VOA慢速英语:James Madison, Father of the Constitution

短语讲解：

1. He grew up in a wealthy family in Virginia and enjoyed reading and studying.

grow up 长大; 向上生长; 成熟
例句：A little trade began to grow up.
小生意开始兴隆起来。

2. For a while, he did not know what kind of career he wanted.

for a while 暂时
例句：For a while she recuperated there.
她曾在那儿休养了一个时期。

3. He studied the confederacies of Ancient Greece and the Holy Roman Empire, as well as the Swiss Confederacy.

as well as 也，又
例句：Let' s share in our troubles as well as in our joys.
让我们同甘共苦吧。

4. “We consider the old library in the Madison house pretty much of a little cradle of our constitutional form of government, because of all of the time he spent.”

because of 因为，由于
例句：He is feeling wretched today because of the rain.
因为下雨，他今天情绪很不好。

5. But, because the delegates to the convention agreed to keep their discussion secret, Madison waited until all the delegates had died – including himself – to allow his notes to be made public.

agree to 同意
例句：We cannot agree to consign the goods.
我们不同意寄售此货。