VOA慢速英语2015 非法移民现在可以获得驾照

 

AS IT IS 2015-01-19 Illegal Immigrants¹ Can Now Get a Driver’s License² 非法移民现在可以获得驾照

People in the western state of California who are in the United States illegally can now request a driver’s license. More than a million people are expected to seek the special license. California is not the first American state with such a law, but it has the largest number of illegal immigrants.   

Many people began to request licenses³ shortly after the new state law went into effect. Many people stood in long lines. Among them was Christian⁴ Alvarado.

“It is so exciting. For a long time (I have been) waiting for the license.”

Mr. Alvarado entered the United States from El Salvador eight years ago without permission from the U.S. government. Some call such people “illegal immigrants.” Others call them “undocumented immigrants.”

Mr. Alvarado works⁵ as a gardener. This is the first time he has been able to seek a driver’s license in the U.S. He must prove his identity⁶ and show that he lives in California to start the process. He must also take an eye test to show he can see well, and a written test on driving rules. He must also take a driving test to show he can operate a motor vehicle. If he is successful, he will get a driver’s license. Mr. Alvarado says he will then be able to drive without fear.   

“You are always afraid about the police. (They) can stop you and take your car and you have to pay a lot of money to get back the car.”

Police once caught Mr. Alvarado driving without a license. He says he had to pay a fine of $800.

Many immigrants in California drove without a license before the new law took effect. Jaime Rodriguez is one of them. He says he had to drive because of his job, which supports his family.

“You live with fear sometimes, and you need to do it (drive). You need to live.”

Yidara Pisano is employed as a caregiver of children. She says with a license she can drive without fear of having her car taken away from her.

The law went into effect January 1. Tens of thousands of illegal immigrants have requested licenses since then. But some are worried that their personal information will be used to find them and deport⁷ them.

Armando Botello is a spokesman⁸ for the California Department of Motor Vehicles, or DMV. He says people should not be afraid. He says the California DMV generally does not share such information. He says it will do so only if officials request information about someone being investigated for their possible role in a serious crime.

The new license is the same as licenses given to citizens except that it has the words “Federal⁹ Limits Apply.” That means the license cannot be used to travel on an airplane or enter a federal building. Ana Garcia works at the Central American Resource Center. She says some illegal immigrants fear those words will be used to abuse¹⁰ them.

“There’s just also another fear that, you know, they’re going to be treated differently, they’re going to be discriminated¹¹ against or that, you know, or just a regular police officer can, you know, see that they’re undocumented and then call immigration themselves.”

Civil rights groups say police and others are not permitted to act against people who have the special license.

Dan Schnur is a political scientist at the University of Southern California. He told VOA that the main argument against the new law is that it rewards illegal behavior.

But Professor Schnur says public opinion in California has changed. He says young people have different feelings about undocumented immigrants than older Americans. He says young, white Americans generally support immigration reform, including giving driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants.

“…simply because they grew up in a much different type of society, a much more multicultural¹² society, than their parents or their grandparents did.”

Professor Schnur says he believes the changes in beliefs about illegal immigrants that have taken place in California will spread throughout the United States.

Words in this Story

license – n. an official document or card that gives permission to do, use or have something

gardener – n. a person who works in and designs and creates large gardens, areas of ground where plants (such as flowers or vegetables) are grown

deport – v. to force (a person who is not a citizen) to leave a country

regular – adj. normal or usual

reward – v. to give money or another kind of payment to (someone or something) for something good that has been done

1 immigrants   

n.移民( immigrant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Illegal immigrants were given the opportunity to regularize their position. 非法移民得到了使其身份合法化的机会。
• Immigrants from all over the world populate this city. 这个城市里生活着来自世界各地的移民。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 license   

n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许

参考例句：

• The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
• The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。

3 licenses   

n.执照( license的名词复数 )v.批准，许可，颁发执照( license的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Drivers have ten days' grace to renew their licenses. 驾驶员更换执照有10天的宽限期。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Jewish firms couldn't get import or export licenses or raw materials. 犹太人的企业得不到进出口许可证或原料。 来自辞典例句

4 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

5 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。

6 identity   

n.身份，本体，特征；同一(性)，一致

参考例句：

• He never revealed his identity.他从未暴露过自己的身份。
• He showed his identity card and went in.他把工作证亮了一下就进去了。

7 deport   

vt.驱逐出境

参考例句：

• We deport aliens who slip across our borders.我们把偷渡入境的外国人驱逐出境。
• More than 240 England football fans are being deported from Italy following riots last night.昨晚的骚乱发生后有240多名英格兰球迷被驱逐出意大利。

8 spokesman   

n.发言人，代言人

参考例句：

• The government spokesman gave a quick briefing to the reporters.政府发言人向记者们作了情况简介。
• They drew lots to decide who should be their spokesman.他们抽签决定谁是他们的发言人。

9 federal   

adj.联盟的；联邦的；(美国)联邦政府的

参考例句：

• Switzerland is a federal republic.瑞士是一个联邦共和国。
• The schools are screaming for federal aid.那些学校强烈要求联邦政府的援助。

10 abuse   

vt.滥用；辱骂；诋毁；n.滥用；恶习；弊端

参考例句：

• You can't make personal abuse on her.你不可对她进行人身攻击。
• She screamed abuse at me.她尖声责备我。

11 discriminated   

分别，辨别，区分( discriminate的过去式和过去分词 )； 歧视，有差别地对待

参考例句：

• His great size discriminated him from his followers. 他的宽广身材使他不同于他的部下。
• Should be a person that has second liver virus discriminated against? 一个患有乙肝病毒的人是不是就应该被人歧视？

12 multicultural   

adj.融合多种文化的，多种文化的

参考例句：

• Children growing up in a multicultural society.在多元文化社会中长大的孩子们。
• The school has been attempting to bring a multicultural perspective to its curriculum.这所学校已经在尝试将一种多元文化视角引入其课程。