VOA标准英语2010-Lawmakers Blast Failure of Planned 'Virtu

Lawmakers in Washington say U.S. and Mexican authorities need much more help to battle violent drug traffickers. At a hearing this week, several members of a Senate committee blasted plans for a so-called "virtual fence" as a waste of taxpayer¹ dollars. And two lawmakers are calling for the deployment² of  National Guard troops along one of the most troubled sections of the U.S. southern border. 

The recent killing³ of three people with ties to the U.S. consulate⁴ in Juarez, Mexico, and the shooting death of a popular rancher on his property in Arizona, are increasing the anger over drug-related violence on both sides of the U.S.-Mexican border. The Mexican government says more than 22,000 people have been killed in Mexico since a U.S.-backed crackdown on cartels began three years ago.

Larry Dever is the sheriff of Cochise County, Arizona, and is leading the investigation⁵ into the killing of rancher Rob Krentz.  He says authorities suspect people working for drug cartels.

"The bad guys keep coming," said Larry Dever. "And no matter whether the apprehension⁶ rates rise or fall, the numbers of criminal aliens rise.  That sir, gentlemen, is the threat to homeland security in our country."

The increased violence is spilling over into many U.S. border towns, including Nogales, Arizona.

"Gentlemen, Nogales needs your help," said Octavio Garcia-Von Borstel.

Mayor Octavio Garcia-Von Borstel told U.S. lawmakers that three ports of entry in his city must process more than 15 million people a year, and inspect some three million incoming cars. But he says federal inspections⁷ of all southbound vehicles are impeding⁸ the rightful free movement of tens of thousands.

"The unanticipated consequence is that people are now crossing less frequently and have to wait one to two hours coming in and out of our ports of entry," he said.

A source of anger for many lawmakers at the hearing was a U.S. government contract for a so-called "virtual fence" monitoring system along the nearly 3200-kilometer U.S.-Mexico border.
The program, called SBInet has cost more than $700 million so far, but has only been tested over a 37-kilometer section.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has halted worked on the project.  Senator Joe Lieberman is chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee:

"By any measure, SBInet has been a failure," said Joe Lieberman. "A classic example of a program that was grossly oversold and has been badly under-delivered."

Senator Roland Burris also blasted the program, and the U.S. government's contract with Boeing for the work, during this exchange with Customs and Border Protection Agency commissioner⁹ Alan Bersin.

"Taxpayers¹⁰ do not have unlimited¹¹ pockets for Boeing, or for any other company," said Roland Burris.

Senators John McCain and Jon Kyl of Arizona announced a plan to step up border security, including a request for 3,000 National Guard troops along the Arizona-Mexico border. 

 

1 taxpayer   

n.纳税人

参考例句：

• The new scheme will run off with a lot of the taxpayer's money.这项新计划将用去纳税人许多钱。
• The taxpayer are unfavourably disposed towards the recent tax increase.纳税者对最近的增加税收十分反感。

2 deployment   

n. 部署,展开

参考例句：

• He has inquired out the deployment of the enemy troops. 他已查出敌军的兵力部署情况。
• Quality function deployment (QFD) is a widely used customer-driven quality, design and manufacturing management tool. 质量功能展开(quality function deployment,QFD)是一个广泛应用的顾客需求驱动的设计、制造和质量管理工具。

3 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

4 consulate   

n.领事馆

参考例句：

• The Spanish consulate is the large white building opposite the bank.西班牙领事馆是银行对面的那栋高大的白色建筑物。
• The American consulate was a magnificent edifice in the centre of Bordeaux.美国领事馆是位于波尔多市中心的一座宏伟的大厦。

5 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

6 apprehension   

n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑

参考例句：

• There were still areas of doubt and her apprehension grew.有些地方仍然存疑，于是她越来越担心。
• She is a girl of weak apprehension.她是一个理解力很差的女孩。

7 inspections   

n.检查( inspection的名词复数 )；检验；视察；检阅

参考例句：

• Regular inspections are carried out at the prison. 经常有人来视察这座监狱。
• Government inspections ensure a high degree of uniformity in the standard of service. 政府检查确保了在服务标准方面的高度一致。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 impeding   

a.(尤指坏事)即将发生的，临近的

参考例句：

• Fallen rock is impeding the progress of rescue workers. 坠落的石头阻滞了救援人员的救援进程。
• Is there sufficient room for the kiosk and kiosk traffic without impeding other user traffic? 该环境下是否有足够的空间来摆放信息亭？信息亭是否会妨碍交通或者行走？ 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

9 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

10 taxpayers   

纳税人，纳税的机构( taxpayer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Finance for education comes from taxpayers. 教育经费来自纳税人。
• She was declaiming against the waste of the taxpayers' money. 她慷慨陈词猛烈抨击对纳税人金钱的浪费。

11 unlimited   

adj.无限的，不受控制的，无条件的

参考例句：

• They flew over the unlimited reaches of the Arctic.他们飞过了茫茫无边的北极上空。
• There is no safety in unlimited technological hubris.在技术方面自以为是会很危险。