VOA慢速英语2017 副总统打破参议院投票僵局：批准新任教育部长（在线收听）

Vice President Breaks Senate Tie to Approve New Secretary of Education 副总统打破参议院投票僵局：批准新任教育部长

The United States Senate has narrowly approved Betsy DeVos to lead the federal Department of Education.

美国参议院勉强批准贝琪·德沃斯领导联邦教育部。

DeVos will join President Donald Trump’s new cabinet.

德沃斯将加入唐纳德·特朗普总统的新内阁。

Cabinet members are among the president’s closest advisers. The president nominates them, but they need congressional approval before taking office.

内阁成员是总统的心腹顾问。总统提名他们，但他们在上任前需要国会的批准。

As the secretary of education, DeVos will oversee the nation’s schools. She will also assist the president with education policy and legislation.

作为教育部长，德沃斯将监管全国的学校。她还将在制定教育政策和立法方面协助总统。

If that job description sounds relatively simple, the path to DeVos’ congressional approval was not. She has been one of Trump’s most controversial cabinet choices – if not the most.

如果这样的职位描述听起来相对简单，德沃斯的国会批准之路则不然。她是极具争议的特朗普内阁候选人之一 ，如果不是最具争议的。

One reason is that DeVos says she wants to reduce the federal government’s involvement in education.

其中，一个原因就是德沃斯表示她希望减少联邦政府对教育的参与。

Historically, the federal government has played a major part in directing the nation’s public school system. Public schools are free for all students and have a fairly standard education curriculum.

历史上，联邦政府在指导全国公立学校制度方面发挥了重要作用。公立学校对所有学生免费，并拥有十分标准的教育课程。

About 100,000 primary and secondary schools nationwide are public. About 35,000 are private -- meaning students have to pay to attend classes.

全国约有10万所小学和中学是公立的。大约35,000所是私立的，这意味着学生上课必须交费。

DeVos says she would like to give more power over education to states and to parents.

德沃斯表示，在教育方面，她想给各州和家长更多权力。

At her confirmation hearing, she said she wants to move away from “what the system thinks is best for kids to what moms and dads want, expect and deserve.”

在她的确认听证会上，她表示她希望摒弃“体制决定什么对孩子最好，什么是父母想要的、期望和应得的。”

For example, instead of the local public school, some parents may want to send their child to a private same-sex school,one that provides training a certain foreign language, or one based on their religious beliefs. DeVos seeks to use public school money to support the choice.

例如，一些家长可能希望将他们的孩子送到私立同性学校，而不是当地的公立学校。一般是可提供一定的外语培训的学校，或是基于他们的宗教信仰而选择的学校。德沃斯试图用公立学校的钱支持择校。

Some supporters of DeVos say she will bring needed competition to public education. They say her vision for school choice will also give students from poor families the same opportunities as those from richer families.

德沃斯的一些支持者说她会为公共教育带来必要的竞争。他们说她对择校的设想也将给贫困家庭的学生和较富裕家庭的学生同样的机会。

Critics say DeVos’ plans will harm public schools and the students who depend on them – especially students in rural areas or those who have a disability.

评论家说，德沃斯的计划将损害公立学校和依赖它们的学生，特别是农村地区的学生或身患残疾的。

Critics also point to her lack of firsthand experience of the public school system. DeVos did not attend public schools or send her children to them. She has also never been a teacher or school administrator.

评论家还指出她缺乏公立学校体制管理的一手经验。德沃斯未就读过公立学校，也未让她的孩子就读公立学校。她也未当过老师或学校管理员。

Instead, she is a wealthy philanthropist, a major donor to members of Trump’s Republican Party,and a 30-year advocate for alternative choices to public education, especially Christian schools.

相反，她是一个富有的慈善家，是特朗普共和党成员的主要捐助者，并且30年来倡导择校代替公众教育，特别是基督教学校。

The controversy around DeVos’ confirmation was clear in Tuesday’s vote. After arguing against DeVos on the Senate floor for 24 consecutive hours, all 48 Democrats opposed her,along with two Republicans from rural states. The other 50 Republicans supported her. The final vote was split, 50-50.

对德沃斯确认听证会的争议在周二的投票中显而易见。在参议院连续24小时反对德沃斯之后，48名民主党人都反对她，连同两名来自农村地区的共和党人。其他50名共和党人支持她。最后的投票以50-50持平。

Fortunately, the U.S. Constitution has a way to deal with this problem. It says that if senators are “equally divided,” the vice president makes the deciding vote.

幸运的是，美国宪法有办法处理此问题。它指出如果参议员是“五五分”，副总统做出决定性的投票。

In this case, Vice President Mike Pence supported Trump’s choice and voted in favor of DeVos.

在这种情况下，副总统麦克·彭斯（Mike Pence）支持特朗普的选择，并投票支持德沃斯。

The Associate Press notes that the Senate historian says this is the first time a vice president has had to break a tie in a Cabinet nomination.

美联社表示，参议院历史学家说这是副总统首次不得不打破内阁提名的僵局。

Words in This Story

controversial – adj. relating to or causing much discussion, disagreement, or argument

curriculum – n. the courses that are taught by a school

deserve – v. used to say that someone or something should have

certain – adj. used to refer to something or someone that is not named specifically

opportunities – n. a situation in which something can be done

philanthropist – n. a wealthy person who gives money and time to help make life better for other people

alternative – adj. offering or expressing a choice

consecutive – adj. following each other without interruption