2007年VOA标准英语-US Supreme Court Opens New Term Monday

By Jim Malone
Washington
28 September 2007

The U.S. Supreme¹ Court opens its annual term Monday, October 1 and will consider a number of legal challenges to the power of the president and the power of Congress. VOA National correspondent Jim Malone has a preview from Washington.

Two cases of international interest highlight the new Supreme Court term.

The high court will consider whether Congress exceeded its constitutional authority when it set the rules for military commissions to try suspected terrorists being held at the U.S. Naval² base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

In a second case, the nine justices will examine whether the president has the power to compel state courts to uphold judgments³ rendered by the International Court of Justice.

Other major cases scheduled for argument this term include a dispute over how political parties choose their candidates and a challenge to a law in Indiana requiring citizens to produce photo identification before being allowed to vote.

The court will also decide whether the use of lethal⁴ injections in death penalty cases violates the constitutional ban against cruel and unusual punishment.

Legal observers will continue to watch the two newest members of the Supreme Court appointed by President Bush, Chief Justice John Roberts and Associate Justice Samuel Alito.

Roberts and Alito have solidified⁵ a five-member conservative majority on the nine-member court, according to George Washington University Law Professor Jonathan Turley.

These are young justices, Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Alito, and they have shown that they have got a stable five justice majority," he says.

Liberal activists⁷ have criticized the court's conservative shift and vow⁸ to make it an issue in next year's presidential and congressional elections.

"We think the Supreme Court's future is the most important issue facing America in 2008 in these elections," says longtime liberal judicial⁹ activist⁶ Ralph Neas.

Conservatives are pleased with the Roberts court so far, but want to see more decisions go their way before they reach a final verdict.

"I think it is really too early to tell exactly what is going to happen with this court," says Naomi Rao, who teaches law at George Mason University in Virginia.

Most court watchers continue to see longtime centrist Justice Anthony Kennedy as the critical vote on the court. Kennedy often provides the deciding vote in high court decisions.

But George Washington University legal expert Jeffrey Rosen says a sharp conservative turn by the court could provoke a negative public reaction.

"If the Roberts court continues down this path and starts striking down laws that Americans do care intensely about, such as environmental laws and health and safety laws, it could indeed provoke a backlash of national proportions," he said.

Legal and political experts say the president's Supreme Court appointments will have a lasting¹⁰ impact on the law and on Mr. Bush's political legacy¹¹.

"He changed the Supreme Court," says, law professor Jonathan Turley. "The court changed the law and that changed the country. That is a legacy by any definition of the term."

The high court will hear oral arguments over the next few months, with most decisions expected between January and June of next year.

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 naval   

adj.海军的，军舰的，船的

参考例句：

• He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
• The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。

3 judgments   

判断( judgment的名词复数 )； 鉴定； 评价； 审判

参考例句：

• A peculiar austerity marked his judgments of modern life. 他对现代生活的批评带着一种特殊的苛刻。
• He is swift with his judgments. 他判断迅速。

4 lethal   

adj.致死的；毁灭性的

参考例句：

• A hammer can be a lethal weapon.铁锤可以是致命的武器。
• She took a lethal amount of poison and died.她服了致命剂量的毒药死了。

5 solidified   

（使）成为固体，（使）变硬，（使）变得坚固( solidify的过去式和过去分词 )； 使团结一致； 充实，巩固； 具体化

参考例句：

• Her attitudes solidified through privilege and habit. 由于特权和习惯使然，她的看法变得越来越难以改变。
• When threatened, he fires spheres of solidified air from his launcher! 当危险来临，他就会发射它的弹药！

6 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

7 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 vow   

n.誓(言)，誓约；v.起誓，立誓

参考例句：

• My parents are under a vow to go to church every Sunday.我父母许愿，每星期日都去做礼拜。
• I am under a vow to drink no wine.我已立誓戒酒。

9 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。

10 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

11 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

12 override   

vt.不顾，不理睬，否决；压倒，优先于

参考例句：

• The welfare of a child should always override the wishes of its parents.孩子的幸福安康应该永远比父母的愿望来得更重要。
• I'm applying in advance for the authority to override him.我提前申请当局对他进行否决。

13 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
• He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。