2006年VOA标准英语-Testimony of US Supreme Court Nominee Comp

By Deborah Tate
Capitol Hill
12 January 2006

U.S. Supreme¹ Court Nominee² Samuel Alito has completed testimony⁴ at Senate confirmation⁵ hearings. During questioning Thursday morning Democrats⁷ continued to criticize Judge Alito's record

 
Senator Edward Kennedy questions Judge Samuel Alito, Thursday
  
As he concluded his questioning of Appeals Court Judge Samuel Alito, Senator Ted³ Kennedy, a Massachusetts Democrat⁶, again took aim at the nominee's judicial⁸ record. He said in cases where Alito ruled, there is evidence of what he called "legal contortion⁹" and "inconsistent reasoning" to bend over backward to help the powerful.

"He may cite instances to make us think he helped the little guy, but the record is clear that the average person has a hard time getting a fair shake in Judge Alito's courtroom," Senator Kennedy said.

In addressing Alito, Republican Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah suggested the Democrats were playing politics.

"I do not think you have been fairly treated," he said.

The top Democrat on the committee, Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont, defended the tough questioning by the Democrats.
  

Senator Patrick Leahy  
  
"The judge probably thinks he is doing nothing but being on a hot seat," he said, " but we are talking about a lifetime appointment, and it is the most powerful court in the land."

Some of the questions Alito was asked Thursday dealt with presidential powers, including the legality of President Bush's decision to order eavesdropping¹⁰ on phone calls of Americans suspected of terrorist ties. The president says he had the authority under 2001 congressional resolution authorizing¹¹ force to fight terrorism, although some lawmakers disagree.

Alito says the issue has yet to be resolved.

"It is a question of statutory interpretation," he said.

If confirmed, Judge Alito would succeed the retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who is considered a moderate, and who often cast the deciding vote in 5-4 rulings on controversial cases. Democrats are concerned Alito would tilt¹² the ideological¹³ balance of the court.
 

Judge Samuel Alito  
  
Alito called O'Connor, the first woman nominated to the high court, a pioneering figure, and praised her for what he called her meticulous¹⁴ devotion to the facts of cases that came before her.

Senator Herb Kohl, a Wisconsin Democrat, asked Alito how he would emulate¹⁵ O'Connor on the high court.

"I would try to emulate her dedication¹⁶ and her integrity and her dedication to the case by case process of adjudication," he answered.

But when asked if he would rule as a centrist on the Supreme Court, he responded he would rule the way he did on the federal appeals court.

 
Senator Arlen Specter, right with Senator Orrin Hatch during questioning of Judge Samuel Alito
  
Meanwhile, Committee Chairman Republican Senator Arlen Specter said a search of records found no mention of Alito in a controversial college alumni group. Democrats demanded the review of the records of the now defunct¹⁷ Concerned Alumni of Princeton, which has been accused of opposing efforts to admit more women and minorities to the school. Alito had cited membership in the group in a job application with the Reagan administration.

1 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

2 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。

3 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。

4 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

5 confirmation   

n.证实，确认，批准

参考例句：

• We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
• We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。

6 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。

7 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》

8 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。

9 contortion   

n.扭弯，扭歪，曲解

参考例句：

• I had to admire the contortions of the gymnasts.我不得不为这些体操运动员们高难度的扭体动作而赞叹。
• This sentence was spoken with the bitterness of self-upbraiding,and a contortion of visage absolutely demoniacal.这话是用辛辣的自我谴责的口吻说出来的，说话时他的面孔也歪扭得象个地道的魔鬼。

10 eavesdropping   

n. 偷听

参考例句：

• We caught him eavesdropping outside the window. 我们撞见他正在窗外偷听。
• Suddenly the kids,who had been eavesdropping,flew into the room. 突然间，一直在偷听的孩子们飞进屋来。

11 authorizing   

授权，批准，委托( authorize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Letters of Marque: Take letters from a warning friendly power authorizing privateering. 私掠许可证：从某一个国家获得合法抢劫的证书。
• Formal phavee completion does not include authorizing the subsequent phavee. 阶段的正式完成不包括核准随后的阶段。

12 tilt   

v.(使)倾侧；(使)倾斜；n.倾侧；倾斜

参考例句：

• She wore her hat at a tilt over her left eye.她歪戴着帽子遮住左眼。
• The table is at a slight tilt.这张桌子没放平，有点儿歪.

13 ideological   

a.意识形态的

参考例句：

• He always tries to link his study with his ideological problems. 他总是把学习和自己的思想问题联系起来。
• He helped me enormously with advice on how to do ideological work. 他告诉我怎样做思想工作，对我有很大帮助。

14 meticulous   

adj.极其仔细的，一丝不苟的

参考例句：

• We'll have to handle the matter with meticulous care.这事一点不能含糊。
• She is meticulous in her presentation of facts.她介绍事实十分详细。

15 emulate   

v.努力赶上或超越，与…竞争；效仿

参考例句：

• You must work hard to emulate your sister.你必须努力工作，赶上你姐姐。
• You must look at the film and try to emulate his behavior.你们必须观看这部电影，并尽力模仿他的动作。

16 dedication   

n.奉献，献身，致力，题献，献辞

参考例句：

• We admire her courage,compassion and dedication.我们钦佩她的勇气、爱心和奉献精神。
• Her dedication to her work was admirable.她对工作的奉献精神可钦可佩。

17 defunct   

adj.死亡的；已倒闭的

参考例句：

• The scheme for building an airport seems to be completely defunct now.建造新机场的计划看来整个完蛋了。
• This schema object is defunct.No modifications are allowed until it is made active again.此架构对象不起作用。在重新激活之前，不能进行任何改动。