VOA标准英语2014--美国国会议员商讨对移民的边境执法

 

US Lawmakers to Weigh in on Border Enforcement, Immigration 美国国会议员商讨对移民的边境执法

WASHINGTON —

U.S. lawmakers will weigh in on border enforcement and immigration reform when they return to work this week after an Independence Day recess¹. A stream of undocumented minors² arriving on America’s southern border, along with President Barack Obama’s pledge to alter immigration enforcement through executive order, have sparked a firestorm on Capitol Hill.

With an estimated 11-12 million foreign nationals living illegally in the United States, and a crush of underage would-be immigrants arriving daily, Republican lawmakers like Senator Jeff Sessions are pinning the blame on the Obama administration.

“The sad reality of lax enforcement, plus the lack of a clear message is what is driving the surge.  The reality is, if you get into the country today, you are not being deported⁴.  That is true!” – said Sessions.

But America’s immigration challenges cannot be solved through law enforcement alone, according to Democratic Senator Harry⁵ Reid.

“Eleven million people.  We cannot fiscally⁶ [afford to] deport³ 11 million people. We cannot physically⁷ do it.  It will not work,” said Reid.

A comprehensive immigration reform bill that would provide an arduous⁸ path to citizenship⁹ for the undocumented and boost border enforcement passed the Senate last year, but stalled in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives.  Now, President Obama is asking Congress for additional funds to speed the processing and deportation¹⁰ of new arrivals from mostly-Central American nations.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner¹¹ Gil Kerlikowske notes U.S. law treats non-Mexican arrivals as refugees, not illegal immigrants.

“These are not gang members.  These are not dangerous individuals,” said Kerlikowske, speaking on ABC’s This Week program.

At the same time, high-ranking U.S. officials have gone to Central America with a simple message: do not send children to the United States.  That message is too little too late, according to Republican Senator John Cornyn.

“Unless we send a clear message that our border is being enforced and our laws are being upheld, we will continue to face crisis after crisis after crisis.  Meanwhile, untold¹² numbers of migrants will continue suffering and dying in Central America and Mexico, just trying to get here.  Or get here, showing up on our doorstep, and overwhelming our capacity to deal with them in a responsible way,” said Cornyn.

Hopes Congress would enact¹³ a long-term fix to America’s immigration woes¹⁴ died when House Speaker John Boehner ruled out a vote for the remainder of the year.  Last week, President Obama pledged to do what he can on his own through executive authority.

1 recess   

n.短期休息，壁凹（墙上装架子，柜子等凹处）

参考例句：

• The chairman of the meeting announced a ten-minute recess.会议主席宣布休会10分钟。
• Parliament was hastily recalled from recess.休会的议员被匆匆召回开会。

2 minors   

n.未成年人( minor的名词复数 )；副修科目；小公司；[逻辑学]小前提v.[主美国英语]副修，选修，兼修( minor的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The law forbids shops to sell alcohol to minors. 法律禁止商店向未成年者出售含酒精的饮料。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He had three minors this semester. 这学期他有三门副修科目。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 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。

4 deported   

v.将…驱逐出境( deport的过去式和过去分词 )；举止

参考例句：

• They stripped me of my citizenship and deported me. 他们剥夺我的公民资格，将我驱逐出境。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The convicts were deported to a deserted island. 罪犯们被流放到一个荒岛。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

6 fiscally   

在国库方面，财政上，在国库岁入方面

参考例句：

• Nor will fiscally stretched governments pump more money into the political equivalent of a leper colony. 财政吃紧的政府也不愿将更多的钱投入这个避之唯恐不及的政治瘟疫区。
• We are more fiscally constrained, which forces us to work smarter and more efficiently. 与F-15相比我们资金上的限制更大了，美女类小游戏，这迫使我们更为精心和有效地工作。

7 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

8 arduous   

adj.艰苦的，费力的，陡峭的

参考例句：

• We must have patience in doing arduous work.我们做艰苦的工作要有耐性。
• The task was more arduous than he had calculated.这项任务比他所估计的要艰巨得多。

9 citizenship   

n.市民权，公民权，国民的义务(身份)

参考例句：

• He was born in Sweden,but he doesn't have Swedish citizenship.他在瑞典出生，但没有瑞典公民身分。
• Ten years later,she chose to take Australian citizenship.十年后，她选择了澳大利亚国籍。

10 deportation   

n.驱逐，放逐

参考例句：

• The government issued a deportation order against the four men.政府发出了对那4名男子的驱逐令。
• Years ago convicted criminals in England could face deportation to Australia.很多年以前，英国已定罪的犯人可能被驱逐到澳大利亚。

11 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。

12 untold   

adj.数不清的，无数的

参考例句：

• She has done untold damage to our chances.她给我们的机遇造成了不可估量的损害。
• They suffered untold terrors in the dark and huddled together for comfort.他们遭受着黑暗中的难以言传的种种恐怖，因而只好挤在一堆互相壮胆。

13 enact   

vt.制定(法律)；上演，扮演

参考例句：

• The U.S. Congress has exclusive authority to enact federal legislation.美国国会是唯一有权颁布联邦法律的。
• For example,a country can enact laws and economic policies to attract foreign investment fairly quickly.例如一个国家可以很快颁布吸引外资的法令和经济政策。

14 woes   

困境( woe的名词复数 )； 悲伤； 我好苦哇； 某人就要倒霉

参考例句：

• Thanks for listening to my woes. 谢谢您听我诉说不幸的遭遇。
• She has cried the blues about its financial woes. 对于经济的困难她叫苦不迭。