2006年VOA标准英语-Immigrants Rights Rally Held in Washington

By Michael Bowman
Washington
07 September 2006

activists1 march in Washington " src="/upimg/allimg/070418/1124440.jpg" width="210" border="0" /> Immigrant-rights activists march in Washington

Immigrants and immigrant-rights activists gathered in Washington Thursday to press for legislation that would provide a path to legal residency and other rights for the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants living in the United States. VOA's Michael Bowman reports, the event was held on the mall near Congress, which is back in session this week after an August recess².

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Santiago Carrillo sat near the rally stage with a large American flag draped over his right shoulder. A construction worker and native of Honduras, he specializes in drywall installation and has been employed illegally in the United States for 12 years. He says undocumented workers make enormous sacrifices to come to the United States and help their families, and deserve to be treated better.

"We want to work legally and be able to travel to our home countries and see our families. In my case, it has been 12 years since I saw my family in Honduras. We immigrants are not terrorists. We came to do good, clean work," he said.

It has been several months since President Bush gave a prime-time television address urging comprehensive immigration reform to strengthen America's borders and, at the same time, provide a path to legal status for many law-abiding undocumented workers. Since then, the U.S. Senate has passed a bill that mirrors the administration's proposal. But a House version passed late last year would treat illegal aliens and those who assist them as felons³, and require that undocumented workers return to their home countries before applying for citizenship⁴.

The vastly different bills would have to be reconciled into a single, final bill, pass both houses of Congress and get the president's signature to become law.

Rally organizer Saul Solorzano, who fled El Salvador's civil war more than 20 years ago, says it is important to keep pressuring Congress to act. "I see the benefits of all the undocumented labor⁵ to this country, and I also know how beneficial it will be for the country and for people to have [legal] documents. I think America is stronger if everybody is documented. It is safer," he said.

Immigration has become one of the most-divisive political issues in the United States, one that is hotly debated in many congressional races ahead of November elections. Opponents of the Senate bill say that allowing illegal immigrants to stay would be, by definition, condoning⁶ and rewarding illegal behavior, which would encourage even more people to enter the Untied⁷ States illegally.

President Bush has said that it would not be practical or even possible to deport⁸ America's illegal population.

Previous immigration rights rallies drew hundreds of thousands of participants in Washington, Los Angeles and elsewhere. Thursday's event was far smaller.

1 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》

2 recess   

n.短期休息，壁凹（墙上装架子，柜子等凹处）

参考例句：

• The chairman of the meeting announced a ten-minute recess.会议主席宣布休会10分钟。
• Parliament was hastily recalled from recess.休会的议员被匆匆召回开会。

3 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

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 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

6 condoning   

v.容忍，宽恕，原谅( condone的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• I'm not condoning what he did, all right? 我并不是宽恕他的所作所为，好吗？ 来自电影对白
• Communist Party conservatives abhor the idea of condoning explicIt'sex. 党内的保守势力痛恨对赤裸性爱内容的宽容。 来自互联网

7 untied   

松开，解开( untie的过去式和过去分词 )； 解除，使自由； 解决

参考例句：

• Once untied, we common people are able to conquer nature, too. 只要团结起来，我们老百姓也能移山倒海。
• He untied the ropes. 他解开了绳子。

8 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。