, for the calls, for the speeches and appearances for the resources and the prayers you gave(2) deeply from yourselves and performed(2) magnificently and you inspired(2) us and you humbled(2) us. You’ve been(1) the very best we could have imagined. The Nation -as you know- is at a critical point. At a time like this we can’t risk(4) partisan bickering and political posturing. Our leaders have to(4) reach across the aisle to do the people’s work. And we citizens also have to(4) rise to the occasion. We look to our teachers,  to the professors, we count on you not just to teach but to inspire our children with the passion for learning and discovering. We look to our pastors and priests and rabbis and counselors of all kinds to testify of the enduring principals upon which our society is built: honesty, charity, integrity and family. We look to our parents, for in the final analysis everything depends on the success of our homes. We look to job creators of all kinds. We’re counting on you to invest, to hire, to step forward. And we look to democrats and republicans in government at all levels to put the people before the politics. I believe in America, I believe in the people of America and I ran(2) for office because I am concerned about America. This election is over, but our principals endure. I believe that the principles upon which this Nation was founded, are the only sure guide to a resurgent economy and to a new greatness. Like so many of you, Paul and I have left(1) everything on the field. We have given(1) our all to this campaign. I so wish …, I wish that I had been(3) able to fulfill your hopes to lead the country in a different direction, but the nation chose another leader and so Ann and I join with you to earnestly pray for him and for this great Nation. Thank you and God bless America. You guys are the best.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Thanks, guys”.

Ας προσέξουμε στο παραπάνω κείμενο τα εξής:

(1) ο present perfect εμφανίζεται συνολικά 12 φορές κι ελπίζω να μην παρέλλειψα κάποια,

(2) o simple past εμφανίζεται επίσης αρκετές φορές για αναφορά σε ένα γεγονός  που έχει πλέον τελειώσει και που είναι χρονικά ή και τοπικά καλά προσδιορισμένο,

(3) ο past perfect χρησιμοποιείται σ’ αυτήν την υποθετική πρόταση (conditional) για κάτι που άρχισε και τέλειωσε στο παρελθόν.

(4) modal verb, can, would.

Αν θέλετε να κάνετε εξάσκηση ακούγοντας τον λόγο του Ομπάμα, τότε βρείτε τον εδώ.