2007年VOA标准英语-US Ethics Reform - Is New Law Enough?

By Jim Fry
Washington, D.C.
03 August 2007
 

The U.S. Senate Thursday decisively adopted a new ethics² law that supporters call the most sweeping³ reform in more than a generation. The Senate voted only two days after the House of Representatives overwhelmingly endorsed⁴ legislation that governs the relationship between politics and money in Washington, D.C. VOA'S Jim Fry reports.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she delivered on her election promise to end a so-called "culture of corruption⁵."

At the U.S. Capitol, power often intersects with money. Lobbyists who need access give campaign money to lawmakers facing reelection. Critics say disgraced lobbyist Jack⁶ Abramoff - now in prison after a corruption probe - is the symbol of an era in which big money led to abuse.

Long time House Republican leader Tom DeLay resigned amidst allegations involving ties to Abramoff. Republican House member Randy "Duke" Cunningham last year pleaded guilty to accepting a bribe⁷ as did another Republican colleague Bob Ney. In June, Democrat⁸ William Jefferson of Louisiana pleaded not guilty to charges he took illegal payoffs.

Congressional scholar Norm Ornstein says the Congressional ethics legislation expands disclosure by lawmakers and lobbyists.  "This is a big step in the right direction," says Ornstein.

Lobbyists must report when they bundle large sums of campaign cash for lawmakers.

Gifts and free travel from lobbyists are banned.

Members of Congress also must disclose so-called earmarks, spending items inserted into law by individual lawmakers sometimes seeking to reward campaign contributors.

As the Senate gave overwhelming approval, some reformers claimed victory. "The result is a bill that by any measure must be considered landmark⁹ legislation," said Democrat Russ Feingold.

But even as Congress moved toward ethics reform this week, the FBI raided the Alaska home of a prominent Republican senator. Investigators¹⁰ are probing Ted¹ Stevens' ties to an oil services contractor¹¹ who pleaded guilty to bribing¹² state lawmakers. The contractor oversaw¹³ a project to renovate¹⁴ Stevens' home.

In the Senate, leaders of both parties gave comfort to their colleague, among them Democratic leader Harry¹⁵ Reid and the top Republican, Mitch McConnell. "Senator Stevens has four decades of service in the United States Senate," noted¹⁶ McConnell.

Some Senators claim the new ethics law will still allow leaders to hide earmarks from the public. "What this bill does is create a lie," said Tom Coburn of Oklahoma. "That is what it is. It is not anything less than that."

Lawyer Melanie Sloan

Lawyer Melanie Sloan heads Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. She says the legislation is full of loopholes not only on earmarks but also on campaign bundling, and she says there is no new enforcement mechanism¹⁷. "Watchdog groups like mine would like to see an 'office of public integrity,'" she said, "an outside entity¹⁸ that is responsible for investigating ethics complaints."

Democratic leader Harry Reid promised the Senate would fix any shortcomings in the new ethics law, but the American Enterprise Institute's Norm Ornstein says all the rules and laws will never be enough.

"You are never going to solve a corruption problem when you have a place that is full of money and power," says Ornstein.

Watchdogs worry a new ethics law - even though imperfect - will reduce the pressure on Congress to continue the cleanup.

 

1 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。

2 ethics   

n.伦理学；伦理观，道德标准

参考例句：

• The ethics of his profession don't permit him to do that.他的职业道德不允许他那样做。
• Personal ethics and professional ethics sometimes conflict.个人道德和职业道德有时会相互抵触。

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 endorsed   

vt.& vi.endorse的过去式或过去分词形式v.赞同( endorse的过去式和过去分词 )；在（尤指支票的）背面签字；在（文件的）背面写评论；在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品

参考例句：

• The committee endorsed an initiative by the chairman to enter discussion about a possible merger. 委员会通过了主席提出的新方案，开始就可能进行的并购进行讨论。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The government has broadly endorsed a research paper proposing new educational targets for 14-year-olds. 政府基本上支持建议对14 岁少年实行新教育目标的研究报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

6 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

7 bribe   

n.贿赂；v.向…行贿，买通

参考例句：

• He tried to bribe the policeman not to arrest him.他企图贿赂警察不逮捕他。
• He resolutely refused their bribe.他坚决不接受他们的贿赂。

8 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

9 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
• The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

10 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 contractor   

n.订约人，承包人，收缩肌

参考例句：

• The Tokyo contractor was asked to kick $ 6000 back as commission.那个东京的承包商被要求退还6000美元作为佣金。
• The style of house the contractor builds depends partly on the lay of the land.承包商所建房屋的式样，有几分要看地势而定。

12 bribing   

贿赂

参考例句：

• He tried to escape by bribing the guard. 他企图贿赂警卫而逃走。
• Always a new way of bribing unknown and maybe nonexistent forces. 总是用诸如此类的新方法来讨好那不知名的、甚或根本不存在的魔力。 来自英汉非文学 - 科幻

13 oversaw   

v.监督，监视( oversee的过去式 )

参考例句：

• He will go down as the president who oversaw two historic transitions. 他将作为见证了巴西两次历史性转变的总统，安然引退。 来自互联网
• Dixon oversaw the project as creative director of Design Research Studio. 狄克逊监督项目的创意总监设计研究工作室。 来自互联网

14 renovate   

vt.更新，革新，刷新

参考例句：

• The couple spent thousands renovating the house.这对夫妇花了几千元来翻新房子。
• They are going to renovate the old furniture.他们准备将旧家具整修一番。

15 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

16 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

17 mechanism   

n.机械装置；机构，结构

参考例句：

• The bones and muscles are parts of the mechanism of the body.骨骼和肌肉是人体的组成部件。
• The mechanism of the machine is very complicated.这台机器的结构是非常复杂的。

18 entity   

n.实体，独立存在体，实际存在物

参考例句：

• The country is no longer one political entity.这个国家不再是一个统一的政治实体了。
• As a separate legal entity,the corporation must pay taxes.作为一个独立的法律实体，公司必须纳税。