2006年VOA标准英语-President Bush Urges Congress to Act on Im

By Michael Bowman
White House
20 May 2006
 

President Bush at the US Border Patrol station in Yuma, Arizona   
  
President Bush says it is time for Congress to enact¹ comprehensive immigration reform.  Mr. Bush devoted² his weekly radio address to the subject, which has provoked intense debate and massive demonstrations³ across the country, and revealed rifts⁴ within the president's Republican Party.

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It is a polarizing question: how to curb⁵ illegal immigration and what to do with the estimated 11 to 12 million illegal aliens already living in the United States.

Last Monday, President Bush addressed the nation on the subject, and has since visited the U.S.-Mexico border to highlight his plan to fix America's immigration system. To date, the House of Representatives has passed a bill that focuses on tough border enforcement. But the Senate has yet to enact a comprehensive measure.

In his weekly radio address, President Bush urged the Senate to act by the end of the month, and encouraged the two chambers⁶ to resolve differences between their bills, so that final legislation can be signed into law.

"Congress is now considering legislation on immigration reform," said Mr. Bush.  "That legislation must be comprehensive.  All elements of this problem must be addressed together, or none of them will be solved at all."

President Bush's proposal calls for deploying⁷ National Guard troops along the vast U.S.-Mexico border, and using advanced technology to monitor the border region. The plan also calls for a guest worker program, cracking down on employers who hire illegal aliens, and providing a rigorous path to eventual⁸ citizenship⁹ for immigrants who have led productive lives in the United States.

Congressional critics, mostly within his Republican Party, say any path to citizenship amounts to amnesty for immigrants who broke the law by entering the country illegally. President Bush disagrees.

"There's a rational middle ground between automatic citizenship for every illegal immigrant and a program of mass deportation," he added.  "Illegal immigrants who have roots in our country, and want to stay, should have to pay a meaningful penalty, pay their taxes, learn English, and work in a job for a number of years.  People who meet these conditions should be able to apply for citizenship. But, approval will not be automatic, and they will have to wait in line behind those who played by the rules, and followed the law."

In the Democratic Party response, California Representative Mike Honda called on President Bush to confront conservative Republicans who want to designate illegal immigrants as felons¹⁰, and criminalize those who aid them. The House bill would do just that.

"The president has failed to lead, failed to take a clear position, failed to secure our borders, and stood on the sidelines while his Republican Party has raised harsh anti-immigrant rhetoric¹¹ and moved to divide the American people for political gain," said Mr. Honda.  "As the Senate continues to consider comprehensive immigration reform, the president needs to stand up to the far-right [conservative Republicans]."

The immigration debate is playing out against the backdrop of campaigning for congressional elections in November. President Bush hopes to unite his party, and to show results on important issues to the American people.

1 enact   

vt.制定(法律)；上演，扮演

参考例句：

• The U.S. Congress has exclusive authority to enact federal legislation.美国国会是唯一有权颁布联邦法律的。
• For example,a country can enact laws and economic policies to attract foreign investment fairly quickly.例如一个国家可以很快颁布吸引外资的法令和经济政策。

2 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

3 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

4 rifts   

n.裂缝( rift的名词复数 )；裂隙；分裂；不和

参考例句：

• After that, through the rifts in the inky clouds sparkled redder and yet more luminous particles. 然后在几条墨蓝色云霞的隙缝里闪出几个更红更亮的小片。 来自汉英文学 - 现代散文
• The Destinies mend rifts in time as man etches fate. 当人类想要再次亵渎命运的时候，命运及时修正了这些裂痕。 来自互联网

5 curb   

n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制

参考例句：

• I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
• You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。

6 chambers   

n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅

参考例句：

• The body will be removed into one of the cold storage chambers. 尸体将被移到一个冷冻间里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Mr Chambers's readable book concentrates on the middle passage: the time Ransome spent in Russia. Chambers先生的这本值得一看的书重点在中间：Ransome在俄国的那几年。 来自互联网

7 deploying   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的现在分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Provides support for developing and deploying distributed, component-based applications. 为开发和部署基于组件的分布式应用程序提供支持。
• Advertisement, publishing, repair, and install-on-demand are all available when deploying your application. 在部署应用程序时提供公布、发布、修复和即需即装功能。

8 eventual   

adj.最后的，结局的，最终的

参考例句：

• Several schools face eventual closure.几所学校面临最终关闭。
• Both parties expressed optimism about an eventual solution.双方对问题的最终解决都表示乐观。

9 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。

10 felons   

n.重罪犯( felon的名词复数 )；瘭疽；甲沟炎；指头脓炎

参考例句：

• Aren't those the seats they use for transporting convicted felons? 这些坐位不是他们用来押运重犯的吗？ 来自电影对白
• House Republicans talk of making felons out of the undocumented and those who help them. 众议院共和党议员正商议对未登记的非法移民以及包庇他们的人课以重罪。 来自互联网

11 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。