美国有线新闻 CNN 2013-02-05

 Now, today, eight senators, four Democrats¹, four Republicans, floated a sweeping³ immigration reform plan, that would among other things give illegal immigrants already in United States a path to citizenship⁴ without first sending them home, they seems to send the signal that mainstream⁵ Republicans maybe willing to compromise on the issue president Obama calls a top priority for his second term.

Here is what the Senator John McCain, one of Senators behind the plan said yesterday.

"Look at the last election, at the last election, we're losing dramatically that Hispanic vote which we think should be ours for a variety of reasons. And we've got to understand that second of all, this we can't go on forever with 11 million people living in this country in the shadows in an illegal status."

Senator McCain is talking about what some call Republicans' 27% problem, president Obama won reelection with a strong support from Latinos, as you know, 71% to Mitt⁶ Romney's 27%. And Romney's poor showing among Latino voters is part of a bigger trend, Republican presidential candidates, they've been steadily⁷ losing a growing share of Latino vote.

Romney had 27%, that was down from McCain's 31% in 2008, which was down from George W.Bush's 44% in 2004. Now with Latino as the fastest growing demographic, it's an urgent call for Republicans, so considering all that, which by the most interesting thing about today's announcement was how much it looks like earlier efforts in immigration reform. Ealier efforts that were hardily⁸ bipartisan with a main sticking point being the "A" word, amnesty.

"So, I have not and I will never support, never have and never will support any efforts to grant blanket legalization amnesty to folks who have entered or stayed in this country illegally."

"I don't support amnesty, I don't support special benefits."

"Essentially⁹, granting amnesty to many illegals, it's really outrageous¹⁰."

"No amnesty, many of them need to be sent back."

Well, you'll notice that ended with senator McCain, that's worth nothing because before senator McCain was supporting a plan that would allow illegal immigrants already here to stay, as he does now, you see there he was against it, but before that, he was for it. Back in 2005, he worked with the late Senator Ted² Kennedy on an immigration bill that was backed by the Bush White House, it would have included what critics called amnesty, only then McCain and others weren't calling it that.

"I think we're after a good start on immigration reform."

"I'm not running to do the easy things, so I defend with no reservation, our proposal to offer the people who harvest our crops, tend our gardens, work in our restaurants, care for our children and clean our homes a chance to be legal citizens of this country."

"On the issue of illegal immigration, a position which, which, a position which obviously still provokes the outspoken¹¹ Opposition¹² of many conservatives, I stood my ground aware that my position would imperil my campaign."

"At a moment of great difficulty in my campaign, when my critics said it would be political suicide for me to do so, I helped author with Senator Kennedy, comprehensive immigration reform."

1 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》

2 ted   

vt.翻晒，撒，撒开

参考例句：

• The invaders gut ted the village.侵略者把村中财物洗劫一空。
• She often teds the corn when it's sunny.天好的时候她就翻晒玉米。

3 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

4 citizenship   

n.市民权，公民权，国民的义务(身份)

参考例句：

• He was born in Sweden,but he doesn't have Swedish citizenship.他在瑞典出生，但没有瑞典公民身分。
• Ten years later,she chose to take Australian citizenship.十年后，她选择了澳大利亚国籍。

5 mainstream   

n.（思想或行为的）主流；adj.主流的

参考例句：

• Their views lie outside the mainstream of current medical opinion.他们的观点不属于当今医学界观点的主流。
• Polls are still largely reflects the mainstream sentiment.民调还在很大程度上反映了社会主流情绪。

6 mitt   

n.棒球手套，拳击手套，无指手套；vt.铐住，握手

参考例句：

• I gave him a baseball mitt for his birthday.为祝贺他的生日，我送给他一只棒球手套。
• Tom squeezed a mitt and a glove into the bag.汤姆把棒球手套和手套都塞进袋子里。

7 steadily   

adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地

参考例句：

• The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
• Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

8 hardily   

耐劳地，大胆地，蛮勇地

参考例句：

• Anyway, we should seriously study the tradition and hardily develop the future. 我们要扎实的学习传统又要大胆地开拓未来。
• He can hardily hold on after working all night for several days. 他成宿地工作，身体都快顶不住了。

9 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

10 outrageous   

adj.无理的，令人不能容忍的

参考例句：

• Her outrageous behaviour at the party offended everyone.她在聚会上的无礼行为触怒了每一个人。
• Charges for local telephone calls are particularly outrageous.本地电话资费贵得出奇。

11 outspoken   

adj.直言无讳的，坦率的，坦白无隐的

参考例句：

• He was outspoken in his criticism.他在批评中直言不讳。
• She is an outspoken critic of the school system in this city.她是这座城市里学校制度的坦率的批评者。

12 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。