2007年VOA标准英语-Bush Urges US Congress to Act on Terror Surveil

By Paula Wolfson
Washington
19 September 2007

President Bush is urging the U.S. Congress to permanently¹ extend a law that enables the government to eavesdrop² on suspected terrorists. VOA's Paula Wolfson reports Mr. Bush made the case for action during a visit to the top-secret National Security Agency near Washington.

President Bush says the law gives the intelligence community the tools it needs to keep the American people safe.

"At stake in this debate is more than a piece of legislation. The decisions Congress makes will directly affect the ability to save American lives," he said.

The law in question is the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. It was written 30 years ago, long before the advent³ of cellphones and the Internet.

The Bush administration has been pushing for permanent reforms, including provisions that permit wiretaps on conversations and e-mails between people in the United States and terror suspects abroad, without a formal court warrant.

Congress agreed to a six-month revision of the law in August. And the president is pressuring lawmakers to revisit the issue now and to put a permanent reform bill into place before the stop-gap measure expires on February 1, 2008.

"Without these tools it will be harder to figure out what our enemies are doing to train, recruit and infiltrate⁴ operatives into America. Without these tools, our country will be much more vulnerable to attack," he said.

President Bush is also asking Congress to add provisions excluded from the six-month measure. He says the law must block lawsuits⁵ against telecommunication⁶ companies that turned over information for terrorist surveillance without court warrants, and without notifying the parties involved.

Congressional critics say such action is an invasion of the constitutional right to privacy. And they worry the administration's request for leniency⁷ to conduct terrorist surveillance goes too far.

Among those raising objections is Congressman⁸ Jerrold Nadler, a New York Democrat⁹. He says the law the administration wants to extend gives the government unnecessary license¹⁰ to eavesdrop on Americans without court supervision¹¹.

"Let's have some truth in advertising¹². The act gives the president almost unfettered powers to spy without judicial¹³ approval not only on foreigners but on Americans," he said.

White House Press Secretary Dana Perino says the president understands that Democrats¹⁴ have concerns about language in the law that could be interpreted to allow authorities to seize personal information, such as medical records, without a warrant. Perino says authorities are not invading the privacy of individuals. But she adds the White House will consider clarifications that do not weaken the law.

1 permanently   

adv.永恒地，永久地，固定不变地

参考例句：

• The accident left him permanently scarred.那次事故给他留下了永久的伤疤。
• The ship is now permanently moored on the Thames in London.该船现在永久地停泊在伦敦泰晤士河边。

2 eavesdrop   

v.偷听，倾听

参考例句：

• He ensconced himself in the closet in order to eavesdrop.他藏在壁橱里，以便偷听。
• It is not polite to eavesdrop on the conversation of other people.偷听他人说话是很不礼貌的。

3 advent   

n.(重要事件等的)到来，来临

参考例句：

• Swallows come by groups at the advent of spring. 春天来临时燕子成群飞来。
• The advent of the Euro will redefine Europe.欧元的出现将重新定义欧洲。

4 infiltrate   

vt./vi.渗入，透过；浸润

参考例句：

• The teacher tried to infiltrate her ideas into the children's minds.老师设法把她的思想渗透到孩子们的心中。
• It can infiltrate as much as 100 kilometers into enemy territory at night.可以在夜间深入敌领土100千米。

5 lawsuits   

n.诉讼( lawsuit的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Lawsuits involving property rights and farming and grazing rights increased markedly. 涉及财产权，耕作与放牧权的诉讼案件显著地增加。 来自辞典例句
• I've lost and won more lawsuits than any man in England. 全英国的人算我官司打得最多，赢的也多，输的也多。 来自辞典例句

6 telecommunication   

n.电信，远距离通信

参考例句：

• Telecommunication is an industry of service.电信业是一个服务型的行业。
• I only care about the telecommunication quality and the charge.我只关心通信质量和资费两个方面。

7 leniency   

n.宽大（不严厉）

参考例句：

• udges are advised to show greater leniency towards first-time offenders.建议法官对初犯者宽大处理。
• Police offer leniency to criminals in return for information.警方给罪犯宽大处理以换取情报。

8 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

9 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。

10 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。

11 supervision   

n.监督，管理

参考例句：

• The work was done under my supervision.这项工作是在我的监督之下完成的。
• The old man's will was executed under the personal supervision of the lawyer.老人的遗嘱是在律师的亲自监督下执行的。

12 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

13 judicial   

adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的

参考例句：

• He is a man with a judicial mind.他是个公正的人。
• Tom takes judicial proceedings against his father.汤姆对他的父亲正式提出诉讼。

14 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》