美国有线新闻 CNN 2013-11-04

 Hosting an international event can come with an intense spotlight¹. Yesterday, we talked about some of the challenges that Russia is facing as it gets ready for the next year's Winter Olympics. There's also been a focus on a controversial Russian law that deals with homosexuality. The law doesn't make it illegal to be gay but it prohibits distributing information to minors² that promote same sexual relationships. The law had some people concerned about the upcoming Olympics. What kind of behavior would or wouldn't be acceptable from athletes or fans? On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said everyone would be welcomed at the games, quote: We're doing everything so that participants and guests feel comfortable in S. regardless of nationality, race or sexual orientation³. What kind of impact could President Putin statement have?

 

President Putin is clearly on attempt to cool some of the international anger over Russian's anti-gay propaganda law which makes it illegal to tell children here that gay and straight relationships are equal. It's being blandly⁴ discriminatory. His words are unlikely to be satisfied gay and human activists⁵ around the world who aren't just worried about what this law means during Olympics, they're angry about it's very existence and what it would mean for gay people in this country before, during and after the games. 

 

Next up today, advise and consent. Its phrase out of the US constitution and it's one of the responsibilities of the US Senate. Work like this: the president nominates people to feel certain positions in the US government, then the Senate advises and consents or it doesn't. Senators consider the nominees⁶, ask them questions, then they either confirm or deny the nominees for the jobs. This is Senator Lindsey Gram. He's threatening to block every nomination⁷ from President Obama until he gets the answers about the attack on the US facility last year. 

 

"To this date, we don't have the ...FBI interviews of survivors⁸ conducted one or two days after the attack. We don't have the basic information about what was said of the night of the attack that's been shared with Congress as of this date."   

 

The terrorist attack Senator Gram is talking about is the one on the US consulate⁹ in Benghazi Libya. 4 Americans were killed and Senator Gram says they died in a different way than the Obama administration says they did. He's been pushing to get details on what happened and on the administration's response. He want's the Senate to be able to question the survivors of Benghazi attack. So, what about Senator Gram's plan to block the nominations¹⁰? He could do that. The rule of the Senate allow members to hold up nominations through different methods. It's something Democrats¹¹ and Republicans have done. The goal is to force action or compromise.

1 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

2 minors   

n.未成年人( minor的名词复数 )；副修科目；小公司；[逻辑学]小前提v.[主美国英语]副修，选修，兼修( minor的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The law forbids shops to sell alcohol to minors. 法律禁止商店向未成年者出售含酒精的饮料。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He had three minors this semester. 这学期他有三门副修科目。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 orientation   

n.方向，目标；熟悉，适应，情况介绍

参考例句：

• Children need some orientation when they go to school.小孩子上学时需要适应。
• The traveller found his orientation with the aid of a good map.旅行者借助一幅好地图得知自己的方向。

4 blandly   

adv.温和地，殷勤地

参考例句：

• There is a class of men in Bristol monstrously prejudiced against Blandly. 布里斯托尔有那么一帮人为此恨透了布兰德利。 来自英汉文学 - 金银岛
• \"Maybe you could get something in the stage line?\" he blandly suggested. “也许你能在戏剧这一行里找些事做，\"他和蔼地提议道。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

5 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 nominees   

n.被提名者，被任命者( nominee的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• She's one of the nominees. 她是被提名者之一。 来自超越目标英语 第2册
• A startling number of his nominees for senior positions have imploded. 他所提名的高级官员被否决的数目令人震惊。 来自互联网

7 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

8 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

9 consulate   

n.领事馆

参考例句：

• The Spanish consulate is the large white building opposite the bank.西班牙领事馆是银行对面的那栋高大的白色建筑物。
• The American consulate was a magnificent edifice in the centre of Bordeaux.美国领事馆是位于波尔多市中心的一座宏伟的大厦。

10 nominations   

n.提名，任命( nomination的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Nominations are invited for the post of party chairman. 为党主席职位征集候选人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Much coverage surrounded his abortive bids for the 1960,1964, and 1968 Republican Presidential nominations. 许多消息报道都围绕着1960年、1964年和1968年他为争取提名为共和党总统候选人所做努力的失败。 来自辞典例句

11 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》