2006年VOA标准英语-US House Speaker: Anyone Involved in Any Cover-

By Dan Robinson
Capitol Hill
10 October 2006

The Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives has pledged to fire anyone on his staff who may have tried to cover up improper¹ Internet contacts between a former Republican congressman², Mark Foley, and congressional pages. The latest statement by Dennis Hastert came as a congressional ethics³ panel intensifies⁴ its inquiry⁵, interviewing key figures in the scandal that threatens to cost Republicans votes in the upcoming legislation election.

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Dennis Hastert (October 5, 2006 file photo)
  
In his latest statement, Hastert points to investigations⁷ under way by the House Ethics Committee, the Department of Justice and one in Florida, former Congressman Foley's home state.

Anyone found to have hidden or covered up information should, in Hastert's words, "be gone".

He said, "If there is a problem, if there was a cover-up, then we should find that out through the investigation⁶ process. They will be under oath and we will find out. If they did cover something up then they should not continue to have their jobs."

Last week, Hastert said he was sorry about the scandal and vowed⁸ to cooperate with the inquiry by the House Ethics Committee and Justice Department.

But he has refused to resign, although he acknowledged to reporters in Illinois that, as he put it, "[in] hindsight, probably you could do everything a little bit better."

On Capitol Hill, the House Ethics Committee will interview key figures as it accelerates its probe into what House Republican leaders knew of Foley's activities, when they knew it, and how they responded. 

Rep. Mark Foley, right, speaks during news conference (file photo)  
  
The Department of Justice, meanwhile, is interviewing former congressional pages and staffers and lawmakers.

One former page who may have received Internet messages from Foley, Jordan Edmund, spoke⁹ with FBI investigators¹⁰ [Tuesday] in Oklahoma City.

His attorney, Stephen Jones, said he is preparing to speak to the House ethics panel.

"This morning I was contacted by the House Committee on Official Standards known as the ethics committee. I will speak with them this afternoon. I do not know the extent of their interest," he said.

On Tuesday, another Republican lawmaker sought to clarify what he did to bring problems to the attention of the Republican leadership.

Congressman Jim Kolbe said he forwarded to Foley's office and the House clerk, information from a former page who contacted his office in 2000 or 2001 about inappropriate Internet messages.

Kolbe denied an earlier newspaper report that he had personally confronted Foley about his activities.

Meanwhile, there are indications of how much political damage Republicans are suffering from the Foley scandal.

Public opinion polls show the scandal adding to doubts among Americans polled about Republicans control of Congress. These come a few weeks before November elections in which voters will choose 33 members of the Senate and all 435 members of the House.

Democrats¹¹ must gain 15 seats to take control of the House from Republicans, and six seats in the Senate. The Foley scandal appears to have shifted the advantage to Democrats in a number of key House races across the country.

Among four key polls, Democratic candidates enjoyed leads over Republicans of between 13 and 23 percentage points, something political analysts¹² attribute not only to the Foley scandal but the war in Iraq.

1 improper   

adj.不适当的，不合适的，不正确的，不合礼仪的

参考例句：

• Short trousers are improper at a dance.舞会上穿短裤不成体统。
• Laughing and joking are improper at a funeral.葬礼时大笑和开玩笑是不合适的。

2 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

3 ethics   

n.伦理学；伦理观，道德标准

参考例句：

• The ethics of his profession don't permit him to do that.他的职业道德不允许他那样做。
• Personal ethics and professional ethics sometimes conflict.个人道德和职业道德有时会相互抵触。

4 intensifies   

n.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的名词复数 )v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• A clear atmosphere intensifies the blue of the sky. 纯净的空气使天空变得更蓝。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Blowing on fire intensifies the heat. 吹火使热度加强。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

6 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。

7 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

8 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

9 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

10 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 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》

12 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。