2006年VOA标准英语-Immigration Bill Casts Shadow Over Small T

By Jeff Swicord
Georgetown, Delaware
07 April 2006
 
watch US Immigration report

A bipartisan agreement reached in the U.S. Senate Thursday over an immigration reform bill now appears to be in jeopardy¹. A bipartisan compromise bill failed Friday to get the protection it needed to go forward. The compromise measure would have offered a tiered system of legalizing the status of many of the nation's estimated 11 million illegal immigrants.

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But what is the impact of the legislation on the people and towns across America? A look at one small town that has a high proportion of immigrants.

  
  

It's an afternoon gathering² of Hispanic families in Georgetown, Delaware.  Fifteen years ago, Georgetown was a predominantly Anglo-American small town, full of old Victorian houses and old-fashioned American traditions and values.  But in the 1990s Hispanic immigrants began moving to town.

Mike Wyatt is mayor of Georgetown and says, "They were never really visible to anybody riding through ‘till early 1992-1993.  And then it was all of a sudden, ‘Where did all these people come from?’"

They came from Central American countries, such as Guatemala, in search of jobs and better lives: primarily, by working in three large chicken processing plants in the area.  At first there was some resistance from local townspeople toward outsiders.  But as more Hispanic workers came, some set up businesses and became vital to the local economy.  

 
Mike Wyatt
  
Mr. Wyatt estimates almost half the population of Georgetown is now Hispanic. "The economy of Georgetown, Sussex County, chicken plants, poultry³, I would hate to imagine what it would be like without the Hispanic workers.  They have to be the ones keeping it going," he says.

It is communities like Georgetown that are caught in the firestorm surrounding immigration legislation.  Mr. Wyatt estimates that 80 to 90 percent of Hispanic workers in the area could be in the country illegally, and says they are able to gain employment through forged documents.

“We see it all the time, the police department sees is all the time.  It is rumored⁴ that you can go someplace in Pennsylvania and get an insurance card, a license⁵ plate for your car, driver’s license, social security card, all for a fee.  And up front, everything looks legal."

There are two schools of thought in immigration reform. One wants to close down the borders, deport⁶ all illegal immigrants, and jail employers and others who provide assistance to the illegals.  The other wants some form of amnesty and a program that allows people to come to the U.S. at least temporarily as guest workers.  

 
Jessica Eckard 
  
Jessica Eckerd is Executive Director of the Eagle Forum⁷, a conservative organization that supports border security first, and no amnesty for illegal workers. "When the person chooses to come here through the proper channels in a legal way,” she says, “we see the benefits of those legal immigrants.  When an immigrant comes here who breaks the law, who is draining our schools and our health care system, and the American tax payers fund those things, then we see a negative impact."

Zaida Guajardo is deputy director for "La Esperanza," a social services organization in Georgetown.  She advocates immigration reform, some form of amnesty, and a guest worker program.  Her organization does not ask people their status, and could be penalized⁸ if tougher immigration laws go into effect.

Zaida Guajardo   
  
"The fact that we will be penalized, even fines and incarceration⁹, I think is ridiculous.  I think that rather than penalizing¹⁰ or having such a strict bill, we have go to find a way to, I guess, work with immigration reform."

The U.S. Senate has been split on the issue.  And the fate of many small communities around the U.S., like Georgetown, hangs in the balance.  No one in this town wants to see the harsher measure pass.

"I believe the local economy, as far as the chicken producers, I honestly believe they would be shut down,” says Mayor Wyatt.  “There are that many employees that work there.  There is probably that many that are illegal.  I don't know if companies could stand that."

1 jeopardy   

n.危险；危难

参考例句：

• His foolish behaviour may put his whole future in jeopardy.他愚蠢的行为可能毁了他一生的前程。
• It is precisely at this juncture that the boss finds himself in double jeopardy.恰恰在这个关键时刻，上司发现自己处于进退两难的境地。

2 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

3 poultry   

n.家禽，禽肉

参考例句：

• There is not much poultry in the shops. 商店里禽肉不太多。
• What do you feed the poultry on? 你们用什么饲料喂养家禽?

4 rumored   

adj.传说的，谣传的v.传闻( rumor的过去式和过去分词 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷

参考例句：

• It is rumored that he cheats on his wife. 据传他对他老婆不忠。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• It was rumored that the white officer had been a Swede. 传说那个白人军官是个瑞典人。 来自辞典例句

5 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。

6 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。

7 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

8 penalized   

对…予以惩罚( penalize的过去式和过去分词 )； 使处于不利地位

参考例句：

• You will be penalized for poor spelling. 你拼写不好将会受到处罚。
• Team members will be penalized for lateness. 队员迟到要受处罚。

9 incarceration   

n.监禁，禁闭；钳闭

参考例句：

• He hadn't changed much in his nearly three years of incarceration. 在将近三年的监狱生活中，他变化不大。 来自辞典例句
• Please, please set it free before it bursts from its long incarceration! 请你，请你将这颗心释放出来吧！否则它会因长期的禁闭而爆裂。 来自辞典例句

10 penalizing   

对…予以惩罚( penalize的现在分词 )； 使处于不利地位

参考例句：

• This is more than just penalizing a company that you are mad at. 她说：这将远远超过惩罚一个你感到不满的公司。